Mid year tests in 2022

[Jim from Oz]

Lol@Ch9! The Sunday origin drew a bigger audience than the Wednesday night one, yet they've demanded no more weekend origin, meaning no more mid season test rounds. What so they can have smaller audiences? They're cooked.

Just brilliant … LOL Ch9 indeed !

Do we know the ratings for the Pacific Tests? Cheers

 

[Perth Red]

Hes not wrong. NRl games players are laughing and joking when they lose, internationals you could see how much it meant to these players. Those are the opportunities players want in their careers.
Vlandys is an idiot, as is Ch9!

 

[Perth Red]

Just brilliant … LOL Ch9 indeed !

Do we know the ratings for the Pacific Tests? Cheers

Fox test audiences (plus Kayo on top of this)

PNG v Fiji 167k
Samoa v Cook Is 155k
NZ v Tonga 138k

NZ v Tonga womens 32k

 

[RedVee_8]

There was no reason these tests couldnt, and shouldnt have been played in their countries, other than the organizers being tight arses and not wanting to pay travel and accommodation, and TV whining that even they dont give a sht about tests they still want to screen them cheaply. At the very least PNG should have been at home. Its such an insult to their countries and fans to play it at such a sht neutral venue.
Well done Tonga fans on filling M Smart, you embarrassed the home sides support lol.

As a Campbelltown resident, on one hand I’m pleased for the area to have it. But they stuffed it up with not getting people in quickly enough before the first game. Also not a big enough crowd.
On the other hand, even. Before last weekend I was surprised that these games were not at the new stadium at Parramatta. Surely that was purpose built for these kind of games. Maybe the rent is too high.

 

[Arucard]

Fox test audiences (plus Kayo on top of this)

PNG v Fiji 167k
Samoa v Cook Is 155k
NZ v Tonga 138k

NZ v Tonga womens 32k

That's it? Geez......

 

[Perth Red]

As a Campbelltown resident, on one hand I’m pleased for the area to have it. But they stuffed it up with not getting people in quickly enough before the first game. Also not a big enough crowd.
On the other hand, even. Before last weekend I was surprised that these games were not at the new stadium at Parramatta. Surely that was purpose built for these kind of games. Maybe the rent is too high.

Yeh, again just the small minded tight arsed NRL. If it had to be in Sydney, which it didnt, it Should have been at Commbank. $10 a ticket, dont worry about it as a money making exercise, use it as a celebration of our great game. You'd get more far more ROI of investment that way and the games would have looked much better on TV. Give a free flag to every kid coming in, do some decent promotion. Get the lazy arsed sydney folk of their sofas lol

 

[Perth Red]

That's it? Geez......

was it on Ch9 as well? That's around the low NRL game level for Fox. .

 

[flamin]

That's it? Geez......

It was on CH9 as well.

I preferred the NZ coverage of NZ v Tonga broadcast on CH9 to Fox which was Warren Smith and Shane Flanagan commentating from a studio.

 

[flamin]

5 city CH9 ratings for PNG v Fiji were 172k

 

[LeagueXIII]

‘Got this one wrong’: Wayne Bennett blown away by footy bosses’ ‘crazy’ call

‘Got this wrong’: Wayne Bennett slams NRL’s ‘crazy’ five-year call

www.foxsports.com.au

Wayne's not wrong. But I'm sure we can expect Phil Gould to be wheeled out at any moment telling all and sundry that no one really cares about international RL. Tell that to the Tongans...

We need to save rugby league from the conservatives. We need to be progressive and not just maintain the status quo. There's only so much I can hear and read about Penrith every week. I'd rather hear about international rugby league.

Agree with you there.

Sadly as much as everyone praises V'landys never mentioning Abdo, the truth is they are puppets for the broadcasters and clubs to get their own way.

Bennett knows why we aren't playing these games it is because the broadcasters said so. Same reason we have a 17th team because the broadcaster said we could , we change the rules of the sport because the broadcaster says we have to have a more exciting game. Need I go on. This game is stuffed administration wise. Is it now just a tool to promote gambling and TV interests.

 

[blukablu]

Agree with you there.

Sadly as much as everyone praises V'landys never mentioning Abdo, the truth is they are puppets for the broadcasters and clubs to get their own way.

Bennett knows why we aren't playing these games it is because the broadcasters said so. Same reason we have a 17th team because the broadcaster said we could , we change the rules of the sport because the broadcaster says we have to have a more exciting game. Need I go on. This game is stuffed administration wise. Is it now just a tool to promote gambling and TV interests.

I don't see what the problem is. Playing one-off tests in the middle of the season and origin doesn't do much for the international game.

The rumour is they will be replaced by a month-long tournament at the end of the season, similar to the oceanic cup.

 

[Matua]

I don't see what the problem is. Playing one-off tests in the middle of the season and origin doesn't do much for the international game.

The rumour is they will be replaced by a month-long tournament at the end of the season, similar to the oceanic cup.

Yes it does, it means the international game is being focused on at a time when everyone is going silly over Origin. The international game needs that focus. As a Warriors fan this was the best weekend of league this year.

 

[blukablu]

Yes it does, it means the international game is being focused on at a time when everyone is going silly over Origin. The international game needs that focus. As a Warriors fan this was the best weekend of league this year.

1 off internationals will never get the attention they deserve during origin though. Move them to the end of the season when all teams will be at full strength and we can have 3-4 international games every weekend for a month.

 

[jim_57]

1 off internationals will never get the attention they deserve during origin though. Move them to the end of the season when all teams will be at full strength and we can have 3-4 international games every weekend for a month.

Recent covid years aside that already happens. Taking away the mid-season games will mean less games no matter which way you cut it, they aren’t going to extend the end of year games to compensate for it.

 

[Perth Red]

I don't see what the problem is. Playing one-off tests in the middle of the season and origin doesn't do much for the international game.

The rumour is they will be replaced by a month-long tournament at the end of the season, similar to the oceanic cup.

Why not both? The more tests the better, every time we play an international it raises the profile and gives the players opportunity to rep their countries. Why do you say it doesn't do much? Mid season is good for one off and end of season for tournaments. As the viewing figures showed ditching them for origin was a pointless exercise. We lost a test weekend and gained nothing.

 

[Matua]

1 off internationals will never get the attention they deserve during origin though. Move them to the end of the season when all teams will be at full strength and we can have 3-4 international games every weekend for a month.

These games got lots of attention. As @Perth Red notes it's doesn't have to be an either/or at all.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Australia has played 3 tests in 5 years, and now they want us to play less as well. Selfish.

 

[Perth Red]

SOO>NRL>state comps>NRLW>>>>>>>Internationals.
Just about sums up the ARLC's priorities.

 

[Perth Red]

Manly veteran Kieran Foran admits the Australian Rugby League Commission's decision to scrap the representative round Test window from next year's calendar is "disappointing".
Foran played his 23rd Test for New Zealand on Saturday, when the NRL went on hiatus for the weekend to give Pacific Tests and State of Origin matches the full attention of the rugby league audience.

The Kiwis' win over Tonga was both the first professional match of rugby league in New Zealand and the first Test match between two Oceania sides since 2019.
Samoa and the Cook Islands squared off in a Test match of their own as part of representative round, while Papua New Guinea upset Fiji and the New Zealand women's side defeated Tonga.
The weekend concluded with the second State of Origin match in Perth on Sunday night.

Foran said it was a privilege to have the chance to play for his country again.
"To be back out there representing your country, it doesn't get any bigger than that," he said.
"It was great to be back in camp with the boys.
"It's been a long time."

But players won't have the chance to line up in a similar Test window next year. From 2023, the second State of Origin game will shift back to a Wednesday night and the mid-season Test matches will be scrapped.
"We saw on the weekend just how much it meant to the players to represent their countries," Foran said.
"To not be able to find space for it in the calendar is disappointing."

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo insisted international football remained a high priority and said the ARLC hoped to introduce a more extensive Test program at the conclusion of the 2023 NRL season.
"The Commission are 100 per cent committed to international football," Abdo said.

"What we're doing is thinking strategically around the construct of the season and having an international window in October or November.
"Instead of having just a single round, we can start to think about tours, tournaments and regular content each and every year as opposed to just doing a one-off (round). That's incredibly exciting."

New Zealand back-rower Isaiah Papali'i said he would take any opportunity to play for his country.
"Whether that comes in the middle of the year, the start of the year or at the end, I'm open to the opportunity whenever it arises," he said.
But Foran was unsure whether shifting the representative round to the end of the year was the answer.
"It's just about trying to find the right time," he said.
"Obviously with Origin going back to Wednesday nights next season it makes it pretty difficult to have a standalone rep weekend.
"The World Cup at the end of the year is a great opportunity for players to represent their country but during the season, it would be great to have something like what we had on the weekend."

Foran said he hoped to have the chance to add to his Test caps in October, when the Kiwis travel to England to compete for World Cup glory.
"Hopefully I can be a part of it at the end of the year," he said.

Rep round axing 'disappointing': Foran

Kieran Foran says it's "disappointing" the ARLC has chosen to scrap representative round but the NRL's CEO says international football remains a high priority.

www.perthnow.com.au

 

[Perth Red]

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo insisted international football remained a high priority and said the ARLC hoped to introduce a more extensive Test program at the conclusion of the 2023 NRL season.
"The Commission are 100 per cent committed to international football," Abdo said.
"What we're doing is thinking strategically around the construct of the season and having an international window in October or November.
"Instead of having just a single round, we can start to think about tours, tournaments and regular content each and every year as opposed to just doing a one-off (round). That's incredibly exciting."

You're fooling no one puppet man! Oct/Nov has always been test tournament season. Scrapping mid season tests so Ch9 can get less viewers for origin is dogsht stupid, even by the current leaderships standards!