Peter V'landys - New NRL/ARLC Chairman

[Trifili13]

Soccer?
I was at a bar the other day and it was on TV, I'll never understand how people could find it remotely interesting.

I suppose 99% of the world's population would say the same thing about rugby league otherwise it would be just as popular as soccer.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

I suppose 99% of the world's population would say the same thing about rugby league otherwise it would be just as popular as soccer.

It`s more than that, soccer is a game that can be played anywhere, on tar, dirt, cement, anywhere almost all across the globe, all you need is a ball and even a couple of shirts to mark where the goalposts are, I`ve seen it played on the basketball courts with a tennis ball. And there`s little danger of getting hurt.
That all makes a massive difference when getting kids in young. Best thing contact sports like League can do is to spread the non-contact versions, namely Touch and Tag, they have a similar versatility when it comes to where and with what it can be played.

 

[Wb1234]

Soccer for a two minute highlight is great

Sitting for 90 minutes to watch a nil alll draw would be soul destroying

The fact it’s the worlds most popular football code is a reflection of how many stupid people there are in the world

I don’t mind nfl

Every other “football” code is horrible lol

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Soccer for a two minute highlight is great

Sitting for 90 minutes to watch a nil alll draw would be soul destroying

The fact it’s the worlds most popular football code is a reflection of how many stupid people there are in the world

I don’t mind nfl

Every other “football” code is horrible lol

The thing that turns me off soccer is the way they pass the ball all the way back to their own goalkeeper from the other side of halfway, it really does my head in, I want attack.
Oh yeah and then there`s the play acting and players going down, they are so pathetically soft. Couple of minutes of highlights is about right for me too.

 

[Trifili13]

Soccer for a two minute highlight is great

Sitting for 90 minutes to watch a nil alll draw would be soul destroying

The fact it’s the worlds most popular football code is a reflection of how many stupid people there are in the world

I don’t mind nfl

Every other “football” code is horrible lol

So you are happy to watch an NFL game that goes for 3 hours to play 60 minutes of actual game time with a million stoppages.

 

[Trifili13]

The thing that turns me off soccer is the way they pass the ball all the way back to their own goalkeeper from the other side of halfway, it really does my head in, I want attack.
Oh yeah and then there`s the play acting and players going down, they are so pathetically soft. Couple of minutes of highlights is about right for me too.

Totally agree about the play acting in soccer, don't like it at all. But also don't like some of the acting that has crept into league when a player 1 minute carries 4 blokes trying to tackle him but is happy to go down to get a penalty when a hand flicks his head.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Totally agree about the play acting in soccer, don't like it at all. But also don't like some of the acting that has crept into league when a player 1 minute carries 4 blokes trying to tackle him but is happy to go down to get a penalty when a hand flicks his head.

There's a simple solution.
Any player that sustains an injury bad enough for the game to have to be stoped must leave the field for an injury assessment - if the act was from foul play, it's a free interchange.

 

[Gobsmacked]

So you are happy to watch an NFL game that goes for 3 hours to play 60 minutes of actual game time with a million stoppages.

NFL would be good if it didn't have stoppages/ constant adds. Makes it unwatchable. I used to watch the Kayo mini, which is then a constant 35 minute block.

 

[newc18]

Soccer?
I was at a bar the other day and it was on TV, I'll never understand how people could find it remotely interesting.

I think its fun to play, but boring to watch.

 

[Wb1234]

The thing that turns me off soccer is the way they pass the ball all the way back to their own goalkeeper from the other side of halfway, it really does my head in, I want attack.
Oh yeah and then there`s the play acting and players going down, they are so pathetically soft. Couple of minutes of highlights is about right for me too.

If soccer was such a good sport it would’ve taken over from rugby union in nsw and qld well before league ever existed

Soccer had strongholds all over Sydney especially Balmain

In England most of the north was rugby but the rfu was happy to see soccer take over rather than clubs go to the northern union and the northern union didn’t have the money back then to support lots of clubs

 

[Steel Saints]

I do like football or soccer. Prefer internationals over club domestic comps, where it's the same teams that win all the time. Example in Spain, Real Madrid or Barcelona. Once in a while, Athletico Madrid. So many uncompetitive leagues.

 

[Trifili13]

If soccer was such a good sport it would’ve taken over from rugby union in nsw and qld well before league ever existed

Soccer had strongholds all over Sydney especially Balmain

In England most of the north was rugby but the rfu was happy to see soccer take over rather than clubs go to the northern union and the northern union didn’t have the money back then to support lots of clubs

Let's narrow down why soccer didn't take over 2 states of Australia to explain why it is not a good sport and disregard that it has basically taken over the rest of the world.

 

[BuffaloRules]

I suppose 99% of the world's population would say the same thing about rugby league otherwise it would be just as popular as soccer.

Poor buggers,,, they probably don’t even know what RL is…. At least we get the opportunity to choose

 

[Nuke]

Totally agree about the play acting in soccer, don't like it at all. But also don't like some of the acting that has crept into league when a player 1 minute carries 4 blokes trying to tackle him but is happy to go down to get a penalty when a hand flicks his head.

Or the opposite: When a player goes down injured in a clear attempt at trying to get the video ref to look at possibly giving a penalty, and less than a minute later is taking the ball up and having four tacklers hanging off him as he still charges forward. "Good to see you have recovered from your 'injury' there, mate, and so quickly too".

 

[Dark Corner]

The thing that turns me off soccer is the way they pass the ball all the way back to their own goalkeeper from the other side of halfway, it really does my head in, I want attack.
Oh yeah and then there`s the play acting and players going down, they are so pathetically soft. Couple of minutes of highlights is about right for me too.

I always find most Soccer players have the same physique which doesn't match with the old term Christian Masculinity alongside the girly hairstyles.

 

[mccarthyj367]

Let's not kid ourselves about soccer. It's popularity is bedded into every corner of the globe. Just because domestic soccer isn't big in Australia does not detract from this fact. If the Australian men's or women's soccer teams got into the latter stages of the World Cup it would dominate the whole news cycle - 2023 was an indicator of that with the Matildas.

Thankfully for Rugby League, it is dominant week-to-week in Australia and making huge strides across the ditch and pacific. If the NRL really gets its act together over the next 5-10 years it could pretty much lock in those 16-39 demographics for generations to come. NRL's engagement with young people should not be underestimated, it is a tour de force right now.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

Modern day soccer is completely unwatchable. It's basically a non contact sport these days.

Watch an EPL game from the 80s or 90s though and it's completely different. There was much more physicality and players taking on opponents rather than passing the ball sideways all the time. It used to be a great spectacle.

Having said that I'd still rather watch 90 mins of soccer than a single minute of AFL.

 

[Dogs Of War]

NFL would be good if it didn't have stoppages/ constant adds. Makes it unwatchable. I used to watch the Kayo mini, which is then a constant 35 minute block.

I hate the NFL minis, they always seem to be random plays selected. So many key sequences are just missing that I have read about and think why wasn't it in that telecast.

 

[Trifili13]

Let's not kid ourselves about soccer. It's popularity is bedded into every corner of the globe. Just because domestic soccer isn't big in Australia does not detract from this fact. If the Australian men's or women's soccer teams got into the latter stages of the World Cup it would dominate the whole news cycle - 2023 was an indicator of that with the Matildas.

Thankfully for Rugby League, it is dominant week-to-week in Australia and making huge strides across the ditch and pacific. If the NRL really gets its act together over the next 5-10 years it could pretty much lock in those 16-39 demographics for generations to come. NRL's engagement with young people should not be underestimated, it is a tour de force right now.

IMO a major problem soccer has in Australia is quality of the domestic comp. You can sit on your coach 24 hours a day and watch the best leagues which are in Europe. League doesn't have that issue. The best comp is here. It is not competing with better quality overseas league comps.

Do you rather watch Real Madrid vs Barca or United vs Liverpool or Central Coast Vs Macarthur Bulls?
For league Penrith vs Broncos or Toulouse vs Leigh?

 

[Dogs Of War]

Modern day soccer is completely unwatchable. It's basically a non contact sport these days.

Watch an EPL game from the 80s or 90s though and it's completely different. There was much more physicality and players taking on opponents rather than passing the ball sideways all the time. It used to be a great spectacle.

Having said that I'd still rather watch 90 mins of soccer than a single minute of AFL.

Even AFL back then was physical. But that has been taken away. Though I still hated it back then. Probably cause I'm from Newcastle which just lives and breathes Rugby League.