Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 4:31 pm  

if they played union in our garden i would keep the curtains shut.

Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:08 pm  

cjhatesunion wrote:

There has been topics in the past about the codes merging.

IMO if this happens RL will get completely taken over by the union juggernaut.

I know RL in Australia is king but after there RL is looked at (let's be honest here) as a second class sport,especially where union is concerned.

Can I quote this back to you at work on Saturday, Col ?

Outside of Australia (and PNG), RU is the bigger code. Not because it is better game, not because it has better players, and not because of the structure of its club competitions. RU is bigger because of its international game and the way it can attract large crowds to attend Test matches. These showpiece occasions attract tv contracts, sponsorship deals from multi-national companies, other media interest, and revenue streams that RL can only dream about.

If RL doesn't sort out its international game, to appeal to a mass audience, then it won't die, it won't merge with RU, but it will drift back into being a semi-pro/part-time affair at the top level. Whether this is a bad thing or not I'll leave others to decide; after all, we used to enjoy watching part-timers back in the 80's and early 90's.

Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 6:51 pm  

Btw I'd just wait and see what the next NRL TV deal is like before you write off our sport. If, as expected, it's a bumper deal there's every chance that the NRL could crush international RU in Australia and NZ. The only people interested in watching RU in the northern hemisphere are people brought up on it, toffs and sell outs. Your average Joe Bloke isn't that interested and if all the best players start funnelling to the NRL from down under then their game will be in a bigger crisis than our's. You'll always have your toff inbreds who want to watch the mighty English empire beat one of its colonies or get flogged by one but where's the attraction going to be when the Australians can't put together a proper national side for a World Cup?

There are just over 40,000 registered players in Australia playing RU. In Australian RL, in 2010, there was 50,000 children in Victoria alone participated in RL school programs. Overall there are over 400,000 participants in RL in Australia. Now if the NRL pay deal pays off big (rumours have been that it could take some of the players into earnings in excess of £500k a year) that's likely to impact upon the RU players and also NZ where there are just over 140,000 players. If the NRL can offer those kind of salaries to RU players they will start to drift across for sure.

Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:35 pm  

McClennan wrote:

Btw I'd just wait and see what the next NRL TV deal is like before you write off our sport. If, as expected, it's a bumper deal there's every chance that the NRL could crush international RU in Australia and NZ. The only people interested in watching RU in the northern hemisphere are people brought up on it, toffs and sell outs. Your average Joe Bloke isn't that interested and if all the best players start funnelling to the NRL from down under then their game will be in a bigger crisis than our's. You'll always have your toff inbreds who want to watch the mighty English empire beat one of its colonies or get flogged by one but where's the attraction going to be when the Australians can't put together a proper national side for a World Cup?

There are just over 40,000 registered players in Australia playing RU. In Australian RL, in 2010, there was 50,000 children in Victoria alone participated in RL school programs. Overall there are over 400,000 participants in RL in Australia. Now if the NRL pay deal pays off big (rumours have been that it could take some of the players into earnings in excess of £500k a year) that's likely to impact upon the RU players and also NZ where there are just over 140,000 players. If the NRL can offer those kind of salaries to RU players they will start to drift across for sure.

Is there any specific circumstance that's behind this potentially astronomic rise in TV revenue? Have they been pulling in much improved viewing figures? Is there more competition for the rights? It would be nice if something even remotely similar could happen over here, but I'll not be holding my breath.

Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:37 pm  

Dux wrote: Is there any specific circumstance that's behind this potentially astronomic rise in TV revenue? Have they been pulling in much improved viewing figures? Is there more competition for the rights? It would be nice if something even remotely similar could happen over here, but I'll not be holding my breath. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-l ... netimes_sb

Dux wrote: Is there any specific circumstance that's behind this potentially astronomic rise in TV revenue? Have they been pulling in much improved viewing figures? Is there more competition for the rights? It would be nice if something even remotely similar could happen over here, but I'll not be holding my breath. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-l ... netimes_sb

Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 8:45 pm  

McClennan wrote:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/duelling-tv-networks-may-double-nrls-take-20110302-1bew1.html?from=brisbanetimes_sb

Cheers. Interesting stuff. Hopefully Lewis wasn't blowing hot air when he said a few weeks back that this was going to be the most competitive bidding market yet for SL rights.

Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 9:35 pm  

Two different sports. Why would one need to die, no matter how big the other became?

Football is raking in outrageous amounts of cash, and pulling in millions of viewers. Hockey hasn't died.

Re: RU will overrun RL : Thu Mar 03, 2011 11:05 pm  

Last week there was a rugby union game between two sides from two of the biggest Cities in the country.

packed to the rafters it was the media interest in the game was massive. Those fans locked out would have filled the halliwell jones even with its corners filled in..........

actually the above bit's a Lie......just 5,000 watched Leeds V Newcastle

god only knows what rubbish was on display for 80 minutes aswell.

If that game is going to swallow Rugby League up then i'm a Mad Red Squirrel

Re: RU will overrun RL : Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:16 am  

McClennan wrote:

Btw I'd just wait and see what the next NRL TV deal is like before you write off our sport. If, as expected, it's a bumper deal there's every chance that the NRL could crush international RU in Australia and NZ.....................

Whilst it wouldn't surprise me to see the demise of RU in Australia (and good riddance), I doubt the NRL would be able to "crush international RU" in New Zealand.

Australia has always been the poor relation in the Southern Hemisphere when it comes to RU. New Zealand and South Africa (or at least Afrikanaar SA) live and breathe RU, and I doubt a NRL tv deal would do much damage.

Re: RU will overrun RL : Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:42 am  

Not a chance!

Does anybody remember the GMR phone ins, about 15 years ago, with "contraversial" Kevin Ashcroft, spouting the same sh1t3 every week "there,s no doubt, there'll be a hybrid game within a decade"......well Kevin....I'm waiting, well actually I'm not, as the idea of watching the 3 point code, fills me with the same joy as having a filling at the dentist.

They don't like us, and we don't like them, on the whole.
I'm sure if Uncle Rupert asked RL and RU to merge to form a new sport, I'm pretty sure both authorites would tell him where to put his Australian Dollars