My son started year 3 this year, I went to school today for a parents info session and could not believe that during terms 3 and 4 AFL, soccer (now called football) and Dragon tag are the choices. WTF I'm in Wollongong not fucking Melbourne or Perth.
With junior numbers declining the NRL better start looking in it's own back yard sooner rather than later.
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NRL should've sorted out the safety/concussion and boofheaded behaviour a long time ago, and it would be a much more attractive sport for parents to put their kids into.
That sure would of helped but from the grass roots looking up the fwits in charge have stopped playing it's like they have already conceded the inevitable
My son had three kids in his league team last year that have gone to soccer this year... the nrl are sitting on their hands out in Sydney’s golden west
Steve i think that has a bit to do wiht the school itself and the nrl development officers. I work in a school on the c coast and as of yet have not heard from the league officers....schools can also be influenced by the staff and also the time factor and i know afl come along and often do it for free.
The NRL now owns Touch Football Australia.
I honestly think the NRL need to focus much more heavily on Touch footy and othe non contact versions of the game in schools. Touch footy is a brilliant game. It’s fantastic and so much more fun than other sports. NRL went and bought Touch Footy, high time they used it.
Agreed but they have to take it back to the original rules. The rules slowly changed to make it a game for greyhounds, not footballers. The higher grade you play, the less footy IQ you need. You just have to be fast and agile but not a footy player. Touch numbers have declined dramatically over the years as people have migrated to Tag which is a proper footy game. Go back to 8 a side, kick on the fifth, proper kick off not a tap, play with markers and let the dummy half be caught with the ball without penalty and also be able to score tries. For heaven's sake call them tries NOT touchdowns. Oh, and play the ball back with your foot. The game of touch will continue to shrink until they slow it back down to be a game for everyone with a footy brain and not just for greyhounds. In addition, don't let the attacking team be able to instigate a touch. I just saved the NRL $500,000 on a study on how to grow touch but they'll go ahead and spend the money anyway. Make it as close to League as possible instead of letting it drift further and further away
It makes me laugh that there are the doomsdayers out there that think RL won't survive. Yes AFL and probably more so soccer has an appeal to both parents and kids. But professional RL will always be around it maybe a 10 team National competition in another 30yrs but it will survive its too good of a game not too.
If I was a Union fan then I'd be far more worried as it is a boring game nowadays!!!
JJ, RL will probably still be here in 30 years time but in what form I'm not too sure. RL generates most of it's revenue through TV rights, less kids involved with league now means less people paying to watch league in the future which means less TV dollars for RL.
No way will RL be able to secure any where near the amount that AFL will get. AFL's success is built on very high participation rates at all levels.
Just how successful a 10 team national comp would be I don't know, I would nearly bet Cameron Smith can still walk through Melbourne and not be recognised by 99% of kids (probably adults aswell). Victoria, South Aust, WA don't care about league, It will take years to get a foothold. How did AFL become so popular here, I think it's because 20 or 30 years ago they targeted schools and still do today.
I think Union has a massive advantage being very popular in Europe, South Africa, South America and even Japan. Even in New Zealand League is second fiddle to Union.
Maybe the horse has already bolted.
20 years ago, if someone suggested that I would have a grandson playing "aerial pingpong" I would have laughed it off as a bad joke yet it has happened.
I'm afraid AFL has now entrenched their game into our school systems & into local communities. The facilities & support systems r first rate, parents r welcomed, crowds r well behaved & the organisation is very professional. Having kids engaged also directly involves parents & family.
Sydney now have 2 FG Teams in the national comp with GWS being quickly established into League heartland whilst the NRL is still collectively navel gazing in the boardroom.
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