The dying - perhaps death - of Rugby in Australia.

[Jiggles]

The way professionalism has worked out, walking out for money could have improved the codes standing.

And in 20 years time we could be saying the same thing about Cooper.. Or Not.. Bit of idel speculation right there.

 

[waratahjesus]

And in 20 years time we could be saying the same thing about Cooper.. Or Not.. Bit of idel speculation right there.

I think in order for that to happen someone would have to back cooper up. The fact that hasnt happened would suggest that Quade isn't interested in what the code can do but what the code can offer him.

 

[I like to watch]

Kearns locked Eales out of meetings trying to get players over to Packer's side. I'd say that is being out of step with some players. You know Eales right? Probably Australia's greatest ever player?

You don't know if Cooper is being maneuvered by anyway, thats all speculation at this stage.

At the end of the day Kearns and a couple of other notable Wallabies were prepared to walk away from the Gold jumper because things weren't going there way. It is no different to Cooper.

Fighting for your rights when transitioning from amateur to professional,and the coaches tactics don't suit are not the same.
Kearns had the majority of players with him, QC (Quade Cooper) is still waiting for one player to back him up.
I would love to wager with you that he will not be at the Reds next year, despite his statements to Carmichael and on the Rugby club.

 

[Jiggles]

Fighting for your rights when transitioning from amateur to professional,and the coaches tactics don't suit are not the same.
Kearns had the majority of players with him, QC (Quade Cooper) is still waiting for one player to back him up.
I would love to wager with you that he will not be at the Reds next year, despite his statements to Carmichael and on the Rugby club.

It has nothing to do with will Quade be a the Reds.

Right you think its ok for 1 set of players to walk of way because they wanted money, but 1 player walking away because he doesn't like the environment. The money is not confirmed at this stage. Got it.

 

[I like to watch]

If you believe that QC (Quade Cooper) is acting in good faith,based on his list of grievances, then you will believe anything.Even fanboys would have to admit that he has been very hazy about what exactly he is objecting to.
What other player in history has announced that until things change,he will refuse the honour of representing his country?
And then be unable to explain what actually needs to change to meet his demands.
In Kearns case,the squad(with a minority of objectors)were talking about money for the first time in history,it was not about an upgrade from an already high base.
Again,Kearns was part of a squad,QC (Quade Cooper) is still waiting for one player/ex player to make any comment in support of him.
I have no idea what your last sentence meant.

 

[TOCC]

I think in order for that to happen someone would have to back cooper up. The fact that hasnt happened would suggest that Quade isn't interested in what the code can do but what the code can offer him.

Fact? That's not a fact WJ

 

[wamberal]

And so far this season:

1. Fox Sports no longer televises both days of IRB Sevens tournaments. So much for the huge impact Sevens is going to have, as an Olympic sport. Not enough to excite the viewing audience, apparently.

In previous seasons Fox Sports televised replays of last season's Super Rugby games for a couple of weeks before the season started. This season there were few if any replays. Meanwhile NRL trial matches are being shown (and rating pretty well, of course).

2. Super Rugby does not have a series sponsor (in Australia).

3. There is no Australian game in prime time tonight (why did the Reds play last night - is it because Fox Sports told them to, they seem to have a full schedule, what with the soccer and the cricket).

4. Just over 11,000 for the new look Tahs last night. Dismal.

5. There was a comprehensive two page analysis of Channel TEN's problems in today's Sydney Morning Herald. A fair bit of the analysis focused on the new CEO's intention to use sport as a catalyst for improved ratings. Sport, meaning AFL, NRL, or soccer. Not a single mention of our game, even in what will be the biggest year for a decade.

TEN of course are struggling, they are desperate for ratings. Unfortunately they are almost certainly not going to go with an Australia-wide live telecast, which means that Fox Sports will be able to go live, which in turn will decrease TEN's ratings. A vicious cycle.

6. Harold Mitchell has stepped down from any active involvement with the Rebels. If he takes his money with him, it might be goodnight nurse. The ARU would have to let them swim, or sink, although they might be under an obligation to ensure their survival for the rest of the current Super Rugby agreement.

If TEN drops our game, who will pick it up? Not Nine. Not Seven. Maybe SBS (until they start their A-League telecasts next season), but they wouldn't pay much, if anything. I suppose the ABC would put a game on in Eastern Australia, in the Shute Shield spot. I wonder whether we would have to pay them?

 

[qwerty51]

3. FFS this has been mentioned many times throughout the site. The Tahs/Rebels game got moved from Saturday to Friday so they had to move the Reds game back 2 hours.

 

[barbarian]

A few very tenuous points there. Talk about looking for the negatives in everything, no matter how miniscule or irrelevant. How about a few more:

1. Lions tickets all sold out in under 15 minutes. Every game will be played in front of a packed house and the coffers will be overflowing afterwards.

2. Reds pulled in 35,000 for their season opener, and had a healthy crowd last week.

3. Our new CEO is already pitching ideas about 3rd tier, and taking the steps to make it happen.

4. The Waratahs look to be playing a better brand of rugby which will please their significant fanbase. Sure the crowd was poor last night but there were a few valid excuses as to why that was the case.
.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

A few very tenuous points there. Talk about looking for the negatives in everything, no matter how miniscule or irrelevant. How about a few more:

1. Lions tickets all sold out in under 15 minutes. Every game will be played in front of a packed house and the coffers will be overflowing afterwards.

2. Reds pulled in 35,000 for their season opener, and had a healthy crowd last week.

3. Our new CEO is already pitching ideas about 3rd tier, and taking the steps to make it happen.

4. The Waratahs look to be playing a better brand of rugby which will please their significant fanbase. Sure the crowd was poor last night but there were a few valid excuses as to why that was the case.
.

Was there a good reason why the Reds played last night?
tonights prime time hole is a bad look + im bored

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

A few very tenuous points there. Talk about looking for the negatives in everything, no matter how miniscule or irrelevant. How about a few more:

1. Lions tickets all sold out in under 15 minutes. Every game will be played in front of a packed house and the coffers will be overflowing afterwards.

2. Reds pulled in 35,000 for their season opener, and had a healthy crowd last week.

3. Our new CEO is already pitching ideas about 3rd tier, and taking the steps to make it happen.

4. The Waratahs look to be playing a better brand of rugby which will please their significant fanbase. Sure the crowd was poor last night but there were a few valid excuses as to why that was the case.
.

The Tahs were dismal last season and it will take time and form to entice fans back in watch live in the stadium. My brother and I had considered going but the weather and the fact we would have had his 8 month old daughter with us (we start'em young in our family) lead to the decision not to. That would have been at least 10 people. Many would have been in a similar boat. Additionally, some may still be reluctant to spend the money to go to the game still unsure of what they'll get instead preferring to stay home and watch on TV.

I know I would have chose that option last season. That way I could change the channel to avoid the stroke I would have inevitably suffered watching them at the ground.

 

[No4918]

Was there a good reason why the Reds played last night?
tonights prime time hole is a bad look + im bored

That's when SANZAR originally scheduled it. Better question is why was the Tahs game moved so late?

 

[I like to watch]

A few very tenuous points there. Talk about looking for the negatives in everything, no matter how miniscule or irrelevant. How about a few more:

2. Reds pulled in 35,000 for their season opener, and had a healthy crowd last week.

3. Our new CEO is already pitching ideas about 3rd tier, and taking the steps to make it happen.

The Reds pulled in 41,500 at Suncorp last year.This year they were giving away $20 or $30 of free merchandise when you bought a ticket for this game(some 1 game special membership, as obviously their membership drive is also well short of budget)
So IMO 35,000 is not a positive result.
My understanding is that the new guys' planning for a new 3rd tier is not yet at the back of the beer coaster stage of development/planning.
3rd tier will only be a positive, if it is a meaningful improvement of what currently exists.
If it was planned,approved and funded it would be a positive, but we are a long way from there yet.

 

[I like to watch]

That's when SANZAR originally scheduled it. Better question is why was the Tahs game moved so late?

The fucking intern there(Tahs) is useless,and didn't realise there were a few thousand ex Qlders having a parade around the corner today.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

That's when SANZAR originally scheduled it. Better question is why was the Tahs game moved so late?

but on the original schedule this would have left 2 hours between games.
when will you people get with the daylight saving program?

 

[barbarian]

The Reds pulled in 41,500 at Suncorp last year.This year they were giving away $20 or $30 of free merchandise when you bought a ticket for this game(some 1 game special membership, as obviously their membership drive is also well short of budget)
So IMO 35,000 is not a positive result.
My understanding is that the new guys' planning for a new 3rd tier is not yet at the back of the beer coaster stage of development/planning.
3rd tier will only be a positive, if it is a meaningful improvement of what currently exists.
If it was planned,approved and funded it would be a positive, but we are a long way from there yet.

For the Tahs game? Well there are a few other factors at play, not least the fact that last year it was in June (from memory), and this year it was February when the season is not in full swing.

As for the 3rd tier, apparently it has board approval and has been discussed in public on numerous occasions. This seems to me to be quite a bit more than 'beer coaster stage', especially as he has only had the job for a month.
.

 

[No4918]

The fucking intern there(Tahs) is useless,and didn't realise there were a few thousand ex Qlders having a parade around the corner today.

The intern dropped the ball. Still not sure why it was needed to be rescheduled but that could be due my ignorance of Sydney geography and transport infrastructure (or lack of).

Pissing off your your fans first week of the season is not a good way to start the year. Was it really necessary?

 

[mark_s]

Additionally, some may still be reluctant to spend the money to go to the game still unsure of what they'll get instead preferring to stay home and watch on TV.

I know I would have chose that option last season. That way I could change the channel to avoid the stroke I would have inevitably suffered watching them at the ground.

I took a work colleague from the US to the tahs last night. He mentioned that grid iron games are blacked out in the city which they are played unless the game is a sell out. Blacked out means the game is not on live tv at all in that city. They sell out most games as a result. Maybe aus rugby needs to think about something drastic like this to get attendances up, say have a blackout if the stadium is less than half full. Alternatively, maybe they should offer ticket discounts for fox subscribers, maybe even something like a free ticket to one game a year.

 

[Braveheart81]

The Reds pulled in 41,500 at Suncorp last year.This year they were giving away $20 or $30 of free merchandise when you bought a ticket for this game(some 1 game special membership, as obviously their membership drive is also well short of budget)
So IMO 35,000 is not a positive result

They were coming off being Super Rugby champions. That would have been an. extraordinary year and now we're returning towards more normal crowd numbers.
Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk 2

 

[I like to watch]

For the Tahs game? Well there are a few other factors at play, not least the fact that last year it was in June (from memory), and this year it was February when the season is not in full swing.

As for the 3rd tier, apparently it has board approval and has been discussed in public on numerous occasions. This seems to me to be quite a bit more than 'beer coaster stage', especially as he has only had the job for a month.
.

Well the Reds drew 33,500 for the Force in round 2 last year!
Having members of the board supportive of a concept is not board approval.He has been very general in any comments regarding T3.
Let's wait for a formal announcement of something specific before we celebrate anything.