David Smith...is footy better off?

[mongoose]

I think the game is better off under David Smith and things are heading in the right direction but there does seem to be a negative feeling around the NRL at the moment. My theory of this supposed backlash against League this year is due to Channel 9. I know they paid big money for the broadcast rights but they are failing the game miserably. The schedule is utter shit as it revolves around pandering to Channel 9 and to a lesser extent Fox. But I think a lot of League fans are just sick of the Nine format and this is still the main source most league fans get there weekly dose of RL from.

 

[taipan]

When the shoulder charge is brought back the person responsible will have done a good job. Penalising it is just soft. It's contact with the head in any form that needs Penalising more severely. Not body on body contact that's often just bracing for impact.

Just have a head contact grading system. Starting at 3 weeks for barely making contact, and 10+ weeks for the more dangerous contact. Maybe even use an automatic sin. bin for shoulder charges with head contact. Likewise for any lifting tackles. It cut out punching.

Shoulder charges were not part of the rule book ,we may as well introduce fumbling to make the game interesting.:roll:
Players running at full speed,only have to miscalculate by a second and someone's head gets slammed.
Society and sport is entering the world of legal battles of late,why create further opportunities for lawyers,and why create further opportunities for serious player injury.
The game is tough enough as is.Look at the bleeding injury toll as it is.

 

[Matthew Corner]

The game is nowhere near as tough as last year.

Disagree entirely on that front taipan.

 

[Perth Red]

Then how did you come to the conclusion of a diminishing interest in rugby league?

The avg is boosted by some very big one offs earlier in the season, generally crowds are disappointing week to week,,especially for the top 8 clubs. Crowds were down last year and haven't recovered to the point of strong growth, TV was down last year and start of this year wasn't great. All of this is during smith's reign. Hence why I suggested interest appears diminished.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

The avg is boosted by some very big one offs earlier in the season, generally crowds are disappointing week to week,,especially for the top 8 clubs. Crowds were down last year and haven't recovered to the point of strong growth, TV was down last year and start of this year wasn't great. All of this is during smith's reign. Hence why I suggested interest appears diminished.

Yes, but this is true of every season...

Remove the outliers and every year comes in at (give or take) 14K, and it's been that way since about 2004.

 

[Perth Red]

Just seems this year the big games haven't lived up to expectations and we seem to have had a stack of sub 11k games?

On avg 13 to 14 so far crowds we've got
Brisbane up
Canberra down
Canterbury down
Cronulla down
GC down
Manly down
Melb down
NZ up
Newcastle down
NQ down
Parra up
Penrith up
Souths down
St's up
Roosters down
Wests up

So 6 clubs better crowds 10 clubs worse than last season.

 

[taipan]

The game is nowhere near as tough as last year.

Disagree entirely on that front taipan.

Perhaps the injured players involved would disagree witth you MC.
The first SOO game was one of the toughest and best ones I have seen for yonks.

Never left a game this year hearing anyone complain about no shoulder charges or brawls .If tough is meant to include this non football crapola ,then we may as well go back to coat hanger tackles.
It's 2014 not 1950.

 

[betcats]

Still crowds arent just gonna jump massively after one or two years. In another 2 or 3 years if we havent seen any significant growth in crowds I will say he is failing in that area, but for now outside of the draw he seems to be doing good thing to promote crowd growth.

 

[eozsmiles]

Is the game better on the field?

No, but personally I don't think it's really any worse or even a major issue for most fans. Those that hate the shoulder charge rule would have stronger opinions, along with the ant-grapple crew, the lovers of a stink, people with major ref problems, and those that are sick of 2nd man plays, or 5 hit ups and a cross kick for the winger. But many/most fans are more interested in winning and losing than the quality of the game. Roosters and Manly fans probably think the last year or two have been awesome. Raiders fans, not so much.


Is the game any better off the field?

It should be but only time will tell. We are no closer to expansion, maybe even further away, but we have to be patient with that one. There have been governance issues at a few clubs, but that is not the NRL's fault in most cases, if not all. More money is a great start with a plan to build a future fund. The reactionary nature of RL administration has pulled the right rein occasionally (pushing the insurance barrow after the McKinnon accident is one) but maybe the wrong ones too (shoulder charge rule). Issues such as the salary cap and player transfers still annoy fans, but they probably always will.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

When 72% of players surveyed in the RLW poll believe ol' pissmouth Carney should get another chance, and a whopping 65% of those believe he shouldn't have been canned in the first place...Dave Smith or any other CEO has zero chance cleaning up the image of the game as much as they'd like.

Seriously, digest that. 65% of players, a lot of them no doubt who know more of Carney's antics than the ones we are aware of, believe he should still be at Cronulla. Were perfectly free and in anonymity to say he deserved to go, but didn't. Muppets.

The biggest issue that needs clearing up is the refeereing. My f**king god, it is hard as a fan to follow the logic of not only Steve Clark's bullshit Lafai no-try last week, but that he was given the main game of the round the very following week. I'm certain it isn't just the increased analysis that is the reason for how useless these berks are.

 

[ozenzud]

Just don't agree with the sentiments that mums are going to allow little Johnnycake play league because the biff and shoulder charge are out of the game.

It has killed the goose that was laying the angry egg.

League has become soft and boring.

And yeah, I agree Gallop was just a news limited crony doing jack. Poor soccer.

This is rubbish. Now you have to be super fit and skillful to play RL, not just a thug. I loved the game in the 80's. But skillless thugs prospered.

The game has changed, but it isn't soft. Soccer is soft.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

When 72% of players surveyed in the RLW poll believe ol' pissmouth Carney should get another chance, and a whopping 65% of those believe he shouldn't have been canned in the first place...Dave Smith or any other CEO has zero chance cleaning up the image of the game as much as they'd like.

Seriously, digest that. 65% of players, a lot of them no doubt who know more of Carney's antics than the ones we are aware of, believe he should still be at Cronulla. Were perfectly free and in anonymity to say he deserved to go, but didn't. Muppets.

The biggest issue that needs clearing up is the refeereing. My f**king god, it is hard as a fan to follow the logic of not only Steve Clark's bullshit Lafai no-try last week, but that he was given the main game of the round the very following week. I'm certain it isn't just the increased analysis that is the reason for how useless these berks are.

^^^

Above anything else, i just find it funny that, the opinions fans listen to most are those coming from guys that have their job because they are able to repeatedly simulate car crashes with their head and body better then other people....

 

[Son of Minto]

When 72% of players surveyed in the RLW poll believe ol' pissmouth Carney should get another chance, and a whopping 65% of those believe he shouldn't have been canned in the first place...Dave Smith or any other CEO has zero chance cleaning up the image of the game as much as they'd like.

Seriously, digest that. 65% of players, a lot of them no doubt who know more of Carney's antics than the ones we are aware of, believe he should still be at Cronulla. Were perfectly free and in anonymity to say he deserved to go, but didn't. Muppets.

Did you hear that moron Willie Mason on NRL 360? He said after the Carney thing happened people were asking him if was going to piss in his mouth when he was out at night. He said it made him angry and embarrassed but he thought CARNEY DESERVED ANOTHER CHANCE. Seriously. Idiots.

 

[Son of Minto]

The game is nowhere near as tough as last year.

Disagree entirely on that front taipan.

Which team do you play for?

 

[insert.pause]

Did you hear that moron Willie Mason on NRL 360? He said after the Carney thing happened people were asking him if was going to piss in his mouth when he was out at night. He said it made him angry and embarrassed but he thought CARNEY DESERVED ANOTHER CHANCE. Seriously. Idiots.

hes a moron, when are they going to grow up and grasp the fact that the behaviour of their colleagues affects their earning capacity. Players, and especially senior players, have to start holding each other accountable.

 

[Brutus]

Footy will be better off if we can pack the SCG for 1 v 2 tonight.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Did you hear that moron Willie Mason on NRL 360? He said after the Carney thing happened people were asking him if was going to piss in his mouth when he was out at night. He said it made him angry and embarrassed but he thought CARNEY DESERVED ANOTHER CHANCE. Seriously. Idiots.

Yeah that doesn't surprise me that Willie is one of the 65%. If you can't get it by now, there's no hope

Anyway, two big games tonight and that'll do me. Can't wait