Here are five ideas to improve the NRL moving forward!
State of Origin is the pinnacle of rugby league. Everyone who has watched an Origin game knows it is a significantly greater spectacle than any club game.
Why is this?
Well for starters, there is actually tribalism in Origin.
From day one it has always been New South Wales vs. Queensland, The Blues vs. The Maroons. Unlike the NRL, where teams change logos, locations and jerseys like there’s no tomorrow.
Much of the lack of tribalism in the NRL can be accredited to:
For example, everyone remembers the Balmain jersey from the 1980s with “Phillips” across the front. Since 2005, the Tigers have had so many different jerseys and colour schemes that I forget which team I’m watching.
Origin does not have this problem.
Well, it didn’t have this problem…
Until recently, the games were always played in Sydney and Brisbane and it was very rare to put them anywhere else. The jerseys remained more or less the same and a true sense of tribalism was born.
Nowadays the concept of playing games at Melbourne and Perth and giving The Blues an “alternate” jersey will slowly but surely contribute to the death of tribalism in Origin, the same way its happening in the NRL.
It’s a quick fix, keep the games in NSW and Queensland and just forget about these alternate jerseys. It will be “State of Origin 1 – Superhero Jersey Round, Auckland” before we know it.
Too many times a player either is or is not sent to the bin and it seemed very unreasonable.
Simply put, 10 minutes in the bin is too much of a punishment for most offenders.
Let’s take Cooper Cronk’s off the ball tackle in the grand final. 10 minutes was way too harsh but they had to put him in the bin.
That was the absolute perfect situation where a 5-minute sin bin could have been used.
It will make the game more fair and reasonable and it is a change I believe everyone will get behind.
It is no secret that NRL crowd sizes are an absolute joke. Zero game-day atmosphere and seeing the seats of ANZ stadium 80% empty is not a good look for the NRL.
Why is this the case?
Well as we have all experienced, NRL games are just too damn expensive.
You have the ticket fee, the transaction fee (if you buy online), the cost of the trains or parking and then you pay and arm and a leg for hot chips and a beer.
After doing the maths on the costs it seems much more sensible just to watch it at home or at your local.
The NRL needs to lower ticket and concession prices and maybe do promotions like free tickets for kids 16 and under.
Who knows? People might actually start taking their families to games and some sort of atmosphere might appear at NRL games again.
For the layman who casually watches sport, the AFL is much more of a spectacle these days and that will only continue to deter people from rugby league
Amongst all the problems with live NRL games, suburban grounds still hold strong.
Suburban grounds are clearly more popular amongst the fans and the crowds and atmosphere reflect that.
Any game on “Sundi arvo at Leichhardt” holds a special place in the rugby league calendar, and what could be better than the atmosphere when the Dogs play at Belmore?
How about those Thursday nights at Homebu… oh wait.
It’s a pretty safe bet to assume that the vast majority of rugby league fans prefer suburban grounds. If the NRL wants to remain relevant and increase its popularity it NEEDS to start putting fan preference first.
Nothing is more lame than seeing supposedly serious, tough, strong, giant men running out onto the field to do battle against each other wearing superhero-inspired jerseys.
The Rooster wore a Captain America jersey for Pete’s sake! This isn’t the NFL!
This point relates back to my first point as the more gimmicks and fads we have in the NRL, the more traditional tribalism dies in the game.
Iconic AFL teams like Hawthorn never change their jersey and their colours (albeit hideous) are absolutely iconic and are a part of the clubs personality.
We are losing this big time in the NRL.
Short-term sponsorship deals will keep the NRL’s head above water but in the long term will not pay dividends.
Overall, the executives of the game need to be thinking long term and need to find a way to embrace fandom.
Why? Because ultimately the fans are the lifeblood of the NRL and if the fans aren’t happy, you don’t have a product.
Ultimately, it really comes down to changes that would increase fan participation and enthusiasm.
One only needs to look at ANZ stadium during any given game to realise that this is severely lacking in this great game.