What you write on here is how so many of us feel. There has always been favoured clubs and clubs out of favour, in the 70's, 80's and 90's, we were a favoured club and we got good coverage in the media and we were feared!!
Since 2000 especially, we have seen a shift of power to the non Sydney clubs, they have the media in their pocket and the current NRL regime use the fact that this clubs are based in expanding areas as a basis to favour them in relation to TV coverage, time slots, etc
I lament that the Sydney clubs bar a few of them are very much on the outside now and the fabric of the competition is now a mere thread. Tradition is slowly being destroyed by the NRL!!!
I think that the national competition that the NRL is craving for will happen and the new clubs that come in will be at the expense of Sydney. There are too many clubs struggling right now to survive financially and I do not see much effort from the NRL to protect them. To them it is a one size fits all approach where the Sydney clubs will be forced to play out of three main stadiums and if that happens it will ruin clubs who rely on that crucial home ground advantage that the out of Sydney teams enjoy unquestioned.
For the fan who wants to go to a game and is now forced to pay 32 dollars to stand on a hill at Brookvale out in the elements is a major deterrent for people who want to go to games. The AFL made some big changes 20 years ago about stadia and you can watch an AFL game at the MCG as a non member for only 20 bucks, the NRL needs to look at this!!
I believe that the game will not grow till we get a truly independent regime running the game who are not a prisoner to TV networks and Media moguls and that there is a fair and even distribution of money and player talent throughout the clubs and that clubs should NOT be penalised for building a team with kids they have nurtured and not procured by a club with access to money.
The current conflicts of interest in the game are too many to name in one message! The ARLC has already been blocked by some clubs over vital reform, we need some real leadership in the game and right now we are led by that slimy git Greenturd who is more interested in peddling to the chosen clubs and ignoring the real problems in the game.
We currently wait for them to make their mind up about our salary cap sanction while the other 7 clubs named in the initial allegation are allowed to continue without scrutiny. The inequity and unfairness in the game right now is as high as I have ever known it to be!!
To be successful now is all about winning at all costs and the rules have been watered down so much, the niggler in the game rules the roost without any repercussions. Seriously Scam Smith would have been annihilated in a previous era for the the crap he continues to get away with week in and week out.
The game has always been about toughness and endurance and skill to win matches, the game has many positives but remains stunted by poor and short sighted leadership. I long for the day that we have a totally independent body running our game who take care of ALL the clubs rather than a select few!!!
It is a dark era under the current leadership but history shows it can turn quickly if we get the right people in charge, here's hoping that Peter Beattie can start that process!