The fact is that most people love and follow the sport they grow up with. Those (like myself) who grew up with both, can love both.
The AFL only has more money because it has always been run better.
No-one that understands both sports would argue that it is a better game to watch - especially on TV.
NRL is a perfect TV sport and it is rediculous that the TV rights are so much lower than AFL and that the NRL has no leverage with CH9 - aside from SOO & GF the only RL games on FTA in Melbourne before midnight is if Storm is in a Prelim. That's a max of 5 each year.
And by the way...
I think that this is more of a Sydney V Melbourne war than a AFL V NRL war.
Here in Melbourne most people speak positively about RL, watch Origin & hope the Storm does well and it was big news and disappointment to most sports fans not just RL fans when the Storm got busted.
I reckon you Sydney people are not afraid of the sport of Aust Rules, but that the culture of Melbourne will spread if AR speads.
What I loved about watching the Storm at Olympic Park was that it was old school RL, at the new stadium it is more comfortable but nit nearly as much fun. Having said that - Storm crowds will average 20K next year.
