Where to go to now for Rugby league

[bmwpower]

After this shocking news regarding storm, what does rugby league in general do after such skandal. It has put a black name on the game and im sure it will impact everything in general from sponsorships to crowds to further examination of the game. Will the crowds drop significantly this week end. It surely has put a tint on the game. Funny how this all happened just before NEWS ltd is leaving NRL

 

[dragon_around]

:lol::lol::lol::lol: at Melbourne


Kick them out of the comp. The game will be all the better for it!

 

[Timbo]

Well...

I had a squiz over at bigfooty, (oddly the AFL types aren't actually gloating too much) the point was made though was that in the Southern and Western States, where your average punter has trouble differentiating between League and Union, this has effectively set Super Rugby up for the next decade.

Union is now on the front foot in Victoria and WA. If this sends the Storm under, I think RL will become exclusively an Eastern States/NZ code.

 

[mickdo]

Union still can't get an FTA TV deal. They are dreaming.

 

[herbert henry1908]

Well...

I had a squiz over at bigfooty, (oddly the AFL types aren't actually gloating too much) the point was made though was that in the Southern and Western States, where your average punter has trouble differentiating between League and Union, this has effectively set Super Rugby up for the next decade.

Union is now on the front foot in Victoria and WA. If this sends the Storm under, I think RL will become exclusively an Eastern States/NZ code.

They'll have to get rid of Brian Waldron first.

If it wasnt for news ltd ownership I think the storm would now be dead in the water. Rugby league needs Melbourne and Perth so we are just going to have to work even harder to gain back the trust of fans.

Still if Waldron was the main architect of this rorting at least the storm have a chance of moving forward asap.

We need to keep in mind rugby league is a strong product. What happens on the field will ultimately decide how successful it is. Its lucky the storm have an owner with very deep pockets. Although maybe if they didnt they wouldnt be in this mess in the first place.

 

[legend]

:lol::lol::lol::lol: at Melbourne


Kick them out of the comp. The game will be all the better for it!

Typical Dragons fan.:roll:

The game needs Melbourne. I understand you are happy because a team you can never beat is no longer a threat this year but the wider impact and long term ramifications for the game are huge.

IMO, the players should be divided up and the games against the Storm delcared a bye. Any team that loses to the Storm now are going to scream blue murder because they are playing a team that should not be assembled under the rules of the game.

Just remember Dragon_around, Melbourne beat you 70-10 fair and square.

Moron!

 

[cleary89]

Melbourne have to go. They have to. They wont be trying this season, because whats the point? They loose anyway.

Wonder if they players knew about it, hopefully people get done by the authorities for tax evasion and stuff.

 

[Captian_Klutz]

Well...

I had a squiz over at bigfooty, (oddly the AFL types aren't actually gloating too much) the point was made though was that in the Southern and Western States, where your average punter has trouble differentiating between League and Union, this has effectively set Super Rugby up for the next decade.

Union is now on the front foot in Victoria and WA. If this sends the Storm under, I think RL will become exclusively an Eastern States/NZ code.

Correct

The NRL has no credibility in Melbourne Now more than ever.

 

[Jason Maher]

Typical Dragons fan.:roll:

The game needs Melbourne. I understand you are happy because a team you can never beat is no longer a threat this year but the wider impact and long term ramifications for the game are huge.

IMO, the players should be divided up and the games against the Storm delcared a bye. Any team that loses to the Storm now are going to scream blue murder because they are playing a team that should not be assembled under the rules of the game.

Just remember Dragon_around, Melbourne beat you 70-10 fair and square.

Moron!

What... should we feel sorry for the cheating bastards or something? They cheated, they got caught, and now their in a big pile of sh*t entirely of their own making.

Having said that, I don't want to see the club fold (unless someone thinks we can viably set up an alternative team in their place down south?), because I want to see Rugby League as a truly national sport, with teams ultimately in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth. The fact we had the latter two and they never received the same leg-up as the Storm still grates with me, but hopefully they'll both be back one day.

What I expect will happen is a number of Melbourne players taking pay-cuts in order to stay together, and coming back next year with a sh*tload of motivation to win one legitimately (essentially what happened at the Dogs). They will also no doubt delight in tripping up other teams for the rest of this year.

As for the actual punishment, while the Storm hater in me yelped with absolute delight when I heard it, the slightly more objective Rugby League fan in me thinks the penalty was perhaps over-the-top. Are they going to give the 07 and 09 premierships to Manly and Parramatta retrospectively, or is there going to be officially no premier for those seasons? Would such premierships mean anything to the fans and players of those clubs? Personally I don't see the point of the retrospective punishments. It doesn't change the football that was played, the players still had to turn up week in, week out and get the job done. A heavier fine, repayment of prize money, and a line ruled through this season would have been sufficient for mine.

 

[Slackboy72]

Where to now is no more teams dreamt up by marketeers.
Get proper teams supported by communities and with REAL grassroots support.
Stop toeing the bullsh*t line that we 'need melbourne'.
They've disrespected the rules on and off the field.
They've disrespected the other clubs.
They've disrespected the game.

Good bye cheats.

 

[Hindyscrack]

Where to now is no more teams dreamt up by marketeers.
Get proper teams supported by communities and with REAL grassroots support.
Stop toeing the bullsh*t line that we 'need melbourne'.
They've disrespected the rules on and off the field.
They've disrespected the other clubs.
They've disrespected the game.

Good bye cheats.

Spoken in the true chook raffle mentality, are you George Piggins?

Go follow netball if thats what you want

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Rugby League will recover.

Those that say it will die cause of one club ruining the game, is complete rubbish and arent a true supporter.

How many times have we suffered a black eye, but stay standing.

Its one of the most popular sports in Australia and no matter what I will stick to the game. So true Rugby League fans lets stick to this game forever.

 

[Perth Red]

Maybe Karma and they'll move back to Perth?

 

[ElectricEelMan]

After this shocking news regarding storm, what does rugby league in general do after such skandal. It has put a black name on the game and im sure it will impact everything in general from sponsorships to crowds to further examination of the game. Will the crowds drop significantly this week end. It surely has put a tint on the game. Funny how this all happened just before NEWS ltd is leaving NRL

This has nothing to do with rugby league at all, so why would people just stop watching the game or why would sponsors be impacted. In fact, the NRL should be applauded for the penalties they dealt the Storm. I mean this is not the AFL where the Swans and Lions legally rort the cap every year.

 

[Goddo]

The game has invested way too much money to give up on melbourne yet. I mean look at where they were this year before all this came out...

25k v Dragons... 14k v Manly on a Monday... likely huge crowd v NZ
New Stadium
Massive growth in memberships, beating a few Sydney and non Sydney sides
Most valuable sponsorship deal in the game
Sellout crowds for origin
Test matches in Melbourne drawing good crowds
Grown TV viewership for Grand Finals and Origin
Free to air coverage in Melbourne (even if at rediculous hours)
Improved exposure for sponsors (would ME bank be in the game without Melbourne?)
Brand recognition in Australia's second largest city
Raising awareness of the game in Victoria
Fielding a Toyota Cup side which won the final last year with mostly Victorian juniors
Continuing presence in the Vic media

It has cost Rugby League $6m investment every year for the last 10 years and rep games to get to this point. It is way too much of an investment to pull out now.

We are critical of Perth, the Crushers, Gold Coast, the Bears et cetera being canned, yet some are so keen to pull out of Melbourne after all this hard work?

Yes this has wiped out say 5 years (who knows how bad the damage at this point), but we have invested too heavily in the Storm to give up now. With News Corp backing them, they will rebuild and redeem themselves.

Chin up Storm fans... every club has highs and lows, even those kicked from the comp have come back. Never say die.

 

[mickdo]

f**k the Storm. I hope they die.

 

[taxidriver]

The game has invested way too much money to give up on melbourne yet. I mean look at where they were this year before all this came out...

25k v Dragons... 14k v Manly on a Monday... likely huge crowd v NZ
New Stadium
Massive growth in memberships, beating a few Sydney and non Sydney sides
Most valuable sponsorship deal in the game
Sellout crowds for origin
Test matches in Melbourne drawing good crowds
Grown TV viewership for Grand Finals and Origin
Free to air coverage in Melbourne (even if at rediculous hours)
Improved exposure for sponsors (would ME bank be in the game without Melbourne?)
Brand recognition in Australia's second largest city
Raising awareness of the game in Victoria
Fielding a Toyota Cup side which won the final last year with mostly Victorian juniors
Continuing presence in the Vic media

It has cost Rugby League $6m investment every year for the last 10 years and rep games to get to this point. It is way too much of an investment to pull out now.

We are critical of Perth, the Crushers, Gold Coast, the Bears et cetera being canned, yet some are so keen to pull out of Melbourne after all this hard work?

Yes this has wiped out say 5 years (who knows how bad the damage at this point), but we have invested too heavily in the Storm to give up now. With News Corp backing them, they will rebuild and redeem themselves.

Chin up Storm fans... every club has highs and lows, even those kicked from the comp have come back. Never say die.

so all the things you listed, earned fairly and on merit or on the back of systematic cheating?

would they be there without the onfiled success?

you are basically saying the end justifies the means

to the OP, onwards and upwards

 

[elbusto]

so all the things you listed, earned fairly and on merit or on the back of systematic cheating?

would they be there without the onfiled success?

you are basically saying the end justifies the means

to the OP, onwards and upwards

For the game to grow we need a Team in Victoria - whether everybody likes it or not. But I agree the salary cap cheating leaves all of us with a bad taste or worse. Todays news is very bad. I hope and actually believe we will grow stronger from it.

Cheers mate.

 

[winnyason]

I am a eagles fan i do not want the 2007 title what a clayton's title, we where flogged then got our own back in 2008. Hearing parra fans moan please get a life, before i comment on there future is the salary cap a valid work practise.
Onto the storm i have grave concerns but do we walk away no f**king way, for bears fans, png perth or whatever new side the melbourne market is needed to get the predicted bumper tv deal and get new sides and the trouble is you get these idiots with heads in the sand saying kick them out if WE stay in sydney and brisbane to grow, this is the problem with the superleague in the other side of world saying kick catalans, london, welsh crusaders or ignore toulouse but the game needs to expand or it will die period that is it.

Maybe relocate storm to perth let's see how season pans out.

 

[Thomas]

Union still can't get an FTA TV deal. They are dreaming.

Really?

Union has always been on FTA. Just not the Super 12/14. Until now. Channel 9 will now be showing test matches and S15 matches on FTA.

http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2010/04/nine-seals-rugby-union-deal.html