The game has moved on from me and a lot of people from my generation

[Mark from Brisbane]

Hard to argue with any of your points. Maybe we silvertails have become a bunch of Dinosaurs.

Yes a poll as to the ages of us all would be interesting.

I bet it’s largely 50 plus , with minimal in the 20-30 bracket.

 

[wedgetail eagle]

Agree. As I get older the world seems stranger.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I would be happy to just scrap the 6 again rule.
People say it speeds the game up,but I would be happy to go back to a penalty and if there are say,3 ruck infringements by a side,the last guy gets 5 in the bin and any subsequent offender gets 5 too.
It takes it out of the refs hands in a way,they still have to make a call,but it stops bs calls giving a side 24 consecutive tackles.

 

[Real Deal]

I guess its an age thing. I went to my first game at the SCG in June 75 seeing Manly vs The Roosters. We lost due to two freaky field goals by two brilliant players; John Brass and Russell Fairfax with a disallowed try by Ray Branighan on the full time hooter. A great day watching Johnny Gibbs tear them apart in under 23s.

I have enjoyed watching games with my daughter at Brookie this year (sorry, it's not 4 Pines). I loved the semi against the rising Bulldogs but I am over the game day hype. Someone mentioned the WWE, I get that comparison. Vlandys is an analogue of Vince McMahon, as was Gallop, Greenburg et al. Something died with Super League.

Eagle Eric (does he post here?), drops some fabulous old clips on YouTube from the late 70s to the 80s. A rough and tough game to be sure, but the skill levels of Wombat, Joe Cool, Rick Chisholm and Phil Blake were something to behold.

Line astern backline movements. No flat or dodgy forward passes. Backing each other up for length of the field tries. And no ground announcers bellowing unintelligible vowels.

But at my age, I'm not their target audience.

 

[TJ55]

It's not just this NRL thingie that is different.

I went to a club to watch the GF with a mate.

Must be 8 TV's at this place. NSW Cup gets one small little TV showing footy. There is girls afl on a similarly small sized TV. All sorts of rubbish sports.

But on a big massive TV and the only TV with sound at this entire club is UFC.

So being Grand final day and all, I ask if we can get the league on the main screen. If GF day and all.......

Sorry I am told. There will be people in the bar to watch the UFC no can do.....

So I am looking around, and sure enough, most of the room are actually watching the cage apes get covered in blood. And the greatest majority were chicks.

Who even watch's NRL these days hey. Might just be an old farts game these days hey.

The Clubs/Pubs have to pay a considerable amount of money to show a licensed UFC PPV event, which in fairness is way bigger than Rugby League and streamed worldwide with a huge fan base. The UFC was over by 4pm, I’m a big UFC fan but there no way it cant not have priority over a Newtown Jets v Devils

 

[Hibyemama]

I write this piece after attending my 21st grand final day.

The day is always exciting for league fans and really anticipated. To watch this game as a neutral made it easier as it is so nerve wrecking when the mighty Sea Eagles are playing.

One thing that has concerned me for quite some time is the game day experience. I started watching games live in the mid 70s in for what was a golden era where Brooky could hold up to 25K crowds and you saw 3 games of footy sometimes on a muddy pitch and the games were held at fan friendly times. Your day started at 9am and you were home by 6PM, I lived in Avalon so it was always a memorable time to go to Brooky as a kid when we had a team that was dominant like the Riff and Drizzle are now. The noise came from the crown, the ground announcer who called the scores and the team song if the team won the game.

That was a long time ago and now going to a game day is like attending a rock concert, so much noise from the time you arrive, music played during every break in play and after the team scores and it carries on during the breaks between games and is so loud that you cannot have a chat with the person next to you. You also deal with people who sit in private boxes, pay lots of money to do that, get boozed up and become obnoxious and extremely loud. I had a season ticket in the Lyons Menzies stand for 15 years and as a result of all the racket, I will NOT be renewing my season ticket as I walk away from day at the footy with a headache most times. Its no longer an enjoyable experience for me.

I realize that the club is doing so well selling out Brooky most home games these days and I am delighted for them. I feel though that they are interested in an audience that wants the music and loud entertainment, rather than someone like me who wants to watch the footy. I pay money for that, not to attend a rock concert! Last nights grand final was the final straw for me. Ground announcers inciting the crowd, its overbearing and aggressive!!

The bunker is another source of major concern for me. We all saw last night the obvious mistake in disallowing the Storm try. I have not one bit of love for the Storm but that's need to be allowed to officiate on the game and the bunker should only be used when its an obvious mistake!

I will renew my membership, I will never abandon what is my first love and something I loved for 50 years. I am getting older and the game is different now. I support other codes as well, the AFL game day experience is so much better, the club songs are played beforehand and the winning team gets that again. The noise generated is from the crowd and I love that.

I once resided in England and saw countless EPL games and the crowd was the atmosphere. I love how they kept their tradition.

I think its most unfair on the fans that the clubs are trying to sell memberships for 2025 before we see a draw released by the NRL, I reside on the central coast right now and Thursday and Friday night games are not ideal. I hope they get that out soon.

I am still in love with Manly, not so much in love with the game and the NRL. I will always support them, however in a different way moving forward!

Like most things, the olden days was better. Music, fashion, even food was better in the 1970's. I miss my carpet bag steak and Bombe Alaska desert from the old days. and boy I miss the Sanfrancisco Grill at the sydney hilton. Just be blessed that we grew up in the best decade, the 1970s.😃

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Like most things, the olden days was better. Music, fashion, even food was better in the 1970's. I miss my carpet bag steak and Bombe Alaska desert from the old days. and boy I miss the Sanfrancisco Grill at the sydney hilton. Just be blessed that we grew up in the best decade, the 1970s.😃

The San Francisco Grill , well **** me with a feather I haven’t heard that mentioned in 40 plus years but yes was a great spot & how about the Bourbon & Beefsteak bar at the Cross jeez I’ve spent some nights there in my misspent youth !!

 

[Hibyemama]

The San Francisco Grill , well **** me with a feather I haven’t heard that mentioned in 40 plus years but yes was a great spot & how about the Bourbon & Beefsteak bar at the Cross jeez I’ve spent some nights there in my misspent youth !!

hit the spot, i love the bourbon and beefsteak back in those days.

 

[Real Deal]

On Facebook yesterday someone posted a picture of a bottle of Brandivino. I can still remember a mate of my brother doubled over in pain after drinking half a bottle of that paint stripper in the KGV grandstand at Henson Park in 1976. That never happens at Brookie these days. Old days, old ways.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

One things for sure us Dinosaurs are ****ed, there’s no way the NRL are changing back to what we loved as that doesn’t appeal to Gen X Y or whatever they are these days.

We’ll be dead and buried soon , we are meaningless to them, it’s all about what the current 15-25 year olds want , they are the future we are the past.

Sad really , but we do have some great memories.

 

[Frogz]

One things for sure us Dinosaurs are ****ed, there’s no way the NRL are changing back to what we loved as that doesn’t appeal to Gen X Y or whatever they are these days.

We’ll be dead and buried soon , we are meaningless to them, it’s all about what the current 15-25 year olds want , they are the future we are the past.

Sad really , but we do have some great memories.

I watched the finals of the Koori knockout today, f#ck me, don't they play for keeps. Bit like the old days and that was just the women

 

[Captain Moondog]

We’ll be dead and buried soon , we are meaningless to them

Old people are invisible to the young...

 

[TJ55]

One things for sure us Dinosaurs are ****ed, there’s no way the NRL are changing back to what we loved as that doesn’t appeal to Gen X Y or whatever they are these days.

We’ll be dead and buried soon , we are meaningless to them, it’s all about what the current 15-25 year olds want , they are the future we are the past.

Sad really , but we do have some great memories.

Mark, with all due respect times do change and things evolve sometimes for the better and worse but it is still rugby league at the end of the day, the blokes I went to the Manly v Dogs game were blokes pushing 70 and been Manly members for decades before I was born and whilst they don’t agree with some of the system they have adapted, the real deal young NRL heads will always listen to the old timers, certainly not meaningless

 

[bob dylan]

I had a mate attend the GF yesterday he goes every year. Yesterday was his last because of the noise at the ground. Music roaring, drums beating, ground announcer screaming out.

"Never again" he text me about 6pm.

I said "what if Manly are playing?" his replay was "they will not make another one in my life time".

Sad but true.

I gave up going the GF and Origins in 2013 - thanks to Kevin "Shayne" Hayne.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Mark, with all due respect times do change and things evolve sometimes for the better and worse but it is still rugby league at the end of the day, the blokes I went to the Manly v Dogs game were blokes pushing 70 and been Manly members for decades before I was born and whilst they don’t agree with some of the system they have adapted, the real deal young NRL heads will always listen to the old timers, certainly not meaningless

Yes mate due respect taken , and I agree times do change , and as to better or worse I guess that would relate to how long you’ve been watching the game.

100% understand that most of the current viewing audience love it , and let’s face it , they are the future !!

 

[sheridanstand78]

It wont happen now, but how long before there is a class action about the noise at football grounds? The headaches I get are not fun after a day of it.

Last night was so loud I had my phone ear pieces in to slightly dull the noise, it is relentless!!

 

[Nambawan]

Hard to argue with any of your points. Maybe we silvertails have become a bunch of Dinosaurs.

The music played throughout games is a big put off for me - stupifyingly silly, down market and asinine.

 

[Hibyemama]

The music played throughout games is a big put off for me - stupifyingly silly, down market and asinine.

the irony is they play old farts music, like neil diamond Sweet Caroline 🤣

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

the irony is they play old farts music, like neil diamond Sweet Caroline 🤣

I too find that ironical.

They are appealing to the Gen whatever’s YET it’s not anything modern it’s 60’s & 70’s and the occasional 80’s


🤔🤔🤔🤔

 

[TJ55]

Yes mate due respect taken , and I agree times do change , and as to better or worse I guess that would relate to how long you’ve been watching the game.

100% understand that most of the current viewing audience love it , and let’s face it , they are the future !!

Well said mate, but in all my years watching Rugby League I haven’t seen so much issue with the bunker/ref compared to any other aspect ever ! If they can’t read the lines then the game is in deep ****!

It wont happen now, but how long before there is a class action about the noise at football grounds? The headaches I get are not fun after a day of it.

Last night was so loud I had my phone ear pieces in to slightly dull the noise, it is relentless!!

There needs to be a class action against the bloke who keeps banging that cow bell at Storm games..surely I can’t be the only one pissed off about it lol🤣