Will 2024 be the best NRL season ever?

[unapologetic pedant]

5 hours ago, John bird said:

Absolute thriller of a game played in front of 25,167 this morning to get round 16 off with a bang.

Despite further graphic demonstration that the obstruction rule is out of control and not being implemented in the interests of the game.

 

5 hours ago, John bird said:

 with the warriors fans probably outnumbering the home fans.

Away fans probably outnumber home fans on most occasions at Cbus.

[Maximus Decimus]

Is it just me or has the weather been a bit dodgy in Aus this season? Been like watching Super League at times.

Albeit with high-quality athletes.

[John bird]

4 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Is it just me or has the weather been a bit dodgy in Aus this season? Been like watching Super League at times.

Albeit with high-quality athletes.

Seems like the past 6 rounds or so have been massively affected by the weather.

 

affecting the crowds as well which have been amazing considering.

[Dunbar]

Have to say, I do find this time of year a frustrating time watching the NRL. A month and a half with multiple bye's and teams either playing under strength before an Origin game or players backing up after.

It does seem a hell of a disruption to the main competition.  I wonder whether we will ever get to a point where the clubs start to vent some frustration over it.

[Sports Prophet]

6 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Have to say, I do find this time of year a frustrating time watching the NRL. A month and a half with multiple bye's and teams either playing under strength before an Origin game or players backing up after.

It does seem a hell of a disruption to the main competition.  I wonder whether we will ever get to a point where the clubs start to vent some frustration over it.

I could not agree more. The six/seven week lull in the Australian club game during the middle of the season is glaringly obvious and has been for years. I too lose a bit of inspiration this time of year.

- Less matches as you say.

- Missing the best Australian players.

- Crowds down.

The NRL seem to love drawing out SOO over the course of six to eight weeks (whatever it is) to keep SOO headlines in the papers it seems. I can’t think of other reasons.

We both spoke in another thread about the RFL having a lack of evidence to suggest London will get a bigger test match than the north. My argument to that debate is that the RFL don’t have the finances to test that theory otherwise. The NRL on the other hand have a fortune to test Origin further.

If the NRL want to “own” the international game as much as many on this forum suggest they do (me included), then I would love to see the NRL give it a good shot and shut down the season for three/four weeks for a mid season rep window.

The NRL could then own three weekends of intense Origin headlines as well as supplementing it with internationals comprising at least NZ, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, PNG and Cooks. Let alone the likes of England, Lebanon, Greece and Italy. Plenty of footy for the broadcasters. All of which, without devaluing their club product over a six/seven week period like it currently does.

[The Rocket]

15 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Is it just me or has the weather been a bit dodgy in Aus this season? Been like watching Super League at times.

Albeit with high-quality athletes.

By yesterday Sydney had received the equivalent of its` usual entire average annual rainfall for the year. The fact that crowds have held up like they have is remarkable really.

Cruelly though the southern latitudes of the nation remain in one of the worst droughts in living memory.

[Archie Gordon]

I wish SL's two bottom teams could get off the canvas and whack a couple of rivals. What a great comp the NRL is.

[John bird]

22 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

I wish SL's two bottom teams could get off the canvas and whack a couple of rivals. What a great comp the NRL is.

 

22 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

I wish SL's two bottom teams could get off the canvas and whack a couple of rivals. What a great comp the NRL is.

Must be a gamblers worst nightmare.

[Damien]

Good to see a rise in participation numbers in Victoria:

[Damien]

Some really great things happening in Melbourne. Obviously we have just had a crowd of 90,084 for SOO game 2 in Melbourne. Then this around the Storm:

Origin returns to Melbourne on Wednesday night at a time when rugby league is booming, with:

- participation numbers at Victorian clubs being up 21% on 2023 - the largest growth of any state;

- NRL free-to-air TV ratings increasing by 9% in Victoria;

- The Storm surpassing 30,000 members for the first time, while attracting a record average home crowd of 20,800 so far this season;

- The Storm boasting the second largest fanbase in NRL behind Broncos, with 1.68m supporters (YouGov Sport);

- Victorians buying tickets for NRL matches increasing by 465,000, and;

- Rising stars Sua Fa’alogo and Dean Ieremia being genuine Victoria pathways products.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/06/24/we-all-stop-to-watch-afl-great-explains-why-league-is-booming-in-victoria/

 

[eal]

Am I correct in thinking that SOO never used to be this spread out? I thought the games used to only be 2 weeks apart from each other?

[Pulga]

 

 

 

 

[stookie]

12 hours ago, eal said:

Am I correct in thinking that SOO never used to be this spread out? I thought the games used to only be 2 weeks apart from each other?

I don't remember it ever being 2 weeks. I only remember 3 weeks between Wednesdays.

May have been 2.5 weeks when weekends alternated with Wednesdays.

Edit: Just went back through 10 years of results, and yes, 3 weeks when all Wednesdays, and 2.5 weeks when the middle game is a Sunday.

Edited June 27, 2024 by stookie

[Pulga]

Insane.

 

[Farmduck]

On 27/06/2024 at 09:34, eal said:

Am I correct in thinking that SOO never used to be this spread out? I thought the games used to only be 2 weeks apart from each other?

This has been the layout since about 2005. Before that there were a few variations. It also is a week later this year but mainly due to "calendar slippage" where a time like, "the third Wdnesday in X" slips one day later each year. Next year they may move Game 1 back to the last Wednesday in May and let the cycle start again.

[Anita Bath]

14 hours ago, Farmduck said:

This has been the layout since about 2005. Before that there were a few variations. It also is a week later this year but mainly due to "calendar slippage" where a time like, "the third Wdnesday in X" slips one day later each year. Next year they may move Game 1 back to the last Wednesday in May and let the cycle start again.

The neutral game is in Perth so they could revert to a weekend origin given time difference. To keep it midweek would require a 6pm ko local time.

[Sports Prophet]

17 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

The neutral game is in Perth so they could revert to a weekend origin given time difference. To keep it midweek would require a 6pm ko local time.

Perth SOO is always a 6pm KO isn’t it?

[Anita Bath]

Yes but neither game (2019, 2022) was midweek.

[Damien]

200,000 player registrations reached for the first time:

The National Rugby League (NRL) is today celebrating a significant milestone in the game’s history with national community club rugby league player registrations reaching 200,000 in a season for the first time. 

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/07/06/history-made-as-club-rugby-league-registrations-reach-200000-nationally/amp/

[Sports Prophet]

There has been the typical mid season drop in attendances throughout this year’s Origin period, yet the YTD crowd avg is 20,158 still hovering above 2023’s record regular season avg of 19,640.

[Damien]

12 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

There has been the typical mid season drop in attendances throughout this year’s Origin period, yet the YTD crowd avg is 20,158 still hovering above 2023’s record regular season avg of 19,640.

With the terrible weather affecting many games in recent weeks that's fantastic. 

[JM2010]

26 minutes ago, Damien said:

200,000 player registrations reached for the first time:

The National Rugby League (NRL) is today celebrating a significant milestone in the game’s history with national community club rugby league player registrations reaching 200,000 in a season for the first time. 

https://www.nrl.com/news/2024/07/06/history-made-as-club-rugby-league-registrations-reach-200000-nationally/amp/

That’s a big number. What is it over here? About 5000?

[AB90]

37 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

That’s a big number. What is it over here? About 5000?

I believe registered playing numbers in the UK are circa 75,000

[JM2010]

28 minutes ago, AB90 said:

I believe registered playing numbers in the UK are circa 75,000

That’s more than I thought it would be. Is that an increase or decrease on previous years?

[Sports Prophet]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

With the terrible weather affecting many games in recent weeks that's fantastic. 

Yes it is. The 2024 8,274 avg for St George at Kogarah Oval however is not.