The Las Vegas Thread

[colly]

Well if the people's team are in fact going to Vegas....

I guess we play the WCC there as well the week before?

Since it is big play and costs let's have the teams have two games/rounds.
ie this year 1st round Many v Rabbits t, then Roosters v Broncos,
six days latter in the USA, Vegas again or maybe somewhere else
Broncos v Rabbits, and Manly play Rosters, after which they
come home ( OZ) and complete Round 3 with
Manly v Broncos and the big one Roosters v Rabbits.
That's getting bang for your buck USA 2 round played 6 days after opener.
The Grand Final winner could go and play the world cup team final as a 'filler'.

If the NRL could get together with the Super league and make a better 'streaming platform towards new memberships world wide with both 'comps' sharing rev say 60% OZ to 40% Poms.

Imagine the buz if both comps played their opening two rounds in conjunction with NRL. One thing a say Poms travel well also, you easier get 25,000 Poms going to Vegas.
You will find Vegas City decision makers would pay all costs for the infusion of 50,000 OS visitors.
Or take the 2nd round to say LA,
while the Poms go to the NY Big Apple
Now tell me that won't get worldwide attention.
Come on Mr V give the two rounds a go at least.

 

[kdalymc]

99.9% of people aren't as dumb as you.

Well that .1% is Americans

 

[emesssea]

Good article, thanks for posting.

Some great numbers there but in regards to the 61k TV audience you can spin it 3 ways of Sunday but the reality is the NRL will need games shown weekly with 500k viewer's to be able to get a US TV deal of any significance.

If you mean 500k per match, think that might be a little too much considering the time difference. But I think one thing NRL could do is go all in on the matches that are shown at 1200 am on the east coast. Market it as "Late Night with NRL" or something like that. Have a broadcast team dedicated to the US audience, for games outside of sydney they can call from a studio until ratings justify sending a second team on site.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

If you mean 500k per match, think that might be a little too much considering the time difference. But I think one thing NRL could do is go all in on the matches that are shown at 1200 am on the east coast. Market it as "Late Night with NRL" or something like that. Have a broadcast team dedicated to the US audience, for games outside of sydney they can call from a studio until ratings justify sending a second team on site.

That is interesting.

 

[Iamback]

Definitely need to play a women's game. It is the growth area of league.

In theory yes. Reality is it is those clubs are in off season and haven't started training. the standard might be very poor so might do more harm then good

 

[AlwaysGreen]

In theory yes. Reality is it is those clubs are in off season and haven't started training. the standard might be very poor so might do more harm then good

And that’s the backwards thinking that will stymie growth. League can almost start from scratch with how the woman's game is developed and where its played.

Also, the standard of the NRLW is higher than most woman's sport in Australia. Your selling it short by saying the 'standard could be very poor'. It could be very high as well and is likely to be so if LV is the target.

Get it into the US now. Get American women playing it. Look at soccer in the US. The men's team is mid range at best, the women's team is the most successful in the world.

The stagnated and limited historical growth of the men's international game does not have to be the same path for the women's game.

 

[Colk]

And that’s the backwards thinking that will stymie growth. League can almost start from scratch with how the woman's game is developed and where its played.

Also, the standard of the NRLW is higher than most woman's sport in Australia. Your selling it short by saying the 'standard could be very poor'. It could be very high as well and is likely to be so if LV is the target.

Get it into the US now. Get American women playing it. Look at soccer in the US. The men's team is mid range at best, the women's team is the most successful in the world.

The stagnated and limited historical growth of the men's international game does not have to be the same path for the women's game.

Very good post. Women’s sport is on the ascent. Get on that wave

 

[The Man Shake]

And that’s the backwards thinking that will stymie growth. League can almost start from scratch with how the woman's game is developed and where its played.

Also, the standard of the NRLW is higher than most woman's sport in Australia. Your selling it short by saying the 'standard could be very poor'. It could be very high as well and is likely to be so if LV is the target.

Get it into the US now. Get American women playing it. Look at soccer in the US. The men's team is mid range at best, the women's team is the most successful in the world.

The stagnated and limited historical growth of the men's international game does not have to be the same path for the women's game.

Yeah but have you considered the possibility NRLW is woke?

 

[Colk]

Yeah but have you considered the possibility NRLW is woke?

I’m sure Sky News have considered that possibility

 

[Bulldog2020]

Rather than an nrlw game they should have the woman's WCC. Cheaper for the NRL & likely to be more competitive then a test match

 

[Iamback]

And that’s the backwards thinking that will stymie growth. League can almost start from scratch with how the woman's game is developed and where its played.

Also, the standard of the NRLW is higher than most woman's sport in Australia. Your selling it short by saying the 'standard could be very poor'. It could be very high as well and is likely to be so if LV is the target.

Get it into the US now. Get American women playing it. Look at soccer in the US. The men's team is mid range at best, the women's team is the most successful in the world.

The stagnated and limited historical growth of the men's international game does not have to be the same path for the women's game.

I have said many times that womens game should be stand alone in the summer months, Which would have Vegas as being in their season. In which case improves the standard on show.

Outside of that, Is there an NRLW that has a complete roster at this time?

Those who work, Would be able to get another block of time off work to prepare properly?

If we are talking a test match or even an All Stars with the full time players, then that is different but NRLW with how their season is scheduled has several problems

 

[Iamback]

Rather than an nrlw game they should have the woman's WCC. Cheaper for the NRL & likely to be more competitive then a test match

There was a Canadian playing for the Dragons
There are 2 US women from the Combine here now but not signed with a club.

Those 3 must play in whatever the make up of the sides are

 

[Captain Apollo]

I have said many times that womens game should be stand alone in the summer months, Which would have Vegas as being in their season. In which case improves the standard on show.

Outside of that, Is there an NRLW that has a complete roster at this time?

Those who work, Would be able to get another block of time off work to prepare properly?

If we are talking a test match or even an All Stars with the full time players, then that is different but NRLW with how their season is scheduled has several problems

So, you want women playing rugby league, in Australia and NZ during summer? In 40+ degree heat?! Not a good idea from a health perspective for the players. Look up "Danny Shepherd" from the Roosters and you will see what occurs when a rugby league player winds up suffering heat stroke.

 

[Iamback]

So, you want women playing rugby league, in Australia and NZ during summer? In 40+ degree heat?! Not a good idea from a health perspective for the players. Look up "Danny Shepherd" from the Roosters and you will see what occurs when a rugby league player winds up suffering heat stroke.

Maybe not across the summer but cricket a summer sport and AFL both manage to find a part in the calendar where the women get free air.

For the competition to truly grow it needs prime time TV, atm it is shafted to mid day on a Sat when it is a poor viewing timeslot

 

[jim_57]

So, you want women playing rugby league, in Australia and NZ during summer? In 40+ degree heat?! Not a good idea from a health perspective for the players. Look up "Danny Shepherd" from the Roosters and you will see what occurs when a rugby league player winds up suffering heat stroke.

Kato Ottio, a more recent example.

 

[mozza91]

Penrith going by themselves?

Hopefully we can leave them over there.

 

[colly]

Since it is big play and costs let's have the teams have two games/rounds.
ie this year 1st round Many v Rabbits t, then Roosters v Broncos,
six days latter in the USA, Vegas again or maybe somewhere else
Broncos v Rabbits, and Manly play Rosters, after which they
come home ( OZ) and complete Round 3 with
Manly v Broncos and the big one Roosters v Rabbits.
That's getting bang for your buck USA 2 round played 6 days after opener.
The Grand Final winner could go and play the world cup team final as a 'filler'.

If the NRL could get together with the Super league and make a better 'streaming platform towards new memberships world wide with both 'comps' sharing rev say 60% OZ to 40% Poms.

Imagine the buz if both comps played their opening two rounds in conjunction with NRL. One thing a say Poms travel well also, you easier get 25,000 Poms going to Vegas.
You will find Vegas City decision makers would pay all costs for the infusion of 50,000 OS visitors.
Or take the 2nd round to say LA,
while the Poms go to the NY Big Apple
Now tell me that won't get worldwide attention.
Come on Mr V give the two rounds a go at least.

I will reply -
Having two 'rounds' games for each team is a no brainier.
1st you are already their
2nd Only , at most 6 days added on..
3rd it gives the fans who take the trip a experience, ie 2 games for their own team.

The world cup challenge should be also played their- so Five OZ teams go over./ One super league team
You manage the for the teams returning by playing them against one of the four teams.

 

[yakstorm]

My mate in Kentucky is still getting matches though not on the Easter weekend for some reason.
He got Penrith - Broncos & Dragons - Cowboys this weekend though… I guess to compensate for no game next weekend???

There are still games on this weekend, just unfortunately not any on FS1.

Thursday : 5am ET - Roosters v Panthers (FSP)
Friday : 5am ET - Broncos v Cowboys (FS2)
Sunday: 3:30am ET - Sharks v Raiders (FSP)

 

[The Great Dane]

So, you want women playing rugby league, in Australia and NZ during summer? In 40+ degree heat?! Not a good idea from a health perspective for the players. Look up "Danny Shepherd" from the Roosters and you will see what occurs when a rugby league player winds up suffering heat stroke.

Not that I'm advocating for the idea, but playing over summer wouldn't be impossible.

You'd be forced to play lots of night games, and you may need to take other precautions for some of the matches on hotter days, but it could be done. Other sports like soccer manage it well enough for example. So yeah, it certainly wouldn't be ideal, but it's doable.

He's certainly right about one thing though; the NRLW will never grow to be a sustainable product in it's own right unless it's allowed breathing room and space to find it's own niche audience. For as long as it exists solely as a glorified opener for the NRL it'll remain a loss making enterprise, which is massively underselling it's potential.

 

[The Great Dane]

And that’s the backwards thinking that will stymie growth. League can almost start from scratch with how the woman's game is developed and where its played.

Also, the standard of the NRLW is higher than most woman's sport in Australia. Your selling it short by saying the 'standard could be very poor'. It could be very high as well and is likely to be so if LV is the target.

Get it into the US now. Get American women playing it. Look at soccer in the US. The men's team is mid range at best, the women's team is the most successful in the world.

The stagnated and limited historical growth of the men's international game does not have to be the same path for the women's game.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against trying to grow women's RL in the US, in fact I'm all for it and agree that it's probably a better way to crack the market than men's. But in saying that, you've gotta go about it the right way or it'll backfire on you, and chucking expensive loss making NRLW games at them is destine to backfire.

If it was me what I'd do is poach as many American (and Canadian FTM) female athletes as possible. Build a competitive international team from there, then sell events including that team and those players back to the US market. It'd take time, but it'd definitely be achievable considering how difficult it is to make a living as a professional in women's sport over there.

The NRL could probably poach a good portion of women's USA Eagles and Rugby 7s teams if they wanted to, most of the best of whom are playing semi-pro RU in England. That'd probably be enough to jump start a reasonably competitive USA international RL team.