New Zealand 2 will deal a massive blow to NZ rugby

[Brian potter]

It's not so much about the Pacific.
New Zealand have been producing the best Rugby Union players since forever, the All blacks brand is a global one. They pull big crowds anywhere they go. So easily recognised.
International Rugby union is the pinnacle and the All blacks are the pinnacle of that.
The All blacks Jersey is the most prestigious in all forms of Rugby around the world.
So what happens when regularly Kiwis beat the Kangaroos and that rivalry becomes like SOO ?
What happens when all the best Rugby players are playing league in NZ and the NRL?
If the best Rugby game you can watch in the world no longer is the All blacks but the Kiwis?

Make no mistake about it, this is the biggest and most important battle between the codes on the international front and Rugby league is winning it, it's a long way away but it's happening.

Another big powerhouse is England and if you haven't noticed Rugby League just had a very successful WC there, the Super League looks in good shape and at the same time Rugby Union just lost 2 long standing clubs with others on the brink.

But all that aside. The NRL are growing, the revenue is growing , the number of teams are growing. We will soon enough be in a position where NRL players are the highest paid Rugby players in the world !
That puts Rugby League as the most prestigious game.

The WC in soccer is big ( the biggest)
But all the best players are in the premier league.
If Rugby League has the ( premier league) we will end up dominating the world.

If only Australia played New Zealand regularly.

if only the 3 test trans-Tasman series was still a thing.

 

[Gobsmacked]

If only Australia played New Zealand regularly.

if only the 3 test trans-Tasman series was still a thing.

I think it will, what we saw at the WC was an amazing contest! But the networks here didn't get to see the benefits of that. Next couple should be good- good ratings- good $ - increased demand.
That's how I see it playing out.
The kiwis have turned the corner and now have a large chunk of the biggest stars.
It'll happen.

 

[Brian potter]

I think it will, what we saw at the WC was an amazing contest! But the networks here didn't get to see the benefits of that. Next couple should be good- good ratings- good $ - increased demand.
That's how I see it playing out.
The kiwis have turned the corner and now have a large chunk of the biggest stars.
It'll happen.

Really hope so mate.

I grew up watching some absolute humdinger clashes between Australia and NZ in the early to mid 90’s featuring some amazing players from both countries like meninga, fittler, langer, Daley, jones, McCracken, Paul bros, pongia and hoppe etc.

 

[Wb1234]

For every PI player RU loses there's a Saffa, European, and increasingly people from other regions, patiently waiting to take that opportunity. Would losing a bunch of PI talent hurt the average standard of RU for a while; maybe. Would the impact of that be felt in any significant way outside of Pacific region; with the possible exceptions of Japan and France, and even in those examples it'd only be fleeting, almost certainly not.

Even if the NRL does 'conquer' (for lack of a better term) the South Pacific, which is still a big if, it will still only be a big fish in a small pond. While RL is bragging about conquering a bunch of impoverished, tiny, third world countries (not having a go, just speaking frankly about the situation), RU will still be making moves and growing in most of the largest markets in the world.

So really what's the big deal? You'll have done the equivalent of giving RU a paper cut, it might sting for a second or two, but it won't do them any real damage.

If the goal is to compete with RU on the international stage, or even just to give them a good kick in the dick, then RL should look to grow the sport in the parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas that don't traditionally have strong cultures of Union, and particularly the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia.

How you'd go about that in reality is extremely debatable (whether it's realistically possible at all is debatable in some of those cases IMO). But you'd basically be placing yourself in the position of filling the niches in the global market that they haven't yet, but undoubtably plan to in the future. From there you'd build RL's international product to a size where it's competitive with RU's, and must be taken seriously, without having to fight them for every inch at the grassroots level in every nation.

From that point you could leverage that growth to push growth in other nations, but we're getting way ahead of ourselves at that point.

Watching the decline of the brumbies really stung didn’t it

sitting in the George Gregan stand and seeing it’s almost empty must be a joyless experience

 

[Wb1234]

It's not so much about the Pacific.
New Zealand have been producing the best Rugby Union players since forever, the All blacks brand is a global one. They pull big crowds anywhere they go. So easily recognised.
International Rugby union is the pinnacle and the All blacks are the pinnacle of that.
The All blacks Jersey is the most prestigious in all forms of Rugby around the world.
So what happens when regularly Kiwis beat the Kangaroos and that rivalry becomes like SOO ?
What happens when all the best Rugby players are playing league in NZ and the NRL?
If the best Rugby game you can watch in the world no longer is the All blacks but the Kiwis?

Make no mistake about it, this is the biggest and most important battle between the codes on the international front and Rugby league is winning it, it's a long way away but it's happening.

Another big powerhouse is England and if you haven't noticed Rugby League just had a very successful WC there, the Super League looks in good shape and at the same time Rugby Union just lost 2 long standing clubs with others on the brink.

But all that aside. The NRL are growing, the revenue is growing , the number of teams are growing. We will soon enough be in a position where NRL players are the highest paid Rugby players in the world !
That puts Rugby League as the most prestigious game.

The WC in soccer is big ( the biggest)
But all the best players are in the premier league.
If Rugby League has the ( premier league) we will end up dominating the world.

New Zealand is the jewel in the crown for rugby union

weaken that greatly and union is a bunch of boring northern hemisphere teams nobody wants to watch

the rugby league World Cup really would grow and the money from that would be enormous

the rugby league World Cup makes five million dollars profit

by conquering the pacific that would easily rise to 100 million

 

[Te Kaha]

New Zealand is the jewel in the crown for rugby union

weaken that greatly and union is a bunch of boring northern hemisphere teams nobody wants to watch

the rugby league World Cup really would grow and the money from that would be enormous

the rugby league World Cup makes five million dollars profit

by conquering the pacific that would easily rise to 100 million

You have written some stupid things you wally but that takes the cake. The world cup makes its money from broadcast rights, why would you possibly think that "conquering the pacific" would at almost a hundred million dollars to those rights? That's not only insane it's just plain stupid.

 

[Wb1234]

Really hope so mate.

I grew up watching some absolute humdinger clashes between Australia and NZ in the early to mid 90’s featuring some amazing players from both countries like meninga, fittler, langer, Daley, jones, McCracken, Paul bros, pongia and hoppe etc.

Kiwi playing depth now is incomparable now

 

[Gobsmacked]

Kiwi playing depth now is incomparable now

It was only a decade ago they were relying on SL players

 

[Wb1234]

It was only a decade ago they were relying on SL players

Plus how many Samoans and Tongans are eligible for nz

they can put out two excellent sides now

 

[Wb1234]

TBF, I think the councils will be supportive from a yes yes but do nothing point of view. But as you note there'll be no money going in and no allowance on infrastructure use etc.

 

[Matua]

I've been wondering why he hasn't already been playing SoO, I thought Qld would have tried pushing it through the moment the regulations changed to allow PIs to play Origin. They could have pretended he didn't play for NZ just like the Dolphins doco did with Isaako.

I hope we've revoked his passport and he can only travel to NZ on temporary visas to play matches.

 

[Wb1234]

I've been wondering why he hasn't already been playing SoO, I thought Qld would have tried pushing it through the moment the regulations changed to allow PIs to play Origin. They could have pretended he didn't play for NZ just like the Dolphins doco did with Isaako.

I hope we've revoked his passport and he can only travel to NZ on temporary visas to play matches.

How about he can play for tonga and then nz when they play australia ?

pretty sure this will allow some kiwis to play origin

You make a fair point if all those players went back to nz their team would be unstoppable

but then league doesn’t have strong islanders teams

 

[Matua]

For every PI player RU loses there's a Saffa, European, and increasingly people from other regions, patiently waiting to take that opportunity. Would losing a bunch of PI talent hurt the average standard of RU for a while; maybe. Would the impact of that be felt in any significant way outside of Pacific region; with the possible exceptions of Japan and France, and even in those examples it'd only be fleeting, almost certainly not.

Even if the NRL does 'conquer' (for lack of a better term) the South Pacific, which is still a big if, it will still only be a big fish in a small pond. While RL is bragging about conquering a bunch of impoverished, tiny, third world countries (not having a go, just speaking frankly about the situation), RU will still be making moves and growing in most of the largest markets in the world.

So really what's the big deal? You'll have done the equivalent of giving RU a paper cut, it might sting for a second or two, but it won't do them any real damage.

If the goal is to compete with RU on the international stage, or even just to give them a good kick in the dick, then RL should look to grow the sport in the parts of Europe, Asia, and the Americas that don't traditionally have strong cultures of Union, and particularly the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia.

How you'd go about that in reality is extremely debatable (whether it's realistically possible at all is debatable in some of those cases IMO). But you'd basically be placing yourself in the position of filling the niches in the global market that they haven't yet, but undoubtably plan to in the future. From there you'd build RL's international product to a size where it's competitive with RU's, and must be taken seriously, without having to fight them for every inch at the grassroots level in every nation.

From that point you could leverage that growth to push growth in other nations, but we're getting way ahead of ourselves at that point.

There's also the difference between PI players born and raised on the islands and born and raised in NZ/Oz. There's more PIs from NZ than on the islands and winning over the islands does not necessarily translate to winning over PIs.

Hell even a Samoan born NZ league superstar wanted a chance to play for the ABs (and if we're honest undeservedly got that chance).

Also, being huge supporters of league doesn't translate to dominance. The Cooks have a huge league culture - probably the biggest per capita in the Pacific, when you go there you'll see all the local league jumpers being worn (well singlet versions of them) etc, the NRL was on free to air for years etc, but, they're all massive AB fans too. And even then, I think that two of the teams pulled out in the past year or so.

 

[Matua]

How about he can play for tonga and then nz when they play australia ?

pretty sure this will allow some kiwis to play origin

You make a fair point if all those players went back to nz their team would be unstoppable

but then league doesn’t have strong islanders teams

Huh? What do you mean here?

 

[Wb1234]

Huh? What do you mean here?

It was an attempt at a joke

apparently a poor attempt

 

[Wb1234]

There's also the difference between PI players born and raised on the islands and born and raised in NZ/Oz. There's more PIs from NZ than on the islands and winning over the islands does not necessarily translate to winning over PIs.

Hell even a Samoan born NZ league superstar wanted a chance to play for the ABs (and if we're honest undeservedly got that chance).

Also, being huge supporters of league doesn't translate to dominance. The Cooks have a huge league culture - probably the biggest per capita in the Pacific, when you go there you'll see all the local league jumpers being worn (well singlet versions of them) etc, the NRL was on free to air for years etc, but, they're all massive AB fans too. And even then, I think that two of the teams pulled out in the past year or so.

He only wanted to play for the all blacks when they wouldn’t let him play origin

he did actually play for nsw at under 19 level

 

[Perth Red]

New Zealand is the jewel in the crown for rugby union

weaken that greatly and union is a bunch of boring northern hemisphere teams nobody wants to watch

the rugby league World Cup really would grow and the money from that would be enormous

the rugby league World Cup makes five million dollars profit

by conquering the pacific that would easily rise to 100 million

Not really, the 6 nations and RUWC are. Fta pays double for 6 nations in uk than ch9 pays for nrl.

the point of rl growing in the South Pacific is purely and simply player talent. Theres not much money to be made. The pay off is in talent. We know they are physically suited to the type of game rl is and now dominant playing ranks.

grow the game in the pi and nz and the talent in the nrl grows. That’s why we should be investing in it.

 

[Wb1234]

Not really, the 6 nations and RUWC are. Fta pays double for 6 nations in uk than ch9 pays for nrl.

the point of rl growing in the South Pacific is purely and simply player talent. Theres not much money to be made. The pay off is in talent. We know they are physically suited to the type of game rl is and now dominant playing ranks.

grow the game in the pi and nz and the talent in the nrl grows. That’s why we should be investing in it.

So league taking over the pacific will have no financial benefit to the rlwc?

anyone else agree with him ?

 

[Perth Red]

So league taking over the pacific will have no financial benefit to the rlwc?

anyone else agree with him ?

No it wont, why would it? You think Samoa tv are going to pay millions to cover it because samoa are now competitive? Lol.

 

[Wb1234]

No it wont, why would it? You think Samoa tv are going to pay millions to cover it because samoa are now competitive? Lol.

I think if the rugby league World Cup is very competitive the broadcaster rights will be worth more to whoever is hosting it

thanks for the reply