Frank Farina tells NRL, AFL told to grow up over Cup bid

[BIKER_DRAGON]

and yet it is the biggest sport in the world

Backs up the lyrics in the song Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger doesn't it:lol::lol::lol:

Been around the world and found
That only stupid people are breeding,
The cretins cloning and feeding,

 

[butchmcdick]

Backs up the lyrics in the song Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger doesn't it:lol::lol::lol:

Been around the world and found
That only stupid people are breeding,
The cretins cloning and feeding,

wow that is an obscure reference.

What ever happened to harvey danger ?

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

wow that is an obscure reference.

What ever happened to harvey danger ?

Last i heard of him he was helping South Australia's premier Idiot Mike Rann with his anti Bikie laws.

 

[Loudstrat]

Who cares. They haven't got Hayne or Fui! I know what I'll be watching!

 

[Goddo]

Some of you guys are paranoid like the AFL androtops on big footy.

I don't actually like soccer, the only time I ever watch it is Premier League and Bundesliga highlights, and the World Cup. Most Australians feel this way I guess, look at the attendences for international games and the domestic comp. Soccer is a lot like union.

This thing would be like the Union world cup... People will be interested short term, A league will be a bit cashed up for a couple of years, then back to business as usual with their 5k crowds.

In return, we will get much better stadiums, infrastructure spending in our cities, rail, road, hotels, training grounds, compensation for the NRL, et cetera.

I think its a fair trade for starting and ending the season a little earlier and later for one year. Start the season 2 weeks earlier and finish it 2 weeks later, then have 2 split rounds over 4 weeks during the cup, AND claim compensation for the disruption.

Newcastle, North Queensland, Canberra, Wests will all get stadium upgrades, as will the Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Roosters, and Broncos. Other clubs may get extra funding for developing their facilities as training venues. Other benefits might be that the Bulldogs move back to a redeveloped Belmore for training, Brookvale might be upgraded. This event will see huge spending on sports infrastructure that possibly won't be seen for a long while after its over. We should be ensuring we get as big a piece of this as we can.

I don't mind it either, as AFL types are sh!t scared of soccer, which can only be a good thing. Some of the delusion going on on big poofy makes for a funny read.

It won't be that bad.

 

[Skeletor]

Yes you may like soccer but i dont think many people who arent soccer lovers going to go to a boring game , because itsa the world cup.

BS. Every Olympic sport sold out in Sydney. Even the loser sports like fencing, archery, Synchronised Swimming, Table Tennis, European Handball. Considering soccer is relatively popular in Australia it should be a cinch that it's sold out, even before thinking about all the expatriates in Australia.

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

Some of you guys are paranoid like the AFL androtops on big footy.

I don't actually like soccer, the only time I ever watch it is Premier League and Bundesliga highlights, and the World Cup. Most Australians feel this way I guess, look at the attendences for international games and the domestic comp. Soccer is a lot like union.

This thing would be like the Union world cup... People will be interested short term, A league will be a bit cashed up for a couple of years, then back to business as usual with their 5k crowds.

In return, we will get much better stadiums, infrastructure spending in our cities, rail, road, hotels, training grounds, compensation for the NRL, et cetera.

I think its a fair trade for starting and ending the season a little earlier and later for one year. Start the season 2 weeks earlier and finish it 2 weeks later, then have 2 split rounds over 4 weeks during the cup, AND claim compensation for the disruption.

Newcastle, North Queensland, Canberra, Wests will all get stadium upgrades, as will the Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Roosters, and Broncos. Other clubs may get extra funding for developing their facilities as training venues. Other benefits might be that the Bulldogs move back to a redeveloped Belmore for training, Brookvale might be upgraded. This event will see huge spending on sports infrastructure that possibly won't be seen for a long while after its over. We should be ensuring we get as big a piece of this as we can.

I don't mind it either, as AFL types are sh!t scared of soccer, which can only be a good thing. Some of the delusion going on on big poofy makes for a funny read.

It won't be that bad.

The scene is somewhere in 2026.....Australia finally gets the world cup of soccer

Hey Peter want to come see a world cup soccer game with me......No thanks, Paul Im staying home tonight to stick pins in my eyes.

 

[Goddo]

What about Juan or Hans? Foreign travelers will eat the sh!t up Biker... and spend wads of cash in Australia which will improve our stadia for rugby league.

And it improves Australia's profile internationally.

It doesn't matter if Peter or Paul give a sh!t. This thing will be good for the country.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

The scene is somewhere in 2026.....Australia finally gets the world cup of soccer

Hey Peter want to come see a world cup soccer game with me......No thanks, Paul Im staying home tonight to stick pins in my eyes.

Good for you.

 

[Goddo]

Heres a scenario or two thats good for league that might come from a soccer world cup:

Imagine being able to take tests and origins to WA because they have a 70-80k retractable seat stadium? Thats better than anything Brisbane can currently offer and almost as good as ANZ.

How about a sold out Dairy farmers with 40k to a Broncos game?

Great facilities in Canberra making the weather bearable, which will draw more people to games.

Or more advertising and corporate revenue for the Knights in a bigger better Energy Australia?

New Stadium for the Tigers in the rapidly growing Campbeltown.

Belmore, upgraded as a training venue, restored as the Dogs training ground.

How about a high speed metro train line under ANZ thats faster than 10 minutes from the city or Parramatta? Also, improved roads and hotels near venues.

A referbished SFS for the Chooks.

A higher capacity ANZ Stadium with fully retractable rectangular ends. No more crappy curved seating! and a roof to keep the weather out and boost noise and atmosphere inside.

Say a white elephant stadium is built in Adelaide. They would be desperate to draw events there and would pay clubs more than they do now to take games there.

Sure, soccer will get a leg up for a year or two, but we only have to look at the 03 Union Cup to see what will happen longer term to domestic soccer. The long term benefactors of a world cup will largely be rugby league (and AFL, but if we work hard at getting proper football venues built, more for us).

Besides, the A League is really struggling competing against 20/20 cricket, especially in QLD and NSW where they have the most teams. Its in AFL states where it is actually doing well. How is that bad news for us? In AFL states, soccer is an ally of ours.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

Heres a scenario or two thats good for league that might come from a soccer world cup:

Imagine being able to take tests and origins to WA because they have a 70-80k retractable seat stadium? Thats better than anything Brisbane can currently offer and almost as good as ANZ.

How about a sold out Dairy farmers with 40k to a Broncos game?

Great facilities in Canberra making the weather bearable, which will draw more people to games.

Or more advertising and corporate revenue for the Knights in a bigger better Energy Australia?

New Stadium for the Tigers in the rapidly growing Campbeltown.

Belmore, upgraded as a training venue, restored as the Dogs training ground.

How about a high speed metro train line under ANZ thats faster than 10 minutes from the city or Parramatta? Also, improved roads and hotels near venues.

A referbished SFS for the Chooks.

A higher capacity ANZ Stadium with fully retractable rectangular ends. No more crappy curved seating! and a roof to keep the weather out and boost noise and atmosphere inside.

Say a white elephant stadium is built in Adelaide. They would be desperate to draw events there and would pay clubs more than they do now to take games there.

Sure, soccer will get a leg up for a year or two, but we only have to look at the 03 Union Cup to see what will happen longer term to domestic soccer. The long term benefactors of a world cup will largely be rugby league (and AFL, but if we work hard at getting proper football venues built, more for us).

Besides, the A League is really struggling competing against 20/20 cricket, especially in QLD and NSW where they have the most teams. Its in AFL states where it is actually doing well. How is that bad news for us? In AFL states, soccer is an ally of ours.

Well said Goddo. League and soccer can and should work together.

 

[Goddo]

I don't even think we have to work together. We can just ride this temporary soccer wave and come out of it bigger and better.

 

[Nevan_]

Heres a scenario or two thats good for league that might come from a soccer world cup:

Imagine being able to take tests and origins to WA because they have a 70-80k retractable seat stadium? Thats better than anything Brisbane can currently offer and almost as good as ANZ.

How about a sold out Dairy farmers with 40k to a Broncos game?

Great facilities in Canberra making the weather bearable, which will draw more people to games.

Or more advertising and corporate revenue for the Knights in a bigger better Energy Australia?

New Stadium for the Tigers in the rapidly growing Campbeltown.

Belmore, upgraded as a training venue, restored as the Dogs training ground.

How about a high speed metro train line under ANZ thats faster than 10 minutes from the city or Parramatta? Also, improved roads and hotels near venues.

A referbished SFS for the Chooks.

A higher capacity ANZ Stadium with fully retractable rectangular ends. No more crappy curved seating! and a roof to keep the weather out and boost noise and atmosphere inside.

Say a white elephant stadium is built in Adelaide. They would be desperate to draw events there and would pay clubs more than they do now to take games there.

Sure, soccer will get a leg up for a year or two, but we only have to look at the 03 Union Cup to see what will happen longer term to domestic soccer. The long term benefactors of a world cup will largely be rugby league (and AFL, but if we work hard at getting proper football venues built, more for us).

Besides, the A League is really struggling competing against 20/20 cricket, especially in QLD and NSW where they have the most teams. Its in AFL states where it is actually doing well. How is that bad news for us? In AFL states, soccer is an ally of ours.

I agree with most of what you said. But Football is very popular, it will not die in the arse like Union.

 

[Goddo]

I agree with most of what you said. But Football is very popular, it will not die in the arse like Union.

Soccer is a big participation sport in QLD and NSW, where in AFL states its AFL. What does this tell us? League is a bit rough for some, so they play soccer instead, but they follow league teams.

GOOD football is popular. The A league struggles because its quality is pathetic. But even if they were able to buy up some more good players, crowds might increase slightly, but longer term it will just fizzle. The game can't generate enough income year to year to maintain the quality level a one off world cup income will provide.

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Soccer is a big participation sport in QLD and NSW, where in AFL states its AFL. What does this tell us? League is a bit rough for some, so they play soccer instead, but they follow league teams.

GOOD football is popular. The A league struggles because its quality is pathetic. But even if they were able to buy up some more good players, crowds might increase slightly, but longer term it will just fizzle. The game can't generate enough income year to year to maintain the quality level a one off world cup income will provide.

Spot on mate. I personally enjoy watching EPL because its soccer at the top level. Teh A League is like watching a pub comeptition in comaprision. It will struggle and you will see teams come and go like the old NSL days if they continue growth for growths sake in reagrsd to the number of clubs.
All our best players are overseas by the time they are 16.

I hope we do get the World Cup. I don't see it as any threat to RL in Oz at all & the benfits are many. With 10 years to plan for one or two seasons of disruption, I'm certain it is managable. The issue is with FIFA coming in thinking they own the joint. Oz & North America are the only continents where soccer is called soccer for a reason - we have strong, deep, ties to our own native codes.

I love seeing the AFL sweat. Its great. The long term benfits for RL shoul Oz get the World Cup are, as Goddo has outlined, superb.

 

[Goddo]

The threat as I see it for different sports is thus:

In NSW and QLD, there is growing participation in AFL, which is eating into the soccer playing group. The reason this is possibly a problem is that they may pinch the odd bloke who can play league, but its the potential for these people to then start following AFL that is worrying. If there is high participation in soccer its not a problem. If they start playing AFL, this can be a problem for us as it will improve AFLs domestic crowds in NSW and QLD. Not everyone is suited for league, but those that aren't are needed to be fans and support the game. This is why the AFL talk about "choice" in NSW... They know they can carve out a niche this way.

For AFL, the problem is around the other way. In AFL states, with soccer becoming more popular, it eats into the AFLs player strength and fan base. This is why the AFL is so sh!t scared of soccer but not us. They see it as a real threat to player developments and grass roots support. You only have to look at the paranoia on big footy about a soccer world cup to see it. Also what scares AFL is representative football; all the other codes have viable national teams with strong pulling power. In RL's case, we have origin as well. They have nothing really in this regard.

What does this all mean?

We should ride on the coat tails of Soccer as it eats into the market in AFL states, using the facilities that are built there and carve out a strong niche for our game.

We need more participation of fans in RL (build memberships!) and try to ensure grounds that are built are for rectangular sports so the pulling power of AFL is minimised. A strong grass roots soccer in NSW is not a bad thing for us.

And besides, its run in the summer which gives our grounds a summer tenant, hopefully drawing more infrastructure funding due to demand and drive down operating costs.

I think Union has it worst of all though for the forseable future. They are just trying to pick up the scraps of our game, nibbling around the edges of leagues popularity.

 

[Canard]

Soccer is a big participation sport in QLD and NSW, where in AFL states its AFL. What does this tell us? League is a bit rough for some, so they play soccer instead, but they follow league teams.

GOOD football is popular. The A league struggles because its quality is pathetic. But even if they were able to buy up some more good players, crowds might increase slightly, but longer term it will just fizzle. The game can't generate enough income year to year to maintain the quality level a one off world cup income will provide.

Soccer would be bigger culturally in Melbourne than anywhere else in Australia, mainly due to the large immigration base.

The Victory get the biggest average crowds in the A-League, and traditional teams like South Melbourne are still well supported.

I don't have the stats, but I would say Victoria would have more soccer juniors than NSW and QLD (not combinded obviously).

 

[Goddo]

On domestic competition support, you are probably right, but I know a few Anglo Saxon Victorians who "love the atmosphere" of soccer games. One bloke even thinks its better than AFL atmosphere.

On participation, you're wrong. I have seen the stats, and victoria lags far behind in terms of participation in soccer, but it is growing very, very fast.

Heres a wikipedia link which has roughly the figures
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_football_in_Australia#State_governing_bodies_and_leagues

Sorry I couldn't find the government document on participation in sports, it talks about all sports in all states.

Note more people play soccer in northern NSW than all of victoria.


The ACT, NSW and QLD have the highest per capita participation in soccer. Whats the most popular team sports in these states?