The League Media

[mxyzptlk]

yeah I heard Ginnane say that as well. All in all his comments re Cheika and the Wallabies were positive but his comments re Folau re borne out of ignorance as I doubt he's seen the plays that set-up his try, and he'd just seen the highlights and made his own conclusion.
To be fair the Rush Hour doesnt tend to go too far with the code wars but a bit too much is spent on the mungos - demographics I guess.

I don't mind Triple M when they're focusing on league -- it's actually pretty informative. And they'll sometimes have Tim Horan or Matt Burke on (they used to have their own show on the station). Which makes Ginnane's occasional jabs more irritating, because they're unnecessary, especially when he goes fishing for anti-union comments from people like Sailor.

 

[kandos]

With regards Del Boy, his overarching ego stands out and he strikes me as someone who would rubbish anyone else who calls him into question. I noticed in some previous posts that some said Lote had rubbished Union. I'm a Pom and read the Union press; on the stuff I read, Lote only had good things to say about the clubs and people he played for and with.

 

[kandos]

Frank Hyde used to say that one of the best teams he ever saw was a French team who came to Australia in the 1950s.

He will have been referring to the 1951 touring side that beat Australia with Puig Aubert, Elie Brousse and Edouard Ponsinet.

 

[jimmydubs]

With regards Del Boy, his overarching ego stands out and he strikes me as someone who would rubbish anyone else who calls him into question. I noticed in some previous posts that some said Lote had rubbished Union. I'm a Pom and read the Union press; on the stuff I read, Lote only had good things to say about the clubs and people he played for and with.

There's no "I" in team but there are 5 in "Individual Brilliance", that Del Boy? What do you mean he has a big ego?

 

[mxyzptlk]

I noticed in some previous posts that some said Lote had rubbished Union. I'm a Pom and read the Union press; on the stuff I read, Lote only had good things to say about the clubs and people he played for and with.

I think I may be at fault for the Lote thing, but that wasn't my intention -- or even what I said. I listen to a lot of Triple M, and they blamed rugby for Lote's condition when he returned to league, saying/suggesting rugby was too soft and they didn't really train. Lote showed up at Leinster not in great shape (he'd played something like 8 total games in the past year, maybe longer), got injured after about two games, then had an affair with a reality TV host, played another game or two, got injured again, his affair made it into the press, and then he returned to Australia to get right with his wife. He then had to player some lower-grade league for a while to get back into shape for the Bunnies.

Lote didn't rubbish rugby, that was Triple M in reference to Lote and rugby. As someone else noted, Lote's a professional and knows his job, so blaming his condition on an entire sport is a bit short-sighted, or just dumb. But after I posted that, some seemed to take it as Lote rubbishing rugby, when that's not actually what I meant or wrote.

(But Triple M also called Leinster an British team, so that shows what they know. Leinster hasn't been part of Britain longer than Australia, if you're going by the Westminster Adoption Act.)

 

[mxyzptlk]

There's no "I" in team but there are 5 in "Individual Brilliance", that Del Boy? What do you mean he has a big ego?

There's no "I" in team, but there is an "M" and an "E."

 

[Braveheart81]

I think I may be at fault for the Lote thing, but that wasn't my intention -- or even what I said. I listen to a lot of Triple M, and they blamed rugby for Lote's condition when he returned to league, saying/suggesting rugby was too soft and they didn't really train. Lote showed up at Leinster not in great shape (he'd played something like 8 total games in the past year, maybe longer), got injured after about two games, then had an affair with a reality TV host, played another game or two, got injured again, his affair made it into the press, and then he returned to Australia to get right with his wife. He then had to player some lower-grade league for a while to get back into shape for the Bunnies.

Lote didn't rubbish rugby, that was Triple M in reference to Lote and rugby. As someone else noted, Lote's a professional and knows his job, so blaming his condition on an entire sport is a bit short-sighted, or just dumb. But after I posted that, some seemed to take it as Lote rubbishing rugby, when that's not actually what I meant or wrote.

(But Triple M also called Leinster an British team, so that shows what they know. Leinster hasn't been part of Britain longer than Australia, if you're going by the Westminster Adoption Act.)

Seems a little short sighted from the Triple M pundits.

Tuqiri played roughly half the available games for the Wests Tigers from 2010 to 2013 because he was regularly injured. If my memory serves me correctly, a lot of those games would have been in 2010 and 2011. He played very little in 2013 because he was injured.

It's pretty stupid to blame Leinster for his lack of conditioning. He would have gone there with no match fitness because he'd spent the last 6 months sitting in the stands watching the Tigers.

 

[Crashy]

Just sit back and watch yet another league atrocity play out. This domestic violence story is disturbing. maybe just once the mungo public may be disgusted - probably not but you never know.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

@Crashy, Are you talking about the domestic violence involving Kirisome Auva'a?

It seems to be a bit of a recurrent theme in NRL doesn't it.

Auva'a went before the Courts on Friday. There seems to have been very little media comment on it subsequently. Are the media so conditioned to cases of domestic violence from NRL players that it is no longer considered newsworthy?

Meanwhile a bloke wearing the wrong shirt on a couple of occasions, who can't keep hold of his mobile phone, and has an infantile and warped sense of humour when it comes to sending texts can whip the media into a frenzy.

I wonder what the females in the media have to say about sports stars and domestic violence. Many them were quite forthright with their comments about sexual harassment a month or so back, and rightly so.

 

[Crashy]

yes Jarse I am referring to that case and in no way am I trying to score points as some of the detail of the case make me feel sick. To be fao the Terrorgraph has gone on the front foot today which will rightly give it some air and hopefully ensure it doesnt happen again. He bashed her head against a garage door for christ's sake. For once I am on the loig media's side here.
disgraceful.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

NRL is not Robinson Crusoe WRT domestic violence and Sports Stars.

Some pretty horrific stuff has gone down in NFL from the States recently as well.

 

[mxyzptlk]

yes Jarse I am referring to that case and in no way am I trying to score points as some of the detail of the case make me feel sick. To be fao the Terrorgraph has gone on the front foot today which will rightly give it some air and hopefully ensure it doesnt happen again. He bashed her head against a garage door for christ's sake. For once I am on the loig media's side here.
disgraceful.

As irritating as he can be about rugby, Dan Ginnane was really good on Auva'a. Ginnane argued that any player brought up on domestic violence charges should never be allowed to play during the Women of League and I think he said they shouldn't be paid during that time, and that they should be out of the game completely for a year (think that's what he said). He had a good, hard line on the issue, and was critical of the NRL for not being more proactive on domestic violence.

 

[mxyzptlk]

NRL is not Robinson Crusoe WRT domestic violence and Sports Stars.

Some pretty horrific stuff has gone down in NFL recently as well.

Roger Goodell and the NFL shouldn't be anyone's standard for how to deal with controversies and crises.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

This from Steve Mascord, practically the only specialist leaguer writer I can stomach (mostly 'cos he's distanced himself from the PR BS, doesn't do pressers anymore & seldom about specific matches, more the game per se):

"There seems to be an ideological shift happening in the most conservative elements of the rugby league family, those who argue it will never be more than a sport for NSW, Queensland, south Auckland and the M62 corridor.

"Maybe it was losing Sonny Bill Williams, Jarryd Hayne and Sam Burgess in one fell swoop. Maybe it was the discovery of a genuine fourth international force in Samoa.

"But even the most conservative rugby league commentators are now calling for a shorter club season and a permanent international window.

"They are starting to realise that there will eventually be no "local" anything. Everything from motion pictures down to cartons of milk you buy at the corner store will one day be 100 per cent global. Maybe we'll all be dead by then – but rugby league need not die with us.

"The United States-New Zealand rugby union Test in Chicago left me gobsmacked. But it also convinced me that myself and those like me have been right all along when it comes to our view on where rugby league needs to go.

"The first step is to admit defeat straight away when it comes to being a top level international sport. Ain't gonna happen. Eventually, we probably won't even be top tier in the few places where we are now.

"With that out of the way, it's time to focus on survival........"

Also discusses Kirisome Auva'a, who has now been stood down by the NRL for a minimum 9 months. I've seen their CEO quoted elsewhere that there's now a 1st offence = 12 month suspension, 2nd offence = life ban policy in place for domestic violence convictions.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rug...layers-should-be-clearer-20141113-11m0x0.html

 

[Hugh Jarse]

It is great that the NRL has taken steps to address the issue, but where is the Media outrage and frenzy? The abhorrent act is not condoned in any way shape of form but this summary dispensation of justice from NRL does beg the question of provision of natural justice for the guilty, but this thread is about the League Media, not NRL procedures.

Within 72 hours of the Kurtley Beale story breaking, the Media was full of comment and opinion from all 12 sides of the argument, with plenty of comment from outside the usual rugby, and sports in general, commentary space.

Where are all those same knowledgeable, and judgemental folk? It has been a week since Auva'a was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, and there has been scant coverage and very little condemnation.

Are there no pitchforks and flaming torches left for sale after the recent panic buying following the fallout from Kurtley's wardrobe malfunction?

Re Mascord's article: The first step to addressing a problem is to admit that there is a problem in the first place, and well done him. Will the other delusional Cyclops in Mungodom be brave enough to recognise that? I think not, and even if they do, what can they actually do about it?

Outside Eastern Aust, South Auckland, PNG and Northern England, no one cares about this quaint niche version of Rugby. They only know one brand of Rugby. To the rest of the World, League is seen as a variation of Rugby, like Rugby 7's, if it is acknowledged at all.

 

[Braveheart81]

It is great that the NRL has taken steps to address the issue, but where is the Media outrage and frenzy? The abhorrent act is not condoned in any way shape of form but this summary dispensation of justice from NRL does beg the question of provision of natural justice for the guilty, but this thread is about the League Media, not NRL procedures.

I think the lower level of media coverage is entirely related to the player's profile.

I admit I watched very little NRL this year and didn't watch the grand final but I'd never heard of the guy.

 

[Antony]

I don't know about that. It has pretty significant growth potential in New Zealand - I worry about the effect on New Zealand rugby of a second (or eventually third) NRL team. The poaching of junior talent by Australian NRL teams is already pretty extraordinary.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

So hypothetically, if it was Michael Hodge sending graphically offensive texts about Dr Flaherty, before the Tahs headed off to Cape Town to play the Stormers, no one would have cared?

Sexual Harassment, Cyber bullying, and Domestic Violence against women are societies problems not restricted to a particular sporting code. To me there are principles at stake here, and I find it hypocritical and rather amusing how selectively the media apparatchik and PC commentariat have dealt with the two recent issues.

 

[Braveheart81]

So hypothetically, if it was Michael Hodge sending graphically offensive texts about Dr Flaherty, before the Tahs headed off to Cape Town to play the Stormers, no one would have cared?

Sexual Harassment, Cyber bullying, and Domestic Violence against women are societies problems not restricted to a particular sporting code. To me there are principles at stake here, and I find it hypocritical and rather amusing how selectively the media apparatchik and PC commentariat have dealt with the two recent issues.

How is it hypocritical for the media to focus more heavily on higher profile subjects?

Less media attention doesn't mean you're condoning the actions anymore than someone else's that you've focused on more heavily.

It's just a reflection of the public interest.

 

[Train Without a Station]

I'm with BH. How is a story about Michael Hodge going to sell papers? Nobody knows who he is.