Another rl defection

[Basil2]

In what is becoming a real trend Luke Rooney, former nternational & SOO winger has signed for a big spending French ru club. Add Gower's defection to ru, Tahu's signing by the NSW ru side & the real possibility of the world's best rl centre, Gasnier signing with a French ru side, & you have a problem for rl.

French ru obviously has a lot of money to spend - why so rich?

[windlesaint]

Jul 9, 2008 16:49:10 GMT -5 Basil2 said:

In what is becoming a real trend Luke Rooney, former nternational & SOO winger has signed for a big spending French ru club. Add Gower's defection to ru, Tahu's signing by the NSW ru side & the real possibility of the world's best rl centre, Gasnier signing with a French ru side, & you have a problem for rl.

French ru obviously has a lot of money to spend - why so rich?

I think they have lots of sponsorship. Big crowds too I believe.

[Basil2]

Jul 13, 2008 14:26:27 GMT -5 windlesaint said:

Jul 9, 2008 16:49:10 GMT -5 Basil2 said:

In what is becoming a real trend Luke Rooney, former nternational & SOO winger has signed for a big spending French ru club. Add Gower's defection to ru, Tahu's signing by the NSW ru side & the real possibility of the world's best rl centre, Gasnier signing with a French ru side, & you have a problem for rl.

French ru obviously has a lot of money to spend - why so rich?

I think they have lots of sponsorship. Big crowds too I believe.

Gasnier has signed. Much handwringing & pointing of fingers in rl circles here. Tahu, Rooney & now Gasnier. Who'll be next?
Does French ru pilfer British rl much?

[bizzaro]

Jul 16, 2008 7:23:51 GMT -5 Basil2 said:

Does French ru pilfer British rl much?

Does French RU pilfer British RU at all?

[windlesaint]

Jul 16, 2008 11:24:01 GMT -5 bizzaro said:

Jul 16, 2008 7:23:51 GMT -5 Basil2 said:

Does French ru pilfer British rl much?

Does French RU pilfer British RU at all?

Yes they do now & again - although I can't think of any off the top of my head right now - although there was that Irish bloke who waded into the crowd to start a fight a year or so ago.

I don't think the French have any salary cap so they can pay better wages. Also France isn't so footballcentric as the UK so players can get a higher profile relatively speaking.

[kier]

Also, I think many RU grounds are municipal so that the upkeep isn't the responsibility of the clubs - a huge financial saving.

[windlesaint]

The Sonny Bill experience seems to indicate that the French RU clubs are awash with money.

[kier]

All the SBW experience has shown is that he's the David Icke of the new millenium. He's delusional - except instead of a "godhead"and an affinity for turquoise he seems to believe he's running a one man crusade for player rights........

A shame but it seems to me that he's undergoing a very public mental breakdown. He's paranoid and entirely divorced from reality.

[windlesaint]

You don't think it could be the start of an NRL decline then?

[kier]

No - not at all.

[windlesaint]

Hopefully I'm wrong but I think the NRL may have reached the peak in its popularity. I come to this conclusion for several reasons-
1 there seem to be a lot of internal divisions within the NRL leadership - they are unclear as to where to go next - expand or consolidate???
2 RL relative lack of an international dimension - when compared to RU & soccer
3 salary cap - good players can get more money beyond australia
4 the possible rise in the A league - lots of kids playing the game, new immigrants having a soccer rather than an RL background, a true world game, the socceroos getting steadily better (success breeds success)

[rus]

Hopefully I'm wrong but I think the NRL may have reached the peak in its popularity. I come to this conclusion for several reasons-
1 there seem to be a lot of internal divisions within the NRL leadership - they are unclear as to where to go next - expand or consolidate???

Mostly true but the NRL is still on track for record crowd numbers. They can look forward to a 3 million plus aggregate attendance this year.

On expansion or contraction it should be obvious there are too many clubs in Sydney & not enough in Queensland. But seeing as though they have have the successful introduction of the Titans into the competition it makes sense to proceed with caution. After all they have a 16 competition t the mo.

2 RL relative lack of an international dimension - when compared to RU & soccer

Union's international footprint is only tiny.
www.puttingrugbyfirst.com/home.php

NFL, AFL & Gaelic Football aren't international & cream RU & soccer in their respective heartlands.

Unions crowds in Australia have collapsed -down 20% or so in Queensland.

3 salary cap - good players can get more money beyond australia

Essentially true

4 the possible rise in the A league - lots of kids playing the game, new immigrants having a soccer rather than an RL background, a true world game, the socceroos getting steadily better (success breeds success)

Heard this all my life.

The A League's crowd aren't any better than than that of the old NSL. The average is higher because they have fewer teams.


BTW a good judge (of soccer) told me the standard of the A- League is getting worse.

I watched Argentina play Australia in the Olympics. The Australian team were mostly A League players. Although only beaten one nil they were clearly outclassed. Argentina had something like 40 shots at goal to Australias 5.

Australia rarely had the ball & when they had it they were easily dispossed.

Australians weren't meant to play soccer.

[windlesaint]

Sydney may have too many teams - what do you reckon is the optimum number then?

Queensland has to few you say. How many should they have? Where would new teams go? Surely places like Cairns & Rockhampton are too small. Another team in Brisbane would only split the Broncos support.

Why do people always bang on about expanding into the Central Coast - preumably centred on Gosford? It doesn't look that big a place on the map.

My soccer observations - btw- were based on reading the local papers & seeing 100s of kids playing soccer when in Oz last month so they may well be way off.

[rus]

Ever since I can remember has always had a lot of kids playing it (mainly under 10 year olds) but they lose interest as they mature.

The A League had their opener last night in Brisbane before 12,000 (Adelaide & Queensland Roar). The GF replay a week earlier in Newcastle got an Australian-wide audience of 33,000 on Pay TV. They can't get their game on FTA TV.


On the subject of new teams I think the Sunshine Coast is the area that should have the next new NRL team in Queensland. Their stadium should be located at Nambour because:

1) the rail line is being upgraded as I speak so that a trip from Brisbane will be about an hour;
2)the airport is only about 15 kms away;
3)it is a tourist area which should encourage intrastate & interstate fans to travel.


BTW one team towns are the way to go for future expansion plans IMO.

[windlesaint]

Aug 24, 2008 20:06:50 GMT -5 rus said:

On the subject of new teams I think the Sunshine Coast is the area that should have the next new NRL team in Queensland. Their stadium should be located at Nambour because:

1) the rail line is being upgraded as I speak so that a trip from Brisbane will be about an hour;
2)the airport is only about 15 kms away;
3)it is a tourist area which should encourage intrastate & interstate fans to travel.


BTW one team towns are the way to go for future expansion plans IMO.

I wouldn't have thought the Sunshine Coast had the population to support a team, or rather it is too spread out.

I think both the NRL & SL should go to 20 teams & a conference system - inclusion rather than exclusion. I see no long term advantage, particularly in GB, in consigning certain teams to history simply because the have (maybe) temporarily fallen on hard times.