Is this the greatest NRL season ever and possibly best season in 30-35 years?

[Damien]

50 minutes ago, sam4731 said:

First NSW vs QLD grand final since 2005 and only the 3rd since '98.

On the face of it that seems crazy but I suppose for a good chunk of that time it's only been the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans representing Queensland. Then you have Melbourne appearing in a number of Grand finals too.

[The Rocket]

Couldn`t put this on the cross-code, but it`s such great news I`ll put it here.

What’s the Buzz: Endeavour Sports High School shuts down rugby program | The Australian

"One of the state’s top sporting high schools has shut down its elite rugby union program in the latest grassroots blow to the struggling code.

Endeavour Sports High School will no longer offer a rugby union curriculum to its students following a steady decline in interest in recent years."

The Sunday Telegraph has received a copy of a letter school principal James Kozlowski sent to parents and carers of the boys in the rugby program.

“Due to several factors out of our control, we have steadily seen a decline in the Boys Rugby Targeted Sports Program over the past several years,” he wrote.

“Other NSW Sports High Schools are looking at their rugby programs and this will be the beginning of the end for the sport in public schools.

“Junior league is flourishing while junior rugby is dead.”

Poor old rugby.

 

[Futtocks]

8 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Couldn`t put this on the cross-code, but it`s such great news I`ll put it here.

What’s the Buzz: Endeavour Sports High School shuts down rugby program | The Australian

"One of the state’s top sporting high schools has shut down its elite rugby union program in the latest grassroots blow to the struggling code.

Endeavour Sports High School will no longer offer a rugby union curriculum to its students following a steady decline in interest in recent years."

The Sunday Telegraph has received a copy of a letter school principal James Kozlowski sent to parents and carers of the boys in the rugby program.

“Due to several factors out of our control, we have steadily seen a decline in the Boys Rugby Targeted Sports Program over the past several years,” he wrote.

“Other NSW Sports High Schools are looking at their rugby programs and this will be the beginning of the end for the sport in public schools.

“Junior league is flourishing while junior rugby is dead.”

Poor old rugby.

As soon as these schools bowed to parent/pupil pressure, this sort of thing was always on the cards.

Edit: as long as this isn't just one of Booze Rothfield's DT-dreams, that is.

Edited September 23, 2023 by Futtocks

[Futtocks]

And it was only in February this year that Endeavour Sports High School was named as one of the "Australian Olympic Pathway Schools" for Rugby Union Sevens.

https://nsw.rugby/news/nsw-sports-schools-are-now-a-7s-olympic-pathway-2023223 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Futtocks

[EggFace]

Must of been heaving in Brisbane as the AFL was on and quite mad how both codes are in grand finals.

[Exiled Wiganer]

36 minutes ago, EggFace said:

Must of been heaving in Brisbane as the AFL was on and quite mad how both codes are in grand finals.

and our local cheese rolling side qualified for the regional final the day England played in the Euros final… yep, it was quite mad to see these sporting equivalents side by side! 

[Exiled Wiganer]

The NRL is letting the game do its own talking. They have the greatest game, and have learnt how best to make it more accessible than ever. The game speaks for itself. It is no surprise to see them crushing all the sporting “competition”. Sitting back and watching the Warriors and the Broncos thrill us with speed and finesse having spent the previous morning cowering behind the sofa as the Panthers put on a truly terrifying display of strength. What we are seeing is the natural consequence of putting the game front and centre. 

[Anita Bath]

41 minutes ago, EggFace said:

Must of been heaving in Brisbane as the AFL was on and quite mad how both codes are in grand finals.

Yes it was…and is…! Usually the Afl final ( last saturday in september) and NRL final (first sunday in October) are a week apart, but this year the calendar has them back to back next weekend ( public holiday weekend).

And with broncos and titans women in opposite NRLW semis today it could be even crazier next Sunday)

I always go down to Sydney for NRL final so was booked up months ago but took the risk of booking a sydney-melbourne return flight for next Saturday earlier this week. Got it for $300 on Virgin before the airlines price gouging started (even though there is no Sydney team in AFL final). Same flights now $470 (or if you patronize the flying kangaroo $950!)

Still trying to explain to the missus how I have saved $170!

[unapologetic pedant]

5 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

The NRL is letting the game do its own talking. They have the greatest game, and have learnt how best to make it more accessible than ever. The game speaks for itself. It is no surprise to see them crushing all the sporting “competition”.  

Not all. Magpies v Giants AFL had a 97k crowd and twice as many Metro FTA viewers as Panthers v Storm.

Much better figures for NRL on Saturday.

I watched a YouTube video of the end of Friday's MCG atrocity exhibition. Nothing more than 2 minutes of preposterous fumbling and bumbling. Something has gone horribly wrong in Oz.

[Dirkgee]

49 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Not all. Magpies v Giants AFL had a 97k crowd and twice as many Metro FTA viewers as Panthers v Storm.

Much better figures for NRL on Saturday.

I watched a YouTube video of the end of Friday's MCG atrocity exhibition. Nothing more than 2 minutes of preposterous fumbling and bumbling. Something has gone horribly wrong in Oz.

Don't forget women's soccer there getting like 8 million on TV.  By far the most of any sport in Australian history 

[Exiled Wiganer]

8 hours ago, Dirkgee said:

Don't forget women's soccer there getting like 8 million on TV.  By far the most of any sport in Australian history 

Let me know when women’s football overtakes the NRL. 

[Exiled Wiganer]

9 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Not all. Magpies v Giants AFL had a 97k crowd and twice as many Metro FTA viewers as Panthers v Storm.

Much better figures for NRL on Saturday.

I watched a YouTube video of the end of Friday's MCG atrocity exhibition. Nothing more than 2 minutes of preposterous fumbling and bumbling. Something has gone horribly wrong in Oz.

I have no idea who those people are, being in the 99.999999% of the world with zero interest in Aussie rules. We have the greatest game and have crushed it. Across the region we are now utterly pre eminent with daylight second. 

[EggFace]

10 hours ago, Dirkgee said:

Don't forget women's soccer there getting like 8 million on TV.  By far the most of any sport in Australian history 

No different from Cathy Freeman and the Olympics and united the country's Barassi Line.

[Anita Bath]

10 hours ago, Dirkgee said:

Don't forget women's soccer there getting like 8 million on TV.  By far the most of any sport in Australian history 

Womens soccer doesnt get 8million viewers, the Australian womens national team playing at home in the WC SF did.

You can put a team of hairy nosed wombats in green and gold and have them playing well in a world championship and 8 million will watch…..unless of course those hairy nosed wombats are the wallabies. Then you would a few hundred watch on a subscriber only channel.

[Sports Prophet]

1 hour ago, Anita Bath said:

Womens soccer doesnt get 8million viewers, the Australian womens national team playing at home in the WC SF did.

You can put a team of hairy nosed wombats in green and gold and have them playing well in a world championship and 8 million will watch…..unless of course those hairy nosed wombats are the wallabies. Then you would a few hundred watch on a subscriber only channel.

Yeah I have heard it from soccer fans claiming the number of viewers for Matildas semi as evidence of soccers place at the top of Australia’s consciousness. You highlight the obvious yet often overlooked fact of the global scale of that fixture.

NRL record crowds this year have been phenomenal and I feel like this Vegas gig is going to get the NRL off to a great start in 2024 for hopefully an even better season. 

I always get a little sad this time of the year, knowing there’s no footy for 4/5 months.

[Padge]

Ozzies you have your own forum to bore each other on.

It's here. https://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/forum/66-the-australian-rugby-league-forum/

[StandOffHalf]

The regular season has been a lot of fun. Not the best season I have seen, largely because the play-offs have been so predictable. The Warriors were the little glint of unpredictability, but they went out to an exciting Brisbane.

I am though looking forward to the GF more than I have the last couple. I think Penrith have an interesting opposition on their hands who could throw up something excitingly different.

[The Rocket]

On 24/09/2023 at 10:43, unapologetic pedant said:

I watched a YouTube video of the end of Friday's MCG atrocity exhibition. Nothing more than 2 minutes of preposterous fumbling and bumbling.

Aahh !! you can`t beat a good highlights reel.

[gingerjon]

20 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

You can put a team of hairy nosed wombats in green and gold and have them playing well in a world championship and 8 million will watch…..

How many watched the RL World Cup final?

[unapologetic pedant]

9 hours ago, The Rocket said:

Aahh !! you can`t beat a good highlights reel.

When big crowds and high ratings are recorded for AFL, I can feel slightly better for watching a bit of Fumble. On the reasoning that everyone must eventually come to their senses. 

These 2 minutes were especially messy. Yet again though it's striking how often, when the ball ricochets around, they play on where we would be off to the bunker looking for bobbles from all available angles.

I know they are different games, but our determination to eradicate random elements does not help RL appeal to general audiences. The fallout from the Reece Walsh forward pass might send NRL further down the rabbit-hole. Which will only benefit the fumblers.

[unapologetic pedant]

On 24/09/2023 at 11:29, Exiled Wiganer said:

I have no idea who those people are, being in the 99.999999% of the world with zero interest in Aussie rules. 

I couldn't recognize them either.

[Dunbar]

The only thing wrong with this NRL season is the fact that Penrith are apparently going for a 'three-peat'.

If you repeat something, you do that thing multiple times.  So surely if you repeat something three times then you have done the thing 4 times, the first time and the subsequent three repeats.

This is far more important than the Grand Final in my eyes.

[Bradman Better]

On 03/09/2023 at 10:11, Sports Prophet said:

Sharks averaged more than their stadium can hold. Up Up

That is because they hosted one of the Magic Round games at Suncorp, which massively boosted their season average.

[Sports Prophet]

9 minutes ago, Bradman Better said:

That is because they hosted one of the Magic Round games at Suncorp, which massively boosted their season average.

Yeah I know, I just thought it was a funny anomaly.

[Bradman Better]

On 24/09/2023 at 18:57, Padge said:

Ozzies you have your own forum to bore each other on.

It's here. https://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/forum/66-the-australian-rugby-league-forum/

Sorry, but the NRL is the pinnacle of world rugby league competitions. Some would argue that it is the pinnacle of the competitions of all the codes of rugby.

There is nothing boring about the NRL. So many of its games this year have been exciting. And the important role of young English stars in the competition  -- most notably Herbie Farnworth and Dominic Young -- makes the competition of great interest to rugby league fans in both hemispheres.

Next year the arrival of more young English players like Wigan's Kai Pearce-Paul, Huddersfield's Will Pryce (both to Newcastle Knights), and Wakefield flyer Lewis Murphy (to join Dom Young at the Sydney Roosters), will make the NRL an England rich environment.