Is rugby league dying ?

Question

Without the salary cap many clubs would fold and the game would become to favour the richest teams but with the salary cap, we are witnessing an ever increasing exodus to super league and rugby union. Can rugby league survive this catch 22 and will it still be a nationally run game in ten years time ?

Answer 1

It's certainly not looking good.

Answer 2

i hope not ..

but it is goin down

Answer 3

League is best played on the eastern seaboard, not in Perth and Adelaide. Imagine, ANZ Stadium, Perth Pirates or whatever name, VS Wests Tigers.

Derbies and Rivalries are what this great game is bulit on, and it doesn't matter about mass exodus of players.There will always be a new player to take up a spot left by a Sonny Bill, Mark Gasnier, etc

Of course, losing these stars is a bummer, but there will always be new up and coming players to fill thier spots.

The Salary Cap must stay, otherwise teams like the Bulldogs, Roosters and Eels will be winning each season, and it'll become stale, while clubs like Penrith and Raiders would go broke. The exodus doesn't matter. I've said it three times, but there will always be a new player to take up the spot.

Answer 4

I don't think league is dying but I do think we are trying to go overboard with it. Don't forget rugby league is really only played in NSW and Queensland. There is a team based in Melbourne made up of players from NSW and Queensland. There are no juniors in the Stormers and for a team who have appeared in the last two grand finals, the crowd numbers are pretty poor. They were placed there solely to make it appear as though it is a national sport. It never was and never will be. Concentrate on the strong points of the game. Its tribal support. Get back to suburban ovals where the fans are. Unfortunately, since the Super League War, the administrators have leaned towards supporting the corporate world (needed) in place of the fans eg look at how  many teams use Homebush. Where is the tribalism in that cavernous environment. No league is not dying, it has just lost its way.

Answer 5

It's looking a little bad at this stage, so many superstars of our game have changed codes,with big name players calling for the salary cap to be raised, and many clubs want it lowered as they can't afford it anymore. But the fans still seem to love it and it's a great game they just try not worry to much I men for the last 10 years players have been switching codes and new superstars keep coming thur and taking their place. rugby players were flocking to league 15years ago and rugby is still going strong. The main thing is with guys like rodgers and salior coming back it sorta proves what the best game is.

Answer 6

I do think that RL needs improve itself as a spectacle.  It is very formula football at the moment.  5 tackles (with wrestling to slow the tackle down) then kick, try or no-try then ... do it all again. Maybe the RL die-hards think that's good to watch but from some body who doesn't have a RL background it's just getting a bit boring.

RL needs a bit of spark in the game, something to bring the fans back and new people (like me) watching.  After all this is where the money will come from.

Answer 7

leaugue players are sooo hot.

and no its an awesome game.

Answer 8

yes. the fact is the the ref's are utter c**p. the game was built on tough man bashing the c**p out of each other.

now in this whipped world we live in the game is fast but soft. its struggles for money against other codes and the players career is only short so they need to follow the money tree. I don't blame them. the fact is loyalty and honour are dead in this code, but not just the players, the clubs are worse and the coaches aren't much better.

the bulldogs reap what they sow. that current club management are a pack of b******s. I hope the club get the wooden spoon every year until all the current high ranks are cleared out.

Answer 9

The way its going probly just survive

Answer 10

Yes

but i hope manly dosnt go i have gone for manly my whole life.

GO MANLY

Answer 11

I certainly hope so .. very very boring sport ... no strategy .. just bufos running into each other with only general athletic ability

Answer 12

NRL is not dead just yet, but they have a priest and a shovel on standbye!  How the game has been allowed to fall to such depths is beyond me, if it can't spread its clubs Australia wide, WA, SA etc then it will never generate the money needed to keep the big names at home, and David L the only reason Sailor and Rogers came home was  because there days as a wallaby were over, it has nothing to do with what the better game is!!!

Answer 13

the nrl is dead, there are like 4 sides worth watching they should join the English super league and the nrl so all this bullshit about players going over seas and and leave well then there still in the same comp, rugby league will not be here in 10 years unless they change that stupid CEO and get some big money in the game.

Answer 14

Unfortunatly I think the NRL has been on a downwards spiral for many years now, since all the crappola when it was ARL then Super league then NRL.

Hopefully they can keep the fans but to be honest I dont know if they can.

The players are not what they use to be either, back 10-15 yrs ago they didnt think they were Australian A listers they just wanted to play footy and have fun, now, gawd, they think they are hot stuff way to good for the fans.

Answer 15

When there's not enough money to go around it's a good indication that there are not enough fans supporting the sport either on telly or at the games. The answer is to shrink the competition, or change some aspect of the game to make it more watchable. I can't see any way either of those two things are possible. Yes I think it's been dying for years. Partly because of competition from other forms of sports such as football and professional union. Personally I think people turned away from league because it seems to me to be such a one-dimensional sport.

Answer 16

unfortunately yeah it is, the nrl board is to blame for sittin on there hands for so long david gallop is a terrible ceo in the whole time hes been boss the only thing he has done right is in killin the game. get a new ceo and board(ex players would be best because they know what the game is all about). were at a position now were the next couple of big decisions will determine if league stays a professional comp or a feader comp for english super league or rugby

Answer 17

dunno why everyone is calling league a dying sport cant be serious i think we do need  changes of rule changes get rid of the video ref, its constant interferring damages the quality of the game. bring the game back to its roots more suberban ovals and if theres so many sydney teams make double heders with kids free anything to get a solid crowd as for those tossers switching codes go play your p**s poor quality union game over in france and stay there.. no one will remember you for your life as a footballer but as a traitor to the game