Reds 2014

[gel]

I feel terrible for Turner as he is a good footballer and clearly a very decent man, but I can't help but say that this is not entirely unexpected.

Hope he recovers well, but the magical 5 weeks after surgery always sounds awfully optimistic.

 

[Tip]

Am I the only one here that doesn't give two hoots whether Red Krill Oil is a first rate product or not?

Bottom line is, they were willing to pay the Reds the most for advertising space.

Which inevitably helps the Reds bottom line.

 

[Scoey]

Here's something I've noticed in the last couple of weeks that I think worries me.
Rugby gets very little coverage in the paper up here (Courier Mail). The Reds tend to get more coverage the week before a home game and next to no coverage when they are playing away overseas (esp. in SA).
Also if they're winning they get a bit more coverage and if they lose it barely rates a mention.

But I digress..... Here's what I've noticed. About once a week the CM will run a 'big' Rugby article, usually with a big photo or a few medium sized ones with the Reds adorned players there for all to see. Last week though the big article featured a massive pic of Nick Cummins. Weird that they'd do a piece on him leading up to a Reds Force game. This week there in middle of the sports section is almost a full page picture of Jesse Mogg.
Why are the Reds seemingly on the nose with the Courier Mail?
Are we really playing that badly/negatively/unimaginatively?
It will be interesting to see if the trend continues but it's not a good look regardless.


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[Tip]

Here's something I've noticed in the last couple of weeks that I think worries me.
Rugby gets very little coverage in the paper up here (Courier Mail). The Reds tend to get more coverage the week before a home game and next to no coverage when they are playing away overseas (esp. in SA).
Also if they're winning they get a bit more coverage and if they lose it barely rates a mention.

But I digress... Here's what I've noticed. About once a week the CM will run a 'big' Rugby article, usually with a big photo or a few medium sized ones with the Reds adorned players there for all to see. Last week though the big article featured a massive pic of Nick Cummins. Weird that they'd do a piece on him leading up to a Reds Force game. This week there in middle of the sports section is almost a full page picture of Jesse Mogg.
Why are the Reds seemingly on the nose with the Courier Mail?
Are we really playing that badly/negatively/unimaginatively?
It will be interesting to see if the trend continues but it's not a good look regardless.

The Bronco Times, a.k.a. The Courier Mail are merely looking after their own interests.

Both the Bronco's and the CM are owned by News Limited... Bronco's averaged lower crowds than the Reds for the past few years and they're simply trying to reverse that trend.

 

[Scoey]

I did not know that Tip. Cheers for pointing that out.
Fuck stuff like that annoys me though!


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[gel]

The courier mail are also a sponsor of the broncos.

 

[Scoey]

It's crazy that we do as well as we do with crowd numbers then considering that we can't get on free to air tv and the only newspaper in Brisbane sounds like they actively try to avoid giving us publicity. Imagine how big Rugby could be in QLD if we got the exposure and accessibility that the Broncos do.


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[tranquility]

I think it has more to do with the atmosphere comparison of a Red and Broncos game. More family / wife friendly perhaps. Generally good spirits despite who wins or loses.

 

[Ash]

Some small bloke with an inferiority complex, all halfbacks look the same

With more or less hair.

That's how I tell them apart. Well, Cordingley at least.

 

[Brumby Runner]

He's been running just as well as pretty much any Australian lock over the past few weeks anyway.

I think both Fardy and Jones would be well in front of Big Kev for running and line breaking or bending so far this year.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Now that the Japs have been flogged re whales - the price of krill will soar. Fucking whales will be like pilchards and start dying because of starvation.

Probably get washed up on Surfers Paradise beach in their hundreds

 

[USARugger]

I think both Fardy and Jones would be well in front of Big Kev for running and line breaking or bending so far this year.

Agreed re: Fardy but he's making a lot of those runs wider than you'd generally have a test lock standing.

Jones has been back and forth with his ball-running for mine, even to the point of being pretty shit one half and then shit-hot the next. His ruck work and defense will see him making the Wallabies soon though, we've needed another legitimate 'enforcer' type lock desperately since Vickerman retired.

I'd rate Jones/Horwill pretty much the same at the moment in regards to purely ball-running.

I am definitely getting a bit tired of the sporadic "Horwill is shit/playing like shit" posts I've seen popping up the past few weeks though, when in fact he's been more or less improving every match for the past few matches. I mean, is it that hard for people to watch the matches, or just shutting up when they clearly haven't?

I digress, I actually think the way things are shaping up that we will have pretty good depth in the locks this year. It doesn't hurt that NZ is going to be scrambling to get their own Tight 5 in order in time for the World Cup, either.

 

[emuarse]

The Bronco Times, a.k.a. The Courier Mail are merely looking after their own interests.

Both the Bronco's and the CM are owned by News Limited. Bronco's averaged lower crowds than the Reds for the past few years and they're simply trying to reverse that trend.

Rupert Murdoch is no fool (judging by his $ billions)
He realised a long time ago that Australian professional sport would go the same way as in America, when league players here were picking up $50 for a win and $20 for a loss, and had to keep their job down at the abattoir.
So he got News Corporation to make Rugby League their own, and particularly the Broncos.
As rugby was amatuer during this period it was not really a problem, until league got the extra dough to buy rugby's better players.
But the fact that Murdoch kept rugby union in the back ground has been a very clever tactic, especially with the code being only second to football internationally.
Murdoch further showed his smarts by giving rugby union better coverage in another News Ltd owned media outlet, The Australian. But in that national newspaper the main winter sporting focus is on AFL.
So he's got his marbles exactly where he wants them.
His one problem though is that the French rugby millionaires are now starting to eye off or buy the cream of the league crop. It would not surprise me if Israel Folau's long term aim is the big money in Europe, along with a number of the local league stars who are looking at converting to the European market via local rugby, which News Ltd will have trouble competing with in the long term, and particularly so if professional rugby takes a hold in the US of A.
For the Reds though there is hurt from two directions. Lack of local media coverage, and also losing quality players to Europe, very well to the other Aussi Super 15 teams.

 

[USARugger]

Would Folau even make that much more $$$ if he went to France?

Between top-up and Waratahs salary isn't he already in the 850k-1m range?

I may be totally wrong about that so please correct me if I am.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Rupert Murdoch is no fool (judging by his $ billions)
He realised a long time ago that Australian professional sport would go the same way as in America, when league players here were picking up $50 for a win and $20 for a loss, and had to keep their job down at the abattoir.
So he got News Corporation to make Rugby League their own, and particularly the Broncos.
As rugby was amatuer during this period it was not really a problem, until league got the extra dough to buy rugby's better players.
But the fact that Murdoch kept rugby union in the back ground has been a very clever tactic, especially with the code being only second to football internationally.
Murdoch further showed his smarts by giving rugby union better coverage in another News Ltd owned media outlet, The Australian. But in that national newspaper the main winter sporting focus is on AFL.
So he's got his marbles exactly where he wants them.
His one problem though is that the French rugby millionaires are now starting to eye off or buy the cream of the league crop. It would not surprise me if Israel Folau's long term aim is the big money in Europe, along with a number of the local league stars who are looking at converting to the European market via local rugby, which News Ltd will have trouble competing with in the long term, and particularly so if professional rugby takes a hold in the US of A.
For the Reds though there is hurt from two directions. Lack of local media coverage, and also losing quality players to Europe, very well to the other Aussi Super 15 teams.

This makes a lot of sense, but you are a bit off the mark if you're suggesting Murdoch's money was the key to League siphoning off Rugby's talent. That had been going on since at least, and in some cases earlier than, the 60s, viz Holman, Summons, Ken and Dick Thornett, Ray Price, Hawthorne, Grant, Cleary and the names go on.

 

[RedsHappy]

Rupert Murdoch is no fool (judging by his $ billions)
He realised a long time ago that Australian professional sport would go the same way as in America, when league players here were picking up $50 for a win and $20 for a loss, and had to keep their job down at the abattoir.
So he got News Corporation to make Rugby League their own, and particularly the Broncos.
As rugby was amatuer during this period it was not really a problem, until league got the extra dough to buy rugby's better players.
But the fact that Murdoch kept rugby union in the back ground has been a very clever tactic, especially with the code being only second to football internationally.
Murdoch further showed his smarts by giving rugby union better coverage in another News Ltd owned media outlet, The Australian. But in that national newspaper the main winter sporting focus is on AFL.
So he's got his marbles exactly where he wants them.
His one problem though is that the French rugby millionaires are now starting to eye off or buy the cream of the league crop. It would not surprise me if Israel Folau's long term aim is the big money in Europe, along with a number of the local league stars who are looking at converting to the European market via local rugby, which News Ltd will have trouble competing with in the long term, and particularly so if professional rugby takes a hold in the US of A.
For the Reds though there is hurt from two directions. Lack of local media coverage, and also losing quality players to Europe, very well to the other Aussi Super 15 teams.

If the Reds/QRU opened the Reds/QLD NRC teams to say 50% private investment the whole Reds whole developmental scene would change dramatically and, if it was handled with care and the right investors brought in, IMO for the strategic better.

The game/the Reds need materially enhanced financial and marketing resources or we'll hit serious difficulty as the NH pours more wealth into its global recruiting. The ARU and QRU alone will never be able to provide the resources the Reds will need to deal with the emerging structural changes to the global patterns of rugby wealth. EDIT: the other truth that's highly relevant is that Aus league is getting financially and commercially much stronger as union in going in precisely the opposite direction. This vector too will have major impact and ultimately force radical structural change upon Aus union (especially if - a real possibility in say 2016-17 - Aus rugby is bankrupted and the IRB steps in here to fix the mess).

The existing financially introverted and 'purist' model for Australian rugby is badly broken. The next penny that will have to drop is the realisation that this model can't survive or just be tinkered with - radical change will be shown to be needed. It's just a matter of time. But, sadly, indeed tragically, Australian rugby is so badly run that it only changes at the very brink of disaster after huge damage has been done along the route thereto.

 

[Scrubber2050]

+ Garrick Morgan, + Tony Darcy + Wqlly Lweis + John Brass + Geoff Richardson + Ricky Stewart ++++

 

[TOCC]

@RedsHappy private ownership is a double edged sword, Harold Mitchell cut his losses and now the ARU is burdened with the ongoing losses of the Melbourne Rebels. Clive Palmer single handedly established the Gold Coast Galaxy and then destroyed it in dramatic fashion, Nathan Tinkler and the Knights/Mariners have a very tense relationship which could cause heartache for everyone in the long run.

AFL had a foray into private ownership in the early 80's with Christopher Skase and Geoffrey Edlelsten owning the Brisbane Bears and Sydney Swans respectively, by the early 90's both clubs were running at multi-million losses and the AFL was forced to step in to save the clubs, akin to Harold Mitchell and the Rebels.. These days the AFL focusses on a community ownership model through club memberships and its clubs represent the more valuable sporting organisations in the country with no private ownership existing in the AFL.

 

[RedsHappy]

@RedsHappy private ownership is a double edged sword, Harold Mitchell cut his losses and now the ARU is burdened with the ongoing losses of the Melbourne Rebels. Clive Palmer single handedly established the Gold Coast Galaxy and then destroyed it in dramatic fashion, Nathan Tinkler and the Knights/Mariners have a very tense relationship which could cause heartache for everyone in the long run.

AFL had a foray into private ownership in the early 80's with Christopher Skase and Geoffrey Edlelsten owning the Brisbane Bears and Sydney Swans respectively, by the early 90's both clubs were running at multi-million losses and the AFL was forced to step in to save the clubs, akin to Harold Mitchell and the Rebels.. These days the AFL focusses on a community ownership model through club memberships and its clubs represent the more valuable sporting organisations in the country with no private ownership existing in the AFL.

All noted, understood TOCC.

But:

- I did say 'handled with care and the right investors brought in'....this is vs just opening the door to more or less any cheque-book holder of size with or without matching ego problems.

- the Rebels failure with PE was not IMO intrinsically a problem with PE per se, the problem is way more fundamental and still wholly unresolved, namely: Can anybody financially sustain a full S15 team and all related investments in the Melbourne sporting market? Financially speaking, should an S15 team ever have been started there? The ARU will surely have severe difficulties sustaining c.$3m losses per year, yet the Rebels crowd levels remain stubbornly around the 10-12k mark which is way under what's needed.

- the whole AFL situation financially is drastically at variance with rugby's. My comments specifically were calibrated to Aus rugby's avowedly awful financial position and where there is no credible plan I have seen to properly change that status (saying that it'll all be fixed with a grand new 2016+ FTA media deal like soccer's is fanciful in the extreme).

 

[USARugger]

I don't think it would be such an issue with the NRC teams as they are far smaller financial operations than full blown AFL teams. Investments of only a few thousand dollars would make big differences in the ability of these teams to locally market themselves and promote their games.

You could get local, passionate people to invest if you did it right.

A private Super Rugby franchise in a saturated market playing the 3rd most popular code of football in the country on the bottom of their league's table and without the support of other private owners was always bound to bleed money.