The Death of Passion

Ive said before I find your posts interesting reading and this is no different.

I agree with you but I think you’ve oversimplified the argument. Yes I am pre 90’s but I generally react to change well. I have made a career out of leading executives through change management and change leadership processes.

It’s not just that it’s different I don’t think. It’s connected with society trends, values, attitudes etc. that’s what’s changed and footy is a reflection, or micro part, of that. I accept the change but react poorly to what I consider to be over indulged, largely immature, totally self absorbed players being the custodians of a game I’ve loved all my life.

Add to that poor leadership. As I said, I spend all day every day helping organisations develop, implement, evaluate and renew strategic priorities and processes. From afar, I look at the NRL and feel it has no strategic intent at all. These leaders are also the custodians of the game I live.

So, my conclusion to this is I feel the game is in poor hands at many levels and that is what kills my passion - not straight out change. I can’t dpeak for others but I wouldn’t be surprised if this analysis is common in people’s thinking.

But…... I still love my team and will continue to hit my head against a wall week in and week out
 
Yes I am oversimplifying things - a generalised theory I have, applied to anonymous posters on an internet forum.

I agree the perception is that "the game is in poor hands", and perception is half the problem, even if it's not really accurate. Financially the game is actually in a very good place and yet a lot of people think the NRL is badly managed. A lot of people also think that a significant portion of kids are idiots, and the reality is most footballers are kids without "normal" life experience or life skill.

For example, how do we expect or plan to manage the off-field behaviour of some 500 first-grade footballers, most of whom are under 30 years old, never held a non-football job, been in rep sides all their lives, in fantastic physical condition, famous and typically very well paid. It's all well and good to say it was different in the old days - because it was, most footballers had day jobs and nothing like the social magnifying glass, as you allude to, for "immature" players.

Also, 5 or 6 blokes out of 500 getting in some sort of mild to medium trouble in the offseason - is it really that high compared to regular society? Esp the cut of males aged 18-35\. It's hard to find figures, but 5/500 is 1%; as an example, the rate of theft charges in Australia in 2014 was 0.3% of the entire population.

So maybe yeah, maybe the game is in worse hands than before. But maybe that's just Greenturd's stupid face; I bet most people can't even name another heavy at NRL HQ? What about the ARL Commission, what do people think about the commissioners other than Beatty?

And were Quayle and Arko that much better at running the game in the 80s? Who oversaw the disastrous 1995 expansion and the Super League split?
 
I was definitely born prior to the 90's and seeing the way the 3 amigos behaved really amazed me. The lack of passion those guys displayed towards the club who had bought them up was to me pretty much unbelievable.

In stating that I'm still a massive fan and I'm passionate about the club. I think you just have to view rugby league as being a professional sport where you manage the salary cap to put the best team on the park.

As for all the off field stuff I think that is just the world today. Some of the players are just low human beings which would have always been the case but now they are being expected to act perfectly. Some players will do relatively trivial stuff and cop it but so will the rest of society.
 
@Tiger_Steve said:
This time last year I couldn’t wait for the season to start.
But this off season has killed my passion. Not for the Tigers- but for the game.
I watched a video of Fafita before indigenous game photos - he was carrying on like an absolute fool. I just thought - I have no interest in supporting these absolute idiots anymore.
Now I know I’ll be at Belmore for the trial and I’ll be at Leichhardt round 1 but the constant idiocy of the modern day player plus the absolute incompetent administration has done me in.
I know - it’s not all of them etc etc
One thing for sure - if I’m over it, god help the game cause I’m about as rusted on as you can get
Thoughts??
Click to expand...

I completely understand where you are coming from. To fans of a club like ours the game is on the ropes. Integrity and a fair playing field seem to be things of the past.

My only excitement is Super Coach and watching and watching good young players from around the league step up.
 
@jirskyr said:
Yes I am oversimplifying things - a generalised theory I have, applied to anonymous posters on an internet forum.

I agree the perception is that “the game is in poor hands”, and perception is half the problem, even if it’s not really accurate. Financially the game is actually in a very good place and yet a lot of people think the NRL is badly managed. A lot of people also think that a significant portion of kids are idiots, and the reality is most footballers are kids without “normal” life experience or life skill.

For example, how do we expect or plan to manage the off-field behaviour of some 500 first-grade footballers, most of whom are under 30 years old, never held a non-football job, been in rep sides all their lives, in fantastic physical condition, famous and typically very well paid. It’s all well and good to say it was different in the old days - because it was, most footballers had day jobs and nothing like the social magnifying glass, as you allude to, for “immature” players.

Also, 5 or 6 blokes out of 500 getting in some sort of mild to medium trouble in the offseason - is it really that high compared to regular society? Esp the cut of males aged 18-35\. It’s hard to find figures, but 5/500 is 1%; as an example, the rate of theft charges in Australia in 2014 was 0.3% of the entire population.

So maybe yeah, maybe the game is in worse hands than before. But maybe that’s just Greenturd’s stupid face; I bet most people can’t even name another heavy at NRL HQ? What about the ARL Commission, what do people think about the commissioners other than Beatty?

And were Quayle and Arko that much better at running the game in the 80s? Who oversaw the disastrous 1995 expansion and the Super League split?
Click to expand...

As with your other post earlier in the thread just because you dont see it or you dont feel it doesnt mean you have to create a situation where we are all wrong.

You may explain a percentage of the fan base who are coming from the scenario you point out but its a very small percentage.
 
I never did any such thing - it's not black and white. I just said I have some thoughts about why people become disenfranchised with something, for example the NRL, and possible explanations for why.

Didn't say it's wrong, didn't say it's right. For those who feel they have lost the passion, I can't argue with that and I can't put it back for them. I'm just asking the question has everyone thought through why they've lost the passion? If so, terrific.

The main point I was really making was that people have been stating they've "lost passion" for the game for a long while and it really does appear cyclical. When some people then start making predictions about the death of rugby league in 20 years, I question what might be a short-term view of a very long-term sport.
 
The biggest problem is the game isn't listening to the fans

And like anything , you don't listen to the fans(customers in reality ) you have to expect a backlash

NRL are probably lucky they aren't based in France ( but then again you could say that about politics /business/everything ) the streets would be full of rioting on a nightly basis
 
Maybe, but what did Bennett paraphrase from Buddy Ryan - "If you listen to the fans , you'll be sitting up there with them".

Perhaps part of the issue is that NRL really haven't been listening to fans ever and maybe fans really don't know what they are talking about. It's not a democracy.

I am sure the NRL would agree that there is some element of negative feedback from the fans, perhaps even certain types of fans, but then they'll have key metrics that show otherwise. For example I absolutely guarantee they can produce positive metrics from professional fan and player engagement surveys, TV ratings, revenues and advertising, gate receipts etc.

And then there's the question of what do "the fans" actually want. We are arguably a reasonably like-minded group on here, all Tigers-biased, all reading and posting on this forum. In my case it's the only one I read, but that's confirmation bias - I honestly don't really know what "the fans" want as a group.

Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon and Brexit are clear examples that what appears sensible, and what actually happens, might be two radically different things. Or conversely, the potential mistake of "listening to the fans". Or that if you actually engage all the possible fans out there, you'd be surprised how different their wants are.
 
Think that quote was used by Jack Gibson

Trump, who is a convicted Rapist and Felon didn't get the majority vote numbers wise …...

A lot of this isn't listening to the fans .... most is seeing the difference between right and wrong

And when you don't even acknowledge the issues as issues well ........at least the NRL has to be honest with themselves , the fans and the sponsors

When we are getting more money for the game and it goes backwards everywhere you have to ask why

I'll give you an example , last year in my sons Under 14/15 divisions they had 9 teams , 5 Under 15's / 4 under 14's

Now they can't get 3 clubs with a single team , we have 2 our from our club and one from the defending premiers

Now they are talking having Under 14's possibly playing Under 17's just to field 4 teams from 4 clubs
 
@happy_tiger said:
I’ll give you an example , last year in my sons Under 14/15 divisions they had 9 teams , 5 Under 15’s / 4 under 14’s

Now they can’t get 3 clubs with a single team , we have 2 our from our club and one from the defending premiers

Now they are talking having Under 14’s possibly playing Under 17’s just to field 4 teams from 4 clubs
Click to expand...

You are talking very broad strokes though.

What is causing the lack of players in your son's district? Is it disenfranchisement with the code and the leadership? Is it the behaviour of players? Maybe some of both. It's also AFL, rise of soccer, fear of contact sport, rise of social media and video gaming etc.

The NRL aren't even responsible for junior football, they are only responsible for the professional competition of the code. Greenturd has no direct authority over how money is spent in the country or junior leagues and he reports to the Australian Rugby League Commission.

So really your comment is that the ARLC aren't listening to fans, but fans and junior players aren't exactly the same thing. Some people like watching footy but don't want to play it. People are concerned about different aspects of footy when they run onto a field vs when they flick their telly on.

Of course this is all obvious to say, so I suppose my ultimate comment is that the "issues" with rugby league are all too easy to point at, all too easy to complain about, however there doesn't appear to be an easy / obvious / consensus solution.

Removing the bunker or sacking Todd Greenturd isn't going to "save the game in the bush". It's become all too much like politics to me, where there are villains and more villains, everyone appears incompetent and yet the country actually runs ok… and maybe it won't last, but people have been nay-saying for such a long time.

And ultimately, do you get in this weird position where some people are somewhat alarmed that they have lost their passion for the game, but actually in expressing concern for the game, in another way they are expressing that they still do have passion for it.

If there was a clear and straightforward "fix", someone would have done it ages ago and you wouldn't need rooms full of professionals to administer the code. But such a sport does not exist and most sports are fighting for their cut in a market dominated by a few big players.
 
Wasting funds on stupid Ads at the Super bowl town

Too much money is wasted in this game and the people who pay for the idiocy is the fans buying jerseys , tickets , memberships , food at games etc and the junior players

In 3 years (Possibly 4) it costs an extra $60 for a kid to play footy

$200 this year

Can you imagine the furore if we stuck up the fuel , milk ,bread (essentials) up by the same amount

Soccer numbers haven't gone up , AFL numbers are struggling

I'll get back to you on the bird watching and debating situation when I get the numbers in
 
More of what is driving fans nuts

Inequality for teams

http://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/rugby-league/morally-tone-deaf-nrl-slammed/ar-BBTBJtT?li=AAgfYrC&ocid=ASUDHP
 
This is all getting a bit sooky la la woah is me for me…gotta go and rig my BBL Fantasy team...I'm in strife ...byeeeee
 
Its been a dry spell of any success, deep run into the finals is what I need

![](/uploads/default/original/1X/a832f53cdcf2e297e94a7f49c3f060fbd86af8aa.gif)
 
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