NRL Hooligans thread

[FFC Mariner]

"All these things are regrettable," Mr Waldron told the ABC's AM program.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/11/2651939.htm?section=justin

"Any time the game or the club is brought into the spotlight in a negative way, it's disappointing.

"What's important is the lessons you learn from it and how you deal with it and how professional you are in managing it.

"I think issues that take place in rugby league mirror society. I think issues that take place in any sport mirror society.

"That doesn't condone them, that's just a fact.

 

[FFC Mariner]

Contrary view from someone less blinkered.........

http://www.livenews.com.au/feature/greg-inglis-charged-with-assault-stood-down-by-storm/2009/8/11/215746

Victims of Crime Assistance League Vice President Howard Brown says he is furious players still behave like this.

"I thought we were getting the message through to these people about them having a responsibility not only to themselves but to the community.

"They clearly have no respect for the community whatsoever."

 

[Sacko]

Read the comments from the Storm, its not the game its society who is to blame.

Keep up the denial guys.

Isn't that a big river in Africa???

 

[curious]

I'm all for it, to be honest - there's too much violence in the world; not celebrating those with violent criminal records would be a start.

Regardless, NRL is the only code that really has a problem - they desperately need to clean up their image for their own sake, and the measure I suggested would go a long way towards that, IMO.  No other code really has the same problems

You're serious with that suggestion and don't regard the AFL as having a problem very similar in nature and frequency as the NRL? I know we don't hear about a lot of it in the NSW media, but you have to be pulling our chains. 

Some stats to enlighten you Gus. Compare them with NRL stats linked on the same page and then tell me the AFL doesn't "really have a problem"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_rules_football_incidents

The 'other' 4 Corners episode about one of the other codes that doesn't really have a problem.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2004/s1142725.htm

 

[David Votoupal]

Arguably, the AFL has dealt with these issues better than the NRL ever has.

I see it as part of a wider problem, that social responsibility was abdicated in the name of the individual ego, a cancer that's spread throughout this world. Ever since parents were encourage to go soft on their kids, it's been a problem getting out of control. It's one thing I like about countries like Japan and Singapore, is that they are very conservative and even anti-individualist societies.

Ideally the FFA would want football to have a squeaky clean image where both players and supporters are concerned- hence everyone connected with the game will have to be on their best behaviour.

 

[David Votoupal]

And there's this: http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,1,25916412-3102,00.html

 

[Capn Gus Bloodbeard]

Are they talking about primary schools or high schools?

 

[clarence]

The post I put up earlier about the Terrorgraph not chasing these sort of stories was underpinned by a disclaimer that any story bad enough to warrant FRONT page status would still get it. And what do the idiots do who play this game? Do something bad enough to warrant a front page!

I'd suggest that money, the pressure to keep at the top, and the pressure to play even if you are not feeling 100%, could well end up being the underscoring reasons why top level sportspeople misbehave so much. I mean, how traumatising is it for a player to endure the pain of ripped muscles, torn hammys, or bad knee injuries?

I know I'd be a screaming wreck if that sort of thing happened to me year after year for a decade.

And that's the sort of dedication most sportspeople have to deal with if they want a professional sports career.

 

[FFC Mariner]

I'm fairly confident there are no mitigating circumstances when it comes to whacking a girl

None - scum end of

 

[David Votoupal]

One problem I see with Rugby League is that those associated with the sport in Australia have a serious delusion of grandeur- it's made out to be more popular and important than it actually is. It simply does not have the same sort of dominating hold or cultural authority that Australian Rules has in the "southern" states or football around the world. And its presence here outside of its heartlands is minimal at best (only WA had any history of playing it in the "Aussie Rules states"- the Reds were seriously shafted despite being on the verge of developing local talent). In contrast, football has a presence all over the country and is growing with it. Australian Rules has a presence in all states, even in "non-heartland" states it has a long history that's often overlooked.

Considering the dominance of AFL in Victoria, you'd think it's quite a miracle that Melbourne Victory have been so successful in establishing themselves as the best-supported A-League club. But it really is less of a surprise considering that the strong tribalism of the AFL also means a culture of buying memberships and actually going to games, so it is a real religion like football is worldwide. It rubs off on football supporters in Melbourne and explains the vast differences between Sydney and Melbourne.

Rugby League in England is a different beast. In fact, from watching the ESL, it might just as well be a different sport. Much more expansive, open attacking play for starters. But also the mindset and mentality of the game there- it's well-entrenched in working-class communities in Lancashire and Yorkshire, but it's acutely aware of its "minority" or "niche" status overall.

This latest incident is a real blow to Melbourne Storm because it had worked hard to "keep up appearances" in "hostile territory", i.e. Melbourne. League fans have generally agreed that the Storm being in non-League territory meant that players are out of the limelight, out of trouble and can get on with the game. This illusion, if you can call it that, has definitely been blown.

 

[curious]

Granted, some of soccer's great players and managers were heavy drinkers, smokers, etc but never the sort of extreme banal stupidity we see here. Rugby League is a sport with delusions of grandeur, at least in Australia. Even in its heartlands its appeal has been shrinking, and limited in any case- while in the UK the sport is well aware of the niche it exists in and is happy with it.

Posted by: David V. of Sydney 12:40pm August 12, 2009

This taken from the couriermail site I assume is yours David?

The bolded section in particular, has to be up there with the best rose coloured glasses attempted smoke screens I've seen. Heavy smokers, drinker ect, but no banal stupidity?  My God man! It's a wonder they don't trip over their halos.  You can fool some of the people some of the time... ect ect.
I presume from past comments you are English born? If that's the case, do Englishmen not read newspapers or listen to media commentary regarding the frequently reported unacceptable or criminal behaviour by a minority of EPL and other footballers in England?
If you wish, I can assist by posting a list of links that will keep your mouse clicking away for hours. Links to things like drunk & disorderly through to serious assault on both men and women, rapes, fraud, corruption ect ect ect, with one thing in common. English football players. I can even assist further if you like, by posting links to much, much more of the same, or worse, in other parts of Europe, but I'd prefer not so much work. I'm told RSI in the mouse clicking finger can be a bugga.

To the underlined section. I'm sure you realise, but as the memory can let us down from time to time one can be excused for absent mindedness, this isn't England and we aren't English.

 

[clarence]

Granted, some of soccer's great players and managers were heavy drinkers, smokers, etc but never the sort of extreme banal stupidity we see here. Rugby League is a sport with delusions of grandeur, at least in Australia. Even in its heartlands its appeal has been shrinking, and limited in any case- while in the UK the sport is well aware of the niche it exists in and is happy with it.

Posted by: David V. of Sydney 12:40pm August 12, 2009

This taken from the couriermail site I assume is yours David?

Stalker alert DV!!! 

Someone is watching you.

Can't believe they'd take a post that may be from you and placed it here. ??? :

 

[mutedobserver]

David, are you a League follower? I will admit that yes the Storm have very few followers set in Melbourne but they do have followers set in NSW. As a former Victorian and Melbournite Id classify myself as a half Mexican. But I can not agree with your views of League. Growing up on AFL I was lucky to know what League was (thanks to my NSWelshmen parents). But as every other Victorian and Melbournite I am acceptable to any sport. I am a soccer person through and through but I have not always been, its only been the past decade that I have learnt of this fantastic game. I will admit that I will not ever fully understand League but I think that you do not see how big of a sport it is. The AFL might have our country's hearts but the NRL is trying its hardest to get the same. They grow every single year within the minor communities, yes such incidents are minor set backs but hey every one is human (oh yeah, I do not agree at all with what Inglis did, he should serve the right punishment). NRL is not dying, it just needs to take another path. As for the A-League, well it grows every year, why wouldn't it? A sport that is played world wide deserves to sit up high on the list of Aussie Sports, but I think this is mostly due to our lovely Socceroos. All three footy codes, along with Union will always sit high in our ranks. As for the British, we are not like them. Yes our roots may have come from them but I think that we have already established ourselves a group apart from them and very very different to what they are like. I like the British and wish them luck. As for yourself David, I wish you good health. 

 

[FFC Mariner]

I am English and I had hardly heard of RL before coming here.

Its a minor variation of Rugby that is unlikely to survive in its current form over say the next 20 odd years.

 

[clarence]

I am English and I had hardly heard of RL before coming here.

Its a minor variation of Rugby that is unlikely to survive in its current form over say the next 20 odd years.

TBH, I cannot see the NRL surviving in it's current format for too many more years.

They are losing advertising and sponsors, they are having problems within their ranks which is impacting upon junior recruitment, and they are starting to lose their breeding grounds as the country club comps struggle to fill their playing rosters (an article in SMH this week had the Country RL asking the NRL clubs to loan out their bench warmer type players so they have full complements in their club comps).

http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/provincial-teams-ask-for-surplus-players/2009/08/07/1249350685217.html

The code itself will probably survive for quite some time, but the NRL is one big hungry mutha to feed and keep alive. ATM a large part of that income is coming from Pay TV and FTA TV rights.

With media stocks taking a hammering and new technology bypassing the traditional TV networks quite a bit, the value of a product like the NRL is going to be under review next time it's broadcasting rights are up for tender.

I really do think the days of nearly a $1Billion media deal for NRL is over.

The question is: How is the NRL going to handle the reduction when it occurs, something will have to be cut? Junior funding, Media Marketing, Advertising, what is going to be cut?

Also, the NRL is a partnership with several stakeholders, one of which is News Limited. So long as the comp. rates on Foxtel and sells the newspapers, News Ltd. will probably continue to have an investment. But if ratings fall or circulation drops, expects them to back away.

At the peripheral of the NRL circus is the biased commentators and those whose living is derived from the comp.

Many of them will find similar employment if the NRL is divided back into State Comps like the old NSW RL and QRL comps were, back in the day. The NSW comp would still be reasonably strong and quite well backed by many segments of society. Some of these commentators and journos are getting quite old. Bob Fulton, for example, is probably over 60, Sterlo is probably over 50, Lord knows how old Ray Warren is! That idiot Buzz Rothfield doesn't look too young either and even the likes of Rebecca Wilson and Paul Kent are probably best described as mature aged persons.

But as other sports gained momentum, like the A-League has in recent years, then so too, the fans would drift away and lament about the loss of the NRL and the grand stadia they once played in.

Let's face it too, the International side of RL is quite a farce. It is only really England, New Zealand and Australia.

Without significant money to hype a series & attract crowds, it wouldn't seem feasible to stage Internationals in say, ANZ Stadium. And once every two or three years is not enough frequency in these days of massive immediate information technology, to keep the fans' interest burning.

So, unless the NRL can devise a strategy to survive a significant decrease in revenue from broadcasting rights, and do so in such a way that Joe Public doesn't smell the fear (no one likes going to an event that is un- cool to be seen at, do they?), they are going to struggle.

 

[curious]

Excuse my ignorance clarence, but I haven't a clue what you just said. Bobby Fulton, Ray Warren and Sterlo? Sorry, I don't see the relevance.
You lost me after

and they are starting to lose their breeding grounds as the country club comps struggle to fill their playing rosters (an article in SMH this week had the Country RL asking the NRL clubs to loan out their bench warmer type players so they have full complements in their club comps).

you misinterpreted this. The country league want extended squad players from some NRL clubs to play when not required for their respective clubs. You obviously aren't aware that NRL clubs in regional and metropolitan areas have been doing this for many years to assist lower division comps with an increase in quality, as well as giving extended squad players regular game time as most clubs have 30 to 35 contracted senior players. Sounds like a plan eh?
Country League wants in on the act to assist with an increase in quality, as they obviously lose their best players on a continual basis to higher paying city clubs and NRL contracts.
It has nothing at all to do with quantity. In fact, CRL is still very much the leader in country sport as it has been for many generations, with football still struggling to gain momentum.
How do i know what I claim? I've been hands on involved in country league for 40 years, and hands on in country football for the last 15. That's also how I know only too well when someone is blowing air out of their arse with fictional wishful thinking and factual inventiveness, regarding either code. Football supporters deserve credit for being world champions in that regard.

BTW....the NRL's televisipn deal is worth 500 million over 6 years. I billion would be nice, but i don't know where you got that figure from. The AFL's deal is worth 780 mill. over 5 years.
And no, the NRL tele deal doesn't look like going anywhere but up in the medium term, with record rating increases over the last few years including this year, now equal to AFL on FTA, killing AFL on Paytv and quadruple the paytv ratings of aleague. Does anyone on here even bother to check respective codes ratings so they can know what they are talking about?

While on that subject, the Aleagues paytv ratings had better get the lead out of it's arse or the FFA will have jack shite to bargain with come renewal time.

 

[serious14]

Melbourne's new logo....

 

[FFC Mariner]

More quality from the "greatest game of all"

http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/teens-on-rampage-in-ugly-final/2009/09/22/1253384994713.html



Four 16-year-old players from the Blacktown City rugby league team face years of suspension after a violent brawl at Penrith left an opposing player with serious facial injuries, including a fractured eye socket.

Officials say the bans could be for more than 10 years.

''It is not pleasant, it is not nice and we will come down very very hard,'' the Australian Rugby League chief executive, Geoff Carr, said.

Penrith detectives, who arrived at the match immediately after the attack on Saturday, are asking spectators for mobile phone footage. They expect to lay criminal charges this week.

The manager of Penrith junior league, Don Feltis, called the attack ''the most disgusting embarrassment to the code of rugby league''.

''These young people have shown bad temper, and bad sportsmanship,'' he said.

''The young people don't seem to realise the enormity of the damage that they can effect with that kind of kicking.''

Eight more players and the team manager of the alleged attackers will be called before the league judiciary tomorrow night to face lesser suspensions after Penrith officials reviewed video footage of the game.

The Blacktown City team had just been beaten in the under-16 grand final by Lower Mountains at CUA Stadium when the attack occurred just on full-time.

In the video, Blacktown City players are seen repeatedly kicking a Lower Mountains player on the ground. Another Lower Mountains player is held up by a hefty Blacktown City player as one of his teammates king-hits him.

The footage then shows Blacktown players raising their hands in mock victory and defiance.

One of the Lower Mountains players suffered severe facial injuries including a broken nose and eye socket. Witnesses said only luck saved the player, who was repeatedly kicked, including a vicious boot to his lower abdomen, from more serious injury.

 

[mariners4ever]

one player was banned for 20 years, few others for 2 years, one players was on the brink of rep selection before this ban. also to make it worse for the players, the ban is for all codes

 

[curious]

saw the bloke that got 20 years on tele. Sickening low life. He should also be forced to live with Craig Foster for the first 10 as part of his punishment, if the cops don't charge him first.
2 others were banned for 5 years and 1 for two years btw.