DISCORD: Edition #4

NRL Live Scores: WARR v BRIS SOUT v PARR SHAR v GOL NEWC v STGI CANB v NQLD WEST v MELB SYDN v MAN CANT v PENR
NYC Live Scores: [LIVE] WARR v BRIS SOUT v PARR SHAR v GOL [LIVE] NEWC v STGI CANB v NQLD WEST v MELB SYDN v MAN BULL v PENR

Discord
DISCORD: EDITION #4

Wednesday 6 May 2009 18:26 +Blog - Have your say on this article
by Steve Mascord

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LET'S start by saying that any move which either reduces the number of teams in Sydney or takes a step in that direction is a good move. The empty seats we see each weekend is a testament to the chronic over-supply of rugby league in that city.

But Cronulla to the Central Coast for five games a year? It just doesn't seem ideal, does it?

For a start, there are the poor North Sydney fans who have allowed themselves in recent months to get their hopes up about a return to the premiership as the Central Coast Bears.

You can bet they are no massive fans of the Sharks right now and if the Bears do one day return to the NRL, a new bitter rivalry may just have been born this week.

Secondly, there is the fact it's Cronulla who have fewer links to the area than many other teams in the competition. Manly, South Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney Roosters - they've had a presence there that the Sharkies have not so one suspects more than half the fans who attend these matches will be cheering for the opposition.

Another point is one we've already made - if Wollongong cannot support a team of it's own then how can Gosford?

And finally there is the fact it's just five matches. This is not relocation in any meaningful sense but an unequivocal grab for cash. The NRL must stay strong and not give Cronulla another $8 million on top of the $100,000-per-match they are reportedly getting.

But let's not condemn Cronulla, either.

The St George Illawarra and Wests Tigers joint ventures were also, when you look at it, grabs for cash. Before the Super League War, John Quayle and Ken Arthurson's strategy was to invite everyone to a 20-team competition and then let market forces take care of thinning the number of competitors in Sydney.

Fifteen years on, things have settled down enough for those market forces to again come into effect.

And if Gosford can't support a team of it's own, then maybe the split-games formula is exactly right for the region. The Central Coast Bear-Sharks, anyone?
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THE New Zealand Rugby League has always done things differently and it has always been refreshing to deal with them as a reporter in the middle of - or at the end of - daily interaction with Australian officials who have been beaten into rigorous routine by scrutiny and controversy.

I mean, you couldn't dream up the Nathan Fien scandal, could you?

But as with many of the other weird and wonderful ways the Kiwis do things, their practise of telling players before club games that they are in the Test side will eventually be a thing of the past.

Ivan Cleary's concerns expressed in Wollongong on Sunday were completely valid. How do you think a team full of players who knew they were already in a rep' team would go against a lineup full of those who thought they were playing for a jersey?

OK, there are travel issues. But tell players they are "in the mix'' and advise them to bring some extra gear with them. Don't just tap them on the shoulder before an important club game and hand them a cap.

It's interesting the way the NZRL deals with NRL clubs. Penrith had a whinge a few years ago about players being contacted directly so Mick Leary is kept informed at all times.

Shane Richardson at Souths didn't hear from the Kiwis at all. Kevin Moore was told by his player, Greg Eastwood that he had been picked. And Ivan Cleary did not know who had been chosen at all!

Hey, it makes for great copy and God bless 'em but it will change.
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JUST continuing on the representative theme and ... have you seen the program for the NSW and Queensland sides when they are in Melbourne for Origin I.

You might imagine every effort being made to use them to promote the game, with fan days in Federation Square and open training sessions at Olympic Park and such.

And you'd be wrong.

Instead, one team is going to Werribee for camp and another is heading to a golf resort of some description. Craig Bellamy and Mal Meninga want to win (and Craig might be a bit sick of Melbourne) but this is beyond the pale when we are trying to promote our game in territory that many would still consider "foreign''.

Coaches would like to have 14 players on the field to help them win too, but we don't let them do we?

No, it is time for the ARL to introduce a rule whereby teams are compelled to be in the host city for at least five days before a representative game.
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QUEENSLAND Rugby League director Brad Tallon was an interested spectator at the Magic Weekend in Scotland.

There has been plenty of talk over the past 12 months about playing a whole NRL round at Suncorp. Tallon believes the big attraction of the Murrayfield weekend is that people get away for a few days so there is no parallel there.

But there's still some thinking to do be done on the issue. What do you reckon?
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ONE last thing: it's interesting to see Sydney Roosters coach Brad Fittler got fined for saying after the Sharks game on Sunday that referees pick on his men.

Yet during the Dragons match on Sunday, Warriors captain Steve Price told Jason Robinson: "How come when we score you always go upstairs (to the video ref) and when they score you always award it?''

Robinson replied: "What sort of theory is that, Steve? Honestly...''

So the message is there - if you want to question a referee's impartiality, do it to his face, during the game!

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Clubs: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, St George Illawarra Dragons, Sydney Roosters, New Zealand Warriors, North Sydney Bears

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Jones-Buchanan and Clarkson ruled out for Rhinos 2010 engage English Super League - Round 27

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my husband RODNEY CHUCK HENNIKER played for 2 sides that aren t around anymore NORTH SYDNEY BEARS, and he was an original STEELER what team do we go for.if i hear st george dragons one more time .how many sydney players are in the team. not many all illawarra and norths should be at gosford .guys just want to play footy

janine henniker ( nee TALLON) submitted on Wednesday 7 Jul 2010 0:13:40

There must be plenty of great marketing ideas available to league;

# indigenous team.v.nrl all stars - played at the gold coast as a season opener.

# back to country - 3 games over a weekend in a major regional town - Dubbo / Orange / Maryborough / Port Macquarie etc etc etc etc. Do a joint promotion gig with State govt + tourism board & add the footy to another weekend attraction/festival.

# The QLD tour- Friday night in Cairns, Saturday arvo in Mackay & Sunday arvo on the Sunshine coast.

# The big weekend - let regional centres bid for a whole round of NRL footy. State Govts would have to back it with $.

there has to be many ideas. The barrier of course is the arcane and ineffective structure of the game - the nrl/arl/crl/nswrl/qldrl/news ltd set up.
Michael submitted on Monday 11 May 2009 10:33:25

Nick as an Illawarra resident I can tell you that support for StGeorge Illawarra isn't massive in Wollongong...alot of people stoppped supporting Rugby League closely when the Steelers merged. If Wollongong gets an A-league team I think league crowds will drop below the average of 15,000 currently showing up to WIN stadium NRL games.
richo submitted on Friday 8 May 2009 22:01:32

Cronulla should be EXTINCT I say. Fancy getting rid of Greg Bird and Fraser Anderson I say. Good on the NRL I say for not helping them I say.
Spy Hector submitted on Friday 8 May 2009 17:30:09

F.Y.I. - There are only 11 games played in the NFL post season and it doesn't run for 3 months.
Strucy submitted on Friday 8 May 2009 10:47:05

I'd like to see something like Millennium Magic Weekend happen in the NRL as well. I think it's a fair point Junior made about the purpose of it and whether Brisbane for an NRL version is the best option. Melbourne might be a viable option ... a full weekend of NRL action with heavy promotion and cut-price ticketing might just get a few more people interested and show them they don't have to support the Storm only. A left-field suggestion might be somewhere like PNG, Fiji or Samoa ... I think you'd fill whatever stadiums they have and then some for every single game. An even bigger left-field suggestion (and no, I'm not channelling Ribot) would be the USA, however it's not particularly accessible even for diehard fans who may shell out to go to PNG, Fiji or Samoa no less than Auckland.

I agree on the pre-game Origin promotion in the host city too. However, when TV revenue far outweighs the gate and the fans aren't the priority, why would anyone be surprised?!

Another top column Steve! I'm enjoying it every week, I hope everyone else is too.
Chris Riediger submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 23:13:15

Simple:

Drop the salary cap and let capitalism sort 'em out the way the real world operates! Simple supply and demand...

Done.
Lismore Lad submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 20:21:17

If the NRL had any balls they would match CC cost option and have Cronulla play out of Adelaide

Play 1 + 5 games in 2010
Then 7 in 2011
Then 8 in 2012
and finally 9 in 2013

And they would also get the $ 8 mil relocation costs
Siv submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 20:11:24

NRL should keep the sharks afloat till the end of the season then if they can't stand up on there own dump them and bring back the bears.
Gus submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 18:31:48

Dont agree with a millenium weekend in a league stronghold at all at best maybe double headers at the same ground but thats it. They should do them in any capital city minus brisbane, canberra, sydney. I reckon perth would do pretty well even though subiaco oval is a crap stadium. I also agree sydney need to cut down there teams to about 6. I reckon sharks to adelaide, penrith to central coast queensland and eels to... who knows. Good news is theres plenty of places to expand too.
Junior submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 16:34:44

Steve, I endorse your comments about NOT letting players know before a club game that they are playing in a test the following week as per current NZRL policy. One of the problems I see apart from those you and coaches have raised is that the player concerned may be less inclined to mix it in the rough if only to avoid injury. I know that there are some players who are 'sitters' for test positions and generally know they are, but usually these are the onces who have been through this before and will still give their all (a la Steve Matai) in club games prior to tests. Clubs are entitled to 100 percent commitment, no matter if the whole team is going to be chosen for a test. Perhaps the selectors (NZRL or whomever) might inform the Club Coach or Manager of the pick(s) prior to the game, and the player(s) then informed after the game by the club coach. Wierd and wonderful though the NZ system might seem, it's not good for club supporters and Club management.
Jake Spear submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 14:44:38

A weekend at Suncorp misses the whole point of Millenium Magic Weekend - it is taken to a new area (Edinburgh, Cardiff) to get new fans - not boost attendances in an existing market!

Also the best outcome for the NRL on relocations is Sharkies to Adelaide with a couple key games (Saints, etc) at Shark park a year, and Bears to Gosford with key (traditional) games at Nth Sydney Oval.

Then they can also add Perth/Wellington/2nd Brissy team for an 18 team comp.
Jason submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 11:31:00

Steve, Wollongong is supporting a team, they're called St George Illawarra. The Central Coast shouldn't have the problem of a split supporter base, as long as the move the Sharks make is complete. As you say, this 5 games a season proposal doesn't make sense, and pokes fun at the Rugby League support in that region. It also shouldn't be supported by the NRL in any case.
Nick submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 9:15:09

Take the Magic Weekend to Suncorp - what's the use? The idea is to PROMOTE the game so why not take to to Melbourne during the Origin period when the crowds are down anyway? Can you imagine an Origin in Melbourne on the Wednesday then a full round of games a few days later? I would go down there for that!
PS: Steve, get a haircut - that fashion went out 15 years ago!
magpiemick submitted on Thursday 7 May 2009 8:23:56

The NRL has an unknown amount of Dollars that no-one seems to realise.
They could of easily helped Balmain, North Syndey, Illawarra, St. George, Wests etc.
They chose not to.
N.S.W is the home of Rugby League, if you destroy the tradition and rivalry then we'll have an NFL-style game that has 3 month Semi-finals, and teams moving location every 5 months.

The NRL is rich, they want to make more money. They can do that by handing out NRL team licenses.

Leave the Sydney teams alone. They tried it with Souths a (at the time) 92 year old team.

Bring in An Adelaide, Perth. and Gosford team.
Make it national, support them finacially and stop shrinking the game.

Remember it was the N.S.W.R.L once upon a time.
Phil Anselmo submitted on Wednesday 6 May 2009 22:14:12

The sharks should take the cash and fully relocate to Gosford to ensure their future for all their fans around the country. Not just the dwindling number that reside in the shire. Over time the Central Coast Sharks will win over the locals when backed by a financialy strong club giving locals a direct pathway to the top league. This will then make an easy decision for the next 2 expansion franchises in 2013. Perth and a 3rd south east Queensland team - the Moreton Bay Dolphins sound good.
shane rooster submitted on Wednesday 6 May 2009 22:06:52

Why don't the NRL follow the American model and look at a conference system say one for the traditional Sydney teams and one for the regional sides with a finals series at the end of the year and frankly axing teams along with their much needed Rugby League traditions will only damage our game even more by disenfranchising whole sections of our community leaving a void which I'm sure UNION AFL and SOCCER will be only too happy to fill remember we did have an expanded 20 team comp before the Super-league war erupted so expansion is not virgin territory some are trying to make it out to be so it's more like regaining lost ground if anything.
Tom,QLD. submitted on Wednesday 6 May 2009 19:40:15

See tips from Sportingbet's Darryl Brohman!

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