NRL TV viewership through the roof

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

Not so much with the "new" judges.

Although, I presume this lot pay their staff and their taxes.

Ah, I really like the new ones, particularly Mel

Andy is bland though and they should have kept Matt Preston instead of him.

[Dave T]

9 minutes ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

No Dave, but it is a thread about the popularity of the NRL, and that in itself can be (perversely) a "threat" to the development of the worldwide game. We are fast approaching a situation where the NRL "is" professional Rugby League, and all the control that comes with that status. 

If you were as diligent in pulling up every thread which digressed slightly from its original point, you would be on here every day pulling up the same old duffers who somehow link anything in the modern game to something that happened at Post Office Road in the 1960s. You don't, though. 

It was unnecessarily negative. It's good news that the TV viewing figures are doing well in Oz after months of negativity around the quality of the comp.

Your point isn't thread drift - it's a different subject entirely. 

Our Masterchef Australia discussion is more relevant!  

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

Hmmm, good news but guess you’d have to wonder how people in the game feel about V’Landy’s giving away contract extensions to Fox and Nine at reduced prices pretty much just because they asked him to then eh? It’s time Nine in particular were told to go and do one 

 

Smith and then Greenberg had a strategy to set up a very effective direct digital operation, as the NFL have done… seemed to be progressing well until the game’s media “partners” influenced their career execution for what I’m sure were wholly-unconnected reasons…

[UTK]

36 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Hmmm, good news but guess you’d have to wonder how people in the game feel about V’Landy’s giving away contract extensions to Fox and Nine at reduced prices pretty much just because they asked him to then eh? It’s time Nine in particular were told to go and do one 

 

Smith and then Greenberg had a strategy to set up a very effective direct digital operation, as the NFL have done… seemed to be progressing well until the game’s media “partners” influenced their career execution for what I’m sure were wholly-unconnected reasons…

It is a very big concern how entangled with the broadcasters V'landys/Abdo appear to be, especially when those broadcasters are effectively able to control the media narrative around their decisions/tenure in the game. Those extensions received nothing but praise within the media cycle, glossing over the financial reality of the reduced broadcast deal.

The NRL digital arm is a very good example of the conflict of interest that has been permeated during V'landys tenure. Broadcasters have felt threatened by the potential of the digital arm and had been attempting to take control of it since it's inception. As soon as V'landys comes along the digital arm is gutted under the guise of Covid cost-cutting (no doubt a necessary exercise but the the digital arm received the largest proportional cut). This cut occurred despite the digital weekly audience growing by 1 million last year (from 3.5 - 4.5 million) and an audit in 2019 stating the asset could be valued at just under $1 billion within the next couple of years. 

Contrasting this with the approach of Smith/Greenberg in taking the steps to establish the independent digital arm paints a depressing picture of the power that broadcasters wield within the NRL admin at the moment.

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

No Dave, but it is a thread about the popularity of the NRL, and that in itself can be (perversely) a "threat" to the development of the worldwide game. We are fast approaching a situation where the NRL "is" professional Rugby League, and all the control that comes with that status. 

If you were as diligent in pulling up every thread which digressed slightly from its original point, you would be on here every day pulling up the same old duffers who somehow link anything in the modern game to something that happened at Post Office Road in the 1960s. You don't, though. 

If we did pull them up it would be clear you were involved in most of the derailment...... no matter what subject you seem to want to belittle SL and the English game in general. Every subject doesn't have to be NRL V SL.

Everyone knows the NRL has better players but also has some poor games - just like SL has some cracking games as well as poor games. Your personal and national hero Danny Brough could have made it in the NRL so don't worry the top players can play anywhere. As a RL fan I'm happy to see some great Championship and Lg1 games this year- its not all about the NRL lad. As a RL fan I'm also happy to see the viewing figures for both comps up as a result of lockdowns, even if you and a certain person's grandson arnt.

[Pulga]

10 hours ago, Copa said:

Well I’m watching more than usual because I’m stuck at home in the evenings. I’m allowed out for up to two hours but that’s usually through the day for me.

Large parts of the country have barely known a lockdown though.

Some of my friends in Queensland have never had a lockdown, sometimes have to wear a mask and life hasn’t really changed at all during the entire pandemic. Their towns have never had a known case of the virus.

I'm in that boat. Have yet to have a lockdown and only one confirmed case within 150km+ radius of me. It was the next town north over a year ago.

[Copa]

59 minutes ago, Pulga said:

I'm in that boat. Have yet to have a lockdown and only one confirmed case within 150km+ radius of me. It was the next town north over a year ago.

My small local suburban shops have had 21 cases in the last few weeks. So it’s quarantine lottery each time I’m there. We were Covid free for around a year and then suddenly it all changed.

[Eddie]

23 hours ago, Southerner said:

Great news but has this got anything to do with the extensive lockdowns they’ve had this year? People stuck indoors etc….

Gosh we made it for five posts before someone saw a downside in increased viewing figures, this forum is nowhere near as negative as it used to be. 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

1 hour ago, UTK said:

It is a very big concern how entangled with the broadcasters V'landys/Abdo appear to be, especially when those broadcasters are effectively able to control the media narrative around their decisions/tenure in the game. Those extensions received nothing but praise within the media cycle, glossing over the financial reality of the reduced broadcast deal.

The NRL digital arm is a very good example of the conflict of interest that has been permeated during V'landys tenure. Broadcasters have felt threatened by the potential of the digital arm and had been attempting to take control of it since it's inception. As soon as V'landys comes along the digital arm is gutted under the guise of Covid cost-cutting (no doubt a necessary exercise but the the digital arm received the largest proportional cut). This cut occurred despite the digital weekly audience growing by 1 million last year (from 3.5 - 4.5 million) and an audit in 2019 stating the asset could be valued at just under $1 billion within the next couple of years. 

Contrasting this with the approach of Smith/Greenberg in taking the steps to establish the independent digital arm paints a depressing picture of the power that broadcasters wield within the NRL admin at the moment.

Yup. The negative Smith/Greenberg narrative was pushed through the Sydney Morning Herald, owned by Nine, and the Telegraph, owned by Fox - as well as their TV news/magazine shows of course. Unbelievably cynical cross-promotion of a corporate objective to crush a disruptive competitor.

 

In the UK that sort of nonsense by News Ltd. (Sky/Times/Sun) in the ‘90’s led to legislation and court action to police the conflicts of interest (even with politicians fearing them and usually cowed by them). In Australia, not a whimper. 
 

 

[Damien]

36 minutes ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Yup. The negative Smith/Greenberg narrative was pushed through the Sydney Morning Herald, owned by Nine, and the Telegraph, owned by Fox - as well as their TV news/magazine shows of course. Unbelievably cynical cross-promotion of a corporate objective to crush a disruptive competitor.

 

In the UK that sort of nonsense by News Ltd. (Sky/Times/Sun) in the ‘90’s led to legislation and court action to police the conflicts of interest (even with politicians fearing them and usually cowed by them). In Australia, not a whimper. 
 

 

You only have to look how Smith was made out to be the Devil incarnate and a failure despite achieving some of the single biggest positives in RL history. Getting rid of News Corporation ownership was one of the biggest wins in the history of the game and fuelled all the growth in TV deals since. He also achieved record TV rights and huge growth in the digital side, club memberships, club funding etc. However in doing so he took on Murdoch and ultimately fell on his sword for the good of the game.

In contrast V'landys gets lauded by the media and gets a free ride despite doing little so far to justify it.

[rlno1]

Also Smith navigated the game and Sharks through the drug crisis whilst the AFL completely stuffed it up.

[rlno1]

The game is so valuable in Australia to big business I don't think the people running the game know how important it is.

Has V'landys erred in giving the rights to News Corp for 7 years?

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

2 hours ago, rlno1 said:

The game is so valuable in Australia to big business I don't think the people running the game know how important it is.

Has V'landys erred in giving the rights to News Corp for 7 years?

In a word, yes 

[DC77]

7 hours ago, The Frying Scotsman said:

No Dave, but it is a thread about the popularity of the NRL, and that in itself can be (perversely) a "threat" to the development of the worldwide game. We are fast approaching a situation where the NRL "is" professional Rugby League, and all the control that comes with that status. 

If you were as diligent in pulling up every thread which digressed slightly from its original point, you would be on here every day pulling up the same old duffers who somehow link anything in the modern game to something that happened at Post Office Road in the 1960s. You don't, though. 

I find myself now looking up next weekends NRL games, I’ve only ever done that for Premier League games (especially Liverpool). 

The quality on display is the highest form of rugby I’ve seen in a long time. The contrast between the NRL game and the Four Nations RU international that was on at the same time was stark. 

There’s an intensity to the NRL, a speed, a slickness of passing and execution of moves that makes it the best rugby product in the world. No finer sight than the way Nathan Cleary runs a game.

[John Rhino]

Great news, well done.

But it does come with a small worry - will it make Aussie Rugby League even more insular?

[Mr Frisky]

2 hours ago, DC77 said:

I find myself now looking up next weekends NRL games, I’ve only ever done that for Premier League games (especially Liverpool). 

The quality on display is the highest form of rugby I’ve seen in a long time. The contrast between the NRL game and the Four Nations RU international that was on at the same time was stark. 

There’s an intensity to the NRL, a speed, a slickness of passing and execution of moves that makes it the best rugby product in the world. No finer sight than the way Nathan Cleary runs a game.

You do realise you are watching the best NRL teams in the playoff at the moment don't you? - the bottom teams in the NRL have been awful to watch this year. However the final 4 teams are probably the best 4 NRL teams for a long time.

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

1 hour ago, Mr Frisky said:

You do realise you are watching the best NRL teams in the playoff at the moment don't you? - the bottom teams in the NRL have been awful to watch this year. However the final 4 teams are probably the best 4 NRL teams for a long time.

…and yet those bottom sides would still beat almost all SL teams. Depressing isn’t it. 

[Mr Frisky]

1 minute ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

…and yet those bottom sides would still beat almost all SL teams. Depressing isn’t it. 

And all SL teams would still beat my team but I still watch my team and enjoy the Rugby.

SL has had as many cracking games as the NRL this season, - everyone knows most NRL teams will beat most SL teams but a good game of RL is a good game of RL.

[The Frying Scotsman]

14 hours ago, Dave T said:

Our Masterchef Australia discussion is more relevant!  

Aye. So it is.

[AB90]

3 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

And all SL teams would still beat my team but I still watch my team and enjoy the Rugby.

SL has had as many cracking games as the NRL this season, - everyone knows most NRL teams will beat most SL teams but a good game of RL is a good game of RL.

Yeah, it’s such a silly point.

So if a domestic sporting competition is not the best in the world at that respective sport then there is no point in watching it. Well if that’s the case then La Liga, Bundesliga, Seria A, Legue 1 and every other domestic football competition in the world should shut down as the Premier League is considered number 1.

It’s bizarre logic.

[DC77]

13 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

And all SL teams would still beat my team but I still watch my team and enjoy the Rugby.

SL has had as many cracking games as the NRL this season, - everyone knows most NRL teams will beat most SL teams but a good game of RL is a good game of RL.

Ultimately your attitude is the best one.

Mine would differ in that I tend to only watch the very best (the only exception I’d make would be for Liverpool, if we got relegated (as unlikely as that is) I’d watch us whatever level we played at). I can’t watch a boxing match unless it’s two genuine world class fighters facing each other (last one was Mayweather vs Pacquiao, which ended up being a major damp squib).

Just too used to watching the best at each sport. Barcelona I’d watched for over a decade (from Ronaldo to Rivaldo to Ronaldinho to Messi), but I won’t be watching them now they’re ######. Got Sky box office for Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, Naseem Hamed, Hatton (vs Tsyzu), on terrestrial watched Calzaghe outclass Lacy and Benn win an epic against McClellan...but I wouldn’t be watching any of bang average like Anthony Joshua nor domestic level fights like Carl Froch vs George Groves. Tennis it’s largely only been Federer (that new girl Raducanu looks the part, possibly the best since Graf). I find it hard to shift from watching world class performers to run of the mill standard, which thankfully isn’t a common view otherwise stadiums would be empty. Cleary plays rugby with a vision that is very appealing to watch. The last RU player I enjoyed watching was O’Driscoll, there’s been nobody since. 

The NRL (at the top anyway) has been marvellous to watch.

[rlno1]

19 hours ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

In a word, yes 

i actually think it wasn't a mistake it was calculated, he knew what he was doing for the interests of his masters.

[rlno1]

16 hours ago, Mr Frisky said:

You do realise you are watching the best NRL teams in the playoff at the moment don't you? - the bottom teams in the NRL have been awful to watch this year. However the final 4 teams are probably the best 4 NRL teams for a long time.

How far Australia has gone backwards in terms of creativity with the ball, when Parra needed something and were attacking from a scrum 20 metres out their main play was to throw it to their front rower who was at stand off to charge it up. I despair once upon a time that ball went to a real creative genius in Brett Kenny.

[The Rocket]

On 20/09/2021 at 06:15, Dunbar said:

For someone who has complained on here time and again that Rugby League is too oppressive and players are not allowed to showcase their skills any more, I would have thought you would be happier about seeing teams and players score points?

 

19 hours ago, DC77 said:

I find myself now looking up next weekends NRL games, I’ve only ever done that for Premier League games (especially Liverpool). 

The quality on display is the highest form of rugby I’ve seen in a long time. The contrast between the NRL game and the Four Nations RU international that was on at the same time was stark. 

There’s an intensity to the NRL, a speed, a slickness of passing and execution of moves that makes it the best rugby product in the world. No finer sight than the way Nathan Cleary runs a game.

I think you`re overcompensating now.

 

1 hour ago, DC77 said:

The NRL (at the top anyway) has been marvellous to watch.

Slipping again.

[Dunbar]

18 minutes ago, rlno1 said:

How far Australia has gone backwards in terms of creativity with the ball, when Parra needed something and were attacking from a scrum 20 metres out their main play was to throw it to their front rower who was at stand off to charge it up. I despair once upon a time that ball went to a real creative genius in Brett Kenny.

This weekend we will see the likes of Tom Trbojevic, Cody Walker, Jarome Luai and Cameron Munster play in the NRL semi's, there is plenty of creativity over there.