I don't see much point in having a negative outlook on everything, even if i do fall into that trap myself often enough.
Although on reflection I don't have a negative/pessimistic outlook on everything.
I certainly accept that I am pessimistic about the long term benefits to Australian rugby of a TT Super Rugby model involving state based teams, just as I have been long pessimistic about the benefits of the SANZAR pan-continental model. This pessimism is based on observations of; (a) what works in the national professional sports space in other Australian sports and (b) what works in the professional rugby space in other Tier 1 rugby nations. The ingredients for a successful (in terms of broadcast interest, fan engagement and sponsorship/ownership) extend far beyond the real or perceived quality of the athletes on the field. What we know is that sports fans worldwide and across Australia will engage best with teams which identify with a specific and parochial geographic area based on a town, a suburb or groups of suburbs. This leads to long term fan engagement even through the tough times - the NRL, AFL, English rugby and French rugby are full of examples of diehard fans who support teams in good numbers even after years of mediocre results. The Parramatta Eels for example haven't won the league since 1986 and have been in the doldrums for years but the fans are still there buying merchandise, demanding better results etc. Long term fan engagement leads to corporate support and all of this increases broadcast value.
If player quality was all that mattered then the Sheffield Shield would be the hottest domestic property in Australian sport.
Where I am optimistic is that if a national domestic league ever eventuates that it will be a long-term success. It will provide us with much of the above and a legacy for the game to thrive into the future. Again I acknowledge that in the immediate short term this will lead to a drop in available wages for players - but this is going to happen anyway by any objective analysis. I see for example the scenario where RA run the Wallabies and community rugby/development and the middle tier of pro-rugby is run by the clubs involved with PE as an exciting and positive development.
Even a cursory glance at these threads provides evidence that NZRU operate in a completely different context to RA and will always have different solutions to the issues that each faces. I see being tethered to NZ as being a negative as opposed to being cooperative equals coming together wherever our mutual interests lie as being an immense positive.
