The Rocket

It`s been a boom year so far for the NRL with 55 million viewers at an average of 630 000 viewers per match at the half way point of our season ( round 12 ) this compared to 50 million at 540 000 for our main competitor. Interestingly our friend at the SportsIndustry website reported recently that there had been 14 NRL matches so far this year with more than 1 000 000 viewers compared to the afl`s twelve, something that he had never witnessed in all his time reporting on these matters.

Exactly and Abdo made that clear from the start. Future teams will not have to be associated with existing clubs.

That would be " His Majesty " thank you.

I find your comment of NRLW being "NRL Lite " incredibly ignorant and patronising, have you watched it ? And also why shouldn`t girls who have supported a particular NRL club all their life not have the right to play for the female team of that club in a national competition.

I think the afl are throwing heaps of money at the aflw - $40 000 minimum wage now - because they know that if they don`t attract the best sports women in Oz, and attract them quick, their product will remain rubbish. Not having anything at all to offer their female players on the international stage has to be compensated for as well.

NRL supremo Peter V'landys reveals what the Queen told him as they lunched at Royal Ascot | Daily Mail Online "Her Majesty is renowned for being a keen follower of the horses, but that enthusiasm doesn't extend to footy, with V'landys adding she 'knew nothing about rugby league" Well she`ll know a little bit more now, I can guarantee it.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo announcing the expanded Women`s comp and one of the reasons they have fast-tracked expansion from 6 to 10 teams. Abdo: "What`s the point of difference we`ve got in Rugby League... we`ve got Touch, Tag and Tackle...." Abdo: We want the best athletes in the world - NRL

Bloody hell !!

Not sure whether the journalist writing this article knows something that we don`t, but hopefully he does: "At the beginning of the year, Channel 4 only gained access to ten Super League games – including play-off matches – but that will surely change from 2022 onwards with how well it has been received." Thought this was interesting as well: "It was the first time that both of those sides have been broadcast on Channel 4 in 2022 as the broadcasters attempt to get round all the Super League sides." Shows that part of the deal was to show all teams at some stage, that`s not going to help with the ratings some weekends as less attractive teams have their go. You`d like to think that if C4 are so happy with it they may be prepared to stump up a bit of cash for a weekly match and perhaps a greater say in who they can broadcast. Might see that upper band of viewing figures reached a bit more consistently in that case. The full article. Exclusive: Channel 4's Super League hosts revealed for rest of 2022 - Rugby League News (seriousaboutrl.com)

Hasler is renowned for the close relationships he has with his players, often described as an ` us against the world `mentality. Even recently he sat in on every day of the ratbag Dylan Walker`s domestic assault trial in support of Walker, even driving him to court sometimes. I think perhaps you may have misinterpreted his comments to Olakau`atu. Hasler will want what is best for him, getting picked for NSW is going to be harder than it will be for him to be picked for Tonga, these chances mightn`t come along too often. In fact you`d have to think he is a long way from a certainty even now, especially given his reputation of being somewhat of a flat-track bully who doesn`t really fire against the big teams. I`d say given Hasler`s attitude towards his players he`s thinking grab the Origin experience now if you get the chance, there will be a month in camp with the Tongan team at the end of the year if you desire to pursue that as well.

Guests of the NRL at the opening State of Origin: New Labor Prime Minister and Souths Sydney fan Anthony Albanese. Recently deposed Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Treasurer and Broncos fan Jim Chalmers. Federal Sports Minister Anika Wells. NSW Liberal Premier Dominic Perrottet. NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres. QLD Sports Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe. NSW Racing Minister Kevin Anderson. Foxtel CEO Patrick Delaney. Nine Boss Mike Sneesby. World`s 171st richest man and part Souths Sydney owner Mike Cannon-Brookes. Not bad and very important to have these people on side.

Wrap up of the television ratings for first six games shown on Channel 4. Bit of a bump for the latest game which is promising after a bit of a lull after the initial interest. Makes me wonder if the extra attention surrounding the CC final could be responsible for more people tuning back in and if so shows the advantage of high profile games/events throughout the season to re-engage viewers that may have drifted away. Six Channel 4 Super League games covered so far - which fixture has pulled in the most viewers? - Rugby League News (seriousaboutrl.com)

NRL salary cap to hit $10.5m ( 6m pound ) next year, up from $9.5m and to increase by $500k annually for the remainder of the current broadcast deal. V`landy`s employing the same ethos that he has successfully employed at NSW Racing, you`ve got to reward the participants.

More money than ever before is being invested in the Pacific Islands and even finally New Zealand has seen a big increase in funding. The problem with the PI`s though of course is that their economies are miniscule. and there`s no real money in them for the game probably just players. New Zealand`s a different story and although not large enough to host a union WC any more if we can continue to grow the game there it may well be a viable alternative site for a League WC. Especially given the familiarity of many of the participating teams. Regards South Africa, yeah sure it would be great to be investing there, shame is we just don`t have the money but if it got to the point where they weren`t holding union WC`s a League WC might have appeal and may kick start an interest in League in a country that already is big on contact sports.

That`s the problem with you, you`re beat before you start. Only you would think of that.

Like the head of the South African union, the head of the NZ union said the same thing a few weeks ago. Ageing stadiums, small economies and the lack of Gov`t revenue to fund stadium upgrades all make those countries increasingly unattractive destinations for the mega-event that the union WC has become. I think union have made it clear now that their preference is for hosting WC`s in large wealthy first world economies like the U.S, Japan, and European countries. Australia may well be on it`s last chance as well but for other reasons. Given that so many of the participants in the League World Cup: England, France , New Zealand, Australia and some of the Pacific Islands, would be recognizable to Union fans in a country like South Africa there would be a good chance if it ever got to the situation that that country could no longer afford to host a union WC there may be an appetite, even out of curiosity, for a League WC. The thing with a League WC as well is that it doesn`t need to generate the same amount of revenue as a union WC, probably would require much more modest levels of Gov`t subsidisation and having the latest cutting edge stadiums probably wouldn`t be a requirement as well.

Don`t laugh, I heard the head of South African union saying the other day it is unlikely they`ll ever host another union WC again because they don`t have the money or the stadiums. Strikes me that it may be an opportunity for that other ` Rugby ` code to get under their guard and host our own tournament there in the WC starved ` rugby ` nation.

I suspect Toulouse will only need one year.

NRLW: National Championships, explainer, everything you need to know about the Harvey Norman National Championships - NRL 14 teams consisting of 300 players from all around Australia. After the 2021 tournament 17 girls got their first NRLW contracts after this tournament. Will be interesting to see how 2021 surprise packet Open category champions Western Oz fare this time around.

Eventually it would and I`ve no doubt that TV companies know this.

Really does confirm what a great TV product League can be though doesn`t it. I bet you a lot of those people you mention who gathered around the TV would be a lot more likely to watch some WC games now as well, hopefully assuming they know it is on. The problem of course is that League really isn`t that easily accessible for the average punter in your part of the world though, which is really a symptom of the failure to grow the sport out of the heartlands as it is of not being on TV enough.

"The @TheChallengeCup final had an audience average of 1million on BBC ONE with a peak of 1.4million. Those the overnight figures; may be higher when all calculations done. And Tottenham a superb venue for a Cup Final. Hope we go there again." Get 20 000 of those watching to go in person and you`ve got a full-house. Plenty there for IMG and the RFL to work with.

Klokstad had one breakout year at the Raiders and has done little since. Te Maire Martin is good but lacks a bit of size and I don`t think he is ready. The bloke I would go for who and would absolutely play his guts out, is as tough as nails, a guaranteed metre maker and has plenty of line breaks in him is Jordan Rapana. Rapana recently stated how much playing for NZ means to him and I think he could go on to being their WC fullback as well.

NRL transfer news 2022: Catalans Dragons chasing Sharks legend Wade Graham (theaustralian.com.au) France has come calling for Sharks champion Wade Graham. And it all started with a story in The Daily Telegraph. Graham, 31, has revealed Catalans – the Perpignan-based club in Super League – has made contact about luring him to the south of France. And Graham is certainly keen on the idea. Off contract after this year, Graham has spoken briefly to the Sharks about another season in the NRL before fulfilling a desire to play in France. They know I’m off contract and did ring me about a month ago. “I told them it (playing in France) was in my future plans. It hasn’t progressed much further than that but it’s still on the cards. “I’m still looking into it and it’s definitely somewhere where I’d be keen to finish. My partner (Karianne Lafrance) has a French background. “I manage myself so it would be to good go through the process and talk to them. At this stage, they have expressed interest and I have said it’s certainly a goal of mine at some stage of my career to head over there.” You could do a lot worse than signing Wade Graham, he`s all class.

Despite 95% of Western Australian Rugby League fans saying on their supporters group chat that they would get behind an NRL team named WA Bears, that figure even including some of the most ardent WA stand-alone fans, it is extremely unlikely that they would get behind a proposal that involved any more than one or two games at NS oval - if that - and at least 80% control. If North Sydney fans want to see WA Bears they can see them at the 9 or 10 away games they have in Sydney. Given the talk emanating out of North Sydney, where many of their fans seem to live in some sort of cloud cuckoo land, they would be the dominant party and host 5 or 6 games - forget about it, isn`t going to happen. Having said all that, I strongly suspect P. V`landy`s discovered in the recent broadcast negotiations the difficulty of getting premium price for a competition that isn`t truly national. Hence his new found enthusiasm for WA Rugby League and his suggestion to them that they speak to North Sydney Bears. And if any one can bang heads together - in the nicest possible way of course - to make it happen, especially if there is a quid in it, it would be one Peter V`landy`s.