Rugby League 2020

Talk about NRL, State of Origin, Tests, Four Nations, World Cup, everything rugby league

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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by greeneyed »

Interesting story in The Sunday Telegraph yesterday saying the NRL will be a 17 team competition with two teams in Brisbane by 2023, in time for the new broadcast deal. It is suggested there will be an extra bye to handle the odd number of teams. Suggests that the NRL isn't interested in a team in Perth, with poor crowds for the Nines not helping the case for a WA team.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by -PJ- »

What was the total crowd figure across both days in Perth GE ?

I didn't catch any of Saturday's games. I believe there was 10k+ on Friday...
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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It was over 10,000 on the first day of the Nines and over 16,000 on the second. Frankly, I think they counted tickets sold... not people who entered. Didn't look anything like those numbers to me. They have had good crowds for Origin and real NRL games, however.

Perth is a no brainer for mine. Having an odd number of teams is not the best outcome. Perth gives you an extra TV timeslot, it has a good expatriate population to grow from, it is the biggest city in Australia and biggest TV market in Australia where rugby league doesn't have a presence. It is exactly what the broadcasters want. This is all about making the TV deal as big as possible and getting the biggest number of eyeballs on our sport. Time will see teams in Sydney fall by the wayside, there are too many teams there.
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Israel Folau's homophobic stance hasn't changed, so neither should his NRL ban

The supposed resurrection of Israel Folau as an NRL prospect began before he ever laced a boot in the Super League. And after one decent game for Catalans Dragons, it further gains momentum. It's a classic reaction in the Australian rugby league community, especially when it comes to superstars. It's been long enough ... just let him play.

The Instagram post that got him sacked by Rugby Australia remains on his page, unashamed and unresolved in the eyes of those who would give him a second chance. Second chances are granted after contrition. Folau has shown none. He therefore shouldn't have the chance to play in the NRL.

Read more: https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/israel-fol ... 1614918232

Good story. Sadly, in 2020, many actually still continue to support Folau and his original post.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by gerg »

greeneyed wrote:It was over 10,000 on the first day of the Nines and over 16,000 on the second. Frankly, I think they counted tickets sold... not people who entered. Didn't look anything like those numbers to me. They have had good crowds for Origin and real NRL games, however.

Perth is a no brainer for mine. Having an odd number of teams is not the best outcome. Perth gives you an extra TV timeslot, it has a good expatriate population to grow from, it is the biggest city in Australia and biggest TV market in Australia where rugby league doesn't have a presence. It is exactly what the broadcasters want. This is all about making the TV deal as big as possible and getting the biggest number of eyeballs on our sport. Time will see teams in Sydney fall by the wayside, there are too many teams there.
Agreed. You wouldn't think that adding just one team would affect the next tv deal at all - particularly another team in what is rugby league heartland. It's dumb but I guess it is baby steps. There are so many positives in also adding Perth at the same time with the only downside being extra travel and travel costs.

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BJ
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Yep second Brisbane team and Perth a no brainer.

Small rectangular stadium with small but mostly full crowds in Perth would be an acceptable return for the TV coverage it delivers.
Walt Flanigan
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by Walt Flanigan »

On the fence about expansion. I think Perth presents a good opportunity but the last expansion (the Titans) has been a ****. That should be addressed first IMO.
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Captain's challenge ready for All Stars debut

The NRL will trial the new “Captain’s Challenge” rule in Saturday night’s Harvey Norman All-Stars match between the Indigenous and Maori teams at Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.

Head of Football Graham Annesley and General Manager of Elite Officiating Bernard Sutton briefed both captains and coaches this week ahead of the introduction.

The “Captain’s Challenge” was provisionally approved by the Australian Rugby League Commission earlier this month with the rule to be trialled in the All-Stars game this weekend and the Charity Shield match between South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George-Illawarra Dragons on February 29.

The NRL also briefed broadcasters this week and is continuing discussions with clubs about the proposal.

Mr Annesley said the “Captain’s Challenge” was now ready to be used for the first time.

“This is an innovation which puts the fans first,’’ he said.

“At the end of last season we conducted a fan survey, more than 20,000 fans responded, and the biggest issue they raised was the impact of an incorrect call on the game.

“The challenge system addresses those concerns and takes some pressure off our referees.

“It also adds an additional element of excitement and tactics to our games. If a team gets a challenge wrong they will have no more challenges so it will need to be used strategically.”

How it works:

Only a captain can challenge a decision. Should the captain be off the field, another player can be nominated to take his place.

Each team is allowed one unsuccessful challenge per game.

The only decisions that can be challenged are ones which involve a structured restart of play (e.g penalty, scrum, drop-out, etc).

Challenges will not be permitted where the referee allows play to proceed.

The NRL has today released an explanatory video to give the fans a clear understanding of how the system works.

“This video provides an overview of how the system works and shows examples from previous seasons. It’s all about explaining the innovation to the fans, our clubs, broadcasters and key stakeholders,’’ he said.

The “Captain’s Challenge” will be presented to the Commission for final approval prior to Round 1.

The video can be viewed here: https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/02/20/how ... -will-work

NRL media release: https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/02/20/cap ... ars-debut/

Captain's challenge trial system finalised for All Stars: https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/02/20/cap ... all-stars/
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Walt Flanigan wrote: February 20, 2020, 1:24 pm On the fence about expansion. I think Perth presents a good opportunity but the last expansion (the Titans) has been a ****. That should be addressed first IMO.
Justin Holbrook is the best Aussie coach we've had over here since Trent Robinson.

I don't think the Titans are going to be a failure much longer.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by zim »

It will revolve around Ash Taylor. If he flops again this year, with their roster, they're not threatening the 8 regardless of their coach.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by Walt Flanigan »

I think Holbrook will definitely bring some consistency to the Titans but they just don’t have the squad to threaten the 8 this season. Hopefully he can address the culture up there because it’s always been an issue with Gold Coast teams.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by Seiffert82 »

Maybe if they stop signing **** like Hayne.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by Walt Flanigan »

Seiffert82 wrote: February 23, 2020, 8:58 am Maybe if they stop signing **** like Hayne.
How much have they paid for that move. Henry turned them into a Top 8 side before that boneheaded move from the board.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Walt Flanigan wrote: February 23, 2020, 7:31 am I think Holbrook will definitely bring some consistency to the Titans but they just don’t have the squad to threaten the 8 this season. Hopefully he can address the culture up there because it’s always been an issue with Gold Coast teams.
Isn't that Mal's department ;)
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Seiffert82
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Walt Flanigan wrote: February 23, 2020, 10:09 am
Seiffert82 wrote: February 23, 2020, 8:58 am Maybe if they stop signing **** like Hayne.
How much have they paid for that move. Henry turned them into a Top 8 side before that boneheaded move from the board.
Yep, way to undermine any sort of positive team culture at the club and make one person appear more important that everyone else. Especially a flakey character like Hayne.
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gangrenous
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by gangrenous »

Walt Flanigan wrote:
Seiffert82 wrote: February 23, 2020, 8:58 am Maybe if they stop signing **** like Hayne.
How much have they paid for that move. Henry turned them into a Top 8 side before that boneheaded move from the board.
Indeed. What a sliding doors moment for them...
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Captain's challenge given go-ahead for Round 1

The captain's challenge has been given the green light by the ARL Commission for round one of the season after trial runs in the All Stars and Charity Shield.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg has announced the new rule will be brought in after the Commission and the NRL football department had been pleased with how the system operated during the trials.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/03/02/cap ... round-one/
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by -TW- »

Games to now take 4 hours

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gangrenous
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by gangrenous »

Works for me, but the missus won’t be happy...
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Interesting story... which will have major consequences for free stories on rugby league. The closure is not due to free online content... it is due to certain major news organisations pulling out of financing AAP... as those organisations want to force people to pay for content (News Corp and Nine - which has taken over Fairfax).

AAP newswire service closes after 85 years with at least 180 job losses, blames free online content

After 85 years of operation, national news agency Australian Associated Press (AAP) will close its doors, leaving at least 180 job losses at the newswire service and resulting in fewer journalists covering crucial stories in the already under-resourced Australian media landscape.

Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-03/ ... s/12020770
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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I did contract work for AAP once upon a time. Literally had to listen to the radio, and any time these certain clients were mentioned, I would blog what was said about them and record the segment. Clients would then pay to listen to the segment
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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New NRL referees appointment panel created

The National Rugby League has created an independent referees appointment panel, featuring three former first grade players, responsible for overseeing all first grade and representative refereeing appointments.

The new panel is a direct recommendation of the McCurry Review into the referees department which was conducted last year and ensures greater transparency and more voices determining referee appointments.

The new panel is:

Chair - Jason King (General Manager Elite Competitions, former NRL player)
David Fairleigh (Officiating Coach, former NRL player)
David Boyle (Officiating Coach, former NRL player)
Russell Smith (Officiating Coach, former international referee)
Steve Chiddy (Bunker Senior Review Official, former touch judge)
Jared Maxwell (Bunker Manager, former referee)
Gavin Reynolds (Officiating Operations Manager, former referee)

Bernard Sutton will remain referees boss, as the General Manager of officiating. All referees will report to Sutton and he will oversee all administrative aspects, which includes coaching. Sutton will remain the key point of contact for all NRL coaches.

NRL Head of Football Graham Annesley said the new panel would free up more time for Sutton to focus on high performance and remove any perceived issues surrounding the transparency of refereeing appointments.

“Bernard Sutton has assisted with the creation of this new panel,’’ Annesley said.

“This is a strong panel with representatives from all facets of the game. We now have former players, former referees, bunker review officials and a representative from NRL football management making our refereeing appointments.

“There will be greater rigor around the selection of our referees, more transparency and we expect stronger on-field performances because Bernard Sutton will be able to devote more time to coaching and administration.”

The panel will commence immediately, making appointments for Round One of the Telstra NRL Premiership.

NRL media release

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/03/09/new ... l-created/
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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That’s a plus.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by BJ »

The refs have made too many major blunders over the last few years. A live wrong call is fully acceptable, but fundamental to the rules incorrect calls shouldn’t be accepted (such as the Cronulla Touchie flag and the GF 6 again overturn). I blame their management and the NRL for not implementing easier rules and simpler decision processes.

Hopefully this change is a good move. I see positives.
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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Amanda Laing to step down as ARLC Commissioner

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) announced today that Ms Amanda Laing will be stepping down as an independent commissioner of the ARLC.

Ms Laing, a highly experienced media executive, has served on the Commission since March 2018 and will step down on March 11, 2020.

ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys AM thanked Ms Laing for her contribution to the Commission.

“Amanda has been at the forefront of our mission to develop and grow the game of Rugby League at all levels,” Mr V’landys said.

“Her expertise as a media executive brought a unique and valuable perspective to many of the issues which came before the Commission. Amanda understands how media, sponsors and advertisers view the value of their investment in rugby league and brought that insight to our decisions. In addition, she brought business acumen and a great passion for rugby league to her role on the Commission.”

Ms Laing said that she decided to step down in order to ensure there could be no perception of a conflict of interest associated with any decision of the ARLC regarding its broadcast rights in relation to her role with Foxtel. Ms Laing is currently the Chief Commercial Officer at Foxtel, a position she has held since April 2018.

“It has been a great privilege to serve on the Commission and to work with the NRL management team,” Ms Laing said.

“I have been inspired by the big hearts of the rugby league community. I am in awe of the athleticism and courage of our players and I am proud of the initiatives and innovation which has been introduced into the game of rugby league during my time on the Commission.”

Ms Laing’s departure means there are two vacancies on the ARLC Commission.

NRL media release

https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/03/10/ama ... missioner/
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by greeneyed »

How on earth has the conflict of interest only become obvious now?!
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by gerg »

That's a really good question GE but we are talking about the NRL here.

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Re: Rugby League 2020

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gergreg wrote:That's a really good question GE but we are talking about the NRL here.

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I was going to say exactly the same thing

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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by greeneyed »

gergreg wrote: March 10, 2020, 7:59 pm That's a really good question GE but we are talking about the NRL here.

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Let's just look at this again...

"Ms Laing, a highly experienced media executive, has served on the Commission since March 2018 and will step down on March 11, 2020...

Ms Laing is currently the Chief Commercial Officer at Foxtel, a position she has held since April 2018."

What the?
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by gerg »

They possibly justified it by suggesting that the TV deal had already been finalised when she was appointed to both roles. Still not a good look either way.

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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by afgtnk »

Was wondering how she was still on there given the initial roles of the commission, so glad she's now off. The conflict of interest was identified ages ago
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greeneyed
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by greeneyed »

Just watching a replay of NRL 360. They said Don Furner is one name being thrown around as a replacement for Todd Greenberg. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to see him thrown to those vipers in the NRL and the Sydney media.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

Post by BJ »

greeneyed wrote:Just watching a replay of NRL 360. They said Don Furner is one name being thrown around as a replacement for Todd Greenberg. To be honest, I wouldn’t want to see him thrown to those vipers in the NRL and the Sydney media.
I think Dons a good team CEO, but not a whole organisation CEO.
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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It feels like yesterday there were those saying he was incapable, was only there because of the family farm, and were calling for his head
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Re: Rugby League 2020

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I think 2 things have made his life easier, sticky coming on board and Farmer Mac standing down

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