TV games and draw

[Nutzcraw]

Does anyone agree with me that the NRL need to do like the AFL and have the TV games sorted out at the start of the year??

I've had a gutfull of these friday night and sunday games involving the same teams every week... i realise they are being rewarded for good on field performances by getting TV coverage and it'sall money making.. but i think the best thing for league is to give everyone a run on TV fairly... let every supporter see their team on a more regular basis.

Also for QLD people here.. was anyone else pissed off on sunday that we got the Warriors V bronco's game on foxtel.. then the manly game then the 4 o'clock game on 9 was again bronco's v warriors... we don't get to see the Grand Finalists of last year play each other?? What's the go with that.. screw the bloody bronco's

And then there is the draw... why is it that we are playing the tigers for the second time in 5 weeks and we haven't yet played souths once... and also we played the cowboys in round 2 and we don't play them again this year... can we have another crack at them at brookie???

That's my gripe done

 

[Corso_Pete]

Whilst ever the league rely upon money from the TV networks the system will not change.

The NRL cannot be compared with the AFL. To the Victorians AFL is a religion giving the AFL tremendous negotiating power.

 

[Canteen Worker]

I disagree. Nine think they rule the roost. However the fans are the real owners of the game. Each team should get its guernsey on the box and it should be divided around to each of the clubs - how weaker clubs can get sponsorship when they never get on the box is scurrilous. The NRL should play 9s bluff. I am not being commercially naiive - AFL is a religion but ultimately people support the game and even matches - do you only watch on Friday when Manly play???

 

[Corso_Pete]

do you only watch on Friday when Manly play???

I watch Friday night football every week, because generally speaking it is the match of the round. If Channel 9 gave up their rights to select matches you would inevitably end up with matches such as Warriors V South Sydney or Souths V anyone. The commercial reality is that quality of match will not get the ratings that 9 expect and therefore the advertising revenue that they demand.

 

[Cameron]

they are changing it next year and by about rd 4 they will be 10 weeks in advance bearing in mind there will be 2 friday night games next year

 

[Ryan]

Just get Foxtell guys...build a bridge. LoL.
I watch every game, avery week, and love them all. I consider all the results in relation to how they effect Manly on the table, so makes it all exciting.

 

[Corso_Pete]

they are changing it next year and by about rd 4 they will be 10 weeks in advance bearing in mind there will be 2 friday night games next year

and to counteract the "up" side of providing 10 weeks matches in advance the last 6 weeks will only be announced 4 weeks in advance to ensure that Channel 9 get the best possible matches in the lead up to the semi finals.

wether the fans like it or not the reality is that money speaks and the fans will never be able to provide the amount of money that will equal that of the TV networks.

Just on the 2 Friday night games next year, the second game will be delayed and shown presumably at about 9:30pm. Hardly appealing to most people and especially not to children with the game finishing at around 11:15pm.

 

[Cameron]

[quote author=Cliffy Gc]
they are changing it next year and by about rd 4 they will be 10 weeks in advance bearing in mind there will be 2 friday night games next year

and to counteract the "up" side of providing 10 weeks matches in advance the last 6 weeks will only be announced 4 weeks in advance to ensure that Channel 9 get the best possible matches in the lead up to the semi finals.

wether the fans like it or not the reality is that money speaks and the fans will never be able to provide the amount of money that will equal that of the TV networks.

Just on the 2 Friday night games next year, the second game will be delayed and shown presumably at about 9:30pm. Hardly appealing to most people and especially not to children with the game finishing at around 11:15pm.

[/quote]
i see what ure sayin about the last 4 weeks and i know it makes it hard for fans who want to go to games and plan things.

But big picture i think thats good for the game and the games exposure, last year for example if they could have changed it Rd 26 would have seen Penrith and roosters on Friday Night with the manly v canberra game being sunday arvo on TV as a crunch match for the make up of the finals.

The majority dont have Fox/Austar so i have no problem with the big game games leading in to the finals being on Free to air thats good for the games exposure.

How many people who dont have fox would know who the likes of Souths, NZ, Canberra and even manly to a lesser extent who only had 1 Free to air game so far have in their sides or know how they are playing

 

[Matabele]

Interestingly we have four Eels games live to air in 4 weeks - they're in 13th spot.

Decisions are made on a number of levels:

1. Team position on ladder
2. Size of fan base.
3. Demographic of fan base and appeal to advertisers.

Why do you think we're yet to see the top placed Storm on free to air this year?

 

[Nutzcraw]

Just get Foxtell guys...build a bridge. LoL.
I watch every game, avery week, and love them all. I consider all the results in relation to how they effect Manly on the table, so makes it all exciting.

I got foxtel

 

[Canteen Worker]

If each team was guaranteed a couple of games, especially on Sunday it would be fairer for all. The AFL does it - really how different are they. You can still have the top teams playing on Friday. This Friday it is 6th v 9th for instance.

 

[Corso_Pete]

Interestingly we have four Eels games live to air in 4 weeks - they're in 13th spot.

Decisions are made on a number of levels:

1. Team position on ladder
2. Size of fan base.
3. Demographic of fan base and appeal to advertisers.

Why do you think we're yet to see the top placed Storm on free to air this year?

Then how do you explain why the Bronco's have had at least their fair share of "free to air" matches. Both the Broncs and Melbourne have been at or near the top of the ladder all year, both being one team/one city you would assume that the demographics of both fan bases would not be too dissimilar which of course leaves us with the Melbourne fan base which is miniscule.

If Channel 9 don't/won't show them on free to air and given the consensus that TV channels have too much power in the allocation/selection of matches why are Melbourne in the comp?

 

[Corso_Pete]

If each team was guaranteed a couple of games, especially on Sunday it would be fairer for all. The AFL does it - really how different are they. You can still have the top teams playing on Friday. This Friday it is 6th v 9th for instance.

There is no comparsion to the NRL & AFL, well in particular the supporters that follow those respective codes. Having spent a month in Melbourne during the football season a few years ago I was stunned at the level of interest their is in AFL. It did not matter who I spoke to within the office in which I was based the conversation ALWAYS ended up about being about the footy. The coverage that it receives in the papers, every day was at least 8 pages (more on Mondays & Fridays) and every radio news bulletin seemed to include a football story.

From my short time there I quickly learned that you are born into a team and that level of support remains with you for life and the level of support is equally shared by both male & female.

Just to experience the AFL in mid winter was something I will never forget, what is like in September is something of which I could only imagine.

 

[Canteen Worker]

I agree with what you say about Melbourne and the level of support. I too have visited there and the level of interest is something that League teams would die for.

Down there a game of Scissor Paper Rock in the street would get a crowd of 300!!

My beef is though that the AFL controls the coverage whereas 9 seems to control the NRL. I am sure it is partly a hangover to the SuperLeague war which didn't affect AFL.

However - a bit more gumption, slightly less cash in the short term could do the game and the fans all over the Eastern Seaboard a huge favour.

I still think letting the Saturday ABC game go in favour of Rugby was a huge mistake and it has cost lots of support amongst the younger population.

 

[PJ]

I agree with what you say about Melbourne and the level of support. I too have visited there and the level of interest is something that League teams would die for.

Down there a game of Scissor Paper Rock in the street would get a crowd of 300!!

My beef is though that the AFL controls the coverage whereas 9 seems to control the NRL. I am sure it is partly a hangover to the SuperLeague war which didn't affect AFL.

However - a bit more gumption, slightly less cash in the short term could do the game and the fans all over the Eastern Seaboard a huge favour.

I still think letting the Saturday ABC game go in favour of Rugby was a huge mistake and it has cost lots of support amongst the younger population.

agreed CW- I loved the saturday arvo games!
In regards to Melbourne being fanatical- bloody oath- they have a footy show before the game, at half time and after the games, as well as giving football preference over the national news from time to time.
Having said all this I don't think the NRL should give up on Melbourne- poor crowds aside I think the club is heading in the right direction.
At the stadium they play at you are freezing your arse off the whole game and too far away from the action!
The new stadium they are building looks great and with a bit better marketing I think it is not beyond the realms that they could pick up a much larger supporter base.
I don't see how they couldn't aim for ave. crowds of the 15,000-20,000 mark in the next 5years.
Geelong average around that same mark in the AFL (home crowds) so the gap isn't as huge as some might think- it is more so your Essendons and Collingwood that are the drawcards.

One thing I will mention is the ****house crowds that went to NRL games on the weekend- I think they totalled around the 70,000 mark- not good (but the weather was **** I suppose)

 

[Corso_Pete]

I still think letting the Saturday ABC game go in favour of Rugby was a huge mistake and it has cost lots of support amongst the younger population.

I agree with you in this comment, but in fairness to the league I am pretty sure it was the clubs that wanted this time slot scrapped due to the incredibly low crowds they were getting to the game, which in turn reflected poorly as a TV event.

I can recall a Saturday afternoon match at Brookie about 15 years ago, certainly pre super league, can't recall who we were playing, it was raining fairly heavily and without shadow of a lie I estimated that there was only about 3,000 people at the ground. Of course teh game was being broadcast live "free to air" on the ABC. The clubs used to receive a "bonus" payment from the league in acknowledgement of the poor crowds that this time slot attracted. The reality is though is that the clubs rely heavily on bums on seats to meet their revenue targets these days.

 

[Canteen Worker]

All true Pete. That game was v Gold Coast if I am not mistaken and the announcers counted the crowd and reckoned there was less than 1000 there though the released figure was near 3000.

Revenue and business rules - fair enough, but all I would like to see is a rotation of clubs on the free to air to keep all supporters somewhat happy.

It is like my pet bugbear of night Grand Finals. TV ratings drive this but People meters don't record the Sunday BBQ numbers, the gathering on Sunday arvo etc or the amount of kids watching in arvo v night etc

Profit shouldn't be the only thing that is considered.

 

[Corso_Pete]

Profit shouldn't be the only thing that is considered.

You are obviously confused, NRL is a business, business needs to make profit. You are obvioulsy of the opinion that the NRL are running a sport!
(insert here emoticon for sarcasm)

 

[Fro]

when they are paying the obscene amounts of money that they are CW they will be calling the shots to a large extent.

unfortunate yes but a fact of life.

 

[Canteen Worker]

[quote author=Canteen Worker]
Profit shouldn't be the only thing that is considered.

You are obviously confused, NRL is a business, business needs to make profit. You are obvioulsy of the opinion that the NRL are running a sport!
(insert here emoticon for sarcasm)

[/quote]I totally agree with your comments and share your sarcasm. However in any business unless you invest in the future and support all aspects of operation, or become short sighted, serving only the now, you end up hurting the future. (Look at Supergreed - apart from Pay TV is the game any different now to what it might have been????)

Young kids and all the clubs need to be given equal opportunity or we will end up like the English Premier League - Chelsea, Man U or Arse nil! Murphy's golden rule is that whoever has the gold makes the rules. I figure the league should play a bit harder to ensure that all clubs get some air time, that's all.