New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Why are the Tigers in the NRL?

They're wasting a valuable licence that could be held by Easts Tigers, West Coast Pirates, Adelaide or NZ 2.

Latest membership figure is 15k. Not bad at this stage, given last year.

 

[Perth Red]

Latest membership figure is 15k. Not bad at this stage, given last year.

They've also got a nice hairdressers, I mean come on.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

They've also got a nice hairdressers, I mean come on.

Whatever assets the Tigers have, animate or inanimate, are proven fact. All replacement options involve a degree of speculation. Some require dollops of wishful thinking.

Perth has a strong case for the 18th licence. Most of the pertinent proven facts indicate a "speculate to accumulate" calculation.

 

[Brian potter]

Went to Batley many times in the middle of winter when it was decidedly unpleasant. Hunslet were sharing for a time which meant two trips per season. Same happened with Dewsbury later on.

Nowadays Mount Pleasant on a warm sunny day is a completely different experience. Only real downside is that it's still in Yorkshire.

Never had the pleasure of travelling to batley but went to Hunslet when they played at elland rd.

nothing will ever beat standing on the open terrace at derwent park during a Boxing Day west Cumbrian derby clash with the howling wind blowing in from the Irish Sea.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Why are the Tigers in the NRL?

They're wasting a valuable licence that could be held by Easts Tigers, West Coast Pirates, Adelaide or NZ 2.

Why are you on this forum wasting valuable data?

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Latest membership figure is 15k. Not bad at this stage, given last year.

An Adelaide or Perth team pulling 15k members would be better for the game.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Why are you on this forum wasting valuable data?

I'm here to counter the bullshit that you and your mates spew in every thread.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

An Adelaide or Perth team pulling 15k members would be better for the game.

Depend on the direction of travel. An isolated club in decline could keep falling.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

nothing will ever beat standing on the open terrace at derwent park during a Boxing Day west Cumbrian derby clash with the howling wind blowing in from the Irish Sea.

Once saw the most graphic enlightenment for those slow learners who don't understand the difference between forward out of the hands and forward relative to the ground at an amateur game on the Cumbrian coast.

Twas blowing a hoolie, dummy-half passed the ball 2 metres backwards, wind took hold and it landed about 30 metres downfield and went into touch. They lost possession, but the attempted pass was perfectly legal.

 

[Brian potter]

Once saw the most graphic enlightenment for those slow learners who don't understand the difference between forward out of the hands and forward relative to the ground at an amateur game on the Cumbrian coast.

Twas blowing a hoolie, dummy-half passed the ball 2 metres backwards, wind took hold and it landed about 30 metres downfield and went into touch. They lost possession, but the attempted pass was perfectly legal.

Haha!!

This said game didn’t take place at Kells by any chance did it?

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Haha!!

This said game didn’t take place at Kells by any chance did it?

Spot on, mate.

The Kells ground is actually a lovely place to watch a game. Plus you can drive through the Lake District on the way there. Askam is another Cumbrian favourite.

 

[Brian potter]

Spot on, mate.

The Kells ground is actually a lovely place to watch a game. Plus you can drive through the Lake District on the way there. Askam is another Cumbrian favourite.

The welfare pitch or the pit pitch overlooking the Irish Sea?

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

The welfare pitch or the pit pitch overlooking the Irish Sea?

Overlooking the sea.

There's a RL ground in the Illawarra reminds me of Kells. Might be Kiama. The Irish water isn't quite as blue.

This thread is supposed to be about NZ 2. I'll crowbar it back on topic by observing that some of the more attractive landscapes on the South Island are reminiscent of Cumbria.

 

[Brian potter]

Overlooking the sea.

There's a RL ground in the Illawarra reminds me of Kells. Might be Kiama. The Irish water isn't quite as blue.

This thread is supposed to be about NZ 2. I'll crowbar it back on topic by observing that some of the more attractive landscapes on the South Island are reminiscent of Cumbria.

Haha!!

no worries. I played on that pitch as a kid and grew up in a house that backs onto the pitch.

The views over the Irish Sea on a clear day are stunning with the Isle of Man and south west Scotland clearly visible.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Depend on the direction of travel. An isolated club in decline could keep falling.

The only way we'll increase the value of the broadcast rights and sponsorship deals is by adding teams to Adelaide and Perth.

 

[MugaB]

I'm here to counter the bullshit that you and your mates spew in every thread.

f**kn ditto

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

The only way we'll increase the value of the broadcast rights and sponsorship deals is by adding teams to Adelaide and Perth.

That is only true if they are popular. It's hard to believe the Giants and Suns add much to the value of AFL broadcast deals. If they do, it's merely through the crude measure of extra content, which would accrue just the same from a team in Tas and a third in Perth.

You could be right in the sense that NRL viewership might already be at saturation point in NSW and QLD. New viewers might only be available in AFL States and NZ.

The Dolphins will shed light on whether there are more eyeballs within the existing geographic footprint, the sort who only watch Origin or GF, prepared to regularly follow NRL. If they deliver figures similar to the Broncos, will that be at the expense of lower ratings for other clubs? Meaning no increase in overall aggregate.

Analysis of Dolphins TV ratings will inform the decision on where to go to set up a ninth weekly game. Because of the undeniable correlation between playing performance and ratings, one year's data (maybe several years' data) will not suffice.

One question often neglected in debates around the pros and cons of growth is whether the on-field NRL product is currently fit for expansion. Most changes and applications of rules seem designed to increase the frequency and speed with which one bloke smashes into three other blokes. Administrators must think there's an insatiable appetite for bash and crash.

I think supporters, and more to the point prospective supporters, want greater diversity and less predictability.

The way the game is played is largely determined by officials and coaches. Both these groups operate in the grip of various media-induced neuroses. Teams who take risks are often punished. Players who take risks are often derided. Might be an idea to address the effects of all this on the product before placing it more prominently in front of audiences in Perth and Adelaide.

 

[Pneuma]

f**kn ditto

Lol

 

[Pneuma]

I'm here to counter the bullshit that you and your mates spew in every thread.

Bullshit and spew in the one sentence? They educate them well in Logan!

 

[Colk]

That is only true if they are popular. It's hard to believe the Giants and Suns add much to the value of AFL broadcast deals. If they do, it's merely through the crude measure of extra content, which would accrue just the same from a team in Tas and a third in Perth.

You could be right in the sense that NRL viewership might already be at saturation point in NSW and QLD. New viewers might only be available in AFL States and NZ.

The Dolphins will shed light on whether there are more eyeballs within the existing geographic footprint, the sort who only watch Origin or GF, prepared to regularly follow NRL. If they deliver figures similar to the Broncos, will that be at the expense of lower ratings for other clubs? Meaning no increase in overall aggregate.

Analysis of Dolphins TV ratings will inform the decision on where to go to set up a ninth weekly game. Because of the undeniable correlation between playing performance and ratings, one year's data (maybe several years' data) will not suffice.

One question often neglected in debates around the pros and cons of growth is whether the on-field NRL product is currently fit for expansion. Most changes and applications of rules seem designed to increase the frequency and speed with which one bloke smashes into three other blokes. Administrators must think there's an insatiable appetite for bash and crash.

I think supporters, and more to the point prospective supporters, want greater diversity and less predictability.

The way the game is played is largely determined by officials and coaches. Both these groups operate in the grip of various media-induced neuroses. Teams who take risks are often punished. Players who take risks are often derided. Might be an idea to address the effects of all this on the product before placing it more prominently in front of audiences in Perth and Adelaide.

I think you have some salient points and I don’t think the Suns and Giants are very popular; however, there are a few points that need to be made:

1. League ratings are going up not down. That would suggest that whilst the product could improve (last year’s quality was a considerable improvement on 2021) people seem to be relatively happy with the product. It is also rating higher than the AFL.

2. I would add that their TV deals have been greater for a long time. Some of that probably correlates with longer games however a factor would also having popular teams in every metro city market (the Swans and Lions have been on the other hand a success for them)