Here at @LadiesWhoLeague, you might have guessed that we are passionate about two main things - women and rugby league. When you combine these two things, you get me, a person who is passionate about the role of women in rugby league and how we can increase female participation both at a fan level, but also at a more administrative and managerial level.
Over the next couple of weeks I am going to be considering how we can get more women involved in the NRL. This is a concept very dear to my heart so I would truly love for as many of you as possible to get involved in the conversation so that we can work towards taking positive steps forward. It is only by starting the conversation that we can really get to the crux of what we're talking about.
This will be the first of a series of posts I will be writing on the issue.
The first step we need to take is to make women involved in Rugby League more visible. Whilst I have often blogged about the lack of women who are involved in the game at higher levels, there are a number of women who play a really important role in our game. We should celebrate these women. Often, when females think of the NRL, the only women they can think of who are associated with the game are the cheerleaders and the mum's who operate the canteen and cheer their sons or daughters on from the sideline. While there is nothing wrong with this and these women are crucial to our game, we need to celebrate all the women who contribute to NRL in a positive way and we also need to encourage women to be brave enough to put their hands up to be involved in NRL.
I have many female heroes who are involved in our game. Just think of Raelene Castle, the CEO of the Bulldogs, Catharine Lumby, who advises the NRL on a pro bono basis in regard to gender issues, Maria Tsialis, journalist at Big League Magazine, Lara Pitt who work with Fox Sports, Debbie Spillane who runs the fabulous Hens FC and of course Catherine Harris, the only woman on the Australian Rugby League Commission and the tremendous woman who declared that she wanted to see a woman on the board of every NRL club by 2014.
These women demonstrate that women have a lot to offer and can make a positive contribution to rugby league when given the opportunity.
There are countless roles for women in NRL which takes them away from the stereotypical image of being either a mum on the sidelines or a cheerleader on the sidelines. We need to encourage women to become involved in the administration of our game because while 40 per cent of paying NRL fans are women, this is not reflected in the way the game is administered.
Here are some ideas - let's get women in our NRL boardrooms, women running our football clubs, women taking part in game day by getting involved in ground announcing, women commentators both in print media, radio and television, and women taking part in the officiating of the game (this already happens in the EPL and in the A-League). When these women do become involved they should be promoted and celebrated just as much as men involved in our game.
We need strong female role models to lead the way and there is certainly no lack of them.
I'll continue writing on this issue over the coming weeks.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Brad Arthur: More Than Just A Job - By Hayley
After reading the article on Brad Arthur in the smh today, I have been left with hope. It's the type of hope that fills me at the beginning of every NRL season. It's the same hope that gets torn away from me by the middle of the season these last few years.
I didn't want to go into season 2014 with any expectations. The feeling of having that hope torn away from me for another year is just too much to bear. However, as we are closing in on the 2014 pre-season, I read an article about an interview with Brad Arthur that brings me right back to where I was at the start of the 2013 season.
I'm once again confident that Parramatta will do better this year. This is exactly how I didn't want to feel, I don't want to get my hopes up yet again. I think 2014 will be different though. Why is that? Because, to Brad Arthur this is not just a job. It's not just an opportunity to be a first grade coach in the NRL. It's a dream. It’s not a dream because he’s finally a head coach in the NRL. It’s a dream because he’s the head coach at Parramatta. This is why I think Parramatta will not be the wooden spooners in 2014.
Brad Arthur is fulfilling his dream of not only being a first grade coach but coaching a club where he grew up. He is a Parramatta junior and this is why it means so much more for him. I'm excited to have a coach who has a passion for Parramatta that is on another level to any other coach. I'm confident that passion for the club & the players will turn into great results on the field.
My hopes aren't as high as winning the Grand Final but I'm confident of not being on the bottom of that ladder & having another year added to the wooden spoon that my boyfriend has made for me.
What I also like about Brad Arthur is that he has confidence in the players. Ricky kept saying that we don't have the cattle to do the job. I can only imagine that would be tough for the players to hear and very demotivating. Brad is the total opposite, he is positive that he is taking on a team that is better than 16th place on the ladder. The players want him there. One player has even told me that Brad Arthur has been his favourite coach over his career. Having a coach that the players want to play for will make a huge difference.
There's no doubt it's going to be a tough task. Parramatta is a broken club at the moment & is crying out for stability. One of the reasons they are in this mess is due to the lack of stability in the coaching ranks. They are constantly rebuilding because they keep having new coaches come in & trying to implement their own strategy & not being able to see it out. The club needs to stick by Brad Arthur. They need to realise it's not going to be a quick fix after being down the bottom for so long.
Here's hoping for a better 2014 Parramatta fans!
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
I didn't want to go into season 2014 with any expectations. The feeling of having that hope torn away from me for another year is just too much to bear. However, as we are closing in on the 2014 pre-season, I read an article about an interview with Brad Arthur that brings me right back to where I was at the start of the 2013 season.
I'm once again confident that Parramatta will do better this year. This is exactly how I didn't want to feel, I don't want to get my hopes up yet again. I think 2014 will be different though. Why is that? Because, to Brad Arthur this is not just a job. It's not just an opportunity to be a first grade coach in the NRL. It's a dream. It’s not a dream because he’s finally a head coach in the NRL. It’s a dream because he’s the head coach at Parramatta. This is why I think Parramatta will not be the wooden spooners in 2014.
Brad Arthur is fulfilling his dream of not only being a first grade coach but coaching a club where he grew up. He is a Parramatta junior and this is why it means so much more for him. I'm excited to have a coach who has a passion for Parramatta that is on another level to any other coach. I'm confident that passion for the club & the players will turn into great results on the field.
My hopes aren't as high as winning the Grand Final but I'm confident of not being on the bottom of that ladder & having another year added to the wooden spoon that my boyfriend has made for me.
What I also like about Brad Arthur is that he has confidence in the players. Ricky kept saying that we don't have the cattle to do the job. I can only imagine that would be tough for the players to hear and very demotivating. Brad is the total opposite, he is positive that he is taking on a team that is better than 16th place on the ladder. The players want him there. One player has even told me that Brad Arthur has been his favourite coach over his career. Having a coach that the players want to play for will make a huge difference.
There's no doubt it's going to be a tough task. Parramatta is a broken club at the moment & is crying out for stability. One of the reasons they are in this mess is due to the lack of stability in the coaching ranks. They are constantly rebuilding because they keep having new coaches come in & trying to implement their own strategy & not being able to see it out. The club needs to stick by Brad Arthur. They need to realise it's not going to be a quick fix after being down the bottom for so long.
Here's hoping for a better 2014 Parramatta fans!
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Monday, October 28, 2013
Sam Burgess: Fearful or foolish? - By WeLoveLeague
English forward Sam Burgess is set to face the wrath of the
Rugby League World Cup Match Review Committee following his careless tackle on
Australia’s Sam Thiaday during the opening game at Cardiff on Saturday.
His sixty-third minute reporting may result in Burgess missing the remainder of England’s group matches. This caps off a horrible week for the host nation who were forced to take action on fellow forwards Gareth Hock and James Graham for off-field behavioural issues.
There’s no doubt Sam Burgess is a match winner for his club and nation.
But where do you draw the line between doing what’s right for your team, and taking things into your own hands?
Burgess was suspended on three occasions for a total of four weeks each during the 2013 NRL season. In round 1 against the Sydney Roosters, round 11 against Cronulla and the infamous ‘squirrel grip’ which cost Sam two weeks following their clash with the Melbourne Storm.
Billy Slater post game said in an interview, “He does that at NRL level all the time. He is a strong guy and is playing some great footy.”
The thing is that Sam doesn’t need to be over aggressive for South Sydney or England. He has by his side brother George who is more than capable of causing destruction to any opposition and this was again shown when he crossed in the first game of the World Cup. He needs to learn to trust those around him and not put so much pressure on himself to have to lift the team alone.
There’s a lot of focus on Sam Burgess. He’s marketable with his good looks and charm. The story of him and his brother’s path to the top of rugby league is inspiring.
One thing he doesn’t want to become is a bad boy for going past striking fear into the opposition and becoming foolish. With the way the NRL suspension system works, carry over points could really hurt Burgess over the next few years if he gets charged with something more sinister.
The fate of Sam Burgess will be known at midday on Monday (UK time).
Thanks to our friends at http://www.weloveleague.com/2013/10/27/sam-burgess-fearful-foolish/ for that fab story!
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
His sixty-third minute reporting may result in Burgess missing the remainder of England’s group matches. This caps off a horrible week for the host nation who were forced to take action on fellow forwards Gareth Hock and James Graham for off-field behavioural issues.
There’s no doubt Sam Burgess is a match winner for his club and nation.
But where do you draw the line between doing what’s right for your team, and taking things into your own hands?
Burgess was suspended on three occasions for a total of four weeks each during the 2013 NRL season. In round 1 against the Sydney Roosters, round 11 against Cronulla and the infamous ‘squirrel grip’ which cost Sam two weeks following their clash with the Melbourne Storm.
Billy Slater post game said in an interview, “He does that at NRL level all the time. He is a strong guy and is playing some great footy.”
The thing is that Sam doesn’t need to be over aggressive for South Sydney or England. He has by his side brother George who is more than capable of causing destruction to any opposition and this was again shown when he crossed in the first game of the World Cup. He needs to learn to trust those around him and not put so much pressure on himself to have to lift the team alone.
There’s a lot of focus on Sam Burgess. He’s marketable with his good looks and charm. The story of him and his brother’s path to the top of rugby league is inspiring.
One thing he doesn’t want to become is a bad boy for going past striking fear into the opposition and becoming foolish. With the way the NRL suspension system works, carry over points could really hurt Burgess over the next few years if he gets charged with something more sinister.
The fate of Sam Burgess will be known at midday on Monday (UK time).
Thanks to our friends at http://www.weloveleague.com/2013/10/27/sam-burgess-fearful-foolish/ for that fab story!
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Who do we sing for? - By Mary
I often feel like Australian sport is in competition with itself. During NRL season people often express shock when I explain that while I love NRL, I also enjoy watching AFL. It is uncommon to find people passionate about more than one sport and I often find that very little respect is shown between the codes. Lover of NRL often don't understand AFL and think that it takes less skill because it is not as physical, when this is certainly not the case.
Instead of being in constant competition I feel like the different codes can look at each other and use and share ideas to make each competition the strongest that it can be.
With this in mind, last night I attended my first A-League game between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC. If I am completely honest with all of you, my readers, then I will admit that I would have only watched 10 minutes of the game (maximum). Why you ask? The answer is because I was absolutely mesmerised by the crowd.
For those of you that have not been to watch the Western Sydney Wanderers play, I urge you to make an effort to. The most vocal Wanderers fans are called the RBB (Red and Black Bloc) and this group of supporters (last night I estimate they were about 10,000 in number) all sit together, ablaze with red and black (literally, 2 flares were let off) and chant, sing, clap and roar for the entirety of the game.
As a Rugby League supporter you must understand why I was absolutely intrigued by this. Throughout the year I have often written about declining crowd numbers and what the NRL can do to fix this. To have gone to an A-League game last night and seen a crowd of over 40,000, all I could think about was why can't the NRL do this? Is there something fundamentally different between the two sports or is the A-League doing something better than the NRL.
The story of the Western Sydney Wanderers absolutely intrigues me.
Such fanatical support did not exist in the A-League before the Wanderers. Even the Sydney FC fans looked quiet in comparison last night.
While, chanting and singing may have existed, it did not exist on the same level that the RBB has brought to the A-League and as a result it has led other fans to have to lift their game.
What I find incredible, firstly, is that such fanatical support exists for a team that is only a year old.
I would certainly call myself a fanatical Parramatta supporter. In the dictionary, if you look up 'Eels supporter', you might just see my face. However the love for my team certainly developed over time. I certainly did not love my team at the level I do now when I first started supporting them. To see fans with such passion last night truly amazed me.
While the success of the Wanderers in their first year, probably assisted the fan base to raise their game to the levels they are now, there has to be more to it than that. Perhaps that prior to the birth of the Wanderers, Western Sydney was mobilised in its love of football - all they needed was an outlet and a team to be able to call their own. Football participation levels in the West have been on the increase and I would also suggest that few in the West completely embraced Sydney FC. In this respect, I find it fascinating that it took so long for a team to be born out of Western Sydney.
Seeing the Wanderers fans truly made me a bit jealous last night. I salivated at the possibility of seeing such support exist in the NRL. After having thought about it for a little longer however, I feel like the two sports are fundamentally different and historically have been supported in a different way which means that such fanatical support probably won't ever exist in the NRL.
You only have to watch an EPL game to see what I mean. The way these fans support their team is completely different to what you see when watching the Super League.
This tends to lead me to the conclusion that there is very little that the NRL can learn from the A-League other than sitting back and watching in awe.
However, while we might not be able to bring such fanaticism to the NRL, as a Parramatta supporter I see tremendous opportunity for the Wanderers and the Eels to work together. We share a geographical location, we share a stadium and in many respects we also share fans. The A-League and the NRL does not need to be in competition with each other.
A useful step one I feel would be offering dual memberships for the Eels and the Wanderers. Last year the Eels expressed that their eventual goal was for 40,000 members - for a goal like this we need to mobilise more people.
I am not a massive soccer fan, but were such a membership option offered, I would certainly consider it. I love my sport and I love Parramatta - why not take up the opportunity to do something over the off season. I feel like I'm not the only fan that would feel like this.
As a final thought - congratulations to everyone who attended the game last night and thank you to Wanderers fans for absolutely inspiring me. Your support and dedication to your team is incredible and I hope it only leads to positive steps forward both for the A-League and for football in Australia.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Instead of being in constant competition I feel like the different codes can look at each other and use and share ideas to make each competition the strongest that it can be.
With this in mind, last night I attended my first A-League game between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC. If I am completely honest with all of you, my readers, then I will admit that I would have only watched 10 minutes of the game (maximum). Why you ask? The answer is because I was absolutely mesmerised by the crowd.
For those of you that have not been to watch the Western Sydney Wanderers play, I urge you to make an effort to. The most vocal Wanderers fans are called the RBB (Red and Black Bloc) and this group of supporters (last night I estimate they were about 10,000 in number) all sit together, ablaze with red and black (literally, 2 flares were let off) and chant, sing, clap and roar for the entirety of the game.
As a Rugby League supporter you must understand why I was absolutely intrigued by this. Throughout the year I have often written about declining crowd numbers and what the NRL can do to fix this. To have gone to an A-League game last night and seen a crowd of over 40,000, all I could think about was why can't the NRL do this? Is there something fundamentally different between the two sports or is the A-League doing something better than the NRL.
The story of the Western Sydney Wanderers absolutely intrigues me.
Such fanatical support did not exist in the A-League before the Wanderers. Even the Sydney FC fans looked quiet in comparison last night.
While, chanting and singing may have existed, it did not exist on the same level that the RBB has brought to the A-League and as a result it has led other fans to have to lift their game.
What I find incredible, firstly, is that such fanatical support exists for a team that is only a year old.
I would certainly call myself a fanatical Parramatta supporter. In the dictionary, if you look up 'Eels supporter', you might just see my face. However the love for my team certainly developed over time. I certainly did not love my team at the level I do now when I first started supporting them. To see fans with such passion last night truly amazed me.
While the success of the Wanderers in their first year, probably assisted the fan base to raise their game to the levels they are now, there has to be more to it than that. Perhaps that prior to the birth of the Wanderers, Western Sydney was mobilised in its love of football - all they needed was an outlet and a team to be able to call their own. Football participation levels in the West have been on the increase and I would also suggest that few in the West completely embraced Sydney FC. In this respect, I find it fascinating that it took so long for a team to be born out of Western Sydney.
Seeing the Wanderers fans truly made me a bit jealous last night. I salivated at the possibility of seeing such support exist in the NRL. After having thought about it for a little longer however, I feel like the two sports are fundamentally different and historically have been supported in a different way which means that such fanatical support probably won't ever exist in the NRL.
You only have to watch an EPL game to see what I mean. The way these fans support their team is completely different to what you see when watching the Super League.
This tends to lead me to the conclusion that there is very little that the NRL can learn from the A-League other than sitting back and watching in awe.
However, while we might not be able to bring such fanaticism to the NRL, as a Parramatta supporter I see tremendous opportunity for the Wanderers and the Eels to work together. We share a geographical location, we share a stadium and in many respects we also share fans. The A-League and the NRL does not need to be in competition with each other.
A useful step one I feel would be offering dual memberships for the Eels and the Wanderers. Last year the Eels expressed that their eventual goal was for 40,000 members - for a goal like this we need to mobilise more people.
I am not a massive soccer fan, but were such a membership option offered, I would certainly consider it. I love my sport and I love Parramatta - why not take up the opportunity to do something over the off season. I feel like I'm not the only fan that would feel like this.
As a final thought - congratulations to everyone who attended the game last night and thank you to Wanderers fans for absolutely inspiring me. Your support and dedication to your team is incredible and I hope it only leads to positive steps forward both for the A-League and for football in Australia.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Friday, October 25, 2013
Eric, the Comeback Kid - By Hayley
This afternoon I read something on twitter that I never thought I'd ever read. Eric Grothe Jnr is making a comeback! When Eric made the decision to retire back in 2010 he was so young & I always hoped he would come back.
Eric is one of the nice guys of league. He never let the fame get to his head. He was & still is so down to earth. You don't see many NRL players who follow back pretty much everyone who follows them on twitter. Not only does he follow back but he interacts with his fans.
With this news will come speculation about which club he will sign with. In Eric's podcast of the Offence where he announced the wonderful news, Eric alluded to the fact that he's in talks with a few different clubs. You can listen to the full chat here http://punterspodcast.com.au/the-offense-episode-11-eric-grothe-jnr-nrl-comeback/
As a Parramatta supporter, I really do hope we can fit him in next year. I would absolutely love for him to be in the Blue & Gold next year. I would also love to see him get another chance to wear the Blues jersey again.
I would love to see Eric play in the NRL again so let's hope he can find a club that has room for him in first grade. I really do hope he gets the fairy tale comeback he deserves.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Eric is one of the nice guys of league. He never let the fame get to his head. He was & still is so down to earth. You don't see many NRL players who follow back pretty much everyone who follows them on twitter. Not only does he follow back but he interacts with his fans.
With this news will come speculation about which club he will sign with. In Eric's podcast of the Offence where he announced the wonderful news, Eric alluded to the fact that he's in talks with a few different clubs. You can listen to the full chat here http://punterspodcast.com.au/the-offense-episode-11-eric-grothe-jnr-nrl-comeback/
As a Parramatta supporter, I really do hope we can fit him in next year. I would absolutely love for him to be in the Blue & Gold next year. I would also love to see him get another chance to wear the Blues jersey again.
I would love to see Eric play in the NRL again so let's hope he can find a club that has room for him in first grade. I really do hope he gets the fairy tale comeback he deserves.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Thursday, October 24, 2013
The Rugby League World Cup, your thoughts? - By Mary
Ladies and gentlemen - it is that time of the year again, Rugby League World Cup time.
This morning, I'm going to try something different. Rather than telling you all what I think I would love to hear your thoughts.
Are you excited about the Rugby League World Cup? Which matches will you be watching? If you're not interested, why not?
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
P.S. We have borrowed this fab picture from our friends @TheRoarSports: http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/10/23/its-time-to-silence-the-rugby-league-world-cups-critics/rugbyl-wc2013-launch/
This morning, I'm going to try something different. Rather than telling you all what I think I would love to hear your thoughts.
Are you excited about the Rugby League World Cup? Which matches will you be watching? If you're not interested, why not?
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
P.S. We have borrowed this fab picture from our friends @TheRoarSports: http://www.theroar.com.au/2013/10/23/its-time-to-silence-the-rugby-league-world-cups-critics/rugbyl-wc2013-launch/
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Time for Unity - by Mary
I feel like it's Groundhog Day here at @LadiesWhoLeague because once again, I am writing about my beloved Parramatta Eels.
If you've been following the blog throughout the year, you will know how much Parramatta mean to me and how much it has hurt me to see the team struggling both on the football field and in the boardroom. I have been embarrassed, disappointed and at times furious with what has been happening at my club. At the same time however, I love my team and will always be there, through thick and thin.
It's now time for me to move forward from the last year and look toward 2014.
This week Parramatta made 2 new appointments. Firstly, we appointed Brad Arthurs as our new coach and we then preceded to appoint Daniel Anderson as our General Manager of Football.
Much can be said about the appointment of these two men, but I feel that the papers have been rife with commentary about these appointments for the entire week. It is no longer of use to debate whether they were or were not the right men for the job. Whether you agree or disagree with these appointments is now irrelevant because they have been appointed to do a job.
What we, as both a football club and as fans of this football club need to do is come together.
In the past year, Parramatta has seen a new board, a new CEO, a new coach and a new GM of football. For me this represents Parramatta's best chance for a fresh start in many years.
As fans, it is absolutely time for us to come together and look forward to 2014. I am not suggesting that we have the squad to see us improve dramatically from this year's result, but we certainly have a squad that is capable of improving. We certainly have a team of individuals, hopefully now all working together with the best interests of the club in mind and we certainly have the ability to begin to take small steps toward making Parramatta the powerhouse it should be again.
We as fans should expect improvement and we should expect everyone working at this club to take advantage of this opportunity for a fresh start and to work together.
A strong Parramatta is crucial for the success of the NRL. I have also blogged throughout the year my thoughts on crowds declining. I think a big part of it is that teams like Parramatta, the Dragons and the Tigers, with such strong supporter bases, have not been performing. As well as drawing crowds, Parramatta are a proud club built on tradition. We are a team that is part of the foundation of the NRL and who make such important contributions to Rugby League at a grass roots level through development of Juniors.
What is clear however is that there is no more time for excuses and those responsible for the appointment need to stand by their decisions. Steve Sharp pushed for Brad Arthurs from Day 1 and by all accounts, Scott Seward was also heavily involved in negotiations. If Arthurs fails, these men need to take responsibility and stand by their decision. We as fans also have the right to make judgement, as elections are essentially only a year away.
For Parramatta, the hard work starts now. As a fan, it's time to take a deep breath and get ready for the roller coaster that is season 2014.
How long till the season starts again?
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
If you've been following the blog throughout the year, you will know how much Parramatta mean to me and how much it has hurt me to see the team struggling both on the football field and in the boardroom. I have been embarrassed, disappointed and at times furious with what has been happening at my club. At the same time however, I love my team and will always be there, through thick and thin.
It's now time for me to move forward from the last year and look toward 2014.
This week Parramatta made 2 new appointments. Firstly, we appointed Brad Arthurs as our new coach and we then preceded to appoint Daniel Anderson as our General Manager of Football.
Much can be said about the appointment of these two men, but I feel that the papers have been rife with commentary about these appointments for the entire week. It is no longer of use to debate whether they were or were not the right men for the job. Whether you agree or disagree with these appointments is now irrelevant because they have been appointed to do a job.
What we, as both a football club and as fans of this football club need to do is come together.
In the past year, Parramatta has seen a new board, a new CEO, a new coach and a new GM of football. For me this represents Parramatta's best chance for a fresh start in many years.
As fans, it is absolutely time for us to come together and look forward to 2014. I am not suggesting that we have the squad to see us improve dramatically from this year's result, but we certainly have a squad that is capable of improving. We certainly have a team of individuals, hopefully now all working together with the best interests of the club in mind and we certainly have the ability to begin to take small steps toward making Parramatta the powerhouse it should be again.
We as fans should expect improvement and we should expect everyone working at this club to take advantage of this opportunity for a fresh start and to work together.
A strong Parramatta is crucial for the success of the NRL. I have also blogged throughout the year my thoughts on crowds declining. I think a big part of it is that teams like Parramatta, the Dragons and the Tigers, with such strong supporter bases, have not been performing. As well as drawing crowds, Parramatta are a proud club built on tradition. We are a team that is part of the foundation of the NRL and who make such important contributions to Rugby League at a grass roots level through development of Juniors.
What is clear however is that there is no more time for excuses and those responsible for the appointment need to stand by their decisions. Steve Sharp pushed for Brad Arthurs from Day 1 and by all accounts, Scott Seward was also heavily involved in negotiations. If Arthurs fails, these men need to take responsibility and stand by their decision. We as fans also have the right to make judgement, as elections are essentially only a year away.
For Parramatta, the hard work starts now. As a fan, it's time to take a deep breath and get ready for the roller coaster that is season 2014.
How long till the season starts again?
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Ladies who League, literally! - By Mary
Over the past couple of days, there has been much debate in
mainstream media about women's sport.
This piece that I have written was certainly inspired by John Stensholt's piece in the Australian Financial Review and Kathryn Wick's piece in the Sydney Morning Herald, both yesterday.
Stensholt repeats comments made by Australian Sports Commission Chairman, John Wylie, who criticised corporate Australia and indeed suggested that they are not taking advantage of significant opportunities when deciding not to sponsor women's sport. These comments come following the inability of the National Women's Basketball League to find a naming-rights sponsor. This is a league which has Lauren Jackson involved - one of Australia's sporting heroes over the last decade.
Wylie suggests that businesses 'want to celebrate and be associated with success, but the commercial world simply has not caught up with the success that is women's sport.'
The article then goes on to quote a number of statistics including that women won 57% per cent of the medals won at the 2012 Olympic Games and that the majority of medals which have been won at an elite level in 2013 have come off the back of women's sporting success.
While what Wylie suggests is admirable, for companies to begin supporting women's sport, it has to be worth their advertising dollar. In a world where millions tune in to the NRL and the AFL per week, it makes more sense for advertisers to hedge their bets here, rather than on women's sport which is rarely televised and certainly not held up in the same light as men's sport.
The articles all managed to name a series of successful female athletes including Kim Crow, Cate Campbell and Jessica Fox.
Herein lies the problem - many Australians have no idea who these athletes are.
Sport is largely tribal and support of a team is often based on tradition and geography. I am a Parramatta supporter because my father was. My father is a Parramatta supporter because he grew up in the area. My love of NRL was born as a result of my father having control over the remote and deciding that he wanted to watch 4 games of NRL per weekend. If I wanted to spend time with the family, I had to watch NRL. Over time, my disdain for the sport grew into the passion which I have today.
Watching sport is also a matter of convenience, at least at the beginning. Australians are exposed to all sorts of sport all over the weekend - NRL, AFL, motorsport, cricket and the A-League are all televised. However, very little women's sport is televised. It requires more effort to become involved in and watch women's sport.
Once people are attached to a sport, they will go to great lengths to watch and support it. Many Australians, including my dad, wake up very early in the morning to watch the EPL. Many Australians also wake up at ridiculous hours to watch the Olympics and the Tour de France. These are sporting spectacles and in a country which loves sport as much as Australia does, our dedication to watching our athletes is not difficult to understand.
@LadiesWhoLeague
This piece that I have written was certainly inspired by John Stensholt's piece in the Australian Financial Review and Kathryn Wick's piece in the Sydney Morning Herald, both yesterday.
Stensholt repeats comments made by Australian Sports Commission Chairman, John Wylie, who criticised corporate Australia and indeed suggested that they are not taking advantage of significant opportunities when deciding not to sponsor women's sport. These comments come following the inability of the National Women's Basketball League to find a naming-rights sponsor. This is a league which has Lauren Jackson involved - one of Australia's sporting heroes over the last decade.
Wylie suggests that businesses 'want to celebrate and be associated with success, but the commercial world simply has not caught up with the success that is women's sport.'
The article then goes on to quote a number of statistics including that women won 57% per cent of the medals won at the 2012 Olympic Games and that the majority of medals which have been won at an elite level in 2013 have come off the back of women's sporting success.
While what Wylie suggests is admirable, for companies to begin supporting women's sport, it has to be worth their advertising dollar. In a world where millions tune in to the NRL and the AFL per week, it makes more sense for advertisers to hedge their bets here, rather than on women's sport which is rarely televised and certainly not held up in the same light as men's sport.
The articles all managed to name a series of successful female athletes including Kim Crow, Cate Campbell and Jessica Fox.
Herein lies the problem - many Australians have no idea who these athletes are.
Sport is largely tribal and support of a team is often based on tradition and geography. I am a Parramatta supporter because my father was. My father is a Parramatta supporter because he grew up in the area. My love of NRL was born as a result of my father having control over the remote and deciding that he wanted to watch 4 games of NRL per weekend. If I wanted to spend time with the family, I had to watch NRL. Over time, my disdain for the sport grew into the passion which I have today.
Watching sport is also a matter of convenience, at least at the beginning. Australians are exposed to all sorts of sport all over the weekend - NRL, AFL, motorsport, cricket and the A-League are all televised. However, very little women's sport is televised. It requires more effort to become involved in and watch women's sport.
Once people are attached to a sport, they will go to great lengths to watch and support it. Many Australians, including my dad, wake up very early in the morning to watch the EPL. Many Australians also wake up at ridiculous hours to watch the Olympics and the Tour de France. These are sporting spectacles and in a country which loves sport as much as Australia does, our dedication to watching our athletes is not difficult to understand.
However, at the moment, women's sport is not a spectacle. While
there have been numerous success stories in women's sport this year, including
Sam Stosur winning the Japan Open and the recent success of our netballers in
New Zealand.
What is the solution?
We cannot expect corporates to put their money behind
women's sport without an audience.
Earlier this year, Catharine Lumby called for a women's
State of Origin match to be held as the opener for the men's clash. I think
this is a sensational idea. For a game with as wide an audience as the State of
Origin, to see women competing at a similar level who are just as talented and
athletic begins to open the eyes of the average sporting fan to the talent
women have in the sport.
Awareness is the key and getting people to develop an
interest in our female teams rather than maintaining the current situation,
which is seeing women in sport as essentially invisible.
@LadieswhoLeague want to play their part too. While we often
discuss our passion about women and rugby league and our desire to see women
more involved at the higher echelons of the game, we often forget to support
the women who play Rugby League.
In the new year, we are going to make an increased effort to
write articles about women who play rugby league and to support the tremendous
women and their athletic talent. It is time for women not only to be involved
in the highest echelons of the game, but also for their sporting prowess to be
recognised.
Love,@LadiesWhoLeague
Parramatta's New Coach - By Mary
Finally, after weeks of speculation it has finally been announced - the Parramatta Eels have a new coach.
For those of you that have been following the media, you will know that this appointment did not come without its obstacles.
Last week, Chairman Steve Sharp seemed outnumbered - 4-2 in fact, in his support of Arthur's for the job. Even as late as Tuesday night it appeared as though Brad Arthur's would miss out on the job.
Sharp had clearly indicated that his position was that Arthur's should be Parramatta's head coach and it appears that his position has been the one that has been taken. There were many who were shocked at arthur's appointment today - and many, like me, who were embarrassed.
This is a situation which should not have been played out in the media. Sharp being undermined by his board members last week, who were in favour of Taylor does not speak volumes about his leadership ability. Our club does not appear in a favourable light when we consider that decision came on the back of another backflip. Arthur's had even been informed he was not getting the job. All this changed after negotiations with Taylor broke down.
It concerns me that we have a coach coming in who as of last week did not enjoy the full support of the board. In a coaching position as unstable as Parramatta's, surely the incoming coach would have hoped to have had the full support of the board before beginning.
If we put behind us the media circus which has been played out before us over the last couple of weeks - it becomes very clear what Parramatta need to do.
We now have a new board, a new coach and a new CEO. This is our opportunity for a fresh start. This is our opportunity to have the board do their job and the coach do theirs. This is our opportunity to start moving toward our goal of once again becoming a force to be reckoned with in the NRL competition, instead of a laughing stock.
Arthur's has indicated that his priority is to make the finals and that he wants to do it now. I applaud his commitment and his enthusiasm - but it will not be an easy job.
I truly wish him all the best as coach and hope that Parramatta can put the last couple of years behind us and move forward.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
For those of you that have been following the media, you will know that this appointment did not come without its obstacles.
Last week, Chairman Steve Sharp seemed outnumbered - 4-2 in fact, in his support of Arthur's for the job. Even as late as Tuesday night it appeared as though Brad Arthur's would miss out on the job.
Sharp had clearly indicated that his position was that Arthur's should be Parramatta's head coach and it appears that his position has been the one that has been taken. There were many who were shocked at arthur's appointment today - and many, like me, who were embarrassed.
This is a situation which should not have been played out in the media. Sharp being undermined by his board members last week, who were in favour of Taylor does not speak volumes about his leadership ability. Our club does not appear in a favourable light when we consider that decision came on the back of another backflip. Arthur's had even been informed he was not getting the job. All this changed after negotiations with Taylor broke down.
It concerns me that we have a coach coming in who as of last week did not enjoy the full support of the board. In a coaching position as unstable as Parramatta's, surely the incoming coach would have hoped to have had the full support of the board before beginning.
If we put behind us the media circus which has been played out before us over the last couple of weeks - it becomes very clear what Parramatta need to do.
We now have a new board, a new coach and a new CEO. This is our opportunity for a fresh start. This is our opportunity to have the board do their job and the coach do theirs. This is our opportunity to start moving toward our goal of once again becoming a force to be reckoned with in the NRL competition, instead of a laughing stock.
Arthur's has indicated that his priority is to make the finals and that he wants to do it now. I applaud his commitment and his enthusiasm - but it will not be an easy job.
I truly wish him all the best as coach and hope that Parramatta can put the last couple of years behind us and move forward.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Things the NRL can improve on - By Sharon
The NRL is wondering why people are turning away? There is no simple solution, but considering my passion has been waning over the past few years, I decided to put my own personal points of view down; you may or may not agree!
Cost/Value for money
Gone are the days of yesteryear where the family could enjoy a whole Saturday or Sunday at the footy; watching all 3 grades, taking picnic baskets & enjoying a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment. Nowadays, by the time fans pay for tickets, overpriced & unhealthy food & drink, transport to & from games if in Sydney or Melbourne, who could possibly afford a good old family day at the footy, without taking out a second mortgage? Sitting at home watching the tv, in comfort, seems a far more pleasurable & less expensive means of watching our favourite sport. Added to this the increasing cost of team merchandise & constant changes of jerseys, including promotional rounds, and the average fan is starting to wonder if it's money better spent elsewhere, like utilities & food on the table.
Media
The NRL has sold it's soul to Channel 9! The constant dictation of scheduling for clubs takes away any fairness for teams. You only have to look at the amount of travel the Roosters had in comparison with other clubs this season to see where equality is non existent! Compounded by constant Friday night games for the Broncos & no free to air games for the Raiders, which fans of the clubs CLEARLY also dislike and it certainly makes you wonder who the consumer is when marketing this 'product'? This brings me to the biggest bone of contention which as league lovers, we have to live with for the next 5 years, the DELAYED BROADCAST! I find it ludicrous in today's technological age, the fans in Australia are still treated with so much contempt as to be expected to accept NON HD, DELAYED coverage. Especially when social media has become such a large part of sports viewing experiences & followers in the UK, NZ & even USA are watching these games live, whilst Aussie viewers are expected to 'stay off' the net if they don't want spoilers?! Seriously? Are the dollar$ from tv rights taken that much more into consideration vs dollar$ from fan purchases? Yes, without the tv rights we don't have money to pay players, clubs, admin etc but without fan retention you don't have a product at all!
Lack of loyalty/breaking of contracts/mid season movements
Contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on in today's generation of footy players/coaches & clubs & it's harming the unification of the game! Almost every day there are rumours & innuendo about which player's going to what club or will this coach be sacked before or after the season is finished! ENOUGH!! Our game has NO transparency on one hand through clubs media manipulation, yet so much transparency & predictability on the other; it all creates conflict! Conflict between players at clubs... disunity within the club, attitudes amongst players that if they don't like their 'boss' (coach) they'll just get rid of him by underperforming or causing dissention. I don't think a transfer window or draft system is the answer, but I do believe loyalty should take precedence & be rewarded, which, under our current system, it isn't! Does that mean a marquee player allowance? Who decides what criteria makes a marquee player? I honestly believe a loyalty tier system would be far better for clubs & fairer on all players.
The other disappointing situation is the utilization of 2nd tier players & the salary cap associated with it. Perhaps the NRL should implement a 'long-term' injury allowance, should clubs lose more than 3 key positional players in a set time period. This would help cover the partial cost against the 2nd tier salary cap.
Slightly off tangent here, why are the coaches held accountable for poor performance yet players contracts don't include KPI's as part of a base wage/incentive salary package. Perhaps if they weren't handed their salaries on a silver platter the appreciation level would rise considerably? I'm by no means under rating the sacrifices & level of athleticism it takes to be an NRL player but every 'job' requires performance reviews & it's about time players were put under as much scrutiny on the field as they appear to be off field! There are of course the exceptions to the norm. Players who do stick to their word, do stay loyal to their clubs, coach & teammates & call me old fashioned, but, for those players, I will always have immense admiration!
Too large a step between NYC & NRL
There needs to be a reserve grade competition brought back as a further stepping stone between NYC & NRL 1st grade. Whilst the Queensland Cup allows that type of transition, it's not given enough focus as a reserve grade comp, it would also allow more players the opportunity to play at higher levels without the added pressures of trying to gain a spot in 1st grade at such a young age. If players knew there was another level between U20's & 1st grade perhaps they'd handle the mental transition a lot better as well & we wouldn't see so many off field incidents, gambling problems or violence?! I seriously believe that today's youth cannot handle the added pressures associated with earning too much money so young which also cries out for reserve grade or over 21's to be reintroduced to the competition.
Lack of repercussions
For poor or even illegal conduct, especially violence against women, there is far too much leniency, or should I call it spineless consequence? It seems dependant on how valuable the player in question is deemed to our game. I'm all for giving people a second chance however when the second, third & even forth chance is squandered there are no more chances. Get It together NOW or you're out completely is the motto which should be adopted. There is nothing in league which has made me feel as ill as when Robert Lui ran back out on the park during Women in League round. It sickened me, because he was CONVICTED after TWICE beating up on his partner within 12 months, the last time whilst she was pregnant! How can the game promote the WIL round without any sense of hypocrisy after that? Other players bringing the game into disrepute get a slap on the wrist, some learn, others don't! For the repeat offenders, what incentive is there to stop their actions when the game only seems to reward their bad behaviour? If a player disgraces a club enough to have his contract terminated, how is that player then allowed to be re-registered to play for another club until he may get sick of that club? It's a kick in the teeth of the club who had the ethics & morality to let him go & total disdain for fans of that club! Repeat offenders should be de-registered from the league for the term of their original contract at the very least. If matters are pertaining to a criminal nature then that player should have to serve a minimum of 5 years deregistration dependant on the charges.
2 referee system causing confusion between officials & creating sub standard officiating
Where do we possibly start with the consistent inconsistency & incompetence of referees? The 2 referee system CLEARLY isn't working! It causes more confusion than clarification on field with both refs having their own 'interpretations' often being on totally different pages. There's an old saying of "too many cooks spoil the broth" & I believe that's exactly what is happening in NRL! The non accountability of refs for reprehensible errors is archaic & needs a complete overhaul. I've seen more competent officiating in the Intrust Supercup than I have in the 1st grade NRL this season. Perhaps a round robin system between NSWcup, Qcup, NYC & NRL is needed to find the best officials on offer? Perhaps we need the rules to go back to basics along with the 'ring in' techniques used by clubs including wrestling etc. Once a player is held, called held within a logical period of time, instead of allowing the player time to; design ways of milking penalties, pick up an injury from over strain, be dragged over the sideline, deliver elbows or face palms whilst struggling to offload or cease the tackle! As for our sideline officials, why are they actually there? Thousands of avid fans can see blatant forward passes time & time again, yet the officials employed to call, offside, forward passes, illegal behaviour & where a ball crosses or whether a player goes into touch, can't see past their own noses. As a fan, there is nothing more frustrating than the change of momentum or scoreboard due to incompetent officiating, I believe it's possibly the major cause of people's discontent & the reason thousands of fans are turning to other sports in preference.
Sanitisation of the toughest game in the world
Fans of rugby league follow the game because of it's sheer brutality & toughness. Now, I'm not saying that means maiming or denying player safety, but sanitising a contact sport so heavily has taken the essence of the game away. Any player who chooses to play rugby league knows it's the toughest sport in the world & that unfortunate accidents may happen on the odd occasion. It's a good move to stop contact with players heads however it needs to be without depleting the game of good solid body hits. If the consequences were harsher for contact with the head, there would be far fewer incidences I can assure you. Stop the wrestling in the game & we can get back to free flowing footy with good solid body shots.
State of origin
Whilst many believe, myself included, that state of origin is the pinnacle of our great game, it also causes anxiety & inequality for club teams during this 6 week turmoil! We love seeing players from our club team chosen to represent either QUEENSLAND or New South Wales but it has always been at a cost. Shouldn't there be a hiatus during this time where other forms of the game can become the centre of everyone's attention? Women's league, NSW & Qld cup, Island nations given opportunities to play on a bigger stage? All these facets of league that could be expanded & explored, yet which nobody seems to bother about. There needs to be some adjustment, because it should be an honour to play for your state, but not at the expense of perhaps costing your club a place in the top 8 at the end of the regular NRL season.
Inconsistency with regard to gradings of reports
Is it any wonder fans cry foul when certain players appear to be protected species? Of course everyone's views will differ on who those protected species are but we can all agree that it happens! Some players are thrown the book at, whilst others are either not charged or get a slight slap on the wrist. I also have never understood why there should be a difference whether a player pleads guilty early or not? Is that just to save the judiciary time? If a player is guilty of an infringement then each incident should be ruled on individually! The blanket cover of gradings is understandable for expediency but not for accuracy. This has never been more clear than with the shoulder charge. The shoulder charge is NOT black & white & definitely needs some tweaking due to circumstance. Whether or not the head contact or blindside contact causing the head to be involved in some degree of whiplash has taken place should be the ONLY time this charge should be upheld. As previously stated, good body shots in league SHOULD NOT be punished, as that is what our game was founded on!
My last point comes due to the continual & constant 'lovefests' over specific players & clubs, from biased media representation. The 'inner voice' of Sonny Bill Williams was as cringe worthy as Tom Waterhouse shoving gambling down our throats, with his uninformed & uneducated run down every pre-game. Accompany this with the Burgess brothers & their mum, and, of course most fans would swear there were only 5 players in the NRL. Sorry, but there are hundreds of interesting back stories of players from ALL teams across the league, why is the focus so prevalent on just 5? Perhaps if each club were given the same exposure, we would find some unsung heroes that weren't forced upon us?
So, that's my food for thought. As stated at the beginning, you may or may not agree with me, I don't mind. It's just my take on what has been my favourite sport for nearly 4 decades & why I'd like to keep my passion until I die.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Cost/Value for money
Gone are the days of yesteryear where the family could enjoy a whole Saturday or Sunday at the footy; watching all 3 grades, taking picnic baskets & enjoying a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment. Nowadays, by the time fans pay for tickets, overpriced & unhealthy food & drink, transport to & from games if in Sydney or Melbourne, who could possibly afford a good old family day at the footy, without taking out a second mortgage? Sitting at home watching the tv, in comfort, seems a far more pleasurable & less expensive means of watching our favourite sport. Added to this the increasing cost of team merchandise & constant changes of jerseys, including promotional rounds, and the average fan is starting to wonder if it's money better spent elsewhere, like utilities & food on the table.
Media
The NRL has sold it's soul to Channel 9! The constant dictation of scheduling for clubs takes away any fairness for teams. You only have to look at the amount of travel the Roosters had in comparison with other clubs this season to see where equality is non existent! Compounded by constant Friday night games for the Broncos & no free to air games for the Raiders, which fans of the clubs CLEARLY also dislike and it certainly makes you wonder who the consumer is when marketing this 'product'? This brings me to the biggest bone of contention which as league lovers, we have to live with for the next 5 years, the DELAYED BROADCAST! I find it ludicrous in today's technological age, the fans in Australia are still treated with so much contempt as to be expected to accept NON HD, DELAYED coverage. Especially when social media has become such a large part of sports viewing experiences & followers in the UK, NZ & even USA are watching these games live, whilst Aussie viewers are expected to 'stay off' the net if they don't want spoilers?! Seriously? Are the dollar$ from tv rights taken that much more into consideration vs dollar$ from fan purchases? Yes, without the tv rights we don't have money to pay players, clubs, admin etc but without fan retention you don't have a product at all!
Lack of loyalty/breaking of contracts/mid season movements
Contracts aren't worth the paper they're written on in today's generation of footy players/coaches & clubs & it's harming the unification of the game! Almost every day there are rumours & innuendo about which player's going to what club or will this coach be sacked before or after the season is finished! ENOUGH!! Our game has NO transparency on one hand through clubs media manipulation, yet so much transparency & predictability on the other; it all creates conflict! Conflict between players at clubs... disunity within the club, attitudes amongst players that if they don't like their 'boss' (coach) they'll just get rid of him by underperforming or causing dissention. I don't think a transfer window or draft system is the answer, but I do believe loyalty should take precedence & be rewarded, which, under our current system, it isn't! Does that mean a marquee player allowance? Who decides what criteria makes a marquee player? I honestly believe a loyalty tier system would be far better for clubs & fairer on all players.
The other disappointing situation is the utilization of 2nd tier players & the salary cap associated with it. Perhaps the NRL should implement a 'long-term' injury allowance, should clubs lose more than 3 key positional players in a set time period. This would help cover the partial cost against the 2nd tier salary cap.
Slightly off tangent here, why are the coaches held accountable for poor performance yet players contracts don't include KPI's as part of a base wage/incentive salary package. Perhaps if they weren't handed their salaries on a silver platter the appreciation level would rise considerably? I'm by no means under rating the sacrifices & level of athleticism it takes to be an NRL player but every 'job' requires performance reviews & it's about time players were put under as much scrutiny on the field as they appear to be off field! There are of course the exceptions to the norm. Players who do stick to their word, do stay loyal to their clubs, coach & teammates & call me old fashioned, but, for those players, I will always have immense admiration!
Too large a step between NYC & NRL
There needs to be a reserve grade competition brought back as a further stepping stone between NYC & NRL 1st grade. Whilst the Queensland Cup allows that type of transition, it's not given enough focus as a reserve grade comp, it would also allow more players the opportunity to play at higher levels without the added pressures of trying to gain a spot in 1st grade at such a young age. If players knew there was another level between U20's & 1st grade perhaps they'd handle the mental transition a lot better as well & we wouldn't see so many off field incidents, gambling problems or violence?! I seriously believe that today's youth cannot handle the added pressures associated with earning too much money so young which also cries out for reserve grade or over 21's to be reintroduced to the competition.
Lack of repercussions
For poor or even illegal conduct, especially violence against women, there is far too much leniency, or should I call it spineless consequence? It seems dependant on how valuable the player in question is deemed to our game. I'm all for giving people a second chance however when the second, third & even forth chance is squandered there are no more chances. Get It together NOW or you're out completely is the motto which should be adopted. There is nothing in league which has made me feel as ill as when Robert Lui ran back out on the park during Women in League round. It sickened me, because he was CONVICTED after TWICE beating up on his partner within 12 months, the last time whilst she was pregnant! How can the game promote the WIL round without any sense of hypocrisy after that? Other players bringing the game into disrepute get a slap on the wrist, some learn, others don't! For the repeat offenders, what incentive is there to stop their actions when the game only seems to reward their bad behaviour? If a player disgraces a club enough to have his contract terminated, how is that player then allowed to be re-registered to play for another club until he may get sick of that club? It's a kick in the teeth of the club who had the ethics & morality to let him go & total disdain for fans of that club! Repeat offenders should be de-registered from the league for the term of their original contract at the very least. If matters are pertaining to a criminal nature then that player should have to serve a minimum of 5 years deregistration dependant on the charges.
2 referee system causing confusion between officials & creating sub standard officiating
Where do we possibly start with the consistent inconsistency & incompetence of referees? The 2 referee system CLEARLY isn't working! It causes more confusion than clarification on field with both refs having their own 'interpretations' often being on totally different pages. There's an old saying of "too many cooks spoil the broth" & I believe that's exactly what is happening in NRL! The non accountability of refs for reprehensible errors is archaic & needs a complete overhaul. I've seen more competent officiating in the Intrust Supercup than I have in the 1st grade NRL this season. Perhaps a round robin system between NSWcup, Qcup, NYC & NRL is needed to find the best officials on offer? Perhaps we need the rules to go back to basics along with the 'ring in' techniques used by clubs including wrestling etc. Once a player is held, called held within a logical period of time, instead of allowing the player time to; design ways of milking penalties, pick up an injury from over strain, be dragged over the sideline, deliver elbows or face palms whilst struggling to offload or cease the tackle! As for our sideline officials, why are they actually there? Thousands of avid fans can see blatant forward passes time & time again, yet the officials employed to call, offside, forward passes, illegal behaviour & where a ball crosses or whether a player goes into touch, can't see past their own noses. As a fan, there is nothing more frustrating than the change of momentum or scoreboard due to incompetent officiating, I believe it's possibly the major cause of people's discontent & the reason thousands of fans are turning to other sports in preference.
Sanitisation of the toughest game in the world
Fans of rugby league follow the game because of it's sheer brutality & toughness. Now, I'm not saying that means maiming or denying player safety, but sanitising a contact sport so heavily has taken the essence of the game away. Any player who chooses to play rugby league knows it's the toughest sport in the world & that unfortunate accidents may happen on the odd occasion. It's a good move to stop contact with players heads however it needs to be without depleting the game of good solid body hits. If the consequences were harsher for contact with the head, there would be far fewer incidences I can assure you. Stop the wrestling in the game & we can get back to free flowing footy with good solid body shots.
State of origin
Whilst many believe, myself included, that state of origin is the pinnacle of our great game, it also causes anxiety & inequality for club teams during this 6 week turmoil! We love seeing players from our club team chosen to represent either QUEENSLAND or New South Wales but it has always been at a cost. Shouldn't there be a hiatus during this time where other forms of the game can become the centre of everyone's attention? Women's league, NSW & Qld cup, Island nations given opportunities to play on a bigger stage? All these facets of league that could be expanded & explored, yet which nobody seems to bother about. There needs to be some adjustment, because it should be an honour to play for your state, but not at the expense of perhaps costing your club a place in the top 8 at the end of the regular NRL season.
Inconsistency with regard to gradings of reports
Is it any wonder fans cry foul when certain players appear to be protected species? Of course everyone's views will differ on who those protected species are but we can all agree that it happens! Some players are thrown the book at, whilst others are either not charged or get a slight slap on the wrist. I also have never understood why there should be a difference whether a player pleads guilty early or not? Is that just to save the judiciary time? If a player is guilty of an infringement then each incident should be ruled on individually! The blanket cover of gradings is understandable for expediency but not for accuracy. This has never been more clear than with the shoulder charge. The shoulder charge is NOT black & white & definitely needs some tweaking due to circumstance. Whether or not the head contact or blindside contact causing the head to be involved in some degree of whiplash has taken place should be the ONLY time this charge should be upheld. As previously stated, good body shots in league SHOULD NOT be punished, as that is what our game was founded on!
My last point comes due to the continual & constant 'lovefests' over specific players & clubs, from biased media representation. The 'inner voice' of Sonny Bill Williams was as cringe worthy as Tom Waterhouse shoving gambling down our throats, with his uninformed & uneducated run down every pre-game. Accompany this with the Burgess brothers & their mum, and, of course most fans would swear there were only 5 players in the NRL. Sorry, but there are hundreds of interesting back stories of players from ALL teams across the league, why is the focus so prevalent on just 5? Perhaps if each club were given the same exposure, we would find some unsung heroes that weren't forced upon us?
So, that's my food for thought. As stated at the beginning, you may or may not agree with me, I don't mind. It's just my take on what has been my favourite sport for nearly 4 decades & why I'd like to keep my passion until I die.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Dragons: a year in review - By Kristine
“The Dragons are underperforming”, “Price has to go”, “this
just isn’t good enough”, “we are a proud club and this is unacceptable.”
Probably the four most repeated phrases at every St George Illawarra Dragons
game both at the ground, at the leagues club and at home. After finishing 14th
on the ladder with just 7 wins, a dismal points differential of -151, and
ranked above only the Tigers and the Eels, perhaps two of the worst performing
sides we’ve seen in some time, it is fair to say the Saints had an awful year.
I wouldn’t personally put them in the same category as the Tigers and the Eels
because at the least, they managed to keep themselves together internally, but
to say it was disappointing is an understatement.
The Dragons started the year with three losses. Not the
ideal start for anyone but it was forgivable. Gerard Beale was new to the side
and was still fitting in. Kyle Stanley had been ruled out for the year before
even playing a match, wasting an entire pre-season of building tactics around
him in the halves. Nathan Fien was playing in an unfamiliar position. Melbourne
Storm (in round 1) were the reigning premiers and well round 3 saw the return
of the Canberra hoodoo. So it was forgivable, especially since the next three
rounds saw gutsy wins from the boys in the Big Red V. Against two sides who
eventually made the top 8, this gave the Saints some hope. But really, it was
all downhill from there.
An ANZAC day thrashing was just the start. This was also the
day Price was given a new three-year contract extension. A close game in
Kogarah against Manly was lost by only 6 points (all of which were Soward’s
unconverted goals) but was clearly disheartening. Another loss the next round
by 1 point again could have been won if Soward learnt to kick straight. Little
did we know that those missed kicks were a sign to say Soward did not want to
be there anymore. So off he went. He announced a deal with the Panthers, lost
even more interest in the Saints and eventually ended up at the London Broncos.
I would be wrong to say that Soward messed with the Dragons season but I truly
believe his poor attitude at the start and his sudden disappearance act left
the Dragons in a situation they possibly could have avoided.
Round 11 saw the Dragons lose 19-0 against the Panthers at
their sacred home ground, Kogarah Oval. This is when the whispers started and
the pressure began. The Dragons were making do with what they had. Beale was
out, Morris and Nightingale tried their best in a position they clearly don’t prefer.
Chase Stanley was in and out of the halves while Fien did all he could to
control the game. Drinkwater gave it a run but it wasn’t meant to be. Merrin,
the clubs best player of the season, and Morris, a cult figure at the Saints,
had Origin commitments. Matt Cooper still wasn’t fit. It was the excuse given
after every loss, the same words spat out “we were in it for 60 minutes but they
were just too good. We’ll improve next week”. The losses were adding up though
and top 8 was becoming further and further out of reach, but the fans stayed
put.
Until a 36-0 thumping after the bye by the eventual
premiers, the Roosters, in front of a passionate home crowd at Kogarah. This
time the fans would not be nice. They were after blood and Price was in the
firing line. The only shining light was that Josh Dugan had fit in really well
into the club and, despite initial mixed feelings, the fans were grateful.
After the second bye the Dragons came out firing with a massive upset over
premiership favourites, the Rabbitohs. It was a miraculous, gutsy win that
deserves every bit of praise and credit. It was truly the highlight of the
year. Fans had their hopes up for a last minute dash to the top eight but it
just didn’t happen. Loss after loss was highlighted when the Dragons could not
even beat the only two teams below them on the ladder. I actually began to question
how we were not about to “win” the wooden spoon. The year finished on somewhat of a high, with
a handy win over the Warriors in front of a home crowd to farewell the retiring
or leaving players. All in all, it was a bad season.
So where did it go wrong? Well I have already mentioned the
huge amount of injuries and to be quite frank, the team simply ran out of
players. Then there is the fact that those players who were on the field were
either young and inexperienced or ageing and past their prime. And finally we
arrive at the coach. So much blame was put onto Steve Price but a recent
investigation launched by the club into his fitness for the role concluded that
he is still the man for the job. I personally agree. He is partly to blame for
the lack of tactics and set plays, and it is his job to make the best of what
he is give in regards to the injuries and ageing team, but he is not the
reasons players were dropping the ball, misplacing kicks, missing tackles and
losing concentration in games. That is simply a lack of skill on the players’
behalf. As a Dragons fan myself I learnt to see the positives. Being forced to
use young players meant we’ve “initiated” two future stars in Runcimen and
Quinlan. The good old Dragons fighting spirit never wavered. At the least, we
kept trying, which is more than Parramatta and Wests did.
How does 2014 look? I think it looks bright! Price finally
has the team he wants to work with now that the Dragons have made some great
signings such as Sam Williams, Joel Thompson and of course Gareth Widdop.
Whilst we have also let go of some great players like Chase Stanley and Cameron
King, they have not been replaced by men of lesser talent. I understand Dragons
fans are not used to losing and the question must be asked, how did we end up
14th and the Roosters premiers when we were both in the Grand Final
only 3 years ago? But we are in a phase of getting back up after falling down
and I can assure you, we will get back up. Have faith Dragons fans and believe!
Stick with your team and the rewards will come!
As a fan I would like to give a quick shout out to Matt Cooper, Michael Weyman, Nathan Fien, Matt Prior, Cameron King, Chase Stanley and any other player who will no longer be with us next year. Thank you for the great memories and best of luck in wherever life leads you.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
There is no distance too far when it comes to Rugby League - By Mel
Here at @LadiesWhoLeague, we are delighted to welcome another fabulous contributer. Thanks Mel, for this awesome story.
__________________________________________________________________________
Why bother you ask? Here in Australia there isn’t a great deal of positive press regarding the Super League competition. In fact you’re lucky to hear anything about it at all. The only time it gets a mention in Australian media is when a player signs and even then it’s small mention either in the newspaper or on the news. I want to share my story and experiences along the journey that has seen me come to support the Wigan Warriors in the hope that it encourage others to not only appreciate the Super League but to open your eyes to the talent that is out there so if one day a player does sign with your club, you will know who they are and won’t have to rely on Google and Youtube to inform you.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
__________________________________________________________________________
At the best of times, being a rugby league
supporter can be hard. Sure there are many highlights, from the glory of
winning a club game to the triumph that comes with winning a premiership.
However, before we can enjoy any success, we are often faced with many trials,
challenges and disappointments as we support our favourite rugby league team,
in the toughest competition. As a Bulldog supporter, the glory and
disappointments are regular emotions faced throughout a season. I’m not here,
however, to bore you all with the recent Bulldogs season, as I know I
personally have suffered enough through that. Rather, I’d like to focus on the
other team I support, the Wigan Warriors.
Why bother you ask? Here in Australia there isn’t a great deal of positive press regarding the Super League competition. In fact you’re lucky to hear anything about it at all. The only time it gets a mention in Australian media is when a player signs and even then it’s small mention either in the newspaper or on the news. I want to share my story and experiences along the journey that has seen me come to support the Wigan Warriors in the hope that it encourage others to not only appreciate the Super League but to open your eyes to the talent that is out there so if one day a player does sign with your club, you will know who they are and won’t have to rely on Google and Youtube to inform you.
For those of you unfamiliar, the Wigan
Warriors, also known as the ‘Pies’ who don the famous cherry and white, are one
of the teams competing in the English Super League, the NRL equivalent on the
other side of the world. Truth be told, I wasn’t always a supporter of Super
League, however as my rugby league journey goes, I was exposed to it through
one player making a change for his family, resulting in me finding a new team
that I would grow to hold a special place in my heart.
I realise by now people would be wondering
why I would bother wasting my time on a team that I have to wake up at ungodly
hours to watch on tv or live stream on the internet (and that’s only if you’re
lucky) and unless I can travel to England, I have little chance of seeing them
play live.
To be honest, I asked myself the same
question back in 2008 when my favourite player, Cameron Phelps, left the
Bulldogs mid season to join the Wigan Warriors. I had no idea who they were,
only that if he was going there, they were good enough for me to support. And
so I did. Less than a month after he joined the club I had a jersey arrive on
my doorstep. Little did I know this was the start of what was to be an
emotional supportive rollercoaster.
In the short time I’ve been supporting the
club, I’ve seen them win two premierships and two Challenge Cup titles. This
year will certainly go down as one of the best. At the start of the year, no
one gave them hope and you can’t blame them given they had lost their halves
pairing of Brett Finch and Thomas Leuluai and that was only the beginning of it,
as well as the circulating rumours of Sam Tomkins leaving the club to join the
New Zealand Warriors.
From the start of this season they were
never meant to make the eight, let alone the top four and they did. They were
told they wouldn’t win the Challenge Cup and they did. Having lost many of
their games before making the finals they were told they wouldn’t make an
impact, but they did. They were told they wouldn’t win the premiership and they
did. Wigan sent the strongest message to the journalists and media to never
underestimate a team as it can, and in this case has, backfired greatly on
them.
To
win a Challenge Cup is a fantastic effort, to then go on and win the
premiership as well, making it a double, is something else.
Supporting a team in the Super League is no
different to supporting one in the NRL. So, there may be a distance between
countries and the time difference sucks (trust me, I’m not a fan of the 3am
wake up calls either) but when it comes down to it, the emotions you feel are
the same. Watching Wigan win those titles has been some of my happiest Rugby
League memories (not including the Bulldogs grand final wins of course).
Nothing compares to watching the captain, Sean O’Loughlin, lift the trophy high
above his head in triumph. What a wonderful feeling.
There is also a great amount of talent competing
each week in the Super League. Like the Burgess brothers, James Graham and
Adrian Morley before them, have made the successful transition to the NRL. Next
year will see the likes of Sam Tomkins (NZ Warriors), Lee Mossop and Gareth
Hock (Parramatta Eels) join the NRL.
Although I’m biased, given the admiration I
have just expressed for Wigan, I am excited to see Tomkins battle it out in our
wonderful game. It’s a credit to him for wanting to challenge himself against
some of the best, like Slater and Inglis. I have no doubt he will shine and
make a name for himself, like he has in the Super League. I am also equally as
excited to see Lee Mossop play. He’s a tough player that puts his heart into it
every game and I have no doubt Parramatta fans will come to love him just as
much as I do.
So what does all this talk about Wigan and
the Super League have to do with anything? At the start of the season, it was
announced that the World Club Challenge will be played in Australia next year.
For me, this will be a chance for me to fulfill my dream of seeing Wigan play
live, given they are the current premiers of the Super League. Personally, it
doesn’t get much more exciting than this. If nothing else, at least the World
Club Challenge gives you something to look forward to during this painful
period known as the offseason.
While I understand the Super League isn’t
for everyone, I encourage you to watch at least one game. Sure waking up
anywhere between 12am and 5am isn’t great, you never know, you might find you
enjoy it. Better yet, you may even find yourself finding a place in your heart
for one of the teams like I have with Wigan. Or if that doesn’t happen, at
least you can find solace in knowing in Australia we don’t have to listen to
Stevo and Eddie and their bias commentary each week (you thought Hadley was
bad, wait till you hear them).
Still not convinced? Youtube ‘Pat Richards
field goal’ and ‘Joel Tomkins Challenge Cup try’. If they don’t convince you,
at least you were hopefully entertained by some highlights of the Super League.
Hopefully the opportunity arises and I do
get to see Wigan play here in Sydney for the World Club Challenge*. You can bet
I will be sitting there proudly wearing my Wigan jersey cheering them on. Until
then, I’m thankful for the Super League coverage on Eurosport and the internet.
At the end of the day, it is rugby league,
the greatest game of all, that brings us all together and unites us in our
love, passion and dedication for the game.
*Based on the assumption the WCC will still
be played in Australia. Awaiting official confirmation from the NRL.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Pull together Parramatta board! - By Mary
This week the new Parramatta Eels coach will be announced. Unfortunately for the Club, the process of appointing a new coach has certainly not been one which has been without its issues.
Today it has been reported that there has been a split in the Parramatta Eels board over who to appoint.
Steve Sharp as current Chairman of the Board, wanted Brad Arthurs as coach, but unfortunately it is alleged that he has been outvoted 4-2 at a Board meeting, with the majority of the board instead being in favour of Jason Taylor.
The news of the board split is extremely problematic and extremely concerning as a Parramatta fan for a number of reasons.
First of all - the coaching job at Parramatta is one that has been particularly unstable ever since Brian Smith left the club. Since then we have seen 4 different head coaches and several interim coaches. I have stressed that the most important thing for the Parramatta Eels at the moment is stability. Any coach that comes into the Club needs to know that they have the dull support of the Board so that they can do their job correctly. Unfortunately for Taylor, should he get the job, he now comes into a Club where he does not have the full backing of the board and more importantly, where he knows that he was not the Chairman's first choice for the job.
This situation is also slightly embarrassing because in an interview earlier this week, Steve Sharp urged the other members of the Board to follow his lead and support Arthur as the new head coach.
A chairman needs to have strong leadership characteristics and needs to be able to command the support and backing of the people alongside him. Unfortunately it looks like Sharp was unable to do this and has instead been completely outnumbered.
Once again, Parramatta appears to all outsiders to look like a basket case. Another important decision has been played out in front of the media and again it shows my club as a club without direction, unity or leadership.
It will be very interesting to see who is appointed coach and to see how the board pulls together to support this individual.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Today it has been reported that there has been a split in the Parramatta Eels board over who to appoint.
Steve Sharp as current Chairman of the Board, wanted Brad Arthurs as coach, but unfortunately it is alleged that he has been outvoted 4-2 at a Board meeting, with the majority of the board instead being in favour of Jason Taylor.
The news of the board split is extremely problematic and extremely concerning as a Parramatta fan for a number of reasons.
First of all - the coaching job at Parramatta is one that has been particularly unstable ever since Brian Smith left the club. Since then we have seen 4 different head coaches and several interim coaches. I have stressed that the most important thing for the Parramatta Eels at the moment is stability. Any coach that comes into the Club needs to know that they have the dull support of the Board so that they can do their job correctly. Unfortunately for Taylor, should he get the job, he now comes into a Club where he does not have the full backing of the board and more importantly, where he knows that he was not the Chairman's first choice for the job.
This situation is also slightly embarrassing because in an interview earlier this week, Steve Sharp urged the other members of the Board to follow his lead and support Arthur as the new head coach.
A chairman needs to have strong leadership characteristics and needs to be able to command the support and backing of the people alongside him. Unfortunately it looks like Sharp was unable to do this and has instead been completely outnumbered.
Once again, Parramatta appears to all outsiders to look like a basket case. Another important decision has been played out in front of the media and again it shows my club as a club without direction, unity or leadership.
It will be very interesting to see who is appointed coach and to see how the board pulls together to support this individual.
Love,
@LadiesWhoLeague
Monday, October 7, 2013
Gambling companies, be gone! - By Mary
For Eels fans out there it has certainly been an extremely difficult season. We have seen many players leave the Club, had power struggles in the board room, seen the coming and going of CEO's, lost a coach and to top it all off, had difficulty for months trying to secure a new sponsorship deal after our long term sponsor Pirtek decided to call it a day.
Last week the Parramatta Eels announced a new sponsorship deal. Two new sponsors have been announced for next year.
Dyldam has been a corporate sponsor of the Eels since 1998 and will now become the Club's major sponsor from 2014. Dyldam will continue to have sponsorship on the jersey sleeve as well as having the position on the front of the jersey for the next 3 seasons. The second sponsor announced is UNIBET who will feature on the back of the Eels jerseys for the next 2 seasons.
This sponsorship deal is the largest in the history of the Eels. The deal is worth over 1 million dollars a season. Very lucrative for a team who has finished with the wooden spoon for the last 2 seasons.
As a Parramatta Eels fan you would probably be expected to think that I would be tremendously excited (and relieved) following these announcements. While I was certainly concerned that Parramatta's position on the ladder for the last 2 years would mean that we would have difficulty securing sponsorship, I must say I was less than delighted by this announcement. I am putting Dyldam aside for the rest of this post - I welcome their increased involvement with the club and am delighted that they will be on the front of the jersey next year.
My problem comes with UNIBET. You can probably take a guess at what UNIBET is. UNIBET is an online betting agency with 7.6 million customers in more than 100 countries around the world. The Parramatta Eels are not the only sporting club that UNIBET sponsors - it already has a deal with Liverpool Football Club.
There has been much debate throughout this year about whether gambling companies should be able to sponsor sporting clubs.
We can consider this on two levels.
Firstly, association with the sport as a whole. The NRL is the only major Australian sporting club without an official betting sponsor. However the sport still gets 7.5 per cent of its profits through its affiliation with betting companies.
Related to this are the majority of clubs who have some sort of a sponsorship relationship with a betting agency.
You can probably see where I am going with this - in my opinion, gambling companies should absolutely be prevented from sponsoring sports clubs.
This has been a debate which has popped up at various times through the year.
While a ban would meant that many clubs would lose significant revenue, I think we need to become more creative in finding alternate sources of revenue raising for our sporting teams.
@LadiesWhoLeague
We can consider this on two levels.
Firstly, association with the sport as a whole. The NRL is the only major Australian sporting club without an official betting sponsor. However the sport still gets 7.5 per cent of its profits through its affiliation with betting companies.
Related to this are the majority of clubs who have some sort of a sponsorship relationship with a betting agency.
You can probably see where I am going with this - in my opinion, gambling companies should absolutely be prevented from sponsoring sports clubs.
This has been a debate which has popped up at various times through the year.
While a ban would meant that many clubs would lose significant revenue, I think we need to become more creative in finding alternate sources of revenue raising for our sporting teams.
I understand this is a difficult topic. Sponsorship is absolutely the most secure form of revenue a club can have. Crowds and memberships can vary depending on results and the Eels have certainly seen that this year. I am convinced we can do better though.
As a sport NRL should seek to be the example. We need to show leadership and show that we are serious about making our game the example. The NRL needs to make a decision about whether such strong links with gambling are what they want the game to be about.
Parents should not feel like they are taking their kids to a casino when they are at the football. It concerns me that children are able to identify betting agencies simply because they love rugby league.
It also troubles me that the involvement of betting agencies continues, despite an increased proliferation of betting scandals - not just in NRL, but in all sports. By continuing to allow betting agencies to sponsor our teams, we encourage their involvement with our sport. I remember being particularly troubled when CUA Stadium was renamed Centrebet Stadium, while at the time, a police investigation continued into the gambling scandal involving Ryan Tandy, the Canterbury Bulldogs and North Queensland Cowboys.
At one point in Australian sporting history we thought that the end of tobacco companies being able to sponsor teams would see catastrophic effects. NRL clubs were banned from receiving sponsorship revenue from tobacco companies in 1192 following the federal government passing legislation which prevented tobacco advertising in Australia. Instead of having catastrophic effects, we have seen teams find other sources of revenue and sponsorship of sport continuing to grow.
I'm waiting for my sport to take charge and take the first steps to stop the dominance of betting agencies in my sport.
Will the NRL and Clubs be brave? Time will tell.
Love,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)