Tasmanian Rugby League

[Desert Qlder]

Sad story DQ !

Look it is not all doom and gloom, clubs are popping up in Victoria all the time and I am fairly certain junior numbers and teams are increasing. So the game is definitely growing.

But it would be nice for some real dollars to flow down to these competitions from Rugby League Central to add a bit of polish to the game down here.

Like I mentioned, it is a disgrace that there did not appear to be one representative from the NRL.

I am not involved in the game in any official capacity with the game down here, unlike the OP. But it just appears, as an observer, that there is little assistance to the 'affiliated states' and they have been left to there own devices.

 

[elbusto]

Look it is not all doom and gloom, clubs are popping up in Victoria all the time and I am fairly certain junior numbers and teams are increasing. So the game is definitely growing.

But it would be nice for some real dollars to flow down to these competitions from Rugby League Central to add a bit of polish to the game down here.

Like I mentioned, it is a disgrace that there did not appear to be one representative from the NRL.

I am not involved in the game in any official capacity with the game down here, unlike the OP. But it just appears, as an observer, that there is little assistance to the 'affiliated states' and they have been left to there own devices.

Regarding your last paragraph that is absolutely spot on. It is a grind mate and can become quite disheartening.

 

[Dogs Of War]

. I think green river eel Is right, it's time to bring in the big guns and call up ray... he seems to get things done.

Probably not just ray, try a few journos and see what happens. I'm sure one will start writing about it.

 

[Sydney Knight]

Probably not just ray, try a few journos and see what happens. I'm sure one will start writing about it.

Maybe Steve Mascord

 

[Perth Red]

On the flip side the warl has relaunched 3rd grade for the first time in nearly 20 years, pilbarra RL is going great guns, the warl clubs by and large are well run and well supported and our school scholarship program, elite academy and SG ball are producing great outcomes, so good to see Curtis Rona, a wa jnr doing well in his first NRL year.

Of course most of this has come from the hard work of the people on the ground in WA and some great corporate support from the likes of cash convertors, innovative hair loss and WA govt. The NRL has recently ousted most of the WA board by insisting the warl CEO report to them not the board so I just hope they don't f**k up the last 6 years of amazing work that has taken the game off its death bed in WA and got it to a level of credibility.

 

[roofromoz]

weren't the panthers looking to do a partnership with Tasmania to do some games down there?

may be worth getting in contact with Penrith, as you both appear to have a similar goal?

It seemed to be on the cards earlier this year, but we instead signed a deal with Bathurst City Council to play one match there for the next 3 years.

Not to say that Tassie is dead in the water. I guess it's up to the Duke of Penrith...

 

[elbusto]

I went down to my local Victorian Rugby League game yesterday and the experience was dispiriting.

It was hard to tell which was aspect was more shambolic, maybe watching first grade teams with different shorts or seeing the reserve grade game without touch judges. Or just the fact it was a few hardy souls in a forgotten outpost of the Rugby League world, literally the furtherest oval at the back of a suburban Melbourne park.

No one there would be described as a representative of the NRL. Yet this is meant to be the premier Rugby League competition in Australia's second most populous state.

With this in mind I find it difficult to see the game becoming the number one sporting code in the country, a goal clearly defined by the CEO. I have been a true believer in this administration but time and faith are slipping away.

While they may not mean much in the games heartland of NSW and Queensland, these people are the frontline soldiers in the NRLs endeavours, and they being left to starve.

And the hungry army loses the war.

I was just looking at a VRL Club's facebook page and apparently the VRL is short about 30 officials each week, with referees doing 3 to 4 games a week. https://www.facebook.com/nwwrlc

Further feedback I have received about other Affiliated State Leagues suggests there are similar problems.

The most significant thing holding the Affiliated States back is the lack of will by the NRL to invest in them.

If I told you what the TRL's annual budget was, I think you would be more than shocked but you can safely assume it is less than the average weekly earnings of one Australian citizen.

You can only build a small game with that and that is what the powers that
be seem to be content with. They are happy for us to work our asses off here, just so they can say they have a national presence. That can only last for so long.

Something needs to be done immediately about the Affiliated States program, and I cannot, for the life of me, understand why there has been such a low priority given to it.

If anybody doubts what I am saying, ask a few questions about the NRL's investment in SA and NT as well as Tasmania.

What really annoys me about NT is that it should be the easiest zone to develop Rugby league outside NSW and QLD but the AFL is absolutely blitzing us up there and our response is limp.

I have received a fair bit of communication from some of you about this issue. Thanks for that but I see no sign of anything serious happening down here. There is no will. We are treated like idiots and are expected to be grateful for the token effort put in to support us as we face adversity.

 

[Diesel]

Has anyone from the TRL/VRL been in contact with the ARLC for funding since you posted this recently? If they're willing up take over the Knights, then they can fling a few extra dollars this way.

Perhaps if someone on Twitter tweeted Greenburg to get a response or at least get it trending so there is a little more awareness out there.

 

[Zigwaa]

Good luck mate. But it's banging your head against wall. Here in SA it is a shambles.

I've been campaigning to get live NRL back on free to air TV in Adelaide and the NRL can't even help with that. Talk about no presence, you can't even see it on TV before 1:30am!

 

[muzby]

keep up the fight, jerkface..

sometimes it's a long, slow battle.. but if you keep at it, you'll eventually break through..

 

[insert.pause]

Good luck mate. But it's banging your head against wall. Here in SA it is a shambles.

I've been campaigning to get live NRL back on free to air TV in Adelaide and the NRL can't even help with that. Talk about no presence, you can't even see it on TV before 1:30am!

the nrl would rather you buy an nrl pass.

 

[Zigwaa]

keep up the fight, jerkface..

sometimes it's a long, slow battle.. but if you keep at it, you'll eventually break through..

Thanks Jerkface. It took me 3 years last time and then 2 years later it gets rissoled again! I'm too old for this shit Riggs.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

Hi

As you may know, I have posted often here about the game and its progress down here.

After a lot of hard work by a lot of great people, we are basically dead on our feet.

There has been no commitment by the ARL to development here.

The four remaining Clubs are basically gone as officials are tired, and sick of empty promises.
I
Apparently, Officials from the NRL cannot open their emails.

If they do, they do not read them.

Sadly enough, getting the game going here would be relatively easy, but, sadly, it is a difficult task when we do not get a Development Officer.

After 5 years of busting my ass with other wonderful people, and after five years of empty promises it is fair to say the great game of Rugby League has no future here because those who are meant to care simply do not.

Yes we do have a 'nice little comp' here. But after five years of heart and soul, it may well be gone.

And yes - this post expects a response. But sadly - watch the spin.:x

You have a shrinking population and zero business for sponsorship and no stadium.

Thanks but no thanks.

217,000 population 10% of hobart would have to turn up every week.

And good luck in attracting players when Canberra and Newcastle can't.

 

[Perth Red]

The NRL were supposed to have done a review that took eleven months looking at the running of the game nationally. Out of this review was supposed to come plans for how the NRL would support growth across all levels of the game in all S&T's. This was supposedly presented months ago. Still waiting to hear any action plan from this report. Only thing I have seen is them pss off the warl board to the point half of them walked and we got a development officer for the pilbarra.

Doyle was supposed to be leading e review:
http://www.silvertails.net/forum/Thread-Doyle-to-review-pathway-competitions

Not surprisingly the only thing we saw out of it was more money and development for nsw and qland cup

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/league-unveils-pathways-shakeup-20130906-2taeq.html

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

The NRL were supposed to have done a review that took eleven months looking at the running of the game nationally. Out of this review was supposed to come plans for how the NRL would support growth across all levels of the game in all S&T's. This was supposedly presented months ago. Still waiting to hear any action plan from this report. Only thing I have seen is them pss off the warl board to the point half of them walked and we got a development officer for the pilbarra.

Doyle was supposed to be leading e review:
http://www.silvertails.net/forum/Thread-Doyle-to-review-pathway-competitions

Not surprisingly the only thing we saw out of it was more money and development for nsw and qland cup

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/league-unveils-pathways-shakeup-20130906-2taeq.html

This is NOT evidence that the review was NSW/QLD focused. This would have been a single aspect of a much larger review; just the aspect with the greatest public interest.

I wont say they are working in the non-RL states, because i have no evidence for that. But what i can say for sure is that governing structures, like the ones needed in Tassy and other states, take a bloody long time to develop.

Doyle's 11 month review is only the first step of a much larger process. You all may get frustrated with the bureaucracy of it all, but either they take the necessary time to get it right or they throw money around with no knowledge of where it will serve best and what can be expected.

The NRL is now rich, but being a rich firm is harder than being a poor firm; when youre poor you just dont spend money, when youre rich you need to know where to spend it or youll piss it away abd become poor again.

Id rather the NRL took their time and got it right than threw money around to please the old boys...

 

[Perth Red]

Sounds great, but the review was completed sept 2013, over 9 months ago. Would it really be so hard to announce what that review means for each S&T? They keep talking about fans as stakeholders, well how about treating us that way and letting us know what the plans are? They were quick enough to announce the benefits to nsw and qland cup, how about the rest, including country areas in nsw that seem to be equally struggling? How long do you think it should take to come up with strategies based on the reviews findings?

 

[oldmancraigy]

You have a shrinking population and zero business for sponsorship and no stadium.

Thanks but no thanks.

217,000 population 10% of hobart would have to turn up every week.

And good luck in attracting players when Canberra and Newcastle can't.

He isn't asking for an NRL team, just a bit of support in establishing the local competition.....

 

[elbusto]

He isn't asking for an NRL team, just a bit of support in establishing the local competition.....

Yes. I did wonder how he misunderstood it. He is wrong about the States population getting smaller as well for what it is worth.

 

[Steve Davy]

The NRL is more interested in getting a bunch of expats in Mongolian jerseys to play a bunch of expats in Serbian jerseys than to put in the hard yards to actually grow the game in this country. Seriously the majority of people in 4/6 of the states don't know the difference between league and union.

RL should be the undisputed number 2 sport in every state outside of NSW/QLD before anyone in the NRL starts messing around with meaningless tournaments in far flung corners of the globe.

As someone running rugby league in a small European country, I can assure you that the RLIF and RLEF only fund the minimum number of development officers that can be justified, i.e. zero. I read the initial post with empathy, it is tough going and sometimes it is just hanging on until a breakthrough happens.

 

[elbusto]

As someone running rugby league in a small European country, I can assure you that the RLIF and RLEF only fund the minimum number of development officers that can be justified, i.e. zero. I read the initial post with empathy, it is tough going and sometimes it is just hanging on until a breakthrough happens.

Yes its fun isn't it? The problem is that unless there is a sense of trust and a sense of direction, then all that good can quickly disappear. We are sadly lacking both down here.