Rugby league v the rest

[eelandia]

soccer is the #1 growth sport in nz.

So was basketball in Australia in the 80's and 90's. Anyway, what people play and what they watch are 2 different things. It seems the asians like their soccer because they aren't into the body contact thing (except sumos...!!) so the growth there is not surprising. Non-contact sports such as basketball (throughout asia) and baseball (in Japan) have been boom sports in this region due to their non-contact nature.

Back to my main point, many are not physically suited to playing League so they play soccer, hockey etc when growing up. This is not to say that they don't support a League team and follow the game passionately due to the same reasons they don't play it themselves.

I'm sure there are many more registered soccer players in the US but NFL is the No.1 spectator / TV sport.

 

[Haynzy]

To say that league is out and out the number 1 team sport in Australia is crazy.
What do you base it on? League as your no 1 team sport?

Outside of Sydney and Brisbane League barely rates a mention, and in those cities and in their regional centres the horrible, evil game of AFL is taking much ground.

Not to mention rah rah, which is more popular that league outside of Sydney and Brisbane, even without a proper national domestic comp.

 

[Green Machine]

To say that league is out and out the number 1 team sport in Australia is crazy.
What do you base it on? League as your no 1 team sport?

Outside of Sydney and Brisbane League barely rates a mention, and in those cities and in their regional centres the horrible, evil game of AFL is taking much ground.

Not to mention rah rah, which is more popular that league outside of Sydney and Brisbane, even without a proper national domestic comp.

Stop read the Sweeney Report before you go blind

 

[Woods99]

Stop read the Sweeney Report before you go blind

GM,

George Orwell would be proud of some of the "facts" on this thread. Okay, I can understand that league followers think that league is the best team sport in Australia. But "bigger than AFL?" By what measures?

Just asking.

 

[miketyson]

GM,

George Orwell would be proud of some of the "facts" on this thread. Okay, I can understand that league followers think that league is the best team sport in Australia. But "bigger than AFL?" By what measures?

Just asking.

More people watch a game Rugby League in this country every year than any other sport , Counting TV ratings & crowds.

FACT.

 

[Green Machine]

GM,

George Orwell would be proud of some of the "facts" on this thread. Okay, I can understand that league followers think that league is the best team sport in Australia. But "bigger than AFL?" By what measures?

Just asking.

No, I agree with you, AFL is the biggest and best run sport in Australia. But I think we are second. Third and Fourth are a long way back,

 

[eelandia]

No, I agree with you, AFL is the biggest and best run sport in Australia. But I think we are second. Third and Fourth are a long way back,

Once Qld becomes the second most populated state behind nsw, League should have the numbers. After all, if you are going to concentrate on dominating a market, these are the 2 you would want. Although AFL may be ahead in regards to their national comp, League has the advantage of dominating what will be the 2 largest market in Australia as well as having a foothold in Auckland.
AFL can have their Adelaides and Perths ( and Melbourne for that matter), but at the end of the day the sponsors would rather get exposure in these 3 markets over those other backwaters.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Rugby league is out on it's own at the minute as Australia's no 1 team sport but does anyone think that league faces a challenge from football(the world version not AFL) as the no 1 team sport in Australia?

With Frank Lowy and John O'Neill,at the helm football has a lot of potential especially with the new A-League and the fact that the Football Federation of Australia is now a member of the Asian Football Confederation which will show a lot of Australian's the huge size of the world game.

I'm a fan of both games and would love to see football do well in Australia but not at any cost to my beloved rugby league!!

If soccer does become dominant it will take about 25 years as I cant imagine the current generation of diehard league and AFL fans(Theres no such thing as a serious yawnion supporter they are all bandwagon yuppies) giving up there fav team/sport just because something new and glitzy comes along you may pickup the few supporters in name only but thasts about it.

If they work on the kids who knows?

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

More and more kids are playing soccer so it will be interesting to see where soccer is in 20 or so years.

Heaps of kids have always played soccer and you'd be lucky to get 1 in 10 who could name even 1 socceroo!

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

To say that league is out and out the number 1 team sport in Australia is crazy.
What do you base it on? League as your no 1 team sport?

Outside of Sydney and Brisbane League barely rates a mention, and in those cities and in their regional centres the horrible, evil game of AFL is taking much ground.

Not to mention rah rah, which is more popular that league outside of Sydney and Brisbane, even without a proper national domestic comp.

Try visiting a few country towns in NSW mate, League is supreme, I'd assume it would have a big following in QLD as well though a big AFL and to some extent Yawnion as well.

 

[Tap Twist Snap]

Why would you watch teams of no bodies and has beens run around playing soccer when you can watch the best players in the world live from the premire league. Australia has the best league, usually the best union, the best cricket and the only AFL comps/teams/players in the world. The lack of scoring and body contact also go against soccer. There is certainly a place for it especially in summer but to think a bunch of very average players will ever rival the sports we already have is a bit far fetched.

 

[Green Machine]

Once Qld becomes the second most populated state behind nsw, League should have the numbers. After all, if you are going to concentrate on dominating a market, these are the 2 you would want. Although AFL may be ahead in regards to their national comp, League has the advantage of dominating what will be the 2 largest market in Australia as well as having a foothold in Auckland.
AFL can have their Adelaides and Perths ( and Melbourne for that matter), but at the end of the day the sponsors would rather get exposure in these 3 markets over those other backwaters.

We should never under estimate the AFL as tough competitor. Rugby League needs to improve its administration to take over from AFL. A strategic plan must be implemented ASAP. If the AFL gets $150m a season for their next TV rights it will show where we are. It is no disgrace that our TV deal is only $100m a season, but it will show they are ahead of us. We have come a long way to get to $100m. If our administration improves, I’m sure in 5 years time we will be on or above the TV money the AFL is on. The next 5 years will be tough with the AFL trying to gain a foothold in the NSW/QLD market with our new TV, especially with two Friday Night NRL games. It will be brave network, who shows AFL against NRL on a Friday night in the growth markets of NSW and QLD,

 

[eelandia]

We should never under estimate the AFL as tough competitor. Rugby League needs to improve its administration to take over from AFL. A strategic plan must be implemented ASAP. If the AFL gets $150m a season for their next TV rights it will show where we are. It is no disgrace that our TV deal is only $100m a season, but it will show they are ahead of us. We have come a long way to get to $100m. If our administration improves, I’m sure in 5 years time we will be on or above the TV money the AFL is on. The next 5 years will be tough with the AFL trying to gain a foothold in the NSW/QLD market with our new TV, especially with two Friday Night NRL games. It will be brave network, who shows AFL against NRL on a Friday night in the growth markets of NSW and QLD,

I'm being a little facetious but in regards to AFL TV money, I wouldn't be too happy as a Ten shareholder and seeing the station not getting a return on their telecasts in Sydney, for example. How many ratings losses do you think will be allowed before someone steps in and says..."these AFL TV rights just aren't worth it..??". We've all heard how they are getting killed in regards to ratings in Sydney and to a lesser extent Brisbane. This surely does not bode well for future FTA rights, especially with Nine now not interested.

 

[Green Machine]

Channel 7 & Channel 10 might join forces start a bidding auction to buy the rights to the Iron Chef when they come up

 

[eelandia]

Channel 7 & Channel 10 might join forces start a bidding auction to buy the rights to the Iron Chef when they come up

hehe...at least we'd watch it.

 

[Surandy]

Judging on the latest ratings figures from PBL, AFL isn't doing much in the ratings anywhere in Australia. AFL in Melbourne didn't even crack the top 50 watched programs last week. Same with Brisbane and Sydney. Adelaide and Perth only had AFL rating when a local team was playing.

The only reason that AFL may get more dollars for the TV rights is coz it is played in all the main state capitals. RL made a mistake by pulling out of WA & SA.

As for AFL & soccer, I'd say that it wouldn't have too much impact on AFL as soccer is more an ethnic sport. Main Melbourne club that might be affected is Carlton with it's large italian population.

 

[iggy plop]

To say that league is out and out the number 1 team sport in Australia is crazy.
What do you base it on? League as your no 1 team sport?

Outside of Sydney and Brisbane League barely rates a mention, and in those cities and in their regional centres the horrible, evil game of AFL is taking much ground.

Not to mention rah rah, which is more popular that league outside of Sydney and Brisbane, even without a proper national domestic comp.

What a load of tripe re: rugby union.

Rugby league rules regional/country QLD and NSW.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Soccer is run by imbeciles.

They have one game every four years that can fill the MCG or Telstra, the chance to convince people that Soccer is worth a go is with that game.

So what do they do?

They sell most of the tickets to "Soccer's family", people who are already converted.

Not only that, that genius O'Neill calls a press conference to announce it.

And the A League will be third or fourth rate Soccer at best. It will draw at least initially because there'll only be one game in town per fortnight, but long term the actual quality will drag it down to where it always is, well below the other codes.

 

[Haynzy]

What a load of tripe re: rugby union.

Rugby league rules regional/country QLD and NSW.

I apologise...........I meant to say outside of NSW and Queensland.

 

[Haynzy]

yes league may reign supreme in regional NSW and Qld but AFL is definately making an impact.
I don't know what junior league is like in the bush at the moment but I constantly hear how not enough money is being spent on it.
On the other hand AFL comentators are screaming for more money to go into junior aussie rules as so much is being spent on junior development in urban and regional NSW and Qld.