Peter V'landys - New NRL/ARLC Chairman

[Gobsmacked]

NRL 2026, attendance, viewership up, 15% increase, NRL data, fans flock to Round 2 | NRL.com https://share.google/6Bv6Qz3LneaoOhEI6

Obviously the footy has been so terrible that record amounts of people are tuning in to see just how bad it is lol

 

[newc18]

Nah, the Cowboys have been basically dogshit for most of the last 3 decades.

It's the neutral games, so many are dogshit, that wasn't the case in 2025.

FYI, I wouldn't crow to hard mate, you beaten a spastic and a cripple so far this season.

This will hurt the game

I've been enjoying the neutral games but then again I like six agains. I thought both the Eels/Broncos and Roosters/Rabbits were great games. Only games this weekend that I found meh were the Sharks/Panthers and Titans/Dolphins.

It's also a pretty idiotic perspective to say 'well my team is winning, so who cares?"

Nothing to do with being idiotic. When your team sucks it can absolutely have an impact on how you enjoy the footy.

 

[kurt faulk]

I think this guy encapsulates everything wrong with the six agains and articulates very well what people are seeing.

The game isn’t becoming more skilful or more daring, it has just become quicker. Inversely it has become more conservative and less skillful

This is exactly what the critics said when they changed the defensive line starting back 5m to 10m. It was supposed to encourage more free flowing football but all it did was encourage more one out runs due to the easy metres on offer.

The game survived that, I'm sure it can survive a few more 6 agains. That's what the game does, it evolves.

.

 

[Canard]

You can watch whatever the hell you want. You just sound a bit unhinged claiming the whole game has been ruined after 2 rounds from some fairly minor rule changes. I’m a Cows fan as well, but they have bigger issues than the 6 again rule.

I never claimed as much. You keep ignoring my point, it's the non-Cows games that are boring to watch, all bar 3 games so far are boring floggings. How can anyone ignore double the amount of infringement to last year?

No sensible Cows fan saw us being any better than bottom 4, so there are no expectations there.

 

[Canard]

NRL 2026, attendance, viewership up, 15% increase, NRL data, fans flock to Round 2 | NRL.com https://share.google/6Bv6Qz3LneaoOhEI6

Obviously the footy has been so terrible that record amounts of people are tuning in to see just how bad it is lol

There is lagging factor, will people turn up again in 2 weeks is the big indicator or for the rest of the year.

These crowds are generated by the good will that 2025 created, we are currently pissing that away.

 

[Canard]

I've been enjoying the neutral games but then again I like six agains. I thought both the Eels/Broncos and Roosters/Rabbits were great games. Only games this weekend that I found meh were the Sharks/Panthers and Titans/Dolphins.


Nothing to do with being idiotic. When your team sucks it can absolutely have an impact on how you enjoy the footy.

This isn't an argument against 6 agains, it's an argument against the 2026 changes.

Who seriously looked at 2025, the best year the game has ever had, and went "f**k it, let's change it"

 

[Colk]

There is lagging factor, will people turn up again in 2 weeks is the big indicator or for the rest of the year.

These crowds are generated by the good will that 2025 created, we are currently pissing that away.

100%

 

[mongoose]

NRL 2026, attendance, viewership up, 15% increase, NRL data, fans flock to Round 2 | NRL.com https://share.google/6Bv6Qz3LneaoOhEI6

Obviously the footy has been so terrible that record amounts of people are tuning in to see just how bad it is lol

we'll see as the season goes on... Dolphins crowd was terrible the other day for a QLD "local derby"

 

[Wb1234]

 

[Iamback]

Simple don’t be preoccupied with it. Who cares? You could literally make a stand on anything. How many teams are regularly offside? How many of these set restarts are based on teams being offside - stats suggest very little.

I could argue, and be quite justified in arguing, that’s a much bigger problem/factor then some player having a hand on a ball for a second.

Because X team needs a breather. They hold on the ball to give their players a chance to get back

These are the slowing down tactics,if the aim is to speed the game up. Then it is more of concern

 

[Iamback]

If that happens such that it is obvious to the fans .... bin them.

How to prove it though?

 

[Steel Saints]

I can see both sides of the 6 again rule. On one hand, the NRL should not have changed or refined the 6 again rule. Should've left it alone. Last year, IMO the footy was great.

On the other hand, in the early rounds of the season, there is warm weather, more fitting for cricket than league. Plus there are teams who are ahead of others in terms of preparation for the new season.

I guess by round 10, the temperatures will be cooler and every team will be match fit. I hope by then there is regular competitive games. If the floggings continue, either teams still struggle to adjust to the updated 6 again rule. Or the NRL have reverted back to last years rule.

Time will tell.

 

[Iamback]

I can see both sides of the 6 again rule. On one hand, the NRL should not have changed or refined the 6 again rule. Should've left it alone. Last year, IMO the footy was great.

On the other hand, in the early rounds of the season, there is warm weather, more fitting for cricket than league. Plus there are teams who are ahead of others in terms of preparation for the new season.

I guess by round 10, the temperatures will be cooler and every team will be match fit. I hope by then there is regular competitive games. If the floggings continue, either teams still struggle to adjust to the updated 6 again rule. Or the NRL have reverted back to last years rule.

Time will tell.

The argument in 2021 by the player's was it went to far. Maybe the agreement was to slowly go back.

This was announced and there was no kick back, like it was expected

 

[Murishido]

The game survived that, I'm sure it can survive a few more 6 agains. That's what the game does, it evolves.

I'm with you on the survival but I'd question if it really evolves. As you point out the change rarely acheives what it set out to but we trundle on.

'Cause the secret is, it's not about the game. Really it's having a media product which is deeply relevant to a large group of people. Changing the rules, so long as there's still enough genuine competition and irrational tribalism does very little either way.

It sucks for the rusted on fans but we'll lump it because well we're rusted on fans.

But it's also largely wasted effort.

If I think about it we've changed virtually every aspect of the game in my adult life everything other than passing backwards,the field dimensions and # of players (the last two would actually create more lasting impact but have infrastructure and attachment hurdles)

Take just the tackle for instance we've changed how you can use your upper body, how you can use your legs, how you can attack their legs, how the tackled player uses their upper body, how a tackled player submits, where tackle impact needs to finish, if you can take the ball in the tackle, what tackle # it is, what the tackler can do to the tackled player on the ground, how the tackled player can get up, how much room the tackled needs to give them, how the play of the ball works, where you play the ball.

And in all that lost time to injuries have increased and the distribution of the comp follows similar patterns.

That's not evolution IMO that's just throwing stuff at a wall every year so management can say they've changed something.

 

[Wb1234]

 

[Iamback]

I'm with you on the survival but I'd question if it really evolves. As you point out the change rarely acheives what it set out to but we trundle on.

'Cause the secret is, it's not about the game. Really it's having a media product which is deeply relevant to a large group of people. Changing the rules, so long as there's still enough genuine competition and irrational tribalism does very little either way.

It sucks for the rusted on fans but we'll lump it because well we're rusted on fans.

But it's also largely wasted effort.

If I think about it we've changed virtually every aspect of the game in my adult life everything other than passing backwards,the field dimensions and # of players (the last two would actually create more lasting impact but have infrastructure and attachment hurdles)

Take just the tackle for instance we've changed how you can use your upper body, how you can use your legs, how you can attack their legs, how the tackled player uses their upper body, how a tackled player submits, where tackle impact needs to finish, if you can take the ball in the tackle, what tackle # it is, what the tackler can do to the tackled player on the ground, how the tackled player can get up, how much room the tackled needs to give them, how the play of the ball works, where you play the ball.

And in all that lost time to injuries have increased and the distribution of the comp follows similar patterns.

That's not evolution IMO that's just throwing stuff at a wall every year so management can say they've changed something.

To be fair though, RL is only very small on the world scale.

So you keep the rules as is to keep the rusted on fans happy

Or you change to hope to get new fans and drag the rusted on ones along for the ride

 

[Canard]

T

I don't get it, are we trying to claim that NRL crowds are bigger than the AFL in 2026?

That's laughable, and makes us look delusional.

They are about double our average crowd at the moment.

 

[kurt faulk]

I don't get it, are we trying to claim that NRL crowds are bigger than the AFL in 2026?

That's laughable, and makes us look delusional.

They are about double our average crowd at the moment.

No. Why would you even think that?

Instead, nrl up, afl down.

Pretty simple.

.

 

[newc18]

I don't get it, are we trying to claim that NRL crowds are bigger than the AFL in 2026?

That's laughable, and makes us look delusional.

They are about double our average crowd at the moment.

Nothing to do with that.

Anything to do with code wars gets clicks so the fact the AFL crowds have dropped and the NRL crowds have grown is an interesting story that will get people talking, so naturally someone is writing a story about it. They would have asked PVL for a quote or two and he obliged as he has a good relationship with the media.

The fact people get so worked over it is hilarious to me. Its all a bit of friendly banter.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Are you guys still under the assumption you're talking to a League fan..in Caynard???

Strange how everything is screwed negative.. hmmm good News is bad.. bad news is worse.. very strange behavior for a League fan.

Talk to him if you want, debate him if you can be bothered but I guarantee every single time, goal posts will be moved, the narrative will be shifted and when all else fails.. it'll be personal attacks.

Caynard/ Maximus= Troll