Why has RL such a low national profile?

[bulldog]

It was the same last year, 2 weeks out from the premiership proper and theres been no effort to create any anticipation, while that probably doesn't matter to us - we're all itching to see the kick off, it would be good to see some effort to draw in the more casual fan.

 

[Alba]

yeah it sucked in Melbourne when i was there because there were just Union, AFL and cricket crap everywhere but nothing to do with rugby league ... not even the storm .. i mean ffs, atleast in QLD u have some broncos gear and the occasional roosters or dragons merchandise ..

 

[sooperdooper]

honestly the reason why the NRL has a low profile is:
lack of a national comp.
lack of players in outside states
lack of game at an international level.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

yeah it sucked in Melbourne when i was there because there were just Union, AFL and cricket crap everywhere but nothing to do with rugby league ... not even the storm .. i mean ffs, atleast in QLD u have some broncos gear and the occasional roosters or dragons merchandise ..

I was in Melbourne earlier this week and while driving past Olympic Park, all I saw was Collingwood Magpies signage all over the joint - nothing for the Storm at All. Its not even their home ground, only a training facility. WHATTHEFARK!!!!!?????

They used to at least have billboards and radio ads, but I saw nothing at all this time.

 

[Green Machine]

On the east bound lane of the M4 (near Parramatta Speedway), there is bill huge board advertising Carlton Mid Strength, with an NRL logo on it,

 

[Calixte]

Part of the issue is that rugby league does extremely well without a great deal of advertising anyway (cf: the wall-to-wall ads on Fox for "Super"14 - why? because it rates like a busted ass). With rugby league, the product sells itself.

Mike Colman (Courier Mail) was recently waxing lyrical about the Reds-Blues (S14) getting 180,000 viewers on Fox - a figure well under the average per NRL match on the same station (and that will be Qld and probably NSW's best figure for the year).

I do, however, feel the NRL are relying too much on the product and not enough on pushing the game in new areas. More maladministration really.

 

[Perth Red]

If it sells itself why do most clubs struggle to get close to 20,000 fans? We have a mass army of armchair fans but getting people to games seems another matter. Also given another major sponsorship problem (and the crap TV/Radio deals) it clearly isn't selling itself.

You do get the sense outside of NSW that RL is still seen as Sydney suburb game with the odd other team. Coming from WA and having just spent time in Victoria and SA this view is very prevelant I would say.

 

[Woods99]

League is basically a made-for-tv entertainment, and it is successful in Eastern Australia. Why? Because we have grown up with it, and we have three commercial channels competing like heck to win the ratings. So league is important in NSW and Queensland.

League has had huge advantages here, particularly in NSW, because of poker machine revenue, and because of the ineptitude of rugby union, until recently.

League will never be important elsewhere in Australia, because nobody is interested in it, and it doesn't have the international status of rugby union.


League is a working class game. Nothing wrong with that. Middle-class people might have a look at it occasionally, just as they look at Australian Idol, Big Brother, etc, but they don't want their kids to play it.

 

[macavity]

League is a working class game. Nothing wrong with that. Middle-class people might have a look at it occasionally, just as they look at Australian Idol, Big Brother, etc, but they don't want their kids to play it.

what an absolute crock of sh*t.

Rugby League is the PEOPLES GAME and it doesn't discriminate based on rediculous outdated notions of 'class'.

At NRL and junior matches alike I have seen Mercs and Datsuns rubbing handles. Corporates and Bogans. And a hell of alot of "middle class" families. Have you even been to a game of RL ever?

You sound like you have leather patches on your elbows.... and your head up your ar*e.

 

[RLS]

League has a low profile because they don't have enough money to spend on advertising, it's that simple.

When the new TV deal kicks in you will see a marked improvment, they have already said they will be pumping $25 mil into Victoria to help the Storm with promotion.

The only problem is that we have to wait until 2007.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I think in years to come Rugby League will improve nationally, the NRL competition has had its best season in years, the International game has improved heaps.

We just need to promote the game well in places like Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and NT. That match at Alice Springs was near capacity, so thats a start and hopefully the game in Adelaide in a month will attract a good crowd.

I also like the game developed more in Perth, the had a long history, plenty of juniors and good crowds when the Reds were in the comp. Its just a shame SL killed them off. It was good the NRL staged two games there last year, but I think they probably need to do more.

I think Melbourne has improved a bit with crowd numbers and markerting, theyve put plenty of money down there, with SOO matches and Test matches so the NRL believes there is a future down there. I just hope they get plenty of coverage down there. I think people would care, if it was promoted well and classed as a "sporting event", they love their sport in Melbourne. Obviously it wont be as big as AFL, but hey lets hope they do well.

 

[LeagueXIII]

league has always been on the outer, it has never been part of the establishment. The media has always portryed league as either violent or as they are now, drunks and anti-female.
There is social engineering going on as the corporates brain wash people into thinking a certain way. It is clear to me that in a sporting sense league is not part of their thinking as it is not of benefit to major corporations with it played only on the east coast.
The NRL are happy to sit back and just let it be a pay TV show. Where is the aggresive marketing and push for development both internationally and nationally?
Regarding Victoria League was shut out from the mainstream for nearly 90 years. When I first moved here they wouldn't even put the results in the paper.

 

[SalfordRedsWA]

I walked into a herbal shop the other day and there was nothing to do with Rugby League either. I trecked over the road to buy a CD at an alternative music store and there was no RL to be seen again.

I think you could be on to something here Perth Red!

All those people who claim the NRL smashes union in merchandise sales must be on drugs hey.

I take it you are well please that NRL doesnt have a presence anywhere then? Dipstick.

 

[Green Machine]

League is basically a made-for-tv entertainment, and it is successful in Eastern Australia. Why? Because we have grown up with it, and we have three commercial channels competing like heck to win the ratings. So league is important in NSW and Queensland.

League has had huge advantages here, particularly in NSW, because of poker machine revenue, and because of the ineptitude of rugby union, until recently.

League will never be important elsewhere in Australia, because nobody is interested in it, and it doesn't have the international status of rugby union.


League is a working class game. Nothing wrong with that. Middle-class people might have a look at it occasionally, just as they look at Australian Idol, Big Brother, etc, but they don't want their kids to play it.

Warning:

This post is not an original.

This post has been posted many times on many websites.

Resume normal transmission

 

[Balmain_Boy]

You saying only NSW and QLD have a working class? Ho-hum.

 

[Copa]

League is basically a made-for-tv entertainment, .

RL started in Oz early last century to get away from dickheads like you.

TV came years later.

 

[Pig Champion]

RL started in Oz early last century to get away from dickheads like you.

TV came years later.

Spot on!

 

[Woods99]

RL started in Oz early last century to get away from dickheads like you.

TV came years later.

Sadly for you, it looks as though there a lot more dickheads in the world than leaguies, by your definition anyway.

TV came later, and that's when the huge changes were made to rugby league, which is kind of the point, dimwit.

League as it is played now bears absolutely no resemblance to league as it was played 40 years ago, let alone 100 years ago.

Name a single major rule of the game which has not changed radically in your lifetime, Copa?

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

Name a single major rule of the game which has not changed radically in your lifetime, Copa?

No forward passes.

 

[taipan]

League is basically a made-for-tv entertainment, and it is successful in Eastern Australia. Why? Because we have grown up with it, and we have three commercial channels competing like heck to win the ratings. So league is important in NSW and Queensland.

League has had huge advantages here, particularly in NSW, because of poker machine revenue, and because of the ineptitude of rugby union, until recently.

League will never be important elsewhere in Australia, because nobody is interested in it, and it doesn't have the international status of rugby union.


League is a working class game. Nothing wrong with that. Middle-class people might have a look at it occasionally, just as they look at Australian Idol, Big Brother, etc, but they don't want their kids to play it.

Your old record is back in the shops hey Woods99.Trouble is no one is buying.
Ill give you the benefit of your liking to masochism,by responding.

Man made for TV ,Tv wasnt even on the horizon when the game started sheesh.

League has a huge advantage in NSW and QLD because it is viewed as entertainment by the masses,whereas union is and will continue to be viewed by many as a private school wankfest.Club union is the starting point.

Judging by the drop off in crowds with the Farce,after novelty night in Perth,less and less are interested in union in other states for S14,nor the ordinary crowd that attended the last Melbourne Wallabies v Italy(where there is a huge Italian pop)test.Maybe they were aware of the large number of non Italian players in the Italian side.

The international status of union LOL,is overstated and this is shown by the fact that no more than 4 or 5 teams, with any chance of winning the WC.
The bulk of the so called 100 plus countries are a blip on the sporting horizon and the population couldnt give a rats.This is not just my opinion, but journalists in the Herald,Telegraph,Melbourne Age in the past,have echoed those thoughts.

League is a working class game !, it is the people's game ,you dont attend an NRL game so you havent a clue,gee Kerry,Homes A'court,John Fahey,John Howard,Bernie Fraser, Mark Bouris,Peter Gow,John Singleton,Iemma,Graeme Richardson,Peter Beattie,Bruce Baird etc must be attending a gabfest or on another planet.If you are going to show your inadequacies try not to do it on a public forum.

They dont want their kids to play rugby league ! (one of your best leather patcher).The fact now over 300,00 involved in rugby league participation,the highest on record.The 300,000 mark,passed for the 1st time last season.

BTW rugby league is now offically recognised (15/12/05) as a secondary school sporting programme in Victoria.The intention is to not only have schoolboys, but schoolgirls play the game in the schools.The game has only just started in Victoria to really promote the game,this year.

Woods exemplifying the true meaning of snobbery,has no idea of what goes on in life outside Eastwood and the pretentious world of union.Stick to what you know,limited though it be.

Back to the drawing boards Woods99.:roll: