I have had a gutful!!!

[Engine]

Why, why, why does league, the greatest game of all, keep on shooting itself in the foot?

I can cope with a lot of pitfalls that our game encounters. Competition with other codes, our players leaving to go to other codes, rules, crowds, referee blunders I can stand. It is part of the game and none of these factors affect my enjoyment of rugby league.

There are two factors though that keeps on living and fragmenting our image and game.

One factor is our extremely pisspoor ability to market our game. I have never seen a professional sporting organisation with the resources that they have run as poorly as the NRL organisation. Lets compare the NRL to other codes...
*AFL...they have it all over us in terms of media control, crowds and promotion of their product. Like it or not, they ARE the dominant sporting organisation in Australia. They do it VERY well for a sport that has no international potential whatsoever.
*Soccer. Great start, but slowly going down the tube here. They have the disadvantage that we cannot see the best soccer players live every week. League does not have that same problem.
*Rugby Union....the international game is turning into a bigger farce by the match. The way South Africa are dominating rugby atm is making the English 2003 team look exciting. The rules are f**king that game to death, but they still magage to have a great image and a larger worldwide appeal. League had their chance in 1995 to take over in the southern hemisphere. Super League totally blew it apart. Sadly, we'll never get that chance back.

We need to fix our front office.

The second issue deals with our culture. We are viewed (rightly or wrongly) as a bunch of yobbos. There is no doubt that league has a really bad booze/boofhead culture. This needs to change.

This year, we've had Brett Stewart and Greg Inglis all involved in incidents that reflect our negative league culture. Those two assclowns were put on a pedestal as the faces of our game. I might have to change the "a" in "faces" to an "e".

I am sick of these young maggots take, take and take from our game. We need to deregister these clown if found guilty.

 

[Hanscholo]

Well we had two cracks at marketing the game this year, the first one lasted about a week before charges were laid, the second digitially inserted marketing attempt lasted most of the season before having a problem. Its not really the games fault at this point, its individuals that cant seem to handle grog...You can work out why if you take a closer look, but thats RL.

 

[Brutus]

Why, why, why does league, the greatest game of all, keep on shooting itself in the foot?

I can cope with a lot of pitfalls that our game encounters. Competition with other codes, our players leaving to go to other codes, rules, crowds, referee blunders I can stand. It is part of the game and none of these factors affect my enjoyment of rugby league.

There are two factors though that keeps on living and fragmenting our image and game.

One factor is our extremely pisspoor ability to market our game. I have never seen a professional sporting organisation with the resources that they have run as poorly as the NRL organisation. Lets compare the NRL to other codes...
*AFL...they have it all over us in terms of media control, crowds and promotion of their product. Like it or not, they ARE the dominant sporting organisation in Australia. They do it VERY well for a sport that has no international potential whatsoever.
*Soccer. Great start, but slowly going down the tube here. They have the disadvantage that we cannot see the best soccer players live every week. League does not have that same problem.
*Rugby Union....the international game is turning into a bigger farce by the match. The way South Africa are dominating rugby atm is making the English 2003 team look exciting. The rules are f**king that game to death, but they still magage to have a great image and a larger worldwide appeal. League had their chance in 1995 to take over in the southern hemisphere. Super League totally blew it apart. Sadly, we'll never get that chance back.

We need to fix our front office.

The second issue deals with our culture. We are viewed (rightly or wrongly) as a bunch of yobbos. There is no doubt that league has a really bad booze/boofhead culture. This needs to change.

This year, we've had Brett Stewart and Greg Inglis all involved in incidents that reflect our negative league culture. Those two assclowns were put on a pedestal as the faces of our game. I might have to change the "a" in "faces" to an "e".

I am sick of these young maggots take, take and take from our game. We need to deregister these clown if found guilty.

Good post. I agree.

 

[Engine]

Well we had two cracks at marketing the game this year, the first one lasted about a week before charges were laid, the second digitially inserted marketing attempt lasted most of the season before having a problem. Its not really the games fault at this point, its individuals that cant seem to handle grog...You can work out why if you take a closer look, but thats RL.

It all comes back to our culture. The players need to start acting like professionals. If they like the grog that much, they can piss off to another game.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

I agree.

The game has become a massive pile of crap.

And I totally agree with phil gould. Gee I hope he gets on the commission.

 

[El Diablo]

It all comes back to our culture. The players need to start acting like professionals. If they like the grog that much, they can piss off to another game.

wher the media will cover it up

 

[Perth Red]

Turn on a game, you are smacked in the face with alcohol and betting advertising. Even the commentators have a running debate about the odds on the game. Is it any wonder our game has the image it has??

 

[Kiki]

i'm sick of the public sh*tters, the women bashers and the general f**king idiots that are ruining the rep of the game. it breaks my heart to know that 99% of the footy players i've met or dealt with have been absolute dolls and yet they get tarred with the same brush. i know some of the boys in the NSW Cup have stopped telling people they meet that they play footy because of the negative reaction.

i am also somewhat humiliated as a woman who has/is publicly going into to bat for the code i love but is consistently let down. it makes me feel like a fool. and like i'm emptying the ocean with a teacup.

i try to just concentrate on the good stuff, which is thankfully the majority, but it's hard not to let it get to you.

 

[slippy]

The common denominator is alcohol - I challenge anyone to defy this.

Honestly, its extreme, but in these modern times, it starts at the bottom with getting rid of alcohol. I stand by this as the key factor to our game having a sh*tty image!

Sure back in the day, getting smashed after a game was great, and the legends will tell you all about tours and the shenanigans they got up too, but it isnt the old times any more. Rugby League reflects modern society which isn't exactly likeable right now.

To the players... People see you, they know you, and the media will f**k you up the ass if you step out of line. You can't get away with things like you used to be able to back in the day, its sad, and you may not like it, but you have to accept it, if not then f**k off. ITS PART OF THE PACKAGE OF BEING AN NRL PLAYER. You are in the spotlight and automatically hero's of society because we, the fans, all LOVE YOU and what you do. Woman, men, boys and girls watch and love the game. You need to start realising what this means for your actions. A night on the piss isnt worth anything in the world, all it does is slow you down.

It is extreme but a complete alcohol ban for NRL players is the only way forward for our great game. And im not just talking about reducing the off field drama's, the standard of play would be raised to a freakish new level, and the in the long run the game would become a consistently positive marketing product.

Grow some nuts Gallop, this is officially the last straw.

 

[CliffyIsGod]

The common denominator is alcohol - I challenge anyone to defy this.

Honestly, its extreme, but in these modern times, it starts at the bottom with getting rid of alcohol. I stand by this as the key factor to our game having a sh*tty image!

+1

 

[gong_eagle]

how about we just cancel 2009 and start afresh in 2010
total alcohol bans for every registered player
1 strike and your out (applies it every player no matter who it is)

 

[LazyDreamer]

Complete alcohol bans? Why not also ban the players from having girlfriends too. Then they'll have nobody to bash/glass/whatever.

Bring in a complete alcohol ban & watch positive tests for recreational drugs skyrocket. Bring in a complete alcohol ban & watch the players run to other codes & other countries like rats deserting what would be a sinking ship. It's unrealistic at best.

I'd like to see the NRL enforce a ban on players talking to media outlets like The Daily Telegraph & channel 9. Both of these thrive on their rugby league coverage, yet both are the first to jump in & make a mountain out of a molehill (the Tele especially) with any league "scandal". They'd rather damage the game for the sake of a few more readers/viewers.

Basically, they should ban the media who report stories like Nate Myles' crap as if it's a major bloody crime. And they should ban themedia who all but brand a player guilty before he's even charged with a crime (or, in the case of the Sharks' 2002 gangbang, even if there is no crime committed).

Harden the f**k up, NRL.

 

[bobmar28]

Complete alcohol bans? Why not also ban the players from having girlfriends too. Then they'll have nobody to bash/glass/whatever.

Bring in a complete alcohol ban & watch positive tests for recreational drugs skyrocket. Bring in a complete alcohol ban & watch the players run to other codes & other countries like rats deserting what would be a sinking ship. It's unrealistic at best.

I'd like to see the NRL enforce a ban on players talking to media outlets like The Daily Telegraph & channel 9. Both of these thrive on their rugby league coverage, yet both are the first to jump in & make a mountain out of a molehill (the Tele especially) with any league "scandal". They'd rather damage the game for the sake of a few more readers/viewers.

Basically, they should ban the media who report stories like Nate Myles' crap as if it's a major bloody crime. And they should ban themedia who all but brand a player guilty before he's even charged with a crime (or, in the case of the Sharks' 2002 gangbang, even if there is no crime committed).

Harden the f**k up, NRL.

So instead of banning players for bringing the code into disrepute, you want to ban the media for reporting it?

If a player is convicted of domestic violence the rule should be one strike and your are out.

The damage to the game is massive. The ABC is once again running hard with this story and players like Ingliss keep handing them the ammunition.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

So instead of banning players for bringing the code into disrepute, you want to ban the media for reporting it?

If a player is convicted of domestic violence the rule should be one strike and your are out.

The damage to the game is massive. The ABC is once again running hard with this story and players like Ingliss keep handing them the ammunition.

I don't have a problem with that.

Care to try and ensure that is the case for each code, or does our code have to live by a different standard?

 

[gottabegood]

Why, why, why does league, the greatest game of all, keep on shooting itself in the foot?

I can cope with a lot of pitfalls that our game encounters. Competition with other codes, our players leaving to go to other codes, rules, crowds, referee blunders I can stand. It is part of the game and none of these factors affect my enjoyment of rugby league.

There are two factors though that keeps on living and fragmenting our image and game.

One factor is our extremely pisspoor ability to market our game. I have never seen a professional sporting organisation with the resources that they have run as poorly as the NRL organisation. Lets compare the NRL to other codes...
*AFL...they have it all over us in terms of media control, crowds and promotion of their product. Like it or not, they ARE the dominant sporting organisation in Australia. They do it VERY well for a sport that has no international potential whatsoever.
*Soccer. Great start, but slowly going down the tube here. They have the disadvantage that we cannot see the best soccer players live every week. League does not have that same problem.
*Rugby Union....the international game is turning into a bigger farce by the match. The way South Africa are dominating rugby atm is making the English 2003 team look exciting. The rules are f**king that game to death, but they still magage to have a great image and a larger worldwide appeal. League had their chance in 1995 to take over in the southern hemisphere. Super League totally blew it apart. Sadly, we'll never get that chance back.

We need to fix our front office.

The second issue deals with our culture. We are viewed (rightly or wrongly) as a bunch of yobbos. There is no doubt that league has a really bad booze/boofhead culture. This needs to change.

This year, we've had Brett Stewart and Greg Inglis all involved in incidents that reflect our negative league culture. Those two assclowns were put on a pedestal as the faces of our game. I might have to change the "a" in "faces" to an "e".

I am sick of these young maggots take, take and take from our game. We need to deregister these clown if found guilty.

If greg hit her then he should be dealt with by the process of law.

It has been proven that all sportsmen globally have similar or worse issues than the NRL (particularly the AFL) representing society in general. If you want to go through any type of organisation, eg church, teachers, bankers, you will find the same or worse. Clear on that.

Alcohol is never a problem, it is character.

Never discount the impact the Rugby split (yes, all those years ago) has on the media image. RU has been working it for donkeys, and while the rugby codes clash AFL benefits. NRL hierarchy is full of puppets and corrupt officials, so yes changes are critical.

Oh, by my reckoning women seem to bash! men conservatively at about 10-1, they might necessarily do much damage...but hey. Just an observation.

 

[Paullyboy]

I just wish people would stop associating the NRL as being a reflection of all rugby league. I love rugby league, and like the NRL as it's the highest quality version of the sport, but take away the NRL and I'll still love rugby league. Unfortunately very few people seem to understand that the professional body and the sport are not the same thing.

 

[slippy]

So ban the media? Riiiight... great idea.

Is being a professional sportsmen playing the sport you love and getting paid for it not enough? You don't need alcohol or drugs. (Unless your an addict)

 

[adamkungl]

So instead of banning players for bringing the code into disrepute, you want to ban the media for reporting it?

Sounds like a good idea to me....if equally unrealistic as an alcohol ban.

 

[aussie_q_factor]

Of course, it is the media that make the players go out perform like absolute
imbeciles! Time to face it, the media will always be scrutinizing Rugby League - like it or not.
Don't blame the media when these F#&king players (albeit minority of them) continue to drag our great game through the mud. We need to concentrate on what we can control (Rugby League's image) and not worry about what we can't (the media).

Just like the topic heading...
I HAVE HAD A F*#KING GUTFUL of the players giving nothing back to the game and the fans that has developed and supported them!!

Love it or leave it!

 

[sooperdooper]

Why, why, why does league, the greatest game of all, keep on shooting itself in the foot?

I can cope with a lot of pitfalls that our game encounters. Competition with other codes, our players leaving to go to other codes, rules, crowds, referee blunders I can stand. It is part of the game and none of these factors affect my enjoyment of rugby league.

There are two factors though that keeps on living and fragmenting our image and game.

One factor is our extremely pisspoor ability to market our game. I have never seen a professional sporting organisation with the resources that they have run as poorly as the NRL organisation. Lets compare the NRL to other codes...
*AFL...they have it all over us in terms of media control, crowds and promotion of their product. Like it or not, they ARE the dominant sporting organisation in Australia. They do it VERY well for a sport that has no international potential whatsoever.
*Soccer. Great start, but slowly going down the tube here. They have the disadvantage that we cannot see the best soccer players live every week. League does not have that same problem.
*Rugby Union....the international game is turning into a bigger farce by the match. The way South Africa are dominating rugby atm is making the English 2003 team look exciting. The rules are f**king that game to death, but they still magage to have a great image and a larger worldwide appeal. League had their chance in 1995 to take over in the southern hemisphere. Super League totally blew it apart. Sadly, we'll never get that chance back.

We need to fix our front office.

The second issue deals with our culture. We are viewed (rightly or wrongly) as a bunch of yobbos. There is no doubt that league has a really bad booze/boofhead culture. This needs to change.

This year, we've had Brett Stewart and Greg Inglis all involved in incidents that reflect our negative league culture. Those two assclowns were put on a pedestal as the faces of our game. I might have to change the "a" in "faces" to an "e".

I am sick of these young maggots take, take and take from our game. We need to deregister these clown if found guilty.

disagree with your comments on football (soccer) it is not going down the tube.
It has just strengthened... it has introduced 2 new teams.
Not to mention the 3rd richest man in australia has jumped on board as well... so 2 of the 3 richest men in this country are behind them.
There is the re qualification in the world cup... and not to mention more asian champions league.
It is growing...

I agree with your thoughts on rugby league, we are forever shooting ourselves in the foot.
The AFL has worse player problems than us, but they seem to somehow get it over looked and move on:crazy: