Why Rugby League Is No Longer Number 1 For Me

C

Chris

Well-known member
While growing up in the 80's, Rugby League was my life. I loved EVERYTHING about it. I loved watching it on TV and playing it in school and for my club. During the summer when cricket bats and pads came out, I was still kicking a footy around.

As we moved into the 90's and the 00's, the game that was like a religion to me started to change. One club players were starting to become extinct. Contracts became worthless. The Aussie test jumper became worthless when you didnt have to play Origin to get picked and you didnt have to be an Aussie to play for Australia.

My biggest issue that I have with the game is the obvious rorting of the salary cap. Certain teams are able to buy top quality players at will while others dont have a hope in hell. The cap is flawed and the NRL has made no attempt to fix it.

The game has changed dramatically and I hate it. I havent watched an Origin game or a test for at least 7 years, maybe longer. I went from watching every single game being played on TV to rarely watching a game at all. Seeing Semi Radradra wearing the iconic green and gold Aussie test jersey was the final straw for me.

I think that once the NRL can find a solution for the salary cap so it's rort free and fair for all, controlling player managers and putting value back into the Aussie test jumper, my love for the game might return. Im not really holding out much hope as the game has turned into a huge business that probably will never stop rolling.
 
There's only way to fix it. Stop watching, stop going to games, buying merch etc. If ratings and attendance figues went down they'd change their attitude quick smart. As long the game continues to make money though nothing will change, because there won't be any reason to because money is all that matters. Hit them in their pocket if you really want change.
 
@Chris said:
While growing up in the 80's, Rugby League was my life. I loved EVERYTHING about it. I loved watching it on TV and playing it in school and for my club. During the summer when cricket bats and pads came out, I was still kicking a footy around.

As we moved into the 90's and the 00's, the game that was like a religion to me started to change. One club players were starting to become extinct. Contracts became worthless. The Aussie test jumper became worthless when you didnt have to play Origin to get picked and you didnt have to be an Aussie to play for Australia.

My biggest issue that I have with the game is the obvious rorting of the salary cap. Certain teams are able to buy top quality players at will while others dont have a hope in hell. The cap is flawed and the NRL has made no attempt to fix it.

The game has changed dramatically and I hate it. I havent watched an Origin game or a test for at least 7 years, maybe longer. I went from watching every single game being played on TV to rarely watching a game at all. Seeing Semi Radradra wearing the iconic green and gold Aussie test jersey was the final straw for me.

I think that once the NRL can find a solution for the salary cap so it's rort free and fair for all, controlling player managers and putting value back into the Aussie test jumper, my love for the game might return. Im not really holding out much hope as the game has turned into a huge business that probably will never stop rolling.
Click to expand...

Know how you feel Chris…you are not the only one who is becoming more and more disillusioned with the game....Why don't you drop Greenberg an email with your post...believe it or not I believe he reads them!
 
The product is still a great product, but I do agree with you on the salary cap. When I first started watching the game over 50 years ago at the start of every year you had realistic chance your team would make the semi finals. Of course it did not happen every year, but you never started the year thinking bottom four. The Dragons did dominate for over a decade but this was not done by plundering other teams established players, it was done by good recruiting and of course players wanted to play for them.

The salary cap was introduced to level out the comp and protect teams from going broke and basically it has failed from day one because the NRL have never policed it and now with TPA's we are right back to where we started from, its all about the haves and the have nots.

unfortunately the NRL are basically only concerned about its ratings and while they continue to bubble along they turn a blind eye to all the games short comings.

I obviously still love my team, but some of the passion has gone. This probably because of continual bad seasons and that is partly due to the salary cap and partly because we have been so badly ran for so long.
I am pretty optimistic about the five years or so if we can keep the predator clubs at bay…but that is a big if

I am not sure what the answer is..I would love a transfer system and even maybe a draft, but that is not going to happen.

Anyway I guess i will keep my love going for the game till I turn my toes up, but the passion is on the wane
 
Chris, you are not alone and your comments mirror my thoughts. Its only the fact that I am a die hard tigers fan that I still follow Rugby league. I have not watched state of origin for a couple of years and test matches are a joke. Living in Qld, I also have to put up with the Bias reporting and bagging of anything positive south of the border. The corporate leaders of this game talk about expanding the game yet penalize players who seek to play for emerging nations by ruling them out of state of origin yet we see the Radradra example you speak about. Staying loyal I try to get to at least one tigers game a year but would not consider spending my hard earned cash on state of Origin or National games. Don't get me started on the Salary Cap. I would just love someone at League Headquarters to explain to me how the Bronco's and the Roosters keep under the cap. More TPA's than you can poke a stick at. I am worried about where the game will end up
 
Agreed on the salary cap, but hey. Sharks are 13 straight without massive financial backers. We won a comp too, and top 4 twice. The fact no club has gone back to back since the NRL started speaks volumes, can't think of many competitions like that myself in the world

A bigger factor is probably facilities and coaching staff. Who would want to come train at Leichardt for the same money as Melbourne or Brisbane? our facilities are straight from the 80s and 90s

in any case, ratings continue upwards so interest is clearly still strong. Once they get sydneys stadiums sorted attendance will probably pick up too, ANZ is craphouse atm
 
Chris, you can fix this. We are all in the same boat.

Go to your local park and watch the A GRADE run around. Not Cup or state cup etc, just A Grade.

You will find your love again by half time. I do it regularly and it keeps me sane. Get a pie from the club house, buy some raffle tickets and sit on the car bonnet and watch.
 
I see your point.

I love the game and watch alot of it.

I have issues with the way the game is played at the highest level, everyone plays the percentages and plays not to lose.
Alot of the football is coached out of the kids.

Everyone plays the same style.

The tribal nature exists for fans, but not players, professionalism took care of that.
 
I used to get pretty upset if I couldn't watch a game live, now I generally prefer to go out than watch them and if I don't even raise more than a moment of frustration anymore if I forget to IQ them.

For mine it is a number of factors. The game isn't the same as when I was growing up. I have SFA interest in grand finals as it is nothing like it used to be. It used to be an all day affair with the afternoon kick off. Less emphasis on attacking footy, the introduction of the wrestle. The game is being homogenised where teams are rewarded for being as structured as possible. They're athletes now, not footballers.

Constant mismanagement at our club and of the game in general has also seen my interest wane. I love the club and would never give up on them completely it's hard to keep putting your hand in your pocket when the club has no interest in actually changing anything.

Maybe a bit of park footy like Swordy suggested might rekindle the love for the game.
 
My friends whom have quit watching blame the useless scrums and the constant changing of the rules. Also their beloved Raiders losing every time they went to the oval may have had something to do with it.
 
I agree Chris but my passion disappeared from 2000 onwards, as the years have gone by it's getting worse. It has become tackle touch football. There is no spite left in games, no tribalism. All the players are mates and worry more about how they are going to wear their hair on the day instead of playing football.
$$$$ have killed Rugby league.
 
It's difficult to maintain one's enthusiasm when we (Balmain and Magpies and WT) have been so mediocre for so long, but I don't see that as the fault of the game and, more specifically, I don't think it is a result of a rorting of the salary cap.

Financial mismanagement of Balmain; Magpies and now the WT, has led us to the situation we are now in. If we could get our management act together off the field then we could be in for some good years. However, I'm not optimistic - after all, Wests Ashfield are back in charge, and look at what a good job they did with the Magpies before the JV.
 
What takes the disillusion cake for me is the fact that the Parramatta club, after the rorting they have been through, are now requesting the NRL permission for Jarrod Hayne to play for them for the rest of the season. The club claims that that this time they have cap space due to Foran leaving the club last week. Money is killing rugby league and as far as I am concerned gold digger Hayne can wait until next season to play for Parramatta.
 
League is no longer a game about support and affililation with your team, it is a business. Look at our CEO's background. I have always followed the team closest to my home (amid much dissapointment) in Campbelltown, from Parra, then Newtown, then parra again & wests from the mid 80's.
I am not convinced that I will be able to follw NRL much further. SOO is garbage built completely on hype, but no real football being played.
My oldest daughter goes to school in campbelltown and has had 3 visits from GWS, wants me to look up their players on the internet, wants to play auskick & go to AFL games.
Meantime the clubs and the NRL are arguing about money, neither put any effort into growing the game in schools, and any visits are a marketing opportunity and not something that should be BAU to engage fans, or attract new ones.
 
It's called getting old, fellas. I'm from the UK and I don't watch soccer at all any more for many of the reasons mentioned here (in my own mind). I've been in Australia for 10 years and I love league. Absolutely adore it, for all its stupid foibles and amateurish embarrassments.

Honestly, I think it's just getting older and losing your illusions, as someone once called a record or two.
 
@2041 said:
It's called getting old, fellas. I'm from the UK and I don't watch soccer at all any more for many of the reasons mentioned here (in my own mind). I've been in Australia for 10 years and I love league. Absolutely adore it, for all its stupid foibles and amateurish embarrassments.

Honestly, I think it's just getting older and losing your illusions, as someone once called a record or two.
Click to expand...

Or Using your Illusion.
 
Besides us and State of Origin, I barely watch any other games, when I used to watch a bit.

I think, for me, it's probably a combination of several things, most of which is how the game is played…........it's slow, boring, the wrestle has killed the game.

On going poor refereeing and with more cameras as well............blatant mistakes, just does my head in.
 
Gallagher has a good point, I have been to a few afl games and by 3/4 time have had enough. Soccer is often referred to as being the world game, which it is in terms of people playing it but I find it hard to get excited about a nil all draw, which takes me to rugby and the endless penalties and whistle blowing, too much. For all its faults, rugby league is the better game to watch in terms of pace, impact and so on. The negative impact of SOO on the premiership is a worry along with tpa which isn't being addressed probably because it suits the 'well off' clubs but the flip side to that is seeing a club like the roosters doing it tough. I still look forward to the end of summer and the beginning of the footy season.
 
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