Footy's golden vision for 2020 By Phil Rothfield

IT'S the year 2020. David Gallop has quit as NRL boss and now works for News Limited as an in-house lawyer.His deputy Graham Annesley is the NSW Police Minister in the Liberal Government, having won the seat of Miranda at his second attempt. Michael Searle has chucked in his job on the Gold Coast and is the new NRL CEO. The Bulldogs' Todd Greenberg is Searle's offsider.The Sharks still haven't won a premiership.Neither has Brian Smith.The Bears are back on the road again from the Central Coast in an 18-team competition - but they still haven't made the semis.Television rights are now worth well over $1 billion, shared by Nine, Seven and Fox Sports. Phil Gould is still saying "no, no, no, no, no" about video refs, News Limited and the game's administration.Veteran Daniel Mortimer is the Parramatta captain and his agent Steve Gillis is threatening that his $1 million annual salary needs upgrading or he will be playing rugby in Japan next year under Suzuki coach Ricky Stuart.Jarryd Hayne has created history by becoming the first former NRL star to win the Brownlow Medal from western Sydney. And ... the game has now been run by an independant commission for a decade. OK, so this all might be a pipedream, but here's how I see rugby league in 10 years time.The competitionThe old theory about too many Sydney clubs is no longer an issue. The premiership is built and thriving around the passion and tribalism of fiercely proud fans of Parramatta, St George Illawarra, the Bulldogs, Manly, Souths and the Bondi Roosters.There are now 18 teams in the premiership after administrators finally woke up to the fact the Central Coast had a lot to offer. They got a start in 2014 and Bluetongue Stadium is packed every second week as the locals rally around the reinvented Bears.David Fairleigh is the coach. He beat Jason Taylor for the gig because officials were worried about Taylor's karate at the Florida and Iguanas. A second team is playing out of Brisbane and Suncorp Stadium is pulling crowds of 40,000 every week, not just every fortnight as when the Broncos ruled the town.The commission is now considering expanding to 20 teams with expressions of interest from a second New Zealand side, in Wellington, and Papua New Guinea.The schedulingThe independent commission has been up and running for a decade and is listening to fans, who had been saying for years in The Daily Telegraph's fan surveys that they wanted more afternoon football and fewer games at night. Only one game is now played on Friday nights. Saturday afernoon football has made a comeback at 3pm.Other Saturday games kick off at 5.30pm and 7.30pm. There is Sunday afternoon footy in Sydney every weekend, just like the good old pre-Super League days. The Sunday games kick off at 12.30pm and 2.30pm. There's another twilight match kicking off at 4.30pm, leading into Nine news.And Monday night football is still going strong on Fox Sports.Player wagesThe game lost Craig Wing, Mark Gasnier and $onny Bill to overseas rugby and Karmichael Hunt and Jarryd Hayne to AFL. The Hayne defection finally convinced administrators they were in a fair dinkum war.So the biggest names in the NRL like Daniel Mortimer are now earning around $1 million a year. The salary cap has doubled to $8 million on the back of the new television deal, more gate takings and bigger sponsorships.Clubs finally conceded blockbuster games should be played out of Homebush or the SFS so fans aren't locked out. The average league attendance has risen from 15,000 in 2009 to 25,000 because of the bigger grounds.Rep footyCity-Country is dead and Sydney only gets one State of Origin game. The other Origin matches and Tests are all played out of Melbourne and Brisbane because of lack of interest in the harbour city. Islanders now comprise a majority of NRL players and, as a result, the Kiwis are the dominant Test nation.Western SydneyThe NRL is now competing with the AFL, an A-League soccer team and a Super 16 rugby union franchise. Soccer has moved from the Homebush Showground to Pratten Park, which is more than capable of accommodating their 4000 average crowds. League is winning the war in the west.Sydney's second AFL franchise is now coached by Barry Hall with Tony Lockett as media director in their latest publicity stunt. Rugby union? Well, John O'Neill got out after we ran seventh in the 2011 World Cup. The reintroduction of weight divisions in junior league has spawned an explosion in players.Melbourne StormPrivate ownership has had its issues in the NRL. Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court still don't talk to each other. They have been communicating by email for 12 years.Scott Penn and Max Delmege are still at loggerheads. The only thing they ever agreed on was the appointment of Graham Lowe as CEO in 2009.Storm have defied the trend. Brian Waldron has pulled together a consortium of businessmen who bought the club for $1 in 2009. They moved into the liquor and gaming industries to cover the initial annual losses of $6 million a year from the footy club.Melbourne fans have embraced the new stadium and the club is on target to make a small profit this year, despite paying coach Craig Bellamy $1.5 million a year.So there you have it. The sky hasn't fallen in. There's no News Limited or ARL involvement, but league is still the greatest game of all.http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/footys-golden-vision-for-2020/story-e6frexnr-1225805925162

Thanks for that Tony Bongo. Hopefully you are wrong but even if you aren't I couldn't crossover to the Eels if I tried. I like the Eels but I LOVE the sharks.

I think all of you true Parramatta fans would understand that when you love a team and have done so forever you can't just switch to another just so that you can be supporting a winning team. If it was possible I don't think Cronulla would have any fans left!

A lot of people enjoy laughing at the sharks fans but I don't really care.If you have remained a loyal fan of the Sharks over all these years you are the definition of a true supporter, which is something to be proud of rather than ashamed, IMO.
You only have to see how the numbers have dwindled on this site since the defeat in the grandfinal to realise there are many fickle so-called fans out there.

"I think you missed the point there Poppa. Daz correct me if I'm wrong here, but basically what he is saying is that because Wiz has a good understanding of spreadsheets, he can instuct ChatGPT to do work for him, then with his inbuilt knowledge and…"

"WOW! That is remarkable thinking Daz but a spreadsheet is a simple equation and if it is not solvable the answer will NOT be there.
What am I missing?
I just looked up "indexicality" I didn't have a clue and I get the contextual aspect.....now...…"

"NSW win... dry track, too much strike, embarrassed after game 2. Just hope they're not running out a couple that are too injured!
Ashley 'Queenslander' Klein to blow his first penalty to QLD due to how the Blues run out on to the field... "...and…"

Replies

Camo73 December 2, 2009 at 8:32pm

I like it.
He didn't say anything about the Eels dynasty which started in 2010 and saw them win 4 premierships in 6 years.
- TABONE > Camo73 December 2, 2009 at 8:37pm
  
  Mate sounds good to me 4 IN 6 YEARS bring in on!!!!!
Nidge December 3, 2009 at 12:58pm

This article was speculative bullshit at its best! God this paper and journalist make me laugh! Although it was all a bit tongue-in-cheek it astonishes me that this paper is actually proud to make shit up and print it...
Michael Ericson December 3, 2009 at 4:18pm

He is a bit over the top in his assessment of Motimer isn't he? - In fact i think the recent media beat up surrounding mortimer is on the whole over the top and, if anything, potentially damaging to Mortimer.

The guy hasn't even shown the full ambit of skills yet - he scored a couple of good, opportunists tries but to start talking about him being the highest paid man in leagure - i mean come on!
Gooraz December 3, 2009 at 9:50pm

I disagree with phil about the sharks having not won a premiership in the next 10 years, but I can see morts becoming the one of the best. Parra will win the premiership in 2010,followed by the sharks in 2011,then parra will win the next two. Sharks again in 2014,then it's 6 in a row for the mighty EELS...........Well I'ts O.K to dream anyway!!!!
- Sharkiesboomboomboom > Gooraz December 6, 2009 at 11:21am
  
  I like the bit about the Sharks Gooraz, except I don't wanna wait any longer!!!! I have waited long enough, my dad has been waiting since 1967 and my poor old nan died without tasting victory...
tele1 December 6, 2009 at 5:47pm

ouch !!

I felt that hit and i'm sitting 30 rows back in the grandstand

I think every fan, especially if you have been supporting YOUR team for life - should experience at least one GF victory in your lifetime - and have the opportunity to share that little piece of magic with the people that got you hooked in the first place - Like Dad's and Nan's etc

Sadly, it doesn't always work out that way - Remember the Nth Sydney Bears (last GF win in 1922) and Newtown Jets (last GF win in 1943) - sadly, both teams are no longer part of the NRL and both teams would have had generations of fans that did not get to have THEIR day - gotta feel a bit for the loyal and fan-for-lifers in those circumstancres i reckon

Thank goodness for Jack Gibson
Sharkiesboomboomboom December 6, 2009 at 6:34pm

Thanks for that Tony Bongo. Hopefully you are wrong but even if you aren't I couldn't crossover to the Eels if I tried. I like the Eels but I LOVE the sharks.

I think all of you true Parramatta fans would understand that when you love a team and have done so forever you can't just switch to another just so that you can be supporting a winning team. If it was possible I don't think Cronulla would have any fans left!

A lot of people enjoy laughing at the sharks fans but I don't really care.If you have remained a loyal fan of the Sharks over all these years you are the definition of a true supporter, which is something to be proud of rather than ashamed, IMO.
You only have to see how the numbers have dwindled on this site since the defeat in the grandfinal to realise there are many fickle so-called fans out there.

This reply was deleted.

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