Mal, I'm a little bit mad at you! - By Mary

Happy Monday to all!

This morning I just wanted to touch quickly on some comments made by Mal Meninga over the weekend.

Over the weekend it was reported by Danny Weidler that Josh Dugan had slammed Mal for making comments suggesting that Josh Dugan should not have been picked for Origin 2. For those of us who have kept up to date with the media this year, it is clear that the reason Mal made these comments was because of numerous incidents involving Josh Dugan this year. These have included:

• Instagramming from his balcony, drinking a Bacardi breezer flipping the bird while he was meant to be at a team recovery session;
• being caught out with Blake Ferguson, whilst apparently recovering from an injury on the night that the State of Origin Game 2 team was announced; and
• most recently, been caught dry fishing, very late at night on a boat.... parked in the street.

Mal suggests that Dugan should not have been allowed back in the Origin environment.

Up to here, I am with Mal. As I have blogged repeatedly, the way the NRL has handled indiscretions in the past means that our current system almost discourages clubs for taking a strong stance in regard to player misbehaviour. Canberra have been the Club that over time have suffered the most. Following their working with and support of players like Todd Carney and Josh Dugan, both extremely talented players, there came a point where the Club had had enough and took strong action, sacking both these players. Unfortunately for the Raiders, both these players were signed by other Clubs quite quickly. Those Clubs essentially benefited from the strong stance that the Raiders took in regard to player behaviour. This disadvantage discourages Clubs from taking a strong stance in the future.

Further, picking Dugan for Origin again seems to be a reward for bad behaviour.

Now is when I can start getting angry at Mal.

When you consider Mal's statements more carefully, it seems that he has only made them to ensure that the Blues are unable to name their best side for Game 3. If Mal was truly serious about player behaviour and picking players who were both role models and sensational players, then Ben Te'o should certainly not be playing. Te'o is currently under police investigation.

So Mal, instead of being a hypocrite, perhaps you should practice what you preach, instead of trying to look like you are trying to take a stand on player behaviour.

What are your thoughts?

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

Curse or Coincidence? - By Hayley

Hope you're all having a great weekend! Here's a light hearted post for a rainy Sunday.

As I mentioned in my first post on Ladies Who League, I have been been a Parramatta supporter for as long as I can remember. I was born into a family of Parramatta supporters* so it was inevitable.

As much as I love the Eels, I'm starting to think I am a curse on them! I was born in 1987, the year after Parramatta's last Grand Final win, coincidence, or not?

I became  Season Ticket Holder for the first time in 2011. Parramatta have been towards the bottom of the ladder ever since (except for after Round 1 this season (let's take a moment to remember those happy times)), coincidence or not?

My favourite players either sign elsewhere or get dropped, coincidence or not?

Some other non-Parramatta related curses I have had recently are:

• my name appearing on Blake Ferguson's jersey in Origin Game 1 (need I say more); and
• my name appearing on Luke Lewis' jersey in Origin Game 2 (he injured his shoulder).

I am considering calling up GIO to revoke my entry for Game 3!

I might be lucky when it comes to winning competitions but it certainly hasn't transferred to a football team. Maybe I should take one for the team and start going for a team that I hate...

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

*except my younger brother who jumped ship as a kid and became a Penrith supporter. He took exception to the fact that I mentioned my whole family were Parramatta supporters! Sorry Nathan!

Is the AFL really a threat in Western Sydney?

I hope everyone is having a fabulous start to the weekend! I know I breathed a sigh of relief when I remembered Parramatta had the bye this weekend… it’s certainly nice to know that you have 2 points in the bag.

The topic of my post today is one that I have been thinking about quite a bit lately and one which gets media attention every so often. My question revolves around the AFL and whether it really is a threat to Rugby League heartland – namely Sydney’s Western Suburbs. I would argue that over the last 10 years the NRL has become arrogant and has failed to put enough money into, has failed to recognise the importance of and has not worked hard enough to develop its product in its heartland – the West.

Whatever your views on the AFL, it cannot be questioned that its leader, Andrew Demetriou is one of the most well respected and professional men in Australia. In his time as executive officer of the AFL, he has made sure that the AFL and all its projects have been well funded and well resourced. The ultimate goal is obviously for AFL to be the number one sport in Australia. The AFL certainly has the resources to do this – it is the wealthiest sport in Australia with revenue of approximately $425 million per year.

For the AFL the strategy has certainly been focused on expansion – seen with the introduction of 2 new teams, being the greater Western Sydney Giants and the Gold Coast Suns.

In order to ensure the success of these two clubs, the AFL has allowed them a number of concessions – this includes salary cap allowances, draft concessions and allowing these clubs to obtain the services of players uncontracted from other clubs. This allowed GWS to poach Tom Scully and allowed the Gold Coast Suns to secure the services of Gary Ablett. The AFL are also willing to invest. To use Western Sydney as an example , the AFL made a $200 million dollar investment in this area, including its Centre of Excellence and Skoda Stadium.

It cannot be said that the plans to expand have not been controversial. Match day crowds have averaged less than 7000 this year at Skoda.  Further, much in the same way that many NRL fans feel like the expansion into Victoria is folly, not everyone in the AFL is on board. For example. Jeff Kennett recently made the comment that the AFL expansion into Sydney will ‘never work’ and that continuing was akin to ‘Gallipoli’.

I do feel like however, that while the performance of these two teams can be criticised now, irrespective of crowd and membership numbers this year, this plan for expansion is long term and will not be judged on its success over the next couple of years.  The AFL is willing to use both teams as a ‘loss leader’ in order to achieve its ultimate goal – being expansion into Western Sydney. Demetriou is passionate about these two teams succeeding.

I have watched GWS play and I think that they are spirited, committed and extremely talented. This talent, I believe will be showcased in the next 2-3 years and it might be at this point that the AFL finally begins to see its investment pay off.

The key point to remember and that is sometimes forgotten is that the AFL isn’t really interested in converting people like you or I. My love for the Eels and for NRL is eternal. While I enjoy AFL and support the Swans, there will never be another team for me like the Eels. The AFL is targeting the next generation because they know that if kids grow up playing AFL, watching AFL and being exposed to AFL, AFL will become their sport of choice.

One area which I think is key is the youth. The numbers of kids playing AFL are heavily debated. While last year it was claimed that the number of kids playing AFL had increased by 27 per cent in a year, this was heavily criticised by Roy Masters last year: http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/study-slams-afls-takeup-figures-in-west-20121023-283jn.html.

There is concern amongst parents in regard to the heavy contact in NRL and the focus on the physicality of NRL has certainly been in the media lately following the punch ons happening. AFL does offer an alternative. Many NRL commentators have written about the difficulty the NRL faces at a junior level because of disparity in size between different children. Smaller kids often make the switch to AFL and become midfielders.  The AFL also spends an incredible amount of money developing programs for schools and visiting schools.

I feel like the NRL needs to stop depending on tradition to ensure that it remains strong in the West.  We need to invest in our Stadiums, in our Juniors and stop thinking that the AFL is a problem that is just going to go away.

 As always, your thoughts are welcome.

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

Billy the Grub - By Hayley

I'll make no secret of the fact that Billy Slater is one of my most hated players in the NRL. I'm loving the fact that he's finally being dragged through the mud in the media. I have been complaining about his grubby tactics for years.

It definitely seems star players get different treatment by the referee's, the match review committee and the judiciary. The first incident that springs to mind is one of my dear Parramatta players, Jarryd Hayne. He was cleared to play the Grand Final in 2009 after leading with his knees. The difference though between Jarryd Hayne and Billy Slater? Billy's is not a one off. There's only so many times you can use the "it's not his go" excuse before you need to start questioning whether it actually is his go.

For years Billy has been kicking out when taking the high bomb, it was only until he made contact with someone that people have started to notice. When the incident with Bulldogs player Dave Klemmer happened earlier this year, I had people arguing with me on twitter over the karate kick. Some people had the view that it was his tactic so it was ok. Others argued it was accidental. If you go back and view footage of Billy, you will see he does it all the time so it is a tactic and not accidental. The issue is, it could cause some serious damage. I understand that players need to protect themselves in the air but if they make contact with another player whilst kicking out, they should be penalised. It can be very dangerous.

On the Mitchell Pearce elbow, I don't think for one second it was accidental. Especially given the comments that Pearce is claiming Slater made after getting up.

Billy Slater seems to get away with warnings for a lot of things. It's time he starts getting penalised. I remember hearing a ref earlier this year warning Billy Slater for doing a shoulder charge. No penalty, just a warning. That is absolutely ridiculous! The NRL have brought in harsh penalties for shoulder charges and Billy just gets a warning.

Over the last couple of days different images have been doing the rounds in the media, highlighting Billy's grubby tactics. The media have always been able to make things happen, just look at the banning of the biff. It wouldn't have happened if the media didn't run with it every day for 2 weeks. Let's hope this time the media can use their powers to stop Billy Slater from being a protected species.

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

Bring Back the Biff - Take 2 - By Mary

Good evening everyone,

I have had a bit more time to reflect on this issue today and Phil Gould certainly gave me some food for thought in this video:

http://m.media.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-league/origin-a-product-not-a-role-model-4524806.html

I absolutely adore Gus. He is one of my favourite commentators. I often feel like he gets it spot on when most miss the point. I have a real soft spot for him.

However, I feel like he really missed the mark with his comments in that video.

Let's go back to the most controversial part of SOO Game 2, being the sending off of 4 players (Merrin, Hodges, Tate and Bird) following the NRL's decision to ban the punch on. Gus suggests that the sending off of these players was a 'massive overreaction to what we saw in Game 1'. The incident Gus is referring to is of course Gallen's hit on Myles. 

The argument Gus puts forward is that 'State of Origin' is a product and that too often the voices of minority groups and the media are heard over the voices of the fans who love the game. This view suggests that the decision to sin bin the four players was an overreaction and that because State of Origin is a special product, exceptions to the normal rules should be made.

Gus's comments made me slightly uncomfrotable. He suggests that it is up to parents to teach their children about what is and what isn't proper behaviour on the football field. This I find difficult. While parents certainly have a role in teaching their kids about correct on field behaviour, it is extremely difficult as a parent to tell your child that fighting isn't right and then trying to explain to them why in certain contexts, like State of Origin, it's ok. 

NRL is facing massive challenge from the AFL and this challenge will continue to grow, particularly in NRL heartland - Western Sydney. It is no longer good enough to simply cater to the 'fans of the product'. NRL needs to be marketable, accessible and respected by the wider public. The growth, commitment and adoration of NRL is not going to happen in the community if people continue to see it as a sport played by thugs... the nickname Thugby League is already beginning to take off.

Gus also makes the comment that what Gallen did is part of Origin. I also see this comment as part of the problem. Why is fighting part of State of Origin? Passion and aggression can be shown on the football field without having to resort to physical violence. By saying that fighting is part of Origin, this suggests that fighting is a part of NRL and part of the culture of NRL. I don't know about all of you, but that's not really a culture I'm looking for in the game I adore.

But Gus left his most ridiculous comment for last '11 on 11 is not a good look for our brand'. I would argue Gus that fighting is not a good look for our game and certainly not the look for the game that we should be promoting.

I would really love to know your thoughts.

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

Origin Game 2 Wrap Up - The NSW Perspective - By Hayley

The night started with many angry fans after Channel 9's decision to run with the leadership spill & I'm sure it ended with many angry fans after 4 players being sin binned for a bit of biff. I'm not sure why the "Home of Rugby League" decided to run with the leadership spill past 7:30 when they were actually talking about nothing. They could have let that continue on Gem & started the Origin coverage at the scheduled time of 7:30. Once the viewer’s finally got what they wanted, we were hammered with ads. All was forgotten though as soon as that whistle blew.

As expected QLD came out firing, they ambushed NSW and I don't think NSW were expecting it to be as intense as it was. QLD won the game in the first 10mins. They did what NSW did in Game 1, 3 weeks ago. Pearce and Maloney found it hard to get into the game in the first half. Whenever NSW managed to get some good field position they just couldn't finish off their set with a good kick. Robbie Farah took it upon himself to take control of the game, taking over a lot of the kicking towards the end of the first half.

After the initial ambush NSW managed to take stock and managed to keep QLD out for the last 20 minutes of the first half. The 10m seemed very short in the first half and QLD were very quick off their line, sometimes too quick in my opinion. There was one scrum where the spidercam was showing the bird’s eye view and Billy Slater broke from the scrum before the ball had even been fed.

Reynolds made his Origin debut with about 10 minutes left in the first half and never looked like settling down. He looked nervous the whole time he was out there.

The second half wasn't too great for the Blues with players falling off tackles, passes not hitting the mark and players getting the ball from a standstill. It’s no surprise that NSW started getting penalties going their way once the crowd quietened in the second half.

Daley has taken the wrap for Merritt constantly coming off his wing to jam in on Inglis. Whether he's doing it to take the heat off Merritt or whether it's actually true we'll probably never know. Whatever the case, QLD looked to expose Merritt and it worked. It will be interesting to see whether Daley will go with Merritt in Game 3. With Hayne more than likely going to be fit, Daley has the option to move Dugan out to the wing. You can safely assume Ferguson won’t be selected with his court date only the day before Game 3.

NSW’s stand out players would have to be Farah and Fifita. Lewis wasn’t able to reproduce his Man of the Match performance from Game 1 although he did have moments of brilliance. NSW definitely missed Hayne and Ferguson.

I can’t finish without mentioning the biff. Like most people I thought it was ridiculous that 4 players were sin binned. A lot of people are asking why Tate was sin binned when he didn’t do anything. I did see Tate throw a punch. It was a pathetic attempt at a punch and landed on Merrin’s chest but it was still a punch. I don’t think it was send-off worthy but in the new eyes of the law it needed to be a send-off. I didn’t see Bird throw any punches and he seemed pretty adamant that he didn’t. I believe the only reason he was sent off was to even up the numbers as there would have been an outcry if more players got sin binned from one team than another.

QLD definitely outplayed NSW and as much as it pains me to say, they deserved to win. NSW will need to play a lot better in the 3^rd game if they have any chance of winning. The only thing that saved NSW in Game 1 was their defence. They need to work on ball control because QLD will come out firing again in Game 3 and NSW will never get into the game with as many errors as we have seen from Games 1 and 2.

We now go to a decider for Game 3 and I'm super excited, I feel this is the year NSW will end QLD's reign. I'll be sitting front row of Blatchy's Blues so keep an eye out for me. I'll be the one in the blue wig. Hope to see you all there!

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

Bring back the biff? - By Mary

Good evening everyone,

Due to a very busy evening at work, I unfortunately missed most of Game 2, meaning I won't be able to write a review of the game. Fingers crossed one of the other fabulous females out there can.

However, I did manage to see what will be one of the biggest talking points of the game - namely the decision by the referee's to send off 4 players at the 58th minute. The players sent off for the Blues were Trent Merrin and Greg Bird, whilst for the Maroons it was brent Tate and Justin Hodges. 

To understand the reasons these men were sent off, we need to go back in time to Game 1. 

In the most memorable moment of SOO Game 1 this year, Paul Gallen threw a punch at Nate Myles, claiming that he was retaliating to repeated instances where Myles had employed dirty tactics. There was much debate following this incident with many suggesting that Paul Gallen should have been sent off instead of simply being put on report for a swinging arm, essentially not even being reprimanded for his punch.

In the weeks following Game 1 and also in reaction to another player, Boyd Corner being exonerated at the judiciary after he clearly threw punches at Matt Ryan from the Parramatta Eels, new NRL boss Dave Smith, in conjunction with Daniel Anderson have introduced a rule which seeks to crackdown on fighting. 

The new rule is simple - throw a punch and you are out. Any player that is caught punching an opponent will be automatically sent to the sin bin for 10 minutes, no matter the circumstances.

The reason for this decision is I think, largely to do with transparency. The NRL judiciary, unlike other disciplinary bodies does not need to provide reasons for the decisions it makes. This often leaves NRL commentators, appreciators and fans confused as to why a decision has been made at the judiciary. A good example was Boyd Cordner, I was flabbergasted as to his exoneration following his punching of matt Ryan.

Surely Smith thought that such a rule would need little to no interpretation and that it would be easy for referee's to enforce this consistently across the board.

State of Origin Game 2 gave the referee's their first real test. Yet, following the send off, many fans remained confused. Why was Tate sent off for a push? Did Greg Bird actually throw a punch?

Let's go back to the other issue at hand though - are Smith and Anderson right in trying to get rid of the biff in NRL.

Opinions are divided.

On the one hand, it is argued that Gallen's punch was a poor look for the game. It gave NRL haters another reason to claim it is a sport for Neanderthals and probably damaged efforts to outlaw fighting at a Junior level. There were many reported incidents following that punch where Junior footballers cited Gallen as an excuse for why they had thrown punches at a Junior level. 

This is an argument I find really hard to disagree with. The message cannot be sent to Junior players that it is ok to punch an opponent. While parents and coaches do have an obligation to teach their kids about what is and what isn't correct conduct on the field, it is extremely difficult to say that fighting is an action which will have negative repercussions when our game's superstars don't seem to face those same repercussions at a professional level.

Juniors are so important to our game and the mums and dads out there need to be comfortable allowing their kids to play our game.

However, rather than focusing on the biff, I would suggest that the NRL needs to focus on the tactics that ultimately lead to fighting. It is these tactics which I think are more damaging to our game. These include leading with the knees, swinging arms and knee twists. It is these behaviours that need to be outlawed.

Also, to counter to the argument that the biff is bad for our game, I would suggest that the NRL's bigger problem is the way players are behaving off the field. Kudos to the new NRL integrity unit for all the hard work they are doing in this sphere though.

It seems however, that most NRL fans enjoy a bit of biff - ratings for tonight's game were expected to be record breaking, following the publicity after Gallen's punch. On a stage as important as State of Origin, tension runs high, blood does boil over and passion does lead to players making on the spot decisions.

I think however a tougher stance needs to be taken - in a sport where men are given 8 weeks for head high tackles, surely we think that the punch on is conduct which should be punished in a similar way?

So my question to you readers, is, where do you stand?

Love, 

@LadiesWhoLeague

P.S. Something else to consider is, if there had been an all in brawl, does that mean game over?

Keep Calm and Go NSW! - By Mary

Is anyone else as nervous as me about State of Origin Game 2?

 

For the first time in many years it feels as though confidence is with the Blues.

 

Tonight's game sends the Blues into hostile territory when they face a sea of maroon at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium. For the Blues, its easy, if we win tonight's game we can celebrate our first State of Origin win since 2005 (I am looking forward to who in the world gets to make the first tweet about NSW winning a SOO series). If we lose however, the stakes are raised as we'll have to close out the series in front of our home crowd in three weeks.

 

To put it simply, the Maroons were outclassed and outplayed in Game 1. They looked flat and lethargic for the first 60 minutes of the game. It was only in the last 20 minutes that QLD erupted, resulting in a late try to Darius Boyd. Unfortunately it was too little too late. Rest assured, QLD will not play like they did in Game 1. The Queensland Big 4 (Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Greg Inglis) will be looking to shine tonight and will not go down without a fight. To counter their attaching prowess the Blues will again look to strong performances from our man of the match from Game 1, Luke Lewis, a strong defencive effort from Robbie Marah and some Josh Dugan magic from the back.

 

The focus will also be on our fearless leader Paul Gallen this evening. Fresh from the controversy of that punch in Game 1, Gallen is my tip for man of the match tonight. I have a feeling that he is ready for a big game and that he will lead the troops to victory.

 

One possible crack in QLD's armour are the changes they have made for this game. In the past QLD have been all about consistency of squad so to see Dave Shillington and Ashley Harrison dropped for Josh Papalii and Daly Cherry-Evans is an unusual move for QLD. We will see whether it pays off.

 

New South Wales have been forced to make changes as a result of injury and discipline seeing Josh Dugan, Aaron Woods and Nathan Merritt come into the side.

 

The referees will also be facing a big test tonight. Following that punch in Game 1, referees have been strong in sending off players who throw a punch on the field. Is Origin a different type of game altogether? If a brawl erupts tonight, how consistent will our referees be?

 

I hope you all enjoy the game tonight. My prediction is New South Wales by 4 with Paul Gallen to be man of the match.

 

#uptheblues

 

Love,

 

@LadiesWhoLeague

Are our NRL players earning too much money? - By Mary

Happy team list Tuesday to everyone!

This is another debate which happens quite frequently in NRL and its whether our players are paid too. This is another issue that I am quite passionate about - so thought it would be timely to write a blog on it, particularly in the wake of some of the behaviour we have seen in the NRL over the last few weeks.

There are various opinions on this topic and I would be really interested to hear all your thoughts.

On the one hand there is the argument that players are paid too much money.

People who support this view often use players that are extraordinary to justify their argument. When fans say that players are paid too much, they often mention names like Cameron Smith, Jonathan Thurston, Jarryd Hayne and Benji Marshall. What fans fail to understand is that these players are the most elite players in our game and are compensated accordingly. The vast majority of players are not paid an amount even close to what these men earn. The example I always like to use is one of my favourite unsung heroes, Jeff Robson - who would not nearly be on as much coin as players like Jarryd Hayne.

The existence of the NRL salary cap will always mean that players must be compensated differently in order to fit the required number of players to field a team under the cap. The salary cap aims to spread playing talent so the wealthier clubs cannot oubid the poorer ones to acquire all the best players and to prevent clubs needing to overspend dramatically to attract quality talent. It basically seeks to even the playing field.

This means that for every Greg Inglis type salary, there are a series of other players on vastly different amounts. In a 2011 article, Ben Ikin wrote that the average player salary in the NRL is $120,000 with the average number of games played in a career is 52. Let me emphasise that last point again, the average number of games played in a career is 52 - for the average amount players are paid and the average length of a career, without another job to supplement the income received from playing NRL, the wage earned from playing NRL will not get the average player very far.

When you also consider the risk of injury players face every time they take the field - a career can end in an instant, meaning the earning capacity of players is dramatically reduced or ended. Players need to maximise their earning potential for as long as possible.

People that argue that the players are not paid enough, often point to the salaries of other sportsmen, particularly in the United States. At the end of 2012 it was reported that the average baseball salary had increased to $3.2 million with the minimum salary being $480,000.

However, this argument doesn't really take into account the dramatic differences between sport in Australia and the United States. The Major League Baseball does not have a salary cap - allowing owners to spend as much on their squads as they wish. To operate in a similar manner, the first step for the NRL would be to remove the salary cap.

I argue that the NRL salary cap, while not perfect, still has an extremely important role in our game as it is there to protect the continuing financial viability of the clubs. In 2011 it was reported that fourteen out of the sixteen NRL clubs were operating at a financial loss. Out of those clubs operating at a loss, those clubs privately owned are the only ones with the capacity to underwrite losses. We can use the Melbourne Storm as an example and their breach of the salary cap from 2005-09. Whilst Melbourne was able to exceed the salary cap by approximately $3.8 million over five years, this would have been impossible without the support of News Ltd who provided the Storm with approximately $8 million each year to meet its financial obligations. As a club Melbourne’s situation is not unique; like others it is unable to generate the income to pay players an amount significantly more than under the salary cap. As a code, NRL is not generating enough revenue - this restricts the NRL's ability to pay players much more than they currently are.

Perhaps the debate we need to be having is how we can even up the gap between the game's superstars and those currently being paid minimum wage.

Your thoughts?

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

A Bruise on Rugby League - By Karen

Good morning,

We have another new contributor this morning - Karen. This is her first blog on the site and she is not afraid to put her position forward.

Have a read and let us know your thoughts.

______________________________________________________________________

I have been watching Rugby League for as long as I can remember. At one point in time it was the sport I favoured, it was the sport I would clear my weekends to watch and it was the sport that I respected. Those days are gone and they have been for a few years now. 

In light of all the recent drama with Ben Te’o, Blake Ferguson and the NRL’s decision to further sanitise the game by sin binning a player if a punch is thrown, I took to twitter as I usually do and voiced my opinion. 

“#NRL - Can’t shoulder charge. Can’t punch on. Let’s a man [Robert Lui] hit his girlfriend back in the game, during Women in League no less. What a joke”. 

There was nothing in my tweet that wasn’t factual hence why I didn’t expect there to be any challenge to it. Apparently I have too much faith in humanity, because one follower proceeded to defend Lui and then accused me of being an NRL troll for my comments.

 

“Lui got a year for that. Should he lose his livelihood? Bad look with his return but you don’t strike me as an NRL fan #NRLTroll”

Here’s the thing, I have no problems with his comments towards me because frankly I could care less what he, or anyone else thinks of my opinion. However, what I do have a huge problem with is the fact he truly believes Lui has done his time on the sidelines and should be allowed back in the NRL.

Let me get this straight; a man who admits assaulting his pregnant girlfriend not just once but twice (that we are aware of) should be given the opportunity and privilege to play professional Rugby League again? You’ve got to be kidding me!

Firstly, let me say that any man who hits a woman is coward. Domestic violence is an epidemic in this country and affects 1 in 5 women and whilst the NRL is not responsible for what goes on in the broader society they are however responsible for the players and the consequences that are imposed. The rehabilitation provided is not enough. The NRL has the power to abolish it from the game, and doesn’t.

Whilst I appreciate the rehabilitation the game has provided, allowing Lui back for his first game during the Women in League round was fundamentally laughing in the face of his victim and all other victims of domestic violence victims. Consequently, this has made me question the integrity of the sport.

It isn’t the first instance the NRL have let an issue like this slip. Cronulla Sharks’ Isaac Gordon pleaded guilty to attacking his former partner early in 2012. She too was pregnant. As a result, the NRL gave him a 10 week suspension. Four months later, he is back on the field as if nothing had happened.

This isn’t just about Lui and Gordon – This is about the broader issue within Rugby League.

You see, what some people don’t seem to understand is that when you sign on to become a professional athlete, you automatically acquire role model responsibilities. Whether they see themselves as one or not, that’s just the way it is. Kids who are none the wiser to life’s harsh realities will aspire to be the next Lui or Gordon and they will continue to wear the jersey with their name and number on the back.

The NRL owes it to not only the women in league but the next generation of fans to stand up and say this behaviour is not ok and if you screw up, you will be punished.

Not everyone in life deserves a second chance.

 

Love,

 

@LadiesWhoLeague

Origin: Daley comes out swinging over Blues 'cheat' claims - By Hayley

Comments like Mal's today make me happy. It makes me think QLD are actually worried they could lose the series. Here's the SMH article that I'm referring to. A Brisbane newspaper labelled NSW 'cheats' & Mal has made comments around NSW's marker tactics.

http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/daley-comes-out-swinging-over-blues-cheat-claims-20130624-2oru6.html?rand=1372041109642

I'm super pumped for Game 2 on Wednesday! Up the Blues!

Who do you think will win Game 2?

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague 

Big Stadiums vs Suburban Grounds - By Mary

Happy Monday to everyone! Again, can I just say a massive thank you to everyone who has popped in to visit the blog. I am delighted that it has grown so much in less than a week. Today was also a very special day for @LadiesWhoLeague as we welcomed a very new resident blogger - Hayley.

In this blog, I'm going to discuss an issue which is important to me and that is the role of the big Stadium compared to suburban grounds.

For the Parramatta Eels, our home ground is Parramatta Stadium. It is a suburban ground which holds just over 20,500 people. I love nothing more than attending Parramatta Stadium to watch the football - when the Stadium is at or near capacity, the atmosphere is absolutely electric. We as fans are close to the action and it is our fortress Parramatta. Parramatta Stadium is a ground that the opposition should fear coming to and while the Eels' win/loss ration this year is not looking too good, it becomes far more positive when you look at games won and lost at Parramatta Stadium.

The atmosphere is not only electric at Parramatta Eels games - for anyone who watched the march of the Wanderers this year, the stadium atmosphere was incredible as the crowd roared and cheered their team on throughout the season.

Over the past couple of seasons, Parramatta has started moving games away from our Fortress Parramatta to ANZ Stadium. Under the Current Agreement, which goes until 2015, Parramatta is allowed to move 4 out of 12 home games away from Parramatta Stadium.

Just to make it absolutely clear - I hate ANZ Stadium. Parramatta's record is woeful there. We have lost 12 consecutive games at ANZ Stadium, the latest loss coming at the hands of the Rabbitohs yesterday.

It is not only Parramatta's woeful record which makes me dislike ANZ Stadium. When Parramatta play the Bulldogs or the Rabbitohs and give away our home game advantage, we are playing at a Stadium which is the home ground of our opposition. Yesterday, there was a chorus of boos following the Parramatta Eels from the moment the whistle blew, particularly whenever Chris Sandow touched the ball. Parramatta's position on the table at the moment means we cannot afford to give away any advantage - particularly to a team as strong as the Rabbitohs.

ANZ Stadium also feels completely soulless to me. Because it is so big, it is extremely difficult to get a good atmosphere, because the Stadium always feels empty. The only time that ANZ Stadium absolutely erupts is when it is at capacity and that usually comes in September when Finals Football is on. The atmosphere at the Grand Final Qualifier between the Bulldogs and the Eels in 2009 was probably one of the best games I have ever been to. It is for games like this that ANZ Stadium is perfect.

This raises another question and it is whether moving more games to larger stadiums like ANZ Stadium is the way forward or whether Clubs should hold onto their home grounds.

There has been meaningful debate this year as to whether NRL crowds are down from last year - whatever the outcome of this debate, it is clear that the NRL is having issues with attendance. I don't think this suggests that a move to a bigger and more lifeless stadium is the answer. In my opinion, the crowds that have made their way to NRL games this year does not justify even a suggestion that we should be moving games away from suburban stadiums.

Rugby League as a sport is tribal in nature - suburban grounds hold tradition and history. While the value of this cannot be measured in monetary terms, its value to fans cannot be understated. Suburban grounds hold fond memories particularly for people who have supported their team from birth until now. Each NRL supporter recalls tight games which their team has won/lost at their home ground. I particularly remember games where it pours with rain and you walk home soggy, wet and freezing after a good night at the Football (always made better by a Parramatta win).

While the larger stadiums have greater capacity, better facilities and more undercover seating - they are absolutely devoid of atmosphere. The Rabbitohs and the Bulldogs have been playing at ANZ Stadium for a couple of years now and have not seen crowds increase to a point where it seems legitimate to justify a movement away from suburban grounds - particularly when a crowd of 20,000 means that the larger stadiums are only one fifth full, compared to the capacity it would be at a suburban ground.

The larger stadiums can also be difficult for fans to get to - particularly fans travelling from the West and from Wollongong.

Perhaps instead of debating whether to abandon our suburban grounds, we should be moving the discussion to the ways that we can improve them.

In the Daily Telegraph today, it is being reported that a $30 billion refurbishment of Parramatta Stadium is going to be announced this week. This refurbishment will not only see facilities improved but add at least 5000 seats. This is fantastic news and hopefully means that the Eels will continue to play at Parramatta Stadium at least for the foreseeable future.

I am clearly a fan of keeping Fortress Parramatta, amongst other suburban grounds, part of our game.

What are your thoughts?

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

The Trials and Tribulations of Team List Tuesday - By Hayley

Before I get stuck into it I just wanted to let you know a little bit about myself. My name is Hayley and I am a passionate Parramatta Eels fan. I grew up in a family of Parramatta supporters so it was only natural that I started following the Eels. I’ve always enjoyed the NRL but over the past 3 years my love for the NRL has grown to a point where my family & friends actually ask me “when is Parramatta playing this weekend” before making plans with me.

Now for my very first blog so please be kind to me…

After every loss I scroll through my twitter feed which is full of comments about why certain players keep getting selected in our team. Why do we keep picking these players when there are other players to choose from? If only it was that simple. There’s more that goes into 'Team List Tuesday' than just simply picking what players we see to be the best players.

Firstly you’ve got salary cap issues. Panthers and Roosters are a perfect example of this; they’ve reached their 2^nd tier salary cap for the year. If we keep bringing new players into first grade we could end up in the same predicament. There needs to be some money spare in case we get hit with a huge injury toll and need to call on more of our 2^nd tier players.

Another thing that needs to be considered is who we are going to replace them with? We can’t have the U20’s team running around in the NRL each week. I know some of you will say, “we can’t do any worse than we already are”. Who knows whether that’s true but we need to consider the players. Putting a player in first grade before he’s ready can set him back. First grade is not just tougher physically, but also mentally. Ricky needs to make sure a player is ready before he debut’s them. The NRL season can be very long and it might get too much for some players. Ricky needs to get the right mix of giving them experience but also not burning them out. This is why you will see some players drop back to reserve grade.

Bringing young players into the current culture needs to be considered too. I’m not sure what goes on behind closed doors but I can imagine it’s not a great place to be at the moment. Do we really want to expose our young up and coming stars to that so early in their careers?

Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of depth in certain positions but we need to work with what we’ve got and trust that it will get better.

Stay strong Parra fans, it will get better!

Until next time...

Love

@LadiesWhoLeague
 

xx

Parramatta Eels v South Sydney Rabbitohs Match Report - By Mary

It was a spirited performance at times from Parramatta but it was not enough to defeat South Sydney today with the final scoreline being 30-10.

It was a wet and miserable afternoon for the fans who braved the cold to watch the game at ANZ Stadium.

After watching Parramatta closely over the last few weeks I would say that the area letting us down the most is attention to detail. Many Parramatta fans complain that we are refereed differently to other teams, but our performance in the ruck was scrappy today resulting in a 13-6 penalty count in favour of Souths. A lack of urgency also resulted in South Sydney's third try.

Souths performed extremely well even though they were missing key players as a result of suspension and State of Origin. 

For Parramatta the stand out players were Ken Sio with a brilliant, solo, 90 metre try, Jacob Loko, Darcy Lussick and Tim Mannah's beard.

Parramatta have now lost 5 in a row. It is certainly a tough time for Eels fans at the moment - but now is the time to stay strong as supporters and hopefully look forward to better times ahead.

I hope you all enjoyed this week's blogs!

I'm looking forward to connecting with all of you in the coming week.

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague

Sunday Wrap Up - By Mary

It has been a big week in NRL this week, but probably not because of the standard of NRL being played. There have been a number of issues that have been talking points this week, most notably in regard to player behaviour. However, after the weekend there have been a few other talking points raised.

I thought it might be timely to have a week in review and make a few comments on the events of the past week.

Aaron Woods

I was delighted to see a story about Aaron Woods in the Daily Telegraph today, celebrating his inclusion in the NSW State of Origin Team. When Woods makes his debut for the Blues on Wednesday night, he will be the first Leichhardt Junior to represent the Blues.

There are a couple of clubs in the NRL who are tremendously good at developing their own Juniors – particularly the teams based in NRL heartland, ‘Sydney’s Western suburbs’. Being a Parramatta supporter, I know all too well how difficult it is to keep all these Juniors, particularly when there are some NRL clubs not as good at developing Juniors, who poach them.

It’s a real feel good story to see Woods – a home grown Junior – ready to represent his Club, his District and now his State on Wednesday night.

This is something which should be celebrated, especially considering this week has been Juniors Week in the NRL.

For a bit more of that warm and fuzzy feeling check out this story: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/wests-tigers-and-nsw-prop-aaron-woods-a-chip-off-the-old-block/story-fni3fqyo-1226668055632

Ban the Biff?

Another issue which has been big in the NRL over the last couple of weeks is the stance on ‘punching on’, especially following Gallen’s actions in State of origin Game I (more on this in the lead up to Origin).

The NRL has had a serious crackdown on ‘the biff’ with Daniel Anderson pushing a ban on punching in the NRL. There is now a rule that any player who throws a punch in a match is automatically sin binned.

The new stance had its first challenge last night when a brawl broke out in a clash between the Wests Tigers and Canberrs in the under-20’s.

Kudos to the NRL for backing their new policy and taking a strong approach – Wests Tiger Nathan Brown and Raider Mitchell Barnett was sent off while Tiger Kyle Lovett and Tahakilu Pangai were sin-binned.

Praise for the NRL Integrity Unit

I also feel like the new NRL Integrity Unit deserves praise for the way it has handled some of the drama which has emerged this week. This is the first time the NRL appears to be taking bad behaviour seriously. It is the NRL saying that we are not going to tolerate this sort of behaviour anymore. It is the NRL wanting to protect the game it has worked so hard to create. It is the NRL saying to its fans that they deserve better.

Jim Doyle leads the Integrity unit and he is supported by Nick weeks and Alby Taylor. Together they have handed out $45,000 worth of fines in less than a month.

The swift action taken against Tamou and Ferguson send a strong message to the rest of the players. I feel this is a message which needed to be sent and I applaud the hard line being taken in regard to player behaviour.

Our game is being associated with stupidity and bad behaviour – hopefully this strong stance signals the end of this.

Eels v Bunnies

Being a Parramatta supporter, I couldn’t resist saying a few words about today’s clash between the Eels and the Bunnies.  For the Eels we could not have possibly picked a better week to face the Bunnies with the Bunnies missing a few key players through suspension and State of Origin.

Parramatta have now lost 4 in a row and have been unable to keep an opposition below 30 points.

The Eels have been tremendously inconsistent this year – being unable to put together a complete 80 minute performance this year.

However, I am hoping for a much improved performance today and hoping Jacob Loko makes an impact off the bench.

That’s all for this Sunday wrap – keep your eye on the blog this week for a Parramatta v South Sydney match report, a book review, a State of Origin Preview and of course, comments on all the big issues coming out of the NRL in the next week.

Until the next blog – keep reading, commenting and sharing!

Love,

@LadiesWhoLeague