US Professional Rugby League Coming Soon!!

[East Coast Tiger]

TBH I'm exceedingly relaxed about the make up of the league. Just having a comp up and running would be massive, and it appears that there are some serious players involved in this venture (Croce, Cerceo) so I'll leave it to the experts.

If it does get the green light then those of us with a genuine interest in the development of the sport need to support it with all we've got. Pick a team and buy a shirt, scarf, flag, whatever. Tell your friends about it. Pester TV channels to pick up the rights and show the games. A successful RL comp in the USA would do wonders for tgg.

Amen. If it happens I'm going to make it my aim to buy every jersey and a bunch of other gear too. I like that stuff anyway so I might as well support the American clubs and the league rather than, say, buying NRL gear. Hell, I might even fly to Philadelphia just to go to the grand final. What a memorable event that would be. Start saving now and book that time off and it might just happen.

 

[Hindyscrack]

What other figure could he quote in this instance, given no precident?

I'm not having a dig, or complaining.... You are right, it is all that you can go off.

 

[cumberlandsashes81]

Just had a look at the American Rugby News webiste's 'Letters to the Editors' section and was amazed at the support for Rugby league from it's readers (aside from one writer who made some inaccurate remarks and was corrected in an editorial comment).

http://www.americanrugbynews.com/ar...o_the_editor/Letters_We_hit_some_nerves.shtml

Obviously only a small sample of people but encouraging signs that a lot of the Union people may well embrace Rugby league given the opportunity.

 

[deluded pom?]

If it does get the green light then those of us with a genuine interest in the development of the sport need to support it with all we've got. Pick a team and buy a shirt, scarf, flag, whatever. Tell your friends about it. Pester TV channels to pick up the rights and show the games. A successful RL comp in the USA would do wonders for tgg.

You beat me to it nad. I was going to post something similar once everything was confirmed.

 

[Poul]

I see that the applications for registration for coaches and players are now up at the NRLUS web site. With the pre-draft camp less than 6 months away, I wonder who will be the first NRL "star" to announce that he is going to play in the US NRL ? Finchy maybe ? Perhaps Daniel Anderson will need a new coaching gig by then. :lol:

 

[roopy]

I see that the applications for registration for coaches and players are now up at the NRLUS web site. With the pre-draft camp less than 6 months away, I wonder who will be the first NRL "star" to announce that he is going to play in the US NRL ? Finchy maybe ? Perhaps Daniel Anderson will need a new coaching gig by then. :lol:

Finchy going to America would be fantastic.
He would be the perfect player to pass on knowledge to young guys, and if he announced it now, while he is frontpage news, it would make this thing 'real' for just about everyone.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

I see that the applications for registration for coaches and players are now up at the NRLUS web site. With the pre-draft camp less than 6 months away, I wonder who will be the first NRL "star" to announce that he is going to play in the US NRL ? Finchy maybe ? Perhaps Daniel Anderson will need a new coaching gig by then. :lol:

Why would Daniel Anderson need a new coaching gig by then? He has already shown to be ten times the coach Hagan was and he is doing everything needed at the club right now to turn them around

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

They should go after a few ex NRL coaches like Chris Anderson, I'm sure if a bloke like him went over, he'd be able to get a few decent NRL/SL/LER players coming to the end of their careers.

 

[Poul]

Why would Daniel Anderson need a new coaching gig by then? He has already shown to be ten times the coach Hagan was and he is doing everything needed at the club right now to turn them around

I apologise for not including the sarcasm emoticon :sarcasm: to make my point clear :lol:
I think Daniel Anderson is a good coach, and his record speaks for itself.
Long after Finchy is gone, and Daniel Mortimer becomes the new Blues Origin halfback, people will be referring to Anderson in reverent terms as "Supercoach"

 

[Poul]

They should go after a few ex NRL coaches like Chris Anderson, I'm sure if a bloke like him went over, he'd be able to get a few decent NRL/SL/LER players coming to the end of their careers.

I'd agree that these are the sort of players and coaches they should be aiming at, at least initially. I doubt if Chris Anderson would go over there for the money, but he may want to put something into the development of the game in an exciting new professional competition. Likewise, players at or near the neds of their careers, perhaps someone like Brett Kimmorley, might be enticed to play for what is afterall only a relatively short season.
A coach like Anderson would certainly bring the locals up to speed.
Less than a year to kick off. Can't wait :crazy:

 

[yankeeboy]

If it gets off the ground, I'd be happy with 2,000/3,000 crowd average, it's something to build on.

5,000/10,000, I'd be over the moon.

Hate to burst your bubble, but a professional sporting event gettin a 2-3000 crowd average in the states is embarrassing, bush league material.

High school sports in cities like that AVERAGE 5k+ plus, with upwards of 20k coming out for huge rivalries and big games. Texas has had crowds of over 50,000 for high school state championship games.

Minor league baseball gets around 10k averages in large enough cities, as did Arena football before it closed down.

I think that if Rugby League can't average at LEAST 5k the first year its chances of survival in the states are slim to none. With our population, that number is really unremarkable.

Honestly I think that if marketed right the league could get good sized crowds for MLS stadia, which is what they should be using.

I can't see why Boston has a franchise--I don't know what professional-quality venue they'd play at. New York is a key location but unless they finish Red Bull Arena they are going to have a tough time finding a rugby suitable venue as well.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

High school sports in cities like that AVERAGE 5k+ plus, with upwards of 20k coming out for huge rivalries and big games. Texas has had crowds of over 50,000 for high school state championship games.

:crazy::crazy::crazy:

 

[roopy]

Some of these American sides will be representing population areas as big as Australia, with Australian and English ex-pat populations of 100k.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Hate to burst your bubble, but a professional sporting event gettin a 2-3000 crowd average in the states is embarrassing, bush league material.

High school sports in cities like that AVERAGE 5k+ plus, with upwards of 20k coming out for huge rivalries and big games. Texas has had crowds of over 50,000 for high school state championship games.

Minor league baseball gets around 10k averages in large enough cities, as did Arena football before it closed down.

I think that if Rugby League can't average at LEAST 5k the first year its chances of survival in the states are slim to none. With our population, that number is really unremarkable.

Honestly I think that if marketed right the league could get good sized crowds for MLS stadia, which is what they should be using.

I can't see why Boston has a franchise--I don't know what professional-quality venue they'd play at. New York is a key location but unless they finish Red Bull Arena they are going to have a tough time finding a rugby suitable venue as well.

And these sports have been played in America for how long?

I don't care what crowds they get, if it lasts a few seasons it will grow.

The reason I said those crowds is because it's realistic for a new sport, hell Rugby Union has been played out here for near 150 years, yet their ARC couldn't manage a 2k average.

They came out and said some strange numbers before it kicked off and it blew up in their face, why should Rugby League make the same mistake?

You seem to think it needs 10k plus to even survive, why would it when it will not be anywhere near the NRL and SL? The wages for a start will be no where near what the Pro players in these comps get already.

A decent TV contract will take care of most of the wages for a start seeing as it will more or less be a Semi Pro comp.

Add the sponsorships and other things like merchandise sales which Aussies/Kiwis/Poms/French/Americans and others will buy.

Start small and work your way up, it doesn't need to be the biggest thing since sliced bread.

 

[In-goal]

Craig Bellamy made reference to the competition in a arcticle today, perhaps this is more advanced than we understand.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Hate to burst your bubble, but a professional sporting event gettin a 2-3000 crowd average in the states is embarrassing, bush league material.

High school sports in cities like that AVERAGE 5k+ plus, with upwards of 20k coming out for huge rivalries and big games. Texas has had crowds of over 50,000 for high school state championship games.

Minor league baseball gets around 10k averages in large enough cities, as did Arena football before it closed down.

I think that if Rugby League can't average at LEAST 5k the first year its chances of survival in the states are slim to none. With our population, that number is really unremarkable.

Honestly I think that if marketed right the league could get good sized crowds for MLS stadia, which is what they should be using.

I can't see why Boston has a franchise--I don't know what professional-quality venue they'd play at. New York is a key location but unless they finish Red Bull Arena they are going to have a tough time finding a rugby suitable venue as well.

I wish I got to play in front of a sold out Lang Park for a high school game. f**king crazy stuff.

 

[joshreading]

Where is the article with Bellamy?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Where is the article with Bellamy?

Mentioned in his article about "touch downs" in the NRL section :crazy:

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=320032

It got me thinking - why not get rid of the rule where you have to ground the ball to score a try? Turn the try into a touchdown, like in American football.

And what better place to trial it than in the US? I read with interest several weeks ago about a burgeoning professional league preparing for take-off in America.

If the NRL were to strike up a relationship with this new league, it would be the perfect place to trial such a change.

Surely that would help the wider American public gain a greater understanding, given it's already in place in the NFL - and, in turn, help grow the international game.

And, should it be a success, why not look at bringing it in here? There are rule changes introduced every season, given the ever-changing nature of the game.

 

[deluded pom?]

The attendance figures of 5,000 to 10,000 are quoted by David Niu in his interview in RLW (UK) this month so they aren't just being plucked out of thin air. I personally can't see that happening in the first season unless huge amounts of freebies are given out. As for Bellamy's touchdown idea :roll:. Why does he think this will improve the game? How do they guage whether a touchdown IS a touchdown in the NFL if it's a marginal call? I bet it's half an hour with some form of video ref. Or do we shell out thousands and get a magic eye on the "touchdown line" ? Back to the drawing board Craig.