Is the NRL the premier league of either rugby code?

[Foreign Legion]

With the intensity of the competition and the professionalism, would it be fair to say its the number one rugby competition in the world (either codes)

 

[typicalfan]

Yes. In terms of quality then yes.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Probably is, though I reckon due to our crap tv deal we are on, the heineken cup and 6 nations is worth more

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Club competition wise it is IMO.

 

[Brutus]

With the intensity of the competition and the professionalism, would it be fair to say its the number one rugby competition in the world (either codes)

Yes. By a long margin.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Nothing really comes close to it.

Super League may be more entertaining for some but it's undeniable that the NRL is higher quality of football & the top Union comps are quite amateur in comparison.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Firstly, the English Premier League is only arguably the best soccer comp going anyway. But ignoring that for a moment....

If you can compare the standard of two codes, which you can't really, you might say the NRL is the top rugby comp. However, it's harder to argue when it does not attract very many players from outside the same player pool that it did 10 or even 20 years ago. When it starts to attract the best union players from around the world we might be able to claim it is the clear elite club comp of either code. As it is the likes of French RU seem to attract more players from the main rugby playing nations. The only converts we have in the NRL are old RL players coming back, like SBW, Gasnier etc, or players who switched as juniors or before they made it in senior football, like Hurrell.

 

[BranVan3000]

Firstly, the English Premier League is only arguably the best soccer comp going anyway. But ignoring that for a moment....

If you can compare the standard of two codes, which you can't really, you might say the NRL is the top rugby comp. However, it's harder to argue when it does not attract very many players from outside the same player pool that it did 10 or even 20 years ago. When it starts to attract the best union players from around the world we might be able to claim it is the clear elite club comp of either code. As it is the likes of French RU seem to attract more players from the main rugby playing nations. The only converts we have in the NRL are old RL players coming back, like SBW, Gasnier etc, or players who switched as juniors or before they made it in senior football, like Hurrell.

I don't watch French RU, but from the impression I get, its a much easier competition. So why would we recruit from that pool?

 

[boonboon]

Heiniken cup in rugby union would be the best in rugby union along with super 15 and both are similar level to nrl IMO but they are different sports so why bother comparing its like comparing a squash tournament and a tennis tournament

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Easier than what? Not that I'm talking about how "easy" the relative comps are. But if you think all of the best rugby players on the planet are RL players from Australia and NZ, with about five from England, I think you're having yourself on. If the NRL wants to be by far and away and without a shadow of a doubt the biggest and best club rugby comp int he world there would have to be a good representation of players from other rugby playing countries, and even some from non-traditional rugby playing countries. That is not the case right now.

 

[Perth Red]

salary caps (totals with add ons) in Aus$
NRL $5.2mill
SL $2.5mill

S15 $4.1mill (+Int ARU payments) (proposed)
English RU $6.4mill
French RU $10.4mill
Japanes RU no cap, rumoured some clubs spend up to $12-15mill on salaries

We may be Giants on the field with no one within a 40metre drop kick of the NRL standard but off it we sadly do not come close to the financial powerhouses of some RU clubs and leagues.

 

[ANTiLAG]

Heiniken cup in rugby union would be the best in rugby union along with super 15 and both are similar level

Excellent trolling.

 

[ANTiLAG]

salary caps (totals with add ons) in Aus$
NRL $5.2mill
SL $2.5mill

S15 $4.1mill (+Int ARU payments) (proposed)
English RU $6.4mill
French RU $10.4mill
Japanes RU no cap, rumoured some clubs spend up to $12-15mill on salaries

We may be Giants on the field with no one within a 40metre drop kick of the NRL standard but off it we sadly do not come close to the financial powerhouses of some RU clubs and leagues.

Is Super League honestly that low?

 

[Perth Red]

yes, 1.5million pounds. Of course our favourable exchange rate at the moment alters it when you convert to $'s, at one time that would have been = to $3.75million

 

[innerwestrabbit]

I have watched a fair bit of top 14, not much of the English rugby comp. but compared to the top 14 comp.NRL is a far better comp, with a higher std of play. They are different games, but when you compare skill levels. The NRL is better. If we talk purely domestic comps. NRL is the best of the Rugby codes.

 

[innerwestrabbit]

Probably is, though I reckon due to our crap tv deal we are on, the heineken cup and 6 nations is worth more

I think you will find the the TV rights are better than either of those competitions. It,s more to do with deep pockets of private backers. In the top 14 the inflated wages are due to rich guys paying the top players extra.

 

[docbrown]

salary caps (totals with add ons) in Aus$
NRL $5.2mill
SL $2.5mill

S15 $4.1mill (+Int ARU payments) (proposed)
English RU $6.4mill
French RU $10.4mill
Japanes RU no cap, rumoured some clubs spend up to $12-15mill on salaries

We may be Giants on the field with no one within a 40metre drop kick of the NRL standard but off it we sadly do not come close to the financial powerhouses of some RU clubs and leagues.

Alot of the RU clubs in those competitions are propped up by rich sugar daddies and some of those guys are losing vast amounts of money - however if they want to piss their money away then so be it.

In terms of annual revenue the richest Union in the world is the RFU.
In 2010-2011 financial year they generated £136.3m (so about $AU206m) in revenues broken down as such -

£33.2m - hospitality
£31.8m - broadcasting
£30.0m - tickets
£16.0m - sponsorships
£10.3m - other incomes
£5.5m - hotel
£5.2m - merchandise & licensing
£3.2m - health & leisure
£1.1m - travel

With total operating costs at £120.4m.

From what I've read the vast majority of their income comes from international rep games rather than the club comp.

I'm not sure what the NRL (now ARLC) generates at the moment but a few years ago it was around $170m so my guess is last year it would be around or even ahead of that RFU figure.

However - depending on what the NRL gets for the next TV deal NRL revenue may jump up to around the $300-$350m mark per year as of 2013. That would be on par with anticipated salary cap figures generated by LEK.

By comparison the ARU had total revenues of $68.8m in 10-11 and expenditures of $72.9m - hence why they're pushing the salary cap downgrades... The NZRU operates just under $NZ100m so the NRL is definitely bigger than the ARU & NZRU combined.

Something worthwhile to note here - State of Origin generates more money in 3 games than what the entire Australian Super Rugby conference generates across its whole season.

 

[WireMan]

I have watched a fair bit of top 14, not much of the English rugby comp. but compared to the top 14 comp.NRL is a far better comp, with a higher std of play. They are different games, but when you compare skill levels. The NRL is better. If we talk purely domestic comps. NRL is the best of the Rugby codes.

This is the problem with the question.

Basically if you prefer League over Union then yes the NRL is the 'premier league'. So on this forum the chances are it will be.


Gasnier went to play in France though. No one in the NRL could afford the top players in the top 14. SBW went to Union, Dan Carter has not made it to the NRL yet.


It depends how you judge these things.


If you opened it up to football codes, not just rugby codes then it probably wouldn't make the top 10.

 

[Edwahu]

I think the biggest factors are the underlying talent identification and development approaches of each league, as well as the spend and structure of the clubs football programs. If the NRL is better in these departments then it doesnt necessarily need access to more players to be a higher standard.

 

[Usain Bolt]

NRL is nothing like the Premier League, the Premier league is dominated by a few rich clubs every year. Most of the other teams are only competing to stay up in the top league when the season begins, have no chance at winning it or even getting close