Why didn't the AFL experience a super league war?

[Dark Corner]

I'm sure that went down well with the northern viewers having the ultimate Tory sport appear on their screens

Yet Grandstand got me into Rugby League.....1993 Final Wigan v Widnes.....Sky and Super League UK did f**k it up.

 

[Wb1234]

Yet Grandstand got me into Rugby League.....1993 Final Wigan v Widnes.....Sky and Super League UK did f**k it up.

You have to attend a hull derby at the kc

one of THE best experiences I’ve had in rugby league

bunch of lunatics

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

I'm sure that went down well with the northern viewers having the ultimate Tory sport appear on their screens

The Boat Race used to be an exciting event for the plebs as we tried to work out which crew of posh boys we`d most like to see sink. Ideally both.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

Do you recall the game?

I racked my ageing brain and in a word - no.

However, I think it was 1989 and a quick Google search reveals that the 1989 Boat Race took place on the 25th March. The same day that Wigan beat Warrington 13-6 in the CC semi at Maine Road. If memory serves, that was the game that featured Joe Lydon`s monster field goal.

 

[Cheese sandwich]

I racked my ageing brain and in a word - no.

However, I think it was 1989 and a quick Google search reveals that the 1989 Boat Race took place on the 25th March. The same day that Wigan beat Warrington 13-6 in the CC semi at Maine Road. If memory serves, that was the game that featured Joe Lydon`s monster field goal.

A fella i know told me walking through the estates on the way to watch a game against city at maine road back in the day was interesting to say the least

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

but rugby league is way more than a working class game in Australia

it’s defeatist saying League can’t get tv deals bigger than afl because it’s not played in private school

Before fully discovering RL in my early teens I grew up as a Soccer fan when that game`s image in England was dire. Fans were seen as utter scumbags and treated like caged animals. Today`s EPL would have been inconceivable without the drastic change of popular perception which began around the time of Italia 90.

I take your point that a lot has improved since the Winfield Cup days. But there remains an obvious socio-economic difference between RL in Sydney and Aussie Rules in Melbourne. This must be inimical to the image of RL in general.

I`ve seen figures that about a quarter of AFL players are privately educated. That is commensurate with AFL`s ability to draw more support from that stratum of society which has greater disposable income. Which affects attendances, memberships, merchandise sales. Which in turn influences the size of TV deals plus the quantity and quality of sponsors.

The only privately educated NRL players are those who played a different game at school. And NRL journalists are forever keen to remind us of their "Rugby background", even if they were League juniors. Sometimes think it`s by way of explanation if the player is slightly more articulate than the norm.

Rugger`s hegemony in private schools acts as a buffer on how far it can fall. In a further diminished state RU will still be like a pebble in the NRL`s shoe that they just can`t get rid of. AFL don`t have that problem.

 

[Iamback]

Before fully discovering RL in my early teens I grew up as a Soccer fan when that game`s image in England was dire. Fans were seen as utter scumbags and treated like caged animals. Today`s EPL would have been inconceivable without the drastic change of popular perception which began around the time of Italia 90.

I take your point that a lot has improved since the Winfield Cup days. But there remains an obvious socio-economic difference between RL in Sydney and Aussie Rules in Melbourne. This must be inimical to the image of RL in general.

I`ve seen figures that about a quarter of AFL players are privately educated. That is commensurate with AFL`s ability to draw more support from that stratum of society which has greater disposable income. Which affects attendances, memberships, merchandise sales. Which in turn influences the size of TV deals plus the quantity and quality of sponsors.

The only privately educated NRL players are those who played a different game at school. And NRL journalists are forever keen to remind us of their "Rugby background", even if they were League juniors. Sometimes think it`s by way of explanation if the player is slightly more articulate than the norm.

Rugger`s hegemony in private schools acts as a buffer on how far it can fall. In a further diminished state RU will still be like a pebble in the NRL`s shoe that they just can`t get rid of. AFL don`t have that problem.

The Rugby background is an easy headline, Reality is some will go to a Rugby Union school to get private education. Meanwhile they are playing Rugby League on weekends

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

I hope Ch10/Paramount+ are still around in 2027. Signing a deal them will stick it to Ch9 and Foxtel.

An added complication for NRL leaders is the fear that rejecting Foxtel will incur the wrath and spite of News Corp, with virulent implications for RL coverage across the Murdoch media empire.

What could Ch10/Paramount+, or any other bidder, offer to compensate for that loss?

 

[Iamback]

An added complication for NRL leaders is the fear that rejecting Foxtel will incur the wrath and spite of News Corp, with virulent implications for RL coverage across the Murdoch media empire.

What could Ch10/Paramount+, or any other bidder, offer to compensate for that loss?

A streaming service that is always cutting out and a FTA station that no one watches

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

A streaming service that is always cutting out and a FTA station that no one watches

Which begs the question why anyone would think it credible that AFL could opt for that dog`s breakfast over renewing with Seven/Fox.

 

[Ride the Lion to Zion]

You have to attend a hull derby at the kc

one of THE best experiences I’ve had in rugby league

bunch of lunatics

Humberside`s two vivacious tribes have enjoyed many festivities down the years.

Most convivial of all was a game on neutral territory at Headingley in the early 80s where following some building works a pile of rubble had been thoughtfully placed at one side of terracing. Cue mayhem.

 

[Wb1234]

Humberside`s two vivacious tribes have enjoyed many festivities down the years.

Most convivial of all was a game on neutral territory at Headingley in the early 80s where following some building works a pile of rubble had been thoughtfully placed at one side of terracing. Cue mayhem.

Yeh I visited the old headingly

that south stand was like a mosh pit it was against hull too

amazing atmosphere

 

[mongoose]

Hahaha

640 million in turnover for the nrl

super rugby tv deal 35 million
Super rugby tv deal 95 million

nrl tv deal 430 million

I'm not talking about revenue, i'm talking about the perception of the code amongst the "elite" of society. Australia is unique in that it has 4 codes all competing for the same market. League is a massive thorn in the side to Union and also AFL. League has a few friends in high places for sure but it doesn't have influence and credibility like AFL and Union does.

 

[Wb1234]

I'm not talking about revenue, i'm talking about the perception of the code amongst the "elite" of society. Australia is unique in that it has 4 codes all competing for the same market. League is a massive thorn in the side to Union and also AFL. League has a few friends in high places for sure but it doesn't have influence and credibility like AFL and Union does.

I think we as league fans shouldn’t perpetuate it cause it’s not true anymore

we’ve got so much money we don’t know what to do with it

us and afl, though we do lag afl

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

An added complication for NRL leaders is the fear that rejecting Foxtel will incur the wrath and spite of News Corp, with virulent implications for RL coverage across the Murdoch media empire.

What could Ch10/Paramount+, or any other bidder, offer to compensate for that loss?

$600m per annum to put us on par with AwFuL.

 

[LeagueXIII]

I racked my ageing brain and in a word - no.

However, I think it was 1989 and a quick Google search reveals that the 1989 Boat Race took place on the 25th March. The same day that Wigan beat Warrington 13-6 in the CC semi at Maine Road. If memory serves, that was the game that featured Joe Lydon`s monster field goal.

Yes...I do remember that game, though I watched it in Australia so didnt have the fortune of seeing the boat race thankfully. Steve Roach played in that game for Warrington maybe also Les Davidson and Phil Blake.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Some people here don't fully grasp it. AFL and Union are the big end of town codes that get all the favours. NRL and soccer get the scraps.

Before super league we got that market however after years of destroying the games image we have lost that market.

 

[Wb1234]

Before fully discovering RL in my early teens I grew up as a Soccer fan when that game`s image in England was dire. Fans were seen as utter scumbags and treated like caged animals. Today`s EPL would have been inconceivable without the drastic change of popular perception which began around the time of Italia 90.

I take your point that a lot has improved since the Winfield Cup days. But there remains an obvious socio-economic difference between RL in Sydney and Aussie Rules in Melbourne. This must be inimical to the image of RL in general.

I`ve seen figures that about a quarter of AFL players are privately educated. That is commensurate with AFL`s ability to draw more support from that stratum of society which has greater disposable income. Which affects attendances, memberships, merchandise sales. Which in turn influences the size of TV deals plus the quantity and quality of sponsors.

The only privately educated NRL players are those who played a different game at school. And NRL journalists are forever keen to remind us of their "Rugby background", even if they were League juniors. Sometimes think it`s by way of explanation if the player is slightly more articulate than the norm.

Rugger`s hegemony in private schools acts as a buffer on how far it can fall. In a further diminished state RU will still be like a pebble in the NRL`s shoe that they just can`t get rid of. AFL don`t have that problem.

All this is true

but despite this rugby league can get the same tv deals as afl

it can probably support more teams than afl too

remember before the super league war league was way ahead of afl

you wouldn’t find many private school types in nsw and qld who aren’t league fans as well as union

the collapse of super rugby (which has nothing to do with rugby league) has helped to be fair

I’m sure League finds it easier to get more sponsors since super rugby collapsed

just wait a few years and let’s see what the current growth phase takes the game in this country

with the dolphins and Perth team in the nrl to be followed by south qld jets and nz2

 

[Wb1234]

Before super league we got that market however after years of destroying the games image we have lost that market.

Players played a big part of this together with the journalists who cover the game who clearly hate it and want to see it fail

 

[Perth Red]

You have to attend a hull derby at the kc

one of THE best experiences I’ve had in rugby league

bunch of lunatics

Many a voiceless next day has been had after a Hull derby! Tame these days compared to the 80's. I carry a scar from the infamous Good Friday game in 1981!