Australian Rugby / RA

[LeCheese]

Just copy EVERYTHING the NRL does except the actual sport.

and preferably not selling our soul to the bookies

 

[qwerty51]

and preferably not selling our soul to the bookies

Brings in money ‍

something something beggars..

edit: Also people can rightly talk about the ethics and morality of bookie sponsorship and advertising in sport but something that isn’t discussed is that gambling on a sport actually bring in new fans and promotes it.

 

[Rugbyman2023]

Isn’t what I put judging him on what he’s done at his workplace.

Origin camp selection
World Cup selection for Samoa
18 try’s in 36 appearances

That is his work output. So I don’t see what your point is. Just someone trying to convince themselves he’s worse than he is.

Comparing a forklift drivers work environment to an athlete is ludicrous. If so he’s in the top 1% of forklift drivers and can stack pallets at twice the rate to others, because that’s the difference between from people like me to elite athletes environments

So your calling us out for finding flaws in a player
Yes he is in the top athletes in the country playing prof but he is also getting compared to those guys as well whether he is 19 or 29
I’m not trying to convince myself he is not that good, anyone watching the nrl is thinking the same thing, that perhaps he is not what they thought he would be
Should have gone for penesini and koula combined for the money

I hope he does improve and show value for money and dominate for aus rugby like Folau did
But atm he would struggle to make tahs back line, you can’t play centre if you get caught out in defence and don’t pass, can’t play Fullback so only wing is an option! And marky N and Pietsh are more dangerous anyway

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Sounds an awful like what everyone said about SBW. League have turned on him the instant he signed and will try and scape goat him for the Roosters being off even though they have dropped their Half Back, Hooker is injured, moved arguably the best Centre in League (Joseph Manu) to Five Eight, had their main assistant coach leave and they always have a few lost to Origin. The way all the league writers and talking idiots are treating a 19 year old Centre is like a psychotic ex. Half these clowns were trying to say James Tedesco is done after an Origin game where he was average. Clearly people are regurgitating what people that hate Rugby are saying.

I'd love to have Koula & Penesini in Rugby but we can't know if the money used on Joseph would have been there for either of those guys.

To say he wouldn't make the Tahs Backline is insane IMO. Perese (2022) for instance had 90 tackle attempts with 24 misses in 11 games. Sua'ali'i so far this year has 118 tackle attempts with 17 misses in 12 games. All players will get done by another professional at some point. Especially at that age. I'd agree re passing and I think this might be something he still holds from even younger days when he didn't have to worry about that because he would score but gee Adam Ashley-Cooper seemed allergic to that as well.

 

[Adam84]

Brings in money ‍

something something beggars..

edit: Also people can rightly talk about the ethics and morality of bookie sponsorship and advertising in sport but something that isn’t discussed is that gambling on a sport actually bring in new fans and promotes it.

Sadly, NRL is generates more revenue on sports gambling then RA does off broadcast rights.

If you holistically included all forms of gambling revenue in the NRL from leagues clubs, pokies and sports gambling, you’re talking nearly $300million a year revenue.

 

[stillmissit]

Doubt he was going to be dropped on form and more because he’s moving on. They have been playing like busted asses all year.

We know he’s young but I really don’t think we think about how young he is. He’s a 19 year old with 36 NRL games and 6 Tests for Samoa. We’re still talking about teenagers his age in the U20s and Colts about how good they might be for the Lions and 2027 RWC. He no doubt has flaws and you’ve pointed out some good ones but he’s still a kid and far more developed and skilled than most at his stage.

We are paying for potential but it’s what we had to do. Very few sure things in sport unlike other industries. Even previously successful athletes have signed and failed at new Clubs.

Ghost, I would agree with your comment IF we were already looking after our own, but we ain't. We suffer from the pathetic human idea that everything we don't have is better than what we have.....

 

[Adam84]

I’d argue at least 50% of his value has been derived through the marketing and exposure benefit rather then the whole value been a reflection of his on-field potential

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Ghost, I would agree with your comment IF we were already looking after our own, but we ain't. We suffer from the pathetic human idea that everything we don't have is better than what we have.....

100% agree. I would say though that going after guys that have a history in Rugby is looking after our own as well.

I think a lot of the recent re signing have shown an appetite to look after what we have. A lot of talent in the current U20s would have surely got attention from the NRL. Jorgensen, Lancaster, Bell were wanted by League. RA has locked up the kid at Kings Hadley Tonga as well. Seeing guys like LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) coming back to Aus is another good one.

 

[LeCheese]

edit: Also people can rightly talk about the ethics and morality of bookie sponsorship and advertising in sport but something that isn’t discussed is that gambling on a sport actually bring in new fans and promotes it.

Are they a fan if they only watch a sport only because they have a (metaphorical or literal) horse in the race? There's a good chance there's no actual interest in the game, over and above an outcome.

Would you call the tens-of-thousands of people getting on the piss and slapping some money down on Melbourne Cup day fans of horse racing?

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Are they a fan if they only watch a sport only because they have a (metaphorical or literal) horse in the race? There's a good chance there's no actual interest in the game, over and above an outcome.

Would you call the tens-of-thousands of people getting on the piss and slapping some money down on Melbourne Cup day fans of horse racing?

I'm a huge fan of U19s Lithuanian Basketball.

 

[LeCheese]

I'm a huge fan of U19s Lithuanian Basketball.

Yeah big fan of Azuolas Tubelis' work at the 2019 U19 World Cup

 

[RugbyReg]

Are they a fan if they only watch a sport only because they have a (metaphorical or literal) horse in the race? There's a good chance there's no actual interest in the game, over and above an outcome.

Would you call the tens-of-thousands of people getting on the piss and slapping some money down on Melbourne Cup day fans of horse racing?

I follow the Denver Nuggets (have been for three years - not one of these Jonny come lately types) solely because of Nikola Jokić. Have even bought merch. Perhaps this kid can have a similar impact on supporters. I can only assume there's a whole bunch of potentially disengaged Kings School parents who will know show more interest in the game as they try to claim him as one of their own.

 

[PhilClinton]

I follow the Denver Nuggets (have been for three years - not one of these Jonny come lately types) solely because of Nikola Jokić. Have even bought merch. Perhaps this kid can have a similar impact on supporters. I can only assume there's a whole bunch of potentially disengaged Kings School parents who will know show more interest in the game as they try to claim him as one of their own.

You must be a very happy man these last few days.

I read an article from The Ringer back in 2016 when Team USA played Serbia and Jokic nearly beat them on his own, as an NBA Rookie. The journalist called it then and there that he would take the Nuggets to a title, such a great prediction. Particularly because 2016 Jokic was an overweight European school leaver.

Hopefully the same rings true for Jospeh and the Wallabies RWC chances in years to come.

 

[LeCheese]

I follow the Denver Nuggets (have been for three years - not one of these Jonny come lately types) solely because of Nikola Jokić. Have even bought merch. Perhaps this kid can have a similar impact on supporters. I can only assume there's a whole bunch of potentially disengaged Kings School parents who will know show more interest in the game as they try to claim him as one of their own.

Absolutely Reg, but I'd argue that following a team/sport because of an affinity to one or more individuals is showing a genuine interest in that sport, rather than just being interested in the outcome of game because there's a chance to make a quick buck.

 

[Adam84]

Absolutely Reg, but I'd argue that following a team/sport because of an affinity to one or more individuals is showing a genuine interest in that sport, rather than just being interested in the outcome of game because there's a chance to make a quick buck.

Yeah there’s a difference, but in professional sport does it really matter?

I watch a lot of NRL games because i play in a NRL fantasy league with friends(it’s a good way to stay in touch), i’m not a fan of the team/game i‘m only watching for the outcome and how it influences the fantasy team.

End of the day though, the NRL, broadcasters, sponsors and advertisers don‘t really care why i’m watching, im generating revenue for them regardless.

 

[LeCheese]

Yeah there’s a difference, but in professional sport does it really matter?

I watch a lot of NRL games because i play in a NRL fantasy league with friends(it’s a good way to stay in touch), i’m not a fan of the team/game i‘m only watching for the outcome and how it influences the fantasy team.

End of the day though, the NRL, broadcasters, sponsors and advertisers don‘t really care why i’m watching, im generating revenue for them regardless.

Yeah, I did mean to make this concession - ultimately eyeballs are eyeballs. Many existing rugby fans are pretty fickle anyway.

 

[Doritos Day]

Skin in the game is massive and something rugby really lacks at generating.

Team/player support
Fantasy sports
Tipping
Gambling

All get people engaged and coming back with some sort of vested interest.

 

[stillmissit]

We also must strong pursue a national schools comp a la Rugby League. Have an accreditation of some sort, with public schools with a strong rugby tradition such as Epping, Matraville, Randwick Boys High. Get the sports high schools involved. I'm sure the canberra schools and ISA schools would love to get involved. Plus we'd have schools like Downlands.

I think those accreditations with public schools would really do a good job in inviting elite talent who can't afford private schools or get scholarships and would provide an alternate pathway. Would also be great for coaching development. Have the coaches at these schools employed by Rugby Australia or put shute shield players on retainers to coach.

Have the competiton broadcasted on STAN sport and the final on free to air. Everybody knows how the rugby public loves schoolboy rugby. Schools and players would love the exposure. Its really only the GPS schools who get antsy about it.

Great post. The schools are critical and as the private schools are becoming soccer and afl focused it could offer us a great pathway to players which is currently drying up.

 

[Wallaby Man]

Skin in the game is massive and something rugby really lacks at generating.

Team/player support
Fantasy sports
Tipping
Gambling

All get people engaged and coming back with some sort of vested interest.

100% your interest has to start somewhere. I wasn’t a baseball fan until I purchased the video game for some strange reason. Now it’s constantly on in the corner while I’m working. Majority of footballs following these days is from kids playing Fifa, not the actual sport on the weekends. Most 20 something year olds wearing Liverpool shirts couldn’t kick and trap a ball to save their lives.

I didn’t play fantasy rugby this year and it’s the least amount of games that I have watched. Things like betting play the same type of role

 

[Dctarget]

100% your interest has to start somewhere. I wasn’t a baseball fan until I purchased the video game for some strange reason. Now it’s constantly on in the corner while I’m working. Majority of footballs following these days is from kids playing Fifa, not the actual sport on the weekends. Most 20 something year olds wearing Liverpool shirts could kick and trap a ball to save their lives.

I didn’t play fantasy rugby this year and it’s the least amount of games that I have watched. Things like betting play the same type of role

No one in my family watches rugby at all, got into Super Rugby as a 14 year old because of Fox Fantasy, I didn't even have Fox Sports so couldn't watch the games but still became obsessed with my mates playing it.