NRL Nines - Everything you need to know

[Perth Red]

Leeds Rhinos captain Courtney Hill has signed with the Sydney Roosters for February's NRL Nines women's tournament.

Hill, a former Queensland state and WBBL cricketer, will be released by the English club for the two-day event at Perth's HBF Stadium (February 14-15) before returning to the northern hemisphere to play in the women's Super League.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/01/15...to-do-roosters-sign-woman-of-steel-for-nines/

 

[Perth Red]

One of the most explosive talents in rugby league will display his wares in Perth for the second time in two years but this time in a format tailor-made for his fast and furious skill set.

Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga will return west next month for the exciting NRL Nines competition,

His presence in WA may cause some heartbreak for those who watch him; Ponga was a month out from joining the Brisbane Lions in the AFL and could well have been running out for Fremantle or West Coast, given he was born in Port Hedland.

Perth got a glimpse of the excitement machine - who possesses a masterful goose step that has made him a favourite with youngsters - when it hosted its first Origin match last year in game two, which the Blues won 38-6 in front of a then-record capacity crowd of 59,700 at Optus Stadium to level the series before heading back to Sydney to claim it.

Many of them there that night watching Ponga might not have known he was a West Australian product, born in the Pilbara region where his father managed a pub before the family moved to Mt Isa in Queensland.

https://www.watoday.com.au/national...on-packed-nrl-exhibition-20200115-p53rst.html

"I love Perth, it's a beautiful city, I was pretty young when Mum and Dad moved to Queensland but I can't wait to get back there this time around," Ponga said.

"I'm hoping our schedule permits we get some time to enjoy the beautiful beaches on the coast."

 

[League Unlimited News]

15 of 20 squad lists named so far incl. all four women's squads.

Full squad lists: https://leagueunlimited.com/news/34346-2020-nrl-nines-squads/

 

[Perth Red]

Weathers looking like it’s cooling down to a pleasant 29 degrees for Saturday.

 

[yakstorm]

Any idea how tickets are selling? If you look at Ticketmaster for either day, there aren't many seats on sale around the ground... but not sure if they are purposely holding sections back or what not.

 

[myrrh ken]

One of the most explosive talents in rugby league will display his wares in Perth for the second time in two years but this time in a format tailor-made for his fast and furious skill set.

Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga will return west next month for the exciting NRL Nines competition,

His presence in WA may cause some heartbreak for those who watch him; Ponga was a month out from joining the Brisbane Lions in the AFL and could well have been running out for Fremantle or West Coast, given he was born in Port Hedland.

Perth got a glimpse of the excitement machine - who possesses a masterful goose step that has made him a favourite with youngsters - when it hosted its first Origin match last year in game two, which the Blues won 38-6 in front of a then-record capacity crowd of 59,700 at Optus Stadium to level the series before heading back to Sydney to claim it.

Many of them there that night watching Ponga might not have known he was a West Australian product, born in the Pilbara region where his father managed a pub before the family moved to Mt Isa in Queensland.

https://www.watoday.com.au/national...on-packed-nrl-exhibition-20200115-p53rst.html

"I love Perth, it's a beautiful city, I was pretty young when Mum and Dad moved to Queensland but I can't wait to get back there this time around," Ponga said.

"I'm hoping our schedule permits we get some time to enjoy the beautiful beaches on the coast."

Nope

 

[adamkungl]

Idk why Tim is bending over himself to defend the nonsense scheduling and draw.

Just admit they've deliberately botched it purely to squeeze a few extra $ out of the Sydney and Brisbane TV ratings.

The rest about player welfare and people leaving work early is utter rubbish.

 

[Perth Red]

Any idea how tickets are selling? If you look at Ticketmaster for either day, there aren't many seats on sale around the ground... but not sure if they are purposely holding sections back or what not.

impossible to say, they are releasing them in dribs and drabs so no idea how many have actually sold. Been lots of advertising here in paper, on radio and on billboards. I think they’ve overpriced it a bit at $50-70 for the Saturday, some cheap seats and standing in shed at around $20 a ticket would have filled the ends up.

 

[Timmah]

Idk why Tim is bending over himself to defend the nonsense scheduling and draw.

Just admit they've deliberately botched it purely to squeeze a few extra $ out of the Sydney and Brisbane TV ratings.

The rest about player welfare and people leaving work early is utter rubbish.

Been fairly clear I'm playing devils advocate I thought.

I don't think the scheduling is ideal either but I can understand the reasoning. If you don't think the clubs pushed back on having their trial prep shortened by the scheduling of the Nines I don't think you understand club-land? It would absolutely have been a factor.

The TV ratings are absolutely a factor too, no doubt about it (I probably mentioned it too?)

 

[adamkungl]

TV is the only factor.
And as some other sports are learning (BBL comes to mind), if you diminish the quality of your own product to make a quick buck you end up hurting yourself in the long run as people catch on pretty quick.
Given the location of the game, you would think they would put on the best possible show to a lot of potential new audience.

Hard to see trial matches as much of a factor. Most teams go into trials with huge squads with few first string players putting in serious minutes anyway. And if trials are on Friday/Saturday and the turnaround is a concern, maybe they should have considered spacing them out better and giving a major NRL event priority over borderline reserve grade games played in front of a few hundred people?
Roosters is irrelevant - our top squad will be in Spain by the time Perth kicks off.

 

[Wily Ole Dog]

I’m No fan of 9s but it will be good to finally see some footy again

 

[Perth Red]

Looking at the squads clubs are sending most of them are 75% reserve graders anyways.

 

[Mr Angry]

Looking at the squads clubs are sending most of them are 75% reserve graders anyways.

I wish we did, seems we are taking it serious.

 

[Perth Red]

I wish we did, seems we are taking it serious.

yours and the cowboys would be two of the stronger squads

 

[League Unlimited News]

 

[bileduct]

This is going to be wall to wall shit with painted on shit.

 

[franklin2323]

yours and the cowboys would be two of the stronger squads

Us, NQ, GC, Sharks went serious the rest not so much

 

[franklin2323]

TV is the only factor.
And as some other sports are learning (BBL comes to mind), if you diminish the quality of your own product to make a quick buck you end up hurting yourself in the long run as people catch on pretty quick.
Given the location of the game, you would think they would put on the best possible show to a lot of potential new audience.

Hard to see trial matches as much of a factor. Most teams go into trials with huge squads with few first string players putting in serious minutes anyway. And if trials are on Friday/Saturday and the turnaround is a concern, maybe they should have considered spacing them out better and giving a major NRL event priority over borderline reserve grade games played in front of a few hundred people?
Roosters is irrelevant - our top squad will be in Spain by the time Perth kicks off.

The NRL clubs should work around the 9’s. 4.30pm Kickoff for a marquee event is poor

 

[kdalymc]

Wtf is the "world 9s for non NRL players"?? Gus Gould is in Samoa today launching this...

 

[Dave's mate]

Grèènturd is reaching Gallop levels of incompetence