HOW RIGGED IS THE NRL

[Fibros]

Just follow the Broncos. Problem solved.

 

[steve-o]

He was drafted in the 6th round, that's how rigged the NFL is, they turned a 6th round pick into a hall of famer just so the Patriots could have a dynasty.

In all serious though anyone who believes that any major sporting competition is rigged is not thinking straight.

Ummm….Cochise meet roosters salary cap.Also sy hi to NRL draw scheduling.

The Broncos getting most Friday night games has nothing to do with rigging the draw, it is all about maximising rating in Qld. I still think it is wrong but to say they are doing because they are rigging the comp is tin foil hat thinking.

The Roosters use third party agreements to extend their cap, I personally do not know their is much the NRL can do about those as do not personally believe we should be limiting what players can earn through endorsements.

Can I please remind all that neither the Titans or Cowboys want Friday night games

This is half the reason why Brisbane get Friday Night games

The other is simple , they draw big crowds week in week out

Heard someone whinging about all the Broncos playing SOO , with Gillett injured , they had what 2-3 players McCullough , Oates and Milf from memory

I hate the Broncs as much as the next bloke , hurt them by getting a strong 2nd side in Brisbane asap , forget the Friday Night argument , it is ridiculous , if Sydney based sides showed up with 20 K + crowds every week things would change , trust me

Both of your reasons are wrong lol
Broncos get so many free to air games because of TV ratings, that’s it. The ratings for Cowboys and Titans don’t come close to the broncos, so even if they wanted home games on Thursday/Friday, Broncos would still get the free to air games.
Crowd sizes have nothing to do with it

 

[steve-o]

If you were the NRL and wanted to rig the comp what would be the best top 8.

I’d say
Melbourne - still a developing market
Brisbane - big QLD club
Gold Coast - chance to establish a rivalry with Brisbane and get people on the coast interested - blow the Suns away.
Newcastle - big league town would be great for the game.
New Zealand - great for the game over there and will bring the expats out of the woodwork.
Then 3 of Wests/Souths/St. George/ Parra - probably the biggest Sydney clubs.

That top 8 would make the finals massive and crowds would surge.

I reckon the NRL would want:
Broncos
Storm
Warriors
Tigers
Eels
Bulldogs
Rabbitohs
Dragons

 

[Kerry_Cogger]

The NRL may not be "rigged" as in the result of a game is pre-determined but games/results are without question manipulated by referees to get a desired outcome. That is not far off being genuinely rigged IMO.
There are just too many horrendous stuff-ups every single week for it simply to be written off as incompetence or honest mistakes.
You could easily write a 10 000 word essay on examples of bias, favouritism etc in just the last 10 years of the NRL alone.
You only have to look at how many "fairytales" have occurred within the NRL comp over the last 10 years or so. If it is all just coincidence it would be astonishing to say the least.

I somewhat agree. The competition is not rigged, but there are a number of biases that favour particular teams. For example, the desire for strong tv ratings results in the broncos getting more free to air games (and thus exposure for sponsors) than other teams. Third party agreements favour teams with strong business connections (eg broncos, roosters). Referees giving teams catch up penalties or Billy Slater winning player of the series are other examples of ridiculous bias in our game. Even the judiciary is insanely inconsistent… they seem to come down harsh on “no-name” players or high profile cases (eg Sam Burgess elbow to Morris), whereas when a media darling is up for suspension ahead of an origin game, they find a way to exonerate him.
Agendas, unconscious bias, money, and a bunch of other factors have resulted in a number of inconsistencies that advantage some people/clubs over others. There is no overarching conspiracy to fix games though.

I think this is a very accurate post and think it is something that happens throughout the world of sport, in the NFL many people believe that the bigger market teams get a better rub of the green in these same sorts of situations that you have pointed out. The AFL openly give advantages to teams in new markets.

I do disagree with the post you quoted saying that games are manipulated by refs to get a desired outcome, that would be out and out cheating and I honestly believe that is not occurring. There are however a number of aspects that can subconsciously have an impact on a referee, things such as home crowds, position on the ladder, perception of a team, team and player history can all influence a ref when making a decision. This is not cheating, just poor refereeing.

Yep, as you said, it’s poor refereeing as opposed to deliberate manipulation of results. And this is a conversation had across many competitions, not just the NRL

Its not poor refereeing its agenda based from thee boardrooms above. This is where the problem lies Rip the storm or Roosters etc off your name is mud.Not by the masses who support the peoples teams but by the select few who are the "movers and shakers.This is where the problem lies over the course of a year the hundreds of 50-50 calls a team receives should even out…Well let me tell you it doesn't it operates 90-10 to the elite.A lot of players,officials and fans from a lot of clubs have had enough of this crap.

 

[innsaneink]

Lets see the detailed figures Kerry…
Youre very very definitive

 

[happy_tiger]

Ummm….Cochise meet roosters salary cap.Also sy hi to NRL draw scheduling.

The Broncos getting most Friday night games has nothing to do with rigging the draw, it is all about maximising rating in Qld. I still think it is wrong but to say they are doing because they are rigging the comp is tin foil hat thinking.

The Roosters use third party agreements to extend their cap, I personally do not know their is much the NRL can do about those as do not personally believe we should be limiting what players can earn through endorsements.

Can I please remind all that neither the Titans or Cowboys want Friday night games

This is half the reason why Brisbane get Friday Night games

The other is simple , they draw big crowds week in week out

Heard someone whinging about all the Broncos playing SOO , with Gillett injured , they had what 2-3 players McCullough , Oates and Milf from memory

I hate the Broncs as much as the next bloke , hurt them by getting a strong 2nd side in Brisbane asap , forget the Friday Night argument , it is ridiculous , if Sydney based sides showed up with 20 K + crowds every week things would change , trust me

Both of your reasons are wrong lol
Broncos get so many free to air games because of TV ratings, that’s it. The ratings for Cowboys and Titans don’t come close to the broncos, so even if they wanted home games on Thursday/Friday, Broncos would still get the free to air games.
Crowd sizes have nothing to do with it

Steve The 8.00 pm game on Friday is usually the highest rating FTA NRL game every weekend either way by a big margin , doesn't matter who is playing

Cowboys have many people travel anything up to 4-6 hours to their games and prefer the Saturday night timeslot for home games

Titans prefer the 2.00 pm Sunday home games for holidaymakers / fans can watch either home and away , people check out at 10.00 pm Sunday morning and get to the game after lunch

Cowboys and Titans only want Friday games for the derby games against each other or Brisbane of course

Fans watching games want atmosphere , having 7000 show up to watch the Roosters play the Dogs for example doesn't do it

Having 40 000 + watching a Bronc's v Cowboys game which have been some of the games of the season for at least the last 5-6 years has fans talking before a whistle has even been blown

 

[Chicken_Faced_Killa]

Lets see the detailed figures Kerry…
Youre very very definitive

Don’t waste your time mate, facts are Kerry’s forte.

 

[Kerry_Cogger]

Lets see the detailed figures Kerry…
Youre very very definitive

Don’t waste your time mate, facts are Kerry’s forte.

You trying to hijack another thread.You certainly have some hijacking form don't you?

 

[Kerry_Cogger]

The Broncos getting most Friday night games has nothing to do with rigging the draw, it is all about maximising rating in Qld. I still think it is wrong but to say they are doing because they are rigging the comp is tin foil hat thinking.

The Roosters use third party agreements to extend their cap, I personally do not know their is much the NRL can do about those as do not personally believe we should be limiting what players can earn through endorsements.

Can I please remind all that neither the Titans or Cowboys want Friday night games

This is half the reason why Brisbane get Friday Night games

The other is simple , they draw big crowds week in week out

Heard someone whinging about all the Broncos playing SOO , with Gillett injured , they had what 2-3 players McCullough , Oates and Milf from memory

I hate the Broncs as much as the next bloke , hurt them by getting a strong 2nd side in Brisbane asap , forget the Friday Night argument , it is ridiculous , if Sydney based sides showed up with 20 K + crowds every week things would change , trust me

Both of your reasons are wrong lol
Broncos get so many free to air games because of TV ratings, that’s it. The ratings for Cowboys and Titans don’t come close to the broncos, so even if they wanted home games on Thursday/Friday, Broncos would still get the free to air games.
Crowd sizes have nothing to do with it

Steve The 8.00 pm game on Friday is usually the highest rating FTA NRL game every weekend either way by a big margin , doesn't matter who is playing

Cowboys have many people travel anything up to 4-6 hours to their games and prefer the Saturday night timeslot for home games

**Titans prefer the 2.00 pm Sunday home games for holidaymakers / fans can watch either home and away , people check out at 10.00 pm Sunday morning and get to the game after lunch\
\**
Cowboys and Titans only want Friday games for the derby games against each other or Brisbane of course

Fans watching games want atmosphere , having 7000 show up to watch the Roosters play the Dogs for example doesn't do it

Having 40 000 + watching a Bronc's v Cowboys game which have been some of the games of the season for at least the last 5-6 years has fans talking before a whistle has even been blown

Wouldn't the titans situation you describe hold true for the Broncos too re holiday makers etc?

 

[innsaneink]

Lets see the detailed figures Kerry…
Youre very very definitive

Don’t waste your time mate, facts are Kerry’s forte.

Hah!
As I expected, the only figure he came back with is **<big>0</big>**

 

[supercoach]

I somewhat agree. The competition is not rigged, but there are a number of biases that favour particular teams. For example, the desire for strong tv ratings results in the broncos getting more free to air games (and thus exposure for sponsors) than other teams. Third party agreements favour teams with strong business connections (eg broncos, roosters). Referees giving teams catch up penalties or Billy Slater winning player of the series are other examples of ridiculous bias in our game. Even the judiciary is insanely inconsistent… they seem to come down harsh on “no-name” players or high profile cases (eg Sam Burgess elbow to Morris), whereas when a media darling is up for suspension ahead of an origin game, they find a way to exonerate him.
Agendas, unconscious bias, money, and a bunch of other factors have resulted in a number of inconsistencies that advantage some people/clubs over others. There is no overarching conspiracy to fix games though.

I think this is a very accurate post and think it is something that happens throughout the world of sport, in the NFL many people believe that the bigger market teams get a better rub of the green in these same sorts of situations that you have pointed out. The AFL openly give advantages to teams in new markets.

I do disagree with the post you quoted saying that games are manipulated by refs to get a desired outcome, that would be out and out cheating and I honestly believe that is not occurring. There are however a number of aspects that can subconsciously have an impact on a referee, things such as home crowds, position on the ladder, perception of a team, team and player history can all influence a ref when making a decision. This is not cheating, just poor refereeing.

Yep, as you said, it’s poor refereeing as opposed to deliberate manipulation of results. And this is a conversation had across many competitions, not just the NRL

Its not poor refereeing its agenda based from thee boardrooms above. This is where the problem lies Rip the storm or Roosters etc off your name is mud.Not by the masses who support the peoples teams but by the select few who are the "movers and shakers.This is where the problem lies over the course of a year the hundreds of 50-50 calls a team receives should even out…Well let me tell you it doesn't it operates 90-10 to the elite.A lot of players,officials and fans from a lot of clubs have had enough of this crap.

Most of the time 50/50 calls favouring the better side is a illusion. The trouble is the battling team only needs one close call to go the other way and their night is shot, where the better teams can have a lot go against them and still recover.
When you win you seldom look back at the game with a microscope looking for bloopers.

Still think the NRL has to create a level playing field and at present seem very reluctant to do so, you than have to ask the question why.

 

[happy_tiger]

Can I please remind all that neither the Titans or Cowboys want Friday night games

This is half the reason why Brisbane get Friday Night games

The other is simple , they draw big crowds week in week out

Heard someone whinging about all the Broncos playing SOO , with Gillett injured , they had what 2-3 players McCullough , Oates and Milf from memory

I hate the Broncs as much as the next bloke , hurt them by getting a strong 2nd side in Brisbane asap , forget the Friday Night argument , it is ridiculous , if Sydney based sides showed up with 20 K + crowds every week things would change , trust me

Both of your reasons are wrong lol
Broncos get so many free to air games because of TV ratings, that’s it. The ratings for Cowboys and Titans don’t come close to the broncos, so even if they wanted home games on Thursday/Friday, Broncos would still get the free to air games.
Crowd sizes have nothing to do with it

Steve The 8.00 pm game on Friday is usually the highest rating FTA NRL game every weekend either way by a big margin , doesn't matter who is playing

Cowboys have many people travel anything up to 4-6 hours to their games and prefer the Saturday night timeslot for home games

**Titans prefer the 2.00 pm Sunday home games for holidaymakers / fans can watch either home and away , people check out at 10.00 pm Sunday morning and get to the game after lunch\
\**
Cowboys and Titans only want Friday games for the derby games against each other or Brisbane of course

Fans watching games want atmosphere , having 7000 show up to watch the Roosters play the Dogs for example doesn't do it

Having 40 000 + watching a Bronc's v Cowboys game which have been some of the games of the season for at least the last 5-6 years has fans talking before a whistle has even been blown

Wouldn't the titans situation you describe hold true for the Broncos too re holiday makers etc?

To a degree , but they have so many members …...

 

[Mac]

I don't buy into the rigged hypothesis but can someone tell me why referees are advised of the penalty count during the game? I can't think of one reason that a referee would want to know the count mid-game unless there is a desire from above that the count not be a blowout either way.

Make the calls on what you see and let the penalty count be what it is.

 

[Chicken_Faced_Killa]

I don't buy into the rigged hypothesis but can someone tell me why referees are advised of the penalty count during the game? I can't think of one reason that a referee would want to know the count mid-game unless there is a desire from above that the count not be a blowout either way.

Make the calls on what you see and let the penalty count be what it is.

They shouldn’t be asked ng for the numbers as they are irrelevantly. Call the game as it comes. If one side gives away more that’s there issue.

 

[Tarl]

Not sure the bias is intentional, although I feel there may be some unconscious leniency from the refs towards the traditionally 'better' teams (Melb, Roosters and particularly Broncs). As we know, all teams change each year and quality can yo-yo but there are certain teams that seem to get the rub of the green more often.

Out of curiosity, here is a reply I (finally) received from the NRL after sending them a 'please explain' email months back…

~

Thanks for your email.

There are always going to be subjective calls that are made in Rugby League but be assured referees make them on the basis of the facts as they see them not on the basis of who the team is. You are perfectly entitled to disagree with certain refereeing decisions but it is wrong to suggest that their decisions would be influenced by any consideration other than what they thought was the appropriate ruling at the time.

The reality is that refereeing is one of those areas that is never going to be completely free of controversy and debate.

As a game, it is important that we support the referees and we will continue to provide resources to assist officials in all areas of the code, not only to ensure that the referees we have provide accurate decision making, but also to ensure we continue to attract new officials to the game.

We will continue to monitor the feedback from clubs, players and fans to ensure we can continue to improve the standard of officiating in Rugby League. We will ensure your feedback is registered.

Thanks again for taking the time to write to us and for your passionate support of Rugby League.

Kind regards

Robert

Supporter Liaison

 

[Kerry_Cogger]

Not sure the bias is intentional, although I feel there may be some unconscious leniency from the refs towards the traditionally 'better' teams (Melb, Roosters and particularly Broncs). As we know, all teams change each year and quality can yo-yo but there are certain teams that seem to get the rub of the green more often.

Out of curiosity, here is a reply I (finally) received from the NRL after sending them a 'please explain' email months back…

~

Thanks for your email.

There are always going to be subjective calls that are made in Rugby League but be assured referees make them on the basis of the facts as they see them not on the basis of who the team is. You are perfectly entitled to disagree with certain refereeing decisions but it is wrong to suggest that their decisions would be influenced by any consideration other than what they thought was the appropriate ruling at the time.

The reality is that refereeing is one of those areas that is never going to be completely free of controversy and debate.

As a game, it is important that we support the referees and we will continue to provide resources to assist officials in all areas of the code, not only to ensure that the referees we have provide accurate decision making, but also to ensure we continue to attract new officials to the game.
\
\
We will continue to monitor the feedback from clubs, players and fans to ensure we can continue to improve the standard of officiating in Rugby League. We will ensure your feedback is registered.

Thanks again for taking the time to write to us and for your passionate support of Rugby League.

Kind regards

Robert

Supporter Liaison

I do not believe that ref goes out and says stuff it I got 20 on the Broncos I'm gonna rort the Tigers today.But what most certainly does happen is the circus that is the NRL FOR 20 FREAKING YEARS.Rip off a team with all the boardroom support straight down to reserves rip off Wests TIGERS,PARRA,NZ,Gold Coast,Newcastle,PENRITH,Canberra its oh stuff it their only the bottom feeders anyhow.

 

[Kerry_Cogger]

Not sure the bias is intentional, although I feel there may be some unconscious leniency from the refs towards the traditionally 'better' teams (Melb, Roosters and particularly Broncs). As we know, all teams change each year and quality can yo-yo but there are certain teams that seem to get the rub of the green more often.

Out of curiosity, here is a reply I (finally) received from the NRL after sending them a 'please explain' email months back…

~

Thanks for your email.

There are always going to be subjective calls that are made in Rugby League but be assured referees make them on the basis of the facts as they see them not on the basis of who the team is. You are perfectly entitled to disagree with certain refereeing decisions but it is wrong to suggest that their decisions would be influenced by any consideration other than what they thought was the appropriate ruling at the time.

The reality is that refereeing is one of those areas that is never going to be completely free of controversy and debate.

As a game, it is important that we support the referees and we will continue to provide resources to assist officials in all areas of the code, not only to ensure that the referees we have provide accurate decision making, but also to ensure we continue to attract new officials to the game.
\
\
We will continue to monitor the feedback from clubs, players and fans to ensure we can continue to improve the standard of officiating in Rugby League. We will ensure your feedback is registered.

Thanks again for taking the time to write to us and for your passionate support of Rugby League.

Kind regards

Robert

Supporter Liaison

I do not believe that ref goes out and says stuff it I got 20 on the Broncos I'm gonna rort the Tigers today.But what most certainly does happen is the circus that is the NRL FOR 20 FREAKING YEARS.Rip off a team with all the boardroom support straight down to
Perfect example back in the day Geoff Toovey, blokes team would lose by 2 points but win its tenth straight penalty count 12-4 would scream "there needs to be an investigation".Said ref straight to reserves all the while we were the type of club that would cop it royally and not jack squat would happen.

 

[Kerry_Cogger]

Lets see the detailed figures Kerry…
Youre very very definitive

Don’t waste your time mate, facts are Kerry’s forte.

Hah!
As I expected, the only figure he came back with is **<big>0</big>**

Not wasting my time on you two bums.Especially you chicken.

 

[innsaneink]

Lets see the detailed figures Kerry…
Youre very very definitive

Don’t waste your time mate, facts are Kerry’s forte.

Hah!
As I expected, the only figure he came back with is **<big>0</big>**

Not wasting my time with you two bums.

Thats OK…you can run away, we'll still pull you up on your BS
How those figures re: the 90/10s?
Lets see the definitive details

 

[Chicken_Faced_Killa]

Not sure the bias is intentional, although I feel there may be some unconscious leniency from the refs towards the traditionally 'better' teams (Melb, Roosters and particularly Broncs). As we know, all teams change each year and quality can yo-yo but there are certain teams that seem to get the rub of the green more often.

Out of curiosity, here is a reply I (finally) received from the NRL after sending them a 'please explain' email months back…

~

Thanks for your email.

There are always going to be subjective calls that are made in Rugby League but be assured referees make them on the basis of the facts as they see them not on the basis of who the team is. You are perfectly entitled to disagree with certain refereeing decisions but it is wrong to suggest that their decisions would be influenced by any consideration other than what they thought was the appropriate ruling at the time.

The reality is that refereeing is one of those areas that is never going to be completely free of controversy and debate.

As a game, it is important that we support the referees and we will continue to provide resources to assist officials in all areas of the code, not only to ensure that the referees we have provide accurate decision making, but also to ensure we continue to attract new officials to the game.
\
\
We will continue to monitor the feedback from clubs, players and fans to ensure we can continue to improve the standard of officiating in Rugby League. We will ensure your feedback is registered.

Thanks again for taking the time to write to us and for your passionate support of Rugby League.

Kind regards

Robert

Supporter Liaison

I do not believe that ref goes out and says stuff it I got 20 on the Broncos I'm gonna rort the Tigers today.But what most certainly does happen is the circus that is the NRL FOR 20 FREAKING YEARS.Rip off a team with all the boardroom support straight down to
Perfect example back in the day Geoff Toovey, blokes team would lose by 2 points but win its tenth straight penalty count 12-4 would scream "there needs to be an investigation".Said ref straight to reserves all the while we were the type of club that would cop it royally and not jack squat would happen.

Just on your Geoff Toovey example, in the game in question Manly lost to Souths 22-10\. Penalty count was 10-5 to Souths. Refs Shayne Hayne and Henry Perenara both had 1st grade games the next week.

I get that you feel the game is rigged and are trying to outline why. As I stated in previous posts in this thread I disagree with you however would be interested in hear a rational argument as to why it is.

Others have outlined why Brisbane get so many prime time games.

It’s also been suggested that Melbourne have done well due to having three of the best players in key positions and are well coached. (Personally I don’t like their club or style of footy however you have to give credit where it is due)

Manly and Souths have been up and down for a while now.

Easts go all in on top line players trying to buy a premiership and have a few years of success followed by a bad season. They also have lots of inner city contacts that allows them to stretch the cap with TPAs - not fair but within the current rules.

In regards to refs I have outlined in a previous thread how I feel this needs to be addressed at a junior level to improve quality and keep promising young refs in the game.