The Awful Truth About The ARU's Financial Position

[papabear]

As far as I can tell from your posts you watch absolutely no rugby league but then complain that rugby union is terrible in comparison.

If you'd watched the Charity Shield between St George and South Sydney you wouldn't be talking about how bad the rugby was in comparison.

Rugby League is a different game and has a much bigger fan base but it isn't because the game is far more exciting or fast or played to a much higher standard.

I grew up on the north shore, played a lot of rugby union growing up. Never played league.

But these days I watch a lot more league then union, even more so then when I was a kid and I would watch similar amounts of each.

The simple fact is more often in rugby league players try and score a try.
More often in league players try to stop players from scoring a try. This contest is what makes sport worth watching.

Defensively more often in league people try and not only shut the play down but hit them hard when doing it.

I didn't watch the charity shield, but I watched the WCC in between the ads of the cricket and easts looked very sharp and smart.

The only thing union has going for it at the moment over league as a spectacle is the contest for possession but even that dies down when you allow a player ten years before releasing the ball once hes tackled, allowing the guy to shift his body, wait for his own teams fatties to show up and then placing it down, it may aswell be a play the ball in league it becomes that unlikely that the defence can force a turn over.


Also, the way some people consider union like some sort of special holy sport for special holy people who have rich bloodlines from kings actually turns people off the game. Believe it or not it is a game like league, afl, soccer, basketball or whatever and it will be judged on its entertainment value. However, if you are a tossbag and you carry on like a tossbag about union people may identify union as a sport for tossbags.

 

[I like to watch]

I watch a bit of both codes,as I see some merit in both.
I much prefer Rugby,as I see it as more skillful.i think it's shameful that in League,some "ball players" literally do not have the ball skills/ understanding of what to do with a 2 on 1.
But,hey that's me. many guys i talk to,just love the contact in League.
There's no right or wrong,it's personal preference.
It's a bit rich to moan about people on a Rugby forum being so one eyed about their sport.Have a scan of any League forum,they are substantially more narrow minded about the pros and cons of their game.(as a general rule)

 

[RugbyFuture]

I do agree rugby has a problem with a toffiness, but no more than league has with its blue collar shit.

Just like I have seen the same amount of pretentiousness from private schoolers because they went to private schools and public schoolers because they went to public school.

Everyone in this world seems to think they're better than others.

 

[papabear]

I watch a bit of both codes,as I see some merit in both.
I much prefer Rugby,as I see it as more skillful.i think it's shameful that in League,some "ball players" literally do not have the ball skills/ understanding of what to do with a 2 on 1.
But,hey that's me. many guys i talk to,just love the contact in League.
There's no right or wrong,it's personal preference.
It's a bit rich to moan about people on a Rugby forum being so one eyed about their sport.Have a scan of any League forum,they are substantially more narrow minded about the pros and cons of their game.(as a general rule)

No I don't think the people on this forum are one eyed, but in certain parts of the world some people think that because one plays or follows union that makes them have superior dna. Not one eyed, my sport is better more delusional about which and why people play certain games.

With respect to numbers, I think league players will count the numbers more often in any given game then a union player. Whether they use the numbers that comes down to the situation and the cover defence.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Wouldn't it be nice:

the ARL Commission will pump $200 million into rugby league over the next four years

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/cashedup-nrl-to-splurge-200m-to-arrest-slip-in-crowds-and-tv-ratings-20140224-33c1z.html#ixzz2uDxoofiu

 

[TOCC]

I actually had season memberships to the Broncos before i was ever a Reds fan, prior to that i played Aussie Rules before i played rugby union. My mum was told that Aussie Rules was a better game for children to develop coordination etc.

Anyway, i used to really enjoy watching the Broncos and rugby league in the 90's, but these days i find the game boring, people talk about the excitement and fast play but its also extremely predictable, the most successful teams play percentage football perfecting in cross field kicks and different wrestling moves in the off season.

Teams like the Cowboys and Tigers in more recent years were exciting to watch, but slowly each year you can see the creative players been forced out of the NRL by teams pushing for bigger, more generically athletic players to play percentage football... The highlights reel of NRL games consists of a player contorting his body over the sideline trying to press the ball down into goal or a player leaping over another to take the ball and place it down for a try... Bloody hell, if thats entertainment then watch gymnastics or Aussie Rules.

 

[barbarian]

The league 9s exposed everything wrong with league 13s I reckon. When you take out 4 hit-ups a set you realise the players are bloody skilful. The game in its current form is way too conservative.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

I watch a bit of both codes,as I see some merit in both.
I much prefer Rugby,as I see it as more skillful.i think it's shameful that in League,some "ball players" literally do not have the ball skills/ understanding of what to do with a 2 on 1.
But,hey that's me. many guys i talk to,just love the contact in League.
There's no right or wrong,it's personal preference.
It's a bit rich to moan about people on a Rugby forum being so one eyed about their sport.Have a scan of any League forum,they are substantially more narrow minded about the pros and cons of their game.(as a general rule)

Very, very true.

 

[papabear]

I actually had season memberships to the Broncos before i was ever a Reds fan, prior to that i played Aussie Rules before i played rugby union. My mum was told that Aussie Rules was a better game for children to develop coordination etc.

Anyway, i used to really enjoy watching the Broncos and rugby league in the 90's, but these days i find the game boring, people talk about the excitement and fast play but its also extremely predictable, the most successful teams play percentage football perfecting in cross field kicks and different wrestling moves in the off season.

Teams like the Cowboys and Tigers in more recent years were exciting to watch, but slowly each year you can see the creative players been forced out of the NRL by teams pushing for bigger, more generically athletic players to play percentage football. The highlights reel of NRL games consists of a player contorting his body over the sideline trying to press the ball down into goal or a player leaping over another to take the ball and place it down for a try. Bloody hell, if thats entertainment then watch gymnastics or Aussie Rules.

All games have issues, by no means is rugby league perfect, I was just comparing it to union. Some games less issues then others and the less issues and more positives you have the more growth you will see in the game.

I agree with you about the wrestling and slow ptb hurting rugby league. Also hurting the percentage of tries coming off a cross field kick as opposed to being ball in hand.

That said, you would have seen refs start to ping players for having their hand on their ball in the ptb and the third man cannon balling in. I personally think it should go further and players who are wrestling should get pinged not warned to get off the player. Additionally attackign players who hold down the defender to play for a penalty I would also make a send off offence. But in any event league will evolve and get that crap out of its game, i think that is a fair comment given its evolution from union to the game it is today.

The question for this thread is will union evolve and get the garbage out of its game it needs to survive/thrive.

Re:- Aussie Rules being better for your coordination, whoever told your mother that needs a bit of an education as to what passes for coordination. Being able to catch and pass being a big one.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

<snip>
I agree with you about the wrestling and slow ptb hurting rugby league.
<snip>

If that is all that is hurting RL then they should not worry too much.

I really wonder about the off field stuff that is associated with RL.

It is only a very very small number of participants involved, but at what stage do the mothers of Australia say enough is enough with respect to violence against women from the "role models" within RL.

AFL, Soccer and Heavensgame do not seem to have the same off field dramas that RL does. It beggers belief that seems to be almost tolerated by many within one of Australia's major sporting codes. Clearly the NRL itself take a rather dim view on the issue but much of what happens at the next level down seems to be largely rhetorical.

In the longer term, this lack proactive action on a rather serious societal issue could harm RL much more than the boring as batshit game that is is. Never underestimate the power of the sisterhood. They are 50% of the population.

 

[BarneySF]

This from Growley today: http://www.espn.co.uk/australia/rugby/story/216117.html

Nothing we didn't know, but never like seeing word 'glacial' being used in the same sentence as 'development' when it comes to administrators describing your code.

 

[I like to watch]

Best article I have read from him.
No rumours of unnamed officials from unnamed clubs doing unnamed things.

 

[Crashy]

I posted t below on another thread but thought its better suited here..

Grim reading indeed.
Whilst the ARU/Sanzar can focus on extracting precious $ from the next TV deal, its clear that the Australian rugby public need to do their bit for the good of the game. Aussie rugby supporters can be a pretty complacent bunch but if we want the game to actually exist in this country, we all need to get involved.

Become a member of a city or country Premier rugby / grade club. They are pretty cheap at less than $100 for entry to 9 / 10 home games.

Ditto – super rugby franchise. Heck, get a General admission or supporter membership – its worth it. Encourage family and friends to get one as well. The seats are far better than through Ticketek and an excuse to get out with your mates.

Go to the Wallabies game held in your city.

Talk up the game to all and sundry.
Click on rugby website advertisements.

Use sponsor’s product and let it be known that its due to the rugby sponsorship.
Ex players help out at club home games by rounding up finals / tour reunion groups. Buy grog – give back to the club by spending precious $.

Go to the NRC games en masse

Coach a kids team

Get Foxtel and watch / record the games

It doesn’t matter what it is, but like many of the posters on GAGR, everyone needs to DO SOMETHING rather than sit back or watch the filthy mungos or aerial ping pongers eat into our turf. ​

 

[RugbyReg]

other than Foxtel, I do most of that.

 

[Crashy]

Thats why you're a legend RR.
If only evryone else did. The game needs people's time and money and it seems not many are prepared to do anything expect exclaim that rugby's in trouble.
Get to the Reds game gang!

 

[Rob42]

Meh, these arguments about changing the rules to create excitement leave me cold. Have you watched the State of Origin? Massive crowd, massive atmosphere, massive excitement even amongst many non-league fans, and yet the game itself is often an endless procession of one-out runs, hit-ups, kicks, etc - just a usual league game. But it's still hugely exciting, despite the game itself.

Anyway, changing the rules always leads to unintended consequences as coaches work to take the risk out of the new game.

 

[suckerforred]

Only thing I don't do is Coach a kids team. But in leiu of this I travel to Reds & Wallabies games.

 

[Quick Hands]

Most of us on these threads do most or all of the things described by Crashy. Yes, everyone doing their little bit will help, but there's only so much that we can do. We haven't even maintained our base over the past 30 years let alone expanded it.

The move to professionalism has been done particularly badly, we imposed amateur expectations on highly paid professional administrators and we splashed money around on players and support staff like drunken sailors.

The are many people still in high positions who see rugby from a private school perspective rather than from a club perspective. AFL, league, soccer are all played in schools, but their primary development system is club based. Until rugby gets its head around this idea, we're just going to keep on shrinking - it's just preaching to the choir.

In less than 10 years Waratahs crowds have halved and the junior village club system in Sydney anyway is on the precipice.

Money is a big part of the issue, but rugby needs to win back the hearts and minds or those supporters who have left and also try to appeal to the mainstream community. I know that many on this thread follow the game in detail, but how many in the general community would know that NSW play Qld this weekend? How many would care?

Forget bagging league, soccer and aussie rules, they're going ok. Major changes are needed and I'm not sure if we have the money or even the will to make them.

The fact that the ARU knew about the looming catastrophe at least as early as 2010 and chose to do nothing is even more depressing. We've spent those 3 years going backwards, while the other 3 codes have spent those years going forwards.

Wish I had the solutions.

 

[Rugby Central]

I'm not sure if we have the money or even the will to make them.

Wish I had the solutions.

There are solutions. But unfortunately it is the will to persue them. The system in Australia is a write-off. It doesn't need tinkering, it doesn't need repairs. It needs to be thrown away and a new one built.

I'm not talking about artificially destroying Clubs, relocation of players or even some grand poo-bah centralised administration. Centralised Startegy, Yes, administration, no. It requires a strategy that looks at the U6 kid and says how do I get you to the Wallabies in the most direct route possible. No siphoning off for academies, no extra competitions that create separate streams, and sure as shit, no separation based on what school you go to.

Clubs WILL fail, others WILL grow. Some players will walk away from the game while many more will join up. But until there's a strategy in place where Bill can look that 5 year old in the eye and say, "I know exactly how to make you a Wallaby" we are pissing in the wind.

As you said QH, Rugby Union doesn't have the stomach to face the necessary pain and until it does, the potential will never be realised.

 

[p.Tah]

I only catch buses or taxis in Sydney that have a Waratahs advert on them. Thankfully they're everywhere so I don't have to wait too long.