Does the NRL eat itself?

In this weeks papers we've had stories about crowds and TV ratings being down. Stories such as these come from News Limited, a partner of the NRL. Media outlets run negative stories about the NRL and it's stars. As supporters we moan about decisions, about the standard of referees, about the standard of the game. The NRL doesn't lobby politically to get government support for suburban ground improvements, unlike the AFL with their supported development of AFL purpose built grounds in all states.In other words there is a lot of negativity surrounding our game and most of it is coming from the range of stakeholders. Yet this is the game we love. Of course we should not put our head in our hands and refrain from telling things as they are, but I wonder at times what it achieves. Remember, the elite level of rugby league relies on broadcast dollars. Is the criticism of the Nrl, by NRL stakeholders, putting the game in jeopardy?Let's look at the competitors in the Australian market.aFL - this is the protected species of Australian sport. The darlings of the Melbourne media. Does the Melbourne media go digging up stories that would damage their game? Does the Melbourne media feature rugby league stories in TV news or the sports pages the way that the Sydney media covers AFL? Try finding NRL stories in Melbourne papers! All of this contributes to the AFL having larger broadcast deals and a dedicated AFL channel. This is despite the NRLs history of high ratings on Pay TV. Let's remember, the AFL doesn't even translate well as a TV sport.A League - let's not compare here. The standard is not comparable to the world stage. Teams like the Wanderers are attracting fans based on the crowd experience. Yet the Wanderers have become favourites for the Telegraph with lots of good news stories during their season.Union. This game of kick and clap was the game I played as a young bloke but it bores me to tears. The commentators wax lyrical about the smallest play and never talk about the problems that beset this game. A scoring system that rewards negative play, complicated rules that provide a level of officiating that makes NRL refs look like superstars.I have been guilty of throwing abuse at refs and complaining about the ills of our game. But I'm not so sure that reading about it on a regular basis is helping our game. I don't want to see a future where our game becomes a minor player. Yes I want our code to be better, but I wonder why the other codes don't suffer from the same amount of negative publicity, from media shareholders, as our game.

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  • The refs are getting worse and worse every game and it has to be dealt with immediately. Weather that is cutting the rules back to basics or something else I'm not sure. I believe there is way to many rules which complicates the game.

    The nrl have nothing to do with the media and what gets printed on newspapers and things. Why do you think the nrl fine the coaches and players that have a go at them in the press conference. They don't want the bad media getting around but it does till they fix it. I'm personally over it and if I didn't have such a massive passion for parra I wouldn't be watching anymore. I used to watch pretty much every game of footy on every weekend but now I find myself switching it off alot because the refs decide more games that what the players do.
  • Yes it is

    it's not the media, not the refs (let me finish) but the product itself - the RULES are at an all time low.

    PENALTIES and INTERPRETATION of these RULES is the problem. FIX THE RULES !!! - The whole thing is broken - fix this, and alot of problems go away.

    Simply put, penalties have an influence on games that is disproportionate to their ORIGINAL intention.A penalty is meant to be a slap on the wrist for infringing the rules and meant to offer a quick and slight advantage to the non offending Team. Instead, teams that receive a penalty from anywhere up to 70meters from the Try line - automatically get a scoring opportunity - kick in touch +30m (min) + extra 6 tackles = TRY scoring opportunity due to field position gained esp with a kick on the last

    Penalties give an UNFAIR advantage to teams that receive the penalty - and because of this, refereeing decisions have far more WEIGHT on the outcome of games than they should have. REDUCE the punishment, diminishes the advantage and consequences of decisions and therefore the culpability of referees. Players NOT referees should be responsible for winning.

    It is beyond me how, in an age where so many other sports benefit from the use of video replay as a tool to improve the overall product. How the NRL fails so badly with the use and non use of video is baffling to me

    Reducing punishment from penalties and fixing the use of video seem so EASY to fix and would make the product on the field better for fans - nobody to blame but the NRL - not the media, not the refs.

    On a side issue - think about ALL the messy stuff - grapple tackle, wrestling, decoy runners/interference etc is all due to one thing - the 10m rule - with the pace of the game and interchange players - the space between the two sides is too great for the SPEED. Shorten the gap, the easier to re-set the defensive line (no need to grapple), then the HARDER is becomes to make yards vertically with easy "brainless and NON SKILLFUL hit ups........and that is a good thing, because you FORCE the attacking team to "go around" opponents instead of "going through"............what do you get then .............more PASSING on early tackles..........more enjoyment for fans........better crowds

    Reducing the space between Teams also makes running decoy plays (fancy name for shepherding) harder, as depth is needed to perform decoys.........reduce decoys by reducing space ...........better more exciting PASSING and BACKING UP plays..........more enjoyment for fans........less controversial penalties............more crowds

    Make Tries scored as a result from a kick worth HALF - the less kicking has on scoring points, the more emphasis on RUNNING and PASSING for SCORING....the happier the fans.....more crowds

    No, the NRL has nobody to blame other than themselves....the game is SO PREDICTABLE that the only mystery is refereeing decisions

    I want games played and decided on SKILL as well as toughness, not unfair field position, kicks, referees and penalties and poor interpretation of video due to dumb ass rules

  • The media will get onto a story, be it good or bad, wherever it may pop up, any code of sport. The reason the NRL get hammered more than most is the refs are worse than most. I have yet to see another code where the level of refs incompetence is as high as the NRL's and have such a influence on the result of games. I'm like u bradley i'm finding myself watching less and less league due to the poor standard of the officials. I used to watch most games of league most weeks but now its pretty much only parra and even the parra games im watching less of. Its not the media picking on the NRL its the NRL shooting themselves in the foot by not dealing with the refereeing problem.

    • food for thought - let me say - I AGREE with you but add that the problem is deeper and the RULES are the main culprit and the ref's (and the game) suffer poor performances as a result

      from my blog above

      Penalties give an UNFAIR advantage to teams that receive the penalty - and because of this, refereeing decisions have far more WEIGHT on the outcome of games than they should have. REDUCE the punishment, diminishes the advantage and consequences of decisions and therefore the culpability of referees. Players NOT referees should be responsible for winning.

      I , like you watch less and less and like you still LOVE the game

  • You make some good points there tele the only concern i have is that if the punishment for infringements are reduced will this encourage teams to commit more of them? The reduction of the 10 meter rule i agree 100% and will eliminate the boring one out runs down the middle. As you said more attacking play more excitment crowd numbers go up.

    .

    • the only concern i have is that if the punishment for infringements are reduced will this encourage teams to commit more of them?

      I thought long and hard about that before I made that comment - IF, this did change, YES, Teams would infringe more at the beginning....but think about that......another 6 tackes....that's another 35-50 yards to defend and then face an attacking kick......and start again, if you are lucky, with a 22m tap

      I dont think it would take long for teams to realise that by NOT committing more fouls, you get better field position on the next set........with a kick into touch, you are almost guaranteed to be defending a TRY scoring opportunity....without the kick into touch....you may be the nect team to be putting on the  pressure to score

      Take a penalty on your opponents 22m and do not infringe again...they dont kick into touch but get 6 extra tackles and make say 30+ meters with hitups (cause as the defenders you try and pin them down.) and a kick on the last ....now they kick from half way.....you return the kick to the 35m meter line in your own territory and begin your set with a realistic chance of putting an attacking kick in on the last

      The "punishment" is fair, as it helps a team get out of the danger zone, but they still have to EARN the right to score a Try by getting field position the right way....playing footy, not from an easy penalty

      And the offending team don't suffer from a try scoring threat and will probably be in a reasonable position to attempt to score NEXT - because they has already EARNED the right to do so because of their field position at the time of the penalty

      Only dumb and ill disciplined (poorly coached) teams would realise that by NOT re-offending is actually an advantage

  • I think the way the game is being played and current rules allow the refs to have too much power over the results. Every fan from every team I talk too is saying the same thing. It looks like the while thing is designed to make every team even, just look at the ladder this year... But it results in a boring game that we all feel is being over controlled. I have really lost interest in it myself.

    Changes need to be made to bring back the smaller smarter and entertaining players I.e. Go back to five, allow shoulder charges and reduce the interchanges . Problem solved

    Oh and stop being so damn nancy pancy politically correct and BRING BACK THE BLOODY BIFF!!!

    We all love it if we are honest to ourself! :-)
    • I think this blog has gone a little off track and ironically makes the op point. We moan about our game so much, to each other and through the press (I consider these forums as a form of press) that gives a negative impression.

      We have people that are dedicated supporters spending more time criticising the game than reflecting on the positive side of it.

      I think it's natural to reflect on how things can be improved and that often leads to talking about what's "wrong" What I'd like to see more press on is the spectacular on field performances. What about the good refereeing decisions that were made during the year? Some awards for using common sense that promote change in attitude of the refs? 

      We need to collectively think more and be more positive about the game so it will prosper and be around to watch when we grow too old to do anything else with our time. I look forward to the day that the nurse comes in to change my adult diaper, and has to wait till half time during the Parra vs Helsinki grand final.

  • I also think that more time should be dedicated to the cheerleaders. Those poor girls sit on the sideline freezing their bits off and get very little attention except from the pissed idiots in the front rows.

    The half time reviews drag on and leave legends like stirlo having to listen to the drivel of drug/alcohol/repetitive brain injured retards. Wouldn't a 4 or 5 minute focus on the cheerleaders be a more enticing spectacle to bring us back to the telly from our toilet/tea/beer break?

    • I can't resist it any longer. I have to say it. With a little more flexibility in my lower back, if eat myself too.

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