Fair To Say

The Fairfax media carried an AAP report yesterday entitled Origin to remain a midweek affair - I only mention the source because it’s necessary when discussing rugby league political stories, as the bias by both Murdoch and Fairfax outlets makes their stories rather stretched at times. The headline is the first thing that is wrong about this article, in that the Origin non-decision should not be the most important element of the story, but it’s a sad commentary on the priorities placed by the media on what parts of rugby league that the fans actually care about.

The buried lead, apart from the timely rethink on Origin byes for the Storm, is the two sub-committees that are looking at new markets and organisational structure. One wonders what the second one’s minutes are going to sound like.

“Sydney clubs still rooted?”
“Yep.”
“Leagues clubs still going down the toilet?”
“Yep.”
“ARL still a bunch of puffed up blowhards?”
“Yep.”
“News Ltd still owns half the comp and controls the rest?”
“Yep.”
“Stuff it, let’s knock off and adjourn to Star City.”

As for new markets, that’s a joke. The NRL is fighting a rearguard action in what is supposed to be its core markets, and decades of neglect of Queensland and regional NSW - notwithstanding the Titans who fell into the league’s lap through no effort of their own via Edelstonian private enterprise - have opened the door for the AFL and FFA to expand into what should be league heartland.

Nowhere in this report are mentioned the other major threats to the NRL’s survival, especially the globalist tragedy of the European leagues in both league and union snapping up young and old stars. Whining in the press lately about giving tax breaks to rugby league players is a typically Australian, pissweak, handout-driven response to harsh economic reality.

The story was summed up best on the League Unlimited forum by a fan reveling in the name of t-ba:

We need a committee to develop this plan. Of course, sub committees need to be formed for each of these potential markets, and sub-sub committees need to be formed to examine stadia, corporate support, junior strength and the long time viability of any new markets. Also, working groups need to be formed to examine the impact this will have on other NRL clubs in the game in general. Then, a comprehensive community consultation (read: Of Daily Telegraph readers and Parramatta Leagues clubs members) needs to be engaged in to see whether this is really what the fans wants.

After all this, we’ll have a strategic plan. We’ll release the key notes of the first draft after the closing ceremony of the 2016 Chicago Olympics.

Rugby league in Australia is now a disheveled charity relying on the largesse of the Murdoch family. The NRL is a rapidly decaying corpse, propped up in its fading Sunday best by News Ltd playing the role of Norman Bates. It’s only a matter of time.