The bottom is shrinking and the head is now!

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eagle66

Bencher
Premium Member
In Rugby League, we have had for over a decade, probably two, the decline of our sport at the grass roots level. Country footy and local competition is on the decline which was a lifeblood of this sport from year dot.
The press cared only when they needed a story or, to hammer the sport. I felt the hierarchy did not care too much as the elite competition was growing, ie tv ratings, tv earnings, digital media and crowds.
Now, over the past couple of seasons, crowds are disappointing. All due to the management of the game by the NRL and the broadcasters. You all have grumbled about Brisbane on Friday's, not enough Sydney games on Sunday afternoons and Monday games. All decisions that have severely impacted on crowd figures. Let alone the handling of semi final timeslots.
Knee jerk reactions to rule interpretations add to the supporter's grief and despair.
Now, the fix to the problems of the game is to throw more money at a handful of players who threaten to leave. If a man did this to a woman, she would be classed a whore.
Why doesn't the NRL channel this money and effort into the grassroots of the sport
as a long term investment. Time has now shown us that the lack of investment and involvement is putting this game into a decline. Numbers are down, interest is down. And the NRL doesn't want to take the game to the people. "Build it and they will come" attitude is for Hollywood and is not working.
I have no grudge against any of the players wishing to leave the sport and pursue greater money, personal ambitions and/or more fame. I am against the NRL falling for the threat of leaving so more money can be thrown at individual players. The publicised player problems at Manly this year will become problems for the League, finally. I say finally, because the NRL choose when to step in and support or put the boot in, next, it will be their problem. More of the cap will be spent over a few players from each team and the NRL is prepared to throw more at the supposed elite. Negative, knee jerking reactions.
 
Wow aren't we lucky Greenturd and slimed Smith are running the game - they will fix it
 
Coming from a bush footy background I agree 100%.

Having lived in Moree ( Group 5 territory) for the first 50 years of my life, and remembering the Sunday arvo's where between 2000-3000 people would turn to watch the Boars play the Wee Waa Panthers ( as an example), and remembering when I was a kid and how big a deal it was to play junior football, times have certainly changed.

The Boars now struggle to survive, don't get a cent from the NRL, and if 200 turned up that would be a decent crowd.

What disgusts me most is my 5 year old grandson signed up for the Boars this year, his parents paid his $85 to join, bought him his boots, shorts, and Jersey AND he could have signed up for Auskick ( AFL) which isn't even played in the town and got a heap of gear, shorts, shirt, ball AND not paid a cent to be taught the game, so NRL how is this promoting the game in the bush??

I have long said that the NRL needs to support bush footy, compensate teams to move one game a year to regional / country areas in an attempt to grow the game.

But as we know, that doesn't fit in with Channel Nein or Fixtel they care only about ratings and subscribers.
 
You have Joey Johns and Brad Fittler going to PNG to hunt for rugby league that may be up to NRL standards and guess what.

ZERO NRL funding for this trip for the last 3 years. WTF!!

Greenturd and Smith too busy lining their own pockets and the large number of support staff.
 
Mark from Brisbane said:
Coming from a bush footy background I agree 100%.

Having lived in Moree ( Group 5 territory) for the first 50 years of my life, and remembering the Sunday arvo's where between 2000-3000 people would turn to watch the Boars play the Wee Waa Panthers ( as an example), and remembering when I was a kid and how big a deal it was to play junior football, times have certainly changed.

The Boars now struggle to survive, don't get a cent from the NRL, and if 200 turned up that would be a decent crowd.

What disgusts me most is my 5 year old grandson signed up for the Boars this year, his parents paid his $85 to join, bought him his boots, shorts, and Jersey AND he could have signed up for Auskick ( AFL) which isn't even played in the town and got a heap of gear, shorts, shirt, ball AND not paid a cent to be taught the game, so NRL how is this promoting the game in the bush??

I have long said that the NRL needs to support bush footy, compensate teams to move one game a year to regional / country areas in an attempt to grow the game.

But as we know, that doesn't fit in with Channel Nein or Fixtel they care only about ratings and subscribers.

All these years wondered why I did not like you Mark. You came from Moree and I came from narrabri ..haha ;). My best footy memories are country matches.
 
southsideeagle said:
Mark from Brisbane said:
Coming from a bush footy background I agree 100%.

Having lived in Moree ( Group 5 territory) for the first 50 years of my life, and remembering the Sunday arvo's where between 2000-3000 people would turn to watch the Boars play the Wee Waa Panthers ( as an example), and remembering when I was a kid and how big a deal it was to play junior football, times have certainly changed.

The Boars now struggle to survive, don't get a cent from the NRL, and if 200 turned up that would be a decent crowd.

What disgusts me most is my 5 year old grandson signed up for the Boars this year, his parents paid his $85 to join, bought him his boots, shorts, and Jersey AND he could have signed up for Auskick ( AFL) which isn't even played in the town and got a heap of gear, shorts, shirt, ball AND not paid a cent to be taught the game, so NRL how is this promoting the game in the bush??

I have long said that the NRL needs to support bush footy, compensate teams to move one game a year to regional / country areas in an attempt to grow the game.

But as we know, that doesn't fit in with Channel Nein or Fixtel they care only about ratings and subscribers.

All these years wondered why I did not like you Mark. You came from Moree and I came from narrabri ..haha ;). My best footy memories are country matches.

Bloody Narrabri, in Cricket, Rugby, League, by far our biggest foe's

Yes mate a Moree boy, left there in 2005 after more than 50 years!!

Still my home town!!
 
Was watching the movie Apocalypse Now the other night and there was a line from the movie that summed up the NRL heirarchy perfectly.
Willard says
" The war was being run by a bunch of four star clowns who were gunna end up giving the whole circus away."
 
Further to this my little 5 year old Grandson in Moree is playing junior cricket for the first time, Milo Cricket.

Doesn't matter that it's the bush they get the same kit as the city kids get, Bat, Hat, Backpack, Ball (not sure what else), oh yes a Milo Cricket Shirt.

The kids are to be visited in early 2015 by some NSW players who will fly up for the day, do some training, watch them play a game.

NOW

Compare that to Junior Rugby League in the town, where if it wasn't for the Moree Boars, and their Dad's the game wouldn't exist.

So in a small country town, bang in the middle of Rugby League country there's support for,

AFL
Soccer
Cricket
Netball

But not a zac, or a hand at all from Rugby League.

Its no bloody wonder that the A-League is going gang busters, or that the Big Bash has taken off, or that AFL are starting new clubs.

It all starts with the kids, and on that issue the NRL get an F-
 
Couldn't agree more with original post. Junior football everywhere seems to be unsupported and all the NRL cares about is the top level product. If those top players leave for whatever reasons let them go, if your looking after the grassroots the next top line players are waiting to take their places. Unbelievable that everything gets given to you to play Oz kick but you need to pay subs plus buy your own kit to play RL in NSW
 

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