as a supporter of a club, my interest and investment (emotional and financial) is to see my club win the premiership. the agenda and goals of competitions such as the AFL and NRL in favouring certain teams and the benefits they're able to promote over others prevent this.
the AFL did the job in ensuring 4 of this decade's premierships, and 6 GF's featured teams in 'markets' they are targetting. the NRL has leant this way as well, with teams owned by News Ltd also winning 4 premierships, and featuring in 6 GFs this decade as well.
so why should i bother putting the time into the game as a supporter when the competition is simply used to satisfy agenda and administrators attempt to give certain teams an advantage to be competitive in the markets they choose?
that's right, the australian sporting public is dumb. its become more of a 'my sport is bigger and better your sport' BS, rather than achieving some sort of integrity within the compeition itself.
I still can't find your explanation of why being owned by News Ltd won us the grand final. We have identical wage bill to Parramatta (in fact I believe its a tiny bit less) for our playing squad, and our coaches receive similar salaries.
I also can't find out your explanation of why the Cowboys don't win anything when they were a news ltd team up until very recently. Does that not destroy the theory of 'If they're a news ltd team they will automatically win things'?
Its not about my sport is bigger than your sport at all, its the fact that without significant TV money no sport will survive here in Australia in such a small market. The salary cap is too tight as it is and players are moving to England, but you think 9 will pay up for a much bigger tv deal if its only a small comp between sydney and south east queensland teams? If you do you are kidding yourself. Losing the Storm, Cowboys etc would put well established Sydney teams like Parra, Bulldogs etc in big trouble in the long term. Only 1 million people in Sydney watched the GF and that was the highest figure for 5 years. That tv audience alone can't sustain a sport on tv contracts.
I agree with your point that sport shouldn't be about tv, but thats the way of the world.
Sydney teams that are not well run can easily use the excuses "storm had the pick of the best players". "they are owned by news ltd" etc.
Look at the Roosters. They are paying 400k a year for Willie Mason. That's what we are paying GI and Cam Smith! Do clubs like that deserve to do better than the storm cause they have been around for longer and aren't owned by news ltd, or should they be doing badly because they are paying silly wages for average players?
Another point I'd note is that the storm have developed lots of talent. GI has himself stated that he credits the storm staff and culture for turning into the player he is. He may not have ended up entertaining us all at the level he's at if he had be scouted to another team.
As for us just being handed the best talent, many of our important players were unwanted and Bellamy has turned them around:
1) We took Lima from a lower tier club in france and turned him into one of the best front rowers in the NRL
2) We took a guy no-one wanted (Finch) on minimum wage and he became a big part of our GF success
3) We took Tandy at the age of 28 from NSW club football and he played a big part in the GF
4) We took Dallas Johnson after he was rejected by 7 other clubs (including Sydney sides) and made him into a Kangaroo and QLD stalwart.
5) We took in Brett White after Sydney teams passed on him due to knee problems and poor form and made him into an SOO and Kangaroos front rower.
6) Cronk was passed over by other teams and was destined to play back row in QLD Cup.
I could go on and on but yeah its hardly just a case of the best talent being put into our lap and us not having to do anything.
And for the dragons fan above saying we don't have locals in our junior system: LOL at YOU! Every single player in our U16's is a born and bred victorian!!!
