Will 2024 be the best NRL season ever?

[gingerjon]

35 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Do you think that a greater involvement in the Vegas venture is worth pursuing as well and do you possibly think that it has played a small part in what appears to be a positive vibe around the start of your season.

I think Vegas has helped a bit. I think the work of IMG and others has helped significantly more.

[Sports Prophet]

8 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Ran a quick check on the rivals yesterday. Found a minor meltdown on an industry thread.

Never sure if I'm looking in the right place. One of their recently active titles is -

"Why don't Sydney ever wear white shorts"?

Bigfooty asking the big questions.

Admittedly, that does read very funny, albeit a sports wide relevant question to which I assume you do not understand why it is a very valid question?

[Sports Prophet]

8 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Whenever and wherever RL has money, the reflex always seems to be -

"Oh Wow!, this means we could sign some Union players".

Not necessarily, however until there are the same number of NRLW teams competing with full squads as there are NRL sides, I am all for recruiting the peak RU talent to top up the NRLW and at the same time diminish the Union stock and product.

[The Rocket]

8 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

 

Never sure if I'm looking in the right place. One of their recently active titles is -

"Why don't Sydney ever wear white shorts"?

Bigfooty asking the big questions.

 

31 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Admittedly, that does read very funny, albeit a sports wide relevant question to which I assume you do not understand why it is a very valid question?

Because they make you look fat? It is Mardi Gras week after all.

[unapologetic pedant]

3 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Admittedly, that does read very funny, albeit a sports wide relevant question to which I assume you do not understand why it is a very valid question?

Further investigation led to a thread entitled "AFL's Rubbery White Shorts Policy".

Upon reflection, I've decided ignorance is bliss.

[unapologetic pedant]

3 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Not necessarily, however until there are the same number of NRLW teams competing with full squads as there are NRL sides, I am all for recruiting the peak RU talent to top up the NRLW and at the same time diminish the Union stock and product.

So quite happy to send a message to talented female athletes in NZ that playing Union is the best route to an NRLW contract?

[Sports Prophet]

3 hours ago, The Rocket said:

 

Because they make you look fat? It is Mardi Gras week after all.

As a Drag’s supporter, I understand Mardi Gras week will be important for you and your white shorts  

[Sports Prophet]

1 minute ago, unapologetic pedant said:

So quite happy to send a message to talented female athletes in NZ that playing Union is the best route to an NRLW contract?

Who said that? More comfortable to say to talented female athletes of all sports that if they are good enough, a professional career in the worlds best women’s rugby competition awaits them.

You see I am of the opinion there are some fantastic players currently playing Union which would be better than the stocks of League players we have who if recruited would improve the quality and affirm the standing of the NRLW as the world’s premier women’s rugby league.

But I think you are just talking for the sake of talking now.

[Sports Prophet]

20 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Further investigation led to a thread entitled "AFL's Rubbery White Shorts Policy".

Upon reflection, I've decided ignorance is bliss.

Probably for the best

[Damien]

8 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Not necessarily, however until there are the same number of NRLW teams competing with full squads as there are NRL sides, I am all for recruiting the peak RU talent to top up the NRLW and at the same time diminish the Union stock and product.

Teams need to be filled and if the talent is good enough from elsewhere then the sport would be crazy not to use it.

[Sports Prophet]

29 minutes ago, Damien said:

Teams need to be filled and if the talent is good enough from elsewhere then the sport would be crazy not to use it.

Yep

[Damien]

3 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Yep

I think there is also an argument that the NRLW being the go to sport for female athletes has helped it quickly supercede its rivals.

[Sports Prophet]

13 minutes ago, Damien said:

I think there is also an argument that the NRLW being the go to sport for female athletes has helped it quickly supercede its rivals.

Similarly agree. They weren’t first off the mark in that regard. The AFLW had a strategy to recruit talented Rugby (league, union, touch) players, basketballers and other talented athletes which didn’t favour Australian Rules as their first choice sport, however, they grew too quickly with players without a certain standard of AR skills and the NRL has done a much better job of making the top women’s game an enjoyable watch. AFLW is absolute pony.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

15 hours ago, gingerjon said:

The second biggest thing they could do: fix the World Club Challenge in the calendar.

The biggest? Subsidise a Kangaroos tour.

The rest is blather.

I agree - getting the Ashes nailed down is the biggest priority in the game right now. I do believe everything else starts to slide into place if this takeover was to actually happen. 

[gingerjon]

5 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

I agree - getting the Ashes nailed down is the biggest priority in the game right now. I do believe everything else starts to slide into place if this takeover was to actually happen. 

I think takeover is a terrible idea, although I see why it's enticing.

Coproduction and investment specific areas of mutual benefit? All for it.

[DoubleD]

58 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Similarly agree. They weren’t first off the mark in that regard. The AFLW had a strategy to recruit talented Rugby (league, union, touch) players, basketballers and other talented athletes which didn’t favour Australian Rules as their first choice sport, however, they grew too quickly with players without a certain standard of AR skills and the NRL has done a much better job of making the top women’s game an enjoyable watch. AFLW is absolute pony.

Much like the men’s version 

[Pulga]

20 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said:

RFL, please take note.

Unfortunately I believe Australia is the only country in the world where the Rugby league governing body oversees their respective Touch organisation. Everywhere else is governed by their union governing body.

Guess which country has won every world cup?

[Sports Prophet]

10 hours ago, Pulga said:

Unfortunately I believe Australia is the only country in the world where the Rugby league governing body oversees their respective Touch organisation. Everywhere else is governed by their union governing body.

Guess which country has won every world cup?

I think that has a lot to do with the sport being invented in Aus and widely adopted in Aus before it was elsewhere. The standard of touch in Aus and NZ is light years beyond anywhere else and the depth in Aus is well beyond that of NZ.

Edited February 22 by Sports Prophet

[EggFace]

9 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

I think that has a lot to do with the sport being invented in Aus and widely adopted in Aus before it was elsewhere. The standard of touch in Aus and NZ is light years beyond anywhere else and the depth in Aus is well beyond that of NZ.

I find Touch in this country too much and seems to favour a certain build but Tag it seems get many shapes and sizes.

[The Rocket]

35 minutes ago, EggFace said:

I find Touch in this country too much and seems to favour a certain build but Tag it seems get many shapes and sizes.

They had a touch match between Oz Indigenous and Maori All-Stars on Nine`s FTA secondary channel before the women`s and men`s All-Stars match the other day, first time I think it has been on FTA and it didn`t disappoint, the quality outstanding and quite the thrilling match won by the Kiwis`. I was sceptical before I turned it on but it was darn good entertainment.

What struck me as much as anything was the effect it is having on the tackle game now, not dissimilar to T20`s influence on Test cricket. Players like Keano Kini from the Titans` who was picked up out of a Touch Football tournament, watch him and you see moves that you see in Touch games and it is something we are seeing more often.

[Damien]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

I think that has a lot to do with the sport being invented in Aus and widely adopted in Aus before it was elsewhere. The standard of touch in Aus and NZ is light years beyond anywhere else and the depth in Aus is well beyond that of NZ.

It's probably helped by being played by predominantly Union players elsewhere too. Many RU clubs push it a fair bit over the summer and I know in Ireland it's pretty big over the summer. It's sickening that it counts on the IRFU player numbers when it's basically RL. Ireland touch even use the NRL video on how to play!

[gingerjon]

3 hours ago, EggFace said:

I find Touch in this country too much and seems to favour a certain build but Tag it seems get many shapes and sizes.

App tracking clearly works as YouTube has, out of nowhere, just recommended me this:

 

[unapologetic pedant]

14 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Who said that? More comfortable to say to talented female athletes of all sports that if they are good enough, a professional career in the worlds best women’s rugby competition awaits them.

You see I am of the opinion there are some fantastic players currently playing Union which would be better than the stocks of League players we have who if recruited would improve the quality and affirm the standing of the NRLW as the world’s premier women’s rugby league.

Parallels with the pitfalls of heritage players in national teams. Short term fixes have a habit of outstaying their welcome.

Maybe seek out the opinion of diehard League families in NZ. They see preferential treatment for Union players as a stab in the back.

[unapologetic pedant]

9 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Similarly agree. They weren’t first off the mark in that regard. The AFLW had a strategy to recruit talented Rugby (league, union, touch) players, basketballers and other talented athletes which didn’t favour Australian Rules as their first choice sport, however, they grew too quickly with players without a certain standard of AR skills and the NRL has done a much better job of making the top women’s game an enjoyable watch. AFLW is absolute pony.

Sounds like prioritizing players from other sports didn't work out too well.

[unapologetic pedant]

21 hours ago, The Rocket said:

And they will but in the meantime are we supposed to say no thanks when you have supposed Kiwi Black Ferns `union legends` publicly stating they`d like to have a crack at NRLW and actually approaching clubs about playing. The way they talk about the NRLW is as if they are in awe.

How long is the meantime?

I put "within a generation" in a previous post.