WA BEARS

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Australia’s reluctance is solely because England are crap

The 1986 GB/Oz test series was won 3-0 by the kangaroos. They were clearly the better side, but all 3 games were great to watch, chock-full of good football.

The following 4 series from 1988-1994 were each won 2-1 by the Aussies. At the end of that period Australian RL "fans" had written the Poms off as hopeless.

Imagine if those results, both the scores and quality of play, had been England v All Blacks. Do you think the NZ Rugger public would have been susceptible to their media telling them that games with England weren't worth a dime anymore?

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

We used to get French RL on BBC back in the day.

You've made this claim on another thread.

Having racked my brain, I've got no idea what you're referring to.

French domestic RL on BBC? Seriously?

What? When? Where?

 

[Wb1234]

Wallabies get good ratings in Sydney

The Bledisloe Cup All Blacks vs Wallabies game a win for Nine

The Bledisloe Cup game on Nine which saw the New Zealand All Blacks claim victory 37-39 against Australia’s Wallabies at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne topped non-news programming on Thursday night.The match saw 524,000 metro viewers tune in, while also winning key advertising demo 16-39s. The...

mumbrella.com.au

500k metro is considered high for them

 

[Wb1234]

The 1986 GB/Oz test series was won 3-0 by the kangaroos. They were clearly the better side, but all 3 games were great to watch, chock-full of good football.

The following 4 series from 1988-1994 were each won 2-1 by the Aussies. At the end of that period Australian RL "fans" had written the Poms off as hopeless.

Imagine if those results, both the scores and quality of play, had been England v All Blacks. Do you think the NZ Rugger public would have been susceptible to their media telling them that games with England weren't worth a dime anymore?

Union is established in terms of internationals

plus union doesn’t have strong club comps like league does

if your an Aussie you’ve got the nrl and origin

union has neither

the growth for the nrl will be nz and the pacific in the future which is a good thing

I was at the test match in 88 in Sydney

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

In Britain where they have had Subscription TV since the late 80s, and streaming services now for a decade, being on FTA is nothing.


If the English SL can't get on FTA why would they show the NRL?

Apples and oranges.

Super League isn't on British FTA TV because it needs a broadcaster who will pay them good coin. NRL doesn't need money from a British FTA channel.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

err your arguing against yourself again lol. Despite GB/england generally being sht in comparison to Kangaroos for nigh on 40 years, International Rl has still had times when its flourished and been very profitable for both nations. Not surprising it was the times Australia actually cared about playing international RL, unlike now.

It was huge in the early 90s. I miss the old Kangaroos tours to England.

 

[The Penguin #6.]

wallabies test matches get poor tv ratings

they get outraged by nrl games

Love that Freudian slip of the tongue, outraged and out rated. lol.

 

[Wb1234]

Love that Freudian slip of the tongue, outraged and out rated. lol.

Watching the bledisloe does make me angry

looks like a league game for ten seconds then they do something stupid

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

They don't see the Kangaroos. They do see the Wallabies pretty much every NH autumn.

As previously mentioned, some think the Kangaroos ARE the Wallabies.


I've always thought NRL has a better chance of gaining traction in the South of England than SL. All manner of convoluted reasons for that assessment.

This is why I didn't completely pour cold water on your proposal that the Dragons could grow an English fanbase (although forget changing the moniker to Lions, tradition would be central to any allure the club might have).

The NRL would have to see it as a long-term punt. There's no way they'd make money short-medium term.

It would have to be this way round. NRL partners with a sympathetic FTA broadcaster to build awareness of the game and comp. On the back of that, individual clubs market their brands. Some would have more potential than others.

Might be hard for Aussies to understand, but if I were picking a NRL franchise likely to be the most attractive it would be the Warriors.

What if the RFL purchased a stake in the St George Illawarra Dragons?

Imagine how great it would be if the RFL took control of the club and rebranded them as the St George Dragons!

The club could be used as a development team for England's best youths. If it makes the national team stronger then that would be great for the game. Rugby League needs England to become strong enough to defeat Australia regularly.

 

[Perth Red]

They don't see the Kangaroos. They do see the Wallabies pretty much every NH autumn.

As previously mentioned, some think the Kangaroos ARE the Wallabies.


I've always thought NRL has a better chance of gaining traction in the South of England than SL. All manner of convoluted reasons for that assessment.

This is why I didn't completely pour cold water on your proposal that the Dragons could grow an English fanbase (although forget changing the moniker to Lions, tradition would be central to any allure the club might have).

The NRL would have to see it as a long-term punt. There's no way they'd make money short-medium term.

It would have to be this way round. NRL partners with a sympathetic FTA broadcaster to build awareness of the game and comp. On the back of that, individual clubs market their brands. Some would have more potential than others.

Might be hard for Aussies to understand, but if I were picking a NRL franchise likely to be the most attractive it would be the Warriors.

I’d say souths. Southerners will love the big money owners and Hollywood status as well as trendy branding . As long as they dont learn about the fans theyd be a hit in the posh south lol

 

[Perth Red]

You've made this claim on another thread.

Having racked my brain, I've got no idea what you're referring to.

French domestic RL on BBC? Seriously?

What? When? Where?

No idea, all I remember is watching on a night with Alex Murphy commentating. Probably late 80’s early 90’s.

 

[Pippen94]

The Bledisloe Cup All Blacks vs Wallabies game a win for Nine

The Bledisloe Cup game on Nine which saw the New Zealand All Blacks claim victory 37-39 against Australia’s Wallabies at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne topped non-news programming on Thursday night.The match saw 524,000 metro viewers tune in, while also winning key advertising demo 16-39s. The...

mumbrella.com.au

500k metro is considered high for them

Well outside of Sydney is different story

 

[Wb1234]

Well outside of Sydney is different story

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

This game got 140k in Sydney

pretty poor overall

 

[Pippen94]

Stuff

i.stuff.co.nz

This game got 140k in Sydney

pretty poor overall

Depends on where it ranked for night. Swans for all those members would love to do that every week

 

[Wb1234]

Depends on where it ranked for night. Swans for all those members would love to do that every week

It’s still crap

origin does four times that on the same network

union is a dead duck

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

What if the RFL purchased a stake in the St George Illawarra Dragons?

Imagine how great it would be if the RFL took control of the club and rebranded them as the St George Dragons!

Wouldn't let the RFL anywhere near an NRL club. They're infamously incapable of managing festivities in a brewery.

Can't overstress the importance in a UK context of breaking the identification of RL with the North of England. It would have more valuable impact if a Southern English high profile celeb developed a penchant for NRL and bought the St. George Illawarra club.

The club could be used as a development team for England's best youths. If it makes the national team stronger then that would be great for the game. Rugby League needs England to become strong enough to defeat Australia regularly.

Better the other way round for the growth of the game i.e. Dragons take over and loan their brand to a London RL club. Preferably one who currently have a daft name like Hammersmith Hoists.

Some of the Greek teams (Athens City Raiders, Patras Panthers, Aris Eagles) are closely modelled on NRL identities. Each NRL franchise could have a global network of clubs projecting their brand. Wouldn't need to cost much, if anything. English Soccer has always run big overseas branches of supporters clubs.

Would be especially good to see the Sharks forge some London connections. The large number of Tag participants in the capital means their proxies could implement the contact/non-contact Cronulla junior league model. Maybe upgrade some of the better players from Oztag to League Tag and link the whole thing through local RL clubs.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

No idea, all I remember is watching on a night with Alex Murphy commentating. Probably late 80’s early 90’s.

Were you living near a mushroom field?

Maybe it was on BSB, if you had that. No way on the BBC.

 

[MugaB]

How but dem Bears, ey?

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

The majority of discussion would revert back to tropes about convicts etc.

Seen a few very unkind comments about "soap-dodgers" on this forum. Terribly hurtful.

You can't complain if we gently respond with a bit of convict repartee.

Indigenous Aussies are understandably disgruntled but it is quite funny that we had the gall to turn a whole continent into an open prison.

Same spirit of enterprise that saw the 7th Earl of Elgin make off with bits of the Parthenon.

Rule Britannia.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Wouldn't let the RFL anywhere near an NRL club. They're infamously incapable of managing festivities in a brewery.

Can't overstress the importance in a UK context of breaking the identification of RL with the North of England. It would have more valuable impact if a Southern English high profile celeb developed a penchant for NRL and bought the St. George Illawarra club.


Better the other way round for the growth of the game i.e. Dragons take over and loan their brand to a London RL club. Preferably one who currently have a daft name like Hammersmith Hoists.

Some of the Greek teams (Athens City Raiders, Patras Panthers, Aris Eagles) are closely modelled on NRL identities. Each NRL franchise could have a global network of clubs projecting their brand. Wouldn't need to cost much, if anything. English Soccer has always run big overseas branches of supporters clubs.

Would be especially good to see the Sharks forge some London connections. The large number of Tag participants in the capital means their proxies could implement the contact/non-contact Cronulla junior league model. Maybe upgrade some of the better players from Oztag to League Tag and link the whole thing through local RL clubs.

Surely the Brisbane Broncos are best suited to develop a following in London?

At one stage they owned the London Broncos in the 1990s. Brisbane Broncos are easily the largest, most popular and wealthiest rugby league club on Earth.

Brisbane is very much like London in many ways. Both cities are based on a river.

London has the Big Ben. Brisbane has the City Hall Clock Tower, which is the largest clock face in Australia.

Clock Tower Tours - Museum of Brisbane | MoB

Discover the hidden secrets of your heritage-listed City Hall building with a guided tour of Brisbane's iconic Clock Tower.

www.museumofbrisbane.com.au

London has a famous Ferris wheel Brisbane has a similar one at South Bank.

London is England's largest city. The City of Brisbane is the largest Local Government Area in Australia with 1.2m people. The City of Sydney and City of Melbourne are only one-tenth the size.

City of Brisbane - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org