Rugby League

Good evening
It has been reported this afternoon (23/02/24) via New Corp:

The NRL has made the momentous decision to explore the unprecedented prospect of buying the English Super League. In what would prove a historic and game-changing investment, it is understood the NRL has started investigating the financial viability of taking over control of both competitions on opposite sides of the world.

The purchase, promotion and reinvestment of much-needed funds into rugby league in the UK could be next.

The English Super League competition, and many of its clubs, has a long history of financial stress and threat of insolvency.

Albeit premature, the purchase could lead to the alignment of both competitions where it raises the likelihood of the best NRL and English Super League players traversing between both competitions in a single season.

It’s understood the NRL would also look at creating a ‘sister city’ model where a Super League club is aligned in its feeder system and development of players with an NRL club.

The shock development has emerged after this masthead learned that the NRL has been approached by a third-party about the possible acquisition of the English rugby league competition.

The approach has emerged in the wake of the NRL announcing an operating surplus of $58.2 million after generating more than $700m revenue for a record-breaking 2023 season in which television viewers, attendances and participation figures were all up.

The NRL also now has assets totalling $260m, which includes the acquisition of Gambaro Hotel in Brisbane, but not the more recent purchase of hotels at Cronulla and on the Sunshine Coast.

All this comes after being on the brink of insolvency when the competition was shut down during the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020.

The possibility of the NRL taking over control of the English Super League has already been met with support by Fox League expert Matty Johns.

“The rumour I’m hearing and it’s getting stronger is that the NRL is seriously looking to possibly buy the English Rugby League,’’ Johns said on SEN’s Joel and Fletch program.

“And that way it broadens the base and it adds to the depth of both competitions because players can go over and have guest stints.

Good morning champions,
Hmmmm the power of corporate dollars. One wonders whether expansion on this scale is manageable / governance and by whom??... / expansion proposals doesn't appear to stop at English Super League apparently, as published early this morning (25/02/24) via News Corp media ...
What do rugby league lovers think of this????

Secret talks are under way for a $23m, 10-team US super league competition that could give the NRL a permanent foothold in one of the world’s biggest sporting markets. This masthead can reveal a consortium has met ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys to table a proposal for ‘NRL America’ – an elite US rugby league competition to capitalise on the code’s historic premiership kick-off this week in Las Vegas.

V’landys has held talks with Rugby League America (RLA) boss Steve Scanlan. The Brisbane-based businessman, a former sponsor of Australian boxing world champions Tim Tszyu and Jeff Horn, will formally present to the ARL Commission in Vegas next Sunday.

The league, to be operational by 2025, would be owned and governed by private investors. While the ARL Commission would not be expected to run the competition, the consortium is prepared to offer an ownership stake, and official branding rights, to give the NRL a bona fide, long-term presence in North America.

Three franchises – New York, Dallas and Las Vegas – have already been sold for a start-up franchise fee of $US1.5m ($2.3m).

Scanlan, who helped sponsor Tszyu and the now-retired Horn to boxing stardom, confirmed meeting V’landys with a view to the NRL joining forces in rugby league’s most serious incursion into an American market of 331 million people. “This will easily be the most professional proposal that has been seen in the history of American rugby league,” said Scanlan, a two-time young Queensland entrepreneur of the year. “I’ve held preliminary talks with Peter V’landys on behalf of our consortium. “The discussions were positive and it’s a great launch pad into the North American rugby league market. “The timing is uncanny. The NRL is going to Vegas and if they could generate $200m over the next four to five years, this will be a springboard to a fully fledged American Rugby League competition, allowing us to leverage the momentum on what will take place in Las Vegas. “Our proposal has substance. We know we have a lot of hard work ahead. The first five years are crucial. “We could certainly do this without the NRL, but if the NRL was to come on-board, the synergies and partnership opportunities would be enormous for the game in America and lend an amount of legitimacy to what we are doing, giving everyone that much more confidence.

“We are absolutely open to the competition being called NRL America if the NRL wanted to be a part of it.”
The hope is that the NRL’s Vegas venture can help rugby league take off in the US – as occurred with soccer in the afterglow of the World Cup in 1994.

At the time, FIFA had a deliberate strategy to grow the sport in the US and the ’94 World Cup, won by Brazil, was such a success it sparked the creation of Major League Soccer.

Former Manchester United icon David Beckham famously joined the MLS in 2007, signing a five-year, $250m deal with LA Galaxy that turned the competition into a global brand.

Beckham is now a part-owner of MLS side Inter Miami, which lured Argentine superstar Lionel Messi last July for $150m.

Following the Messi coup, the Herons’ estimated value has gone from $583m to $1.02bn. While rugby league will never reach such heights in the US, a successful, robust US competition, with NRL backing, could help the sport with the gaming and broadcast benefits it hopes to derive from its five-year Vegas deal.

V’landys said the NRL’s Vegas experiment could be the financial tip of the iceberg in the US. He said talks with the American consortium are only preliminary but is open to NRL support to take rugby league to an unprecedented stratosphere in the States.

“There have been some rugby league competitions, so a major competition would certainly help grow the game in America,” said V’landys, who arrives in Vegas on Tuesday. “I wouldn’t rule it out (NRL backing of an American league) absolutely, but we need competent people who want to drive it. “We can’t do everything. We would need people on the ground with the drive and passion to run an American NRL competition. “That’s not our aim with Vegas, our aim is to grow our eyeballs on the NRL competition with Americans. That’s first and foremost our primary consideration. “People don’t realise the power of us connecting with America. “I’m not talking benefits in the tens of millions, I’m talking hundreds of millions but only if the strategy is properly implemented and I am making sure we dot every I and cross every T. “Our success here won’t happen overnight. “It won’t happen in one year. But if our figures are correct and our commitment is long term, there could be more revenue coming to us from America than Australia, simply because of the scale of the population. “Even if you get one per cent of the population in America, it’s worth hundreds of millions to us.”

Under the Rugby League America proposal, five franchises would be based in the east and five in the west for a 10-team league. Each would sign 26 full-time players for a season that runs from April to September.
The RLA consortium has been working on the NRL America plan for five years. Last month, deals were struck with a major hotel partner and US airline to cover accommodation and travel. The consortium is in talks with US TV broadcasters. Scanlan, who played two seasons for American side New Haven Warriors in 2006-07, hopes NRL clubs would be keen to form affiliate ties.

“Ideally, we’d love to have NRL clubs buying the licences and having them operate the NARL teams as affiliate clubs,” he said. “We already had this competition proposal under way and when the NRL said they were going to Vegas, it was the perfect alignment. “There is still a lot of hard work to be done.

“We don’t necessarily expect the NRL to invest financially but if we could have co-branding and form a partnership with the NRL, this can be an untapped goldmine.’’

Penrith lost to Wigan 16 points to 12 in the world Club challenge in Wigan. Great game of footy actually.
Its Wigan's fifth world club challenge title.


Kind regards
rcw1

Good afternoon
At last 1st home game …
Cowboys v Knights

Cannot wait till kick off … which is all but …

Cowboys to win the NRL 2024 competition

Bookies got Cowboys at $1.43

Kind regards
rcw1

You had a good win last week, I have tipped you again

We won we won in golden point time

rcw1 said:

Good afternoon
At last 1st home game …
Cowboys v Knights

Cannot wait till kick off … which is all but …

Cowboys to win the NRL 2024 competition

Bookies got Cowboys at $1.43

Kind regards
rcw1View attachment 172848

Click to expand...

rcw1 said:

Cowboys to win the NRL 2024 competition

Bookies got Cowboys at $1.43

Kind regards
rcw1

Click to expand...

Well week 3 your right up there...... Only unbeaten team.

Wokesters at the bottom where they belong.

Footy is good. Only really watch the Storm. Amazing first 2 games. Cant win last weeks with all the injuries and the rubbish Hughes suspensions.

Beloved Cowboys up against the Broncos
Quick try put on by the Broncs

Looks like it pi55ing down at Suncorp.

Hmmm

On the cowboys anyways...

Kind regards
rcw1

UMike said:

Well week 3 your right up there...... Only unbeaten team.

Wokesters at the bottom where they belong.

Footy is good. Only really watch the Storm. Amazing first 2 games. Cant win last weeks with all the injuries and the rubbish Hughes suspensions.

Click to expand...

The Storm will do well this year reckon.

Kind regards
rcw1

rcw1 said:

Beloved Cowboys up against the Broncos
Quick try put on by the Broncs

Looks like it pi55ing down at Suncorp.

Hmmm

On the cowboys anyways...

Kind regards
rcw1

Click to expand...

Led with the heart tipping the Cowboys and lost some coin ... outplayed and outmuscled and too many mistakes. Cannot win a game of football if you cannot hold the ball - with a completion rate of 61% never ever gunna beat a side like Broncos. Oh well, need to learn from that effort. Hoping we don't go back in time ... 2023 season all over again....

Kind regards
rcw1

Broncos v Storm, great attacking game of rugby league.
Enjoyment 100 fold.

Kind regards
rcw1

Yea Great game

What NRL team gets TV time in 2024, not sure how this is determined but, nine must believe the Warriors audience across the Tasman not real flash... dunno:


EDIT: Source New Corp Media 07/04/24

rcw1 said:

What NRL team gets TV time in 2024, not sure how this is determined but, nine must believe the Warriors audience across the Tasman not real flash... dunno:

View attachment 174208
EDIT: Source New Corp Media 07/04/24

Click to expand...

Obviously being run by accountants at #9

Footy followers want to see the best teams, the Warriors did well last year and are going well this year so should be on TV more

Maybe they don't realise just how many Kiwis live here in OZ

Beloved Cowboys v Titans
Warm up

Kickoff in 13
Rcw1

Jake Granville 200 games

rcw1 said:

What NRL team gets TV time in 2024, not sure how this is determined but, nine must believe the Warriors audience across the Tasman not real flash... dunno:

View attachment 174208
EDIT: Source New Corp Media 07/04/24

Click to expand...

Every Game is on Foxtel so all good.

There is no way in Australia would you compare Waynes interpersonal skills with Jason's... poles apart. Demetriou's engagement with the players is not big Wayney . Not sure that Kent is on the money... with his story. Probably listened to one too many BSers and all the innuendos that go with it.

Rabbit not playing well.

Managing personalities is not just about private conversations. For mine the senior players have not stepped up. The coach will always take a bullet, much easier to get rid of the coach rather than player (s). Rabbitoh senior players need to rise if it isn't already to late for Demetriou. He is no dill and can coach, but certainly is not a Wayne Bennett.

Demetriou is still learning his craft. Some need more than one club to establish one's own identity. Tough gig coaching a NRL team.

Published April 9, 2024 - 5:58PM News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Paul Kent: Wayne Bennett’s secret grandstand meetings that left Jason Demetriou in the dark​

While Jason Demetriou was busy running training sessions, he was missing clandestine get-togethers deliberately held away from Rabbitohs players that may still be affecting the coach, PAUL KENT writes.

The heart of the confusion at South Sydney might be traced several years back when Wayne Bennett did all he could to confuse the bright young coach by his side, Jason Demetriou, in a way that was not intentionally done, but what might have been permanently.

Bennett was coaching the Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval and several times he was forced to pause training and call the leadership group into a quick meeting under the grandstand.
It seems nothing unusual on first look. Coaches are forever recalibrating and running an idea past their more senior men.

This little fable comes with a twist, though.

It came across this desk soon after Bennett was done coaching at Souths, when Demetriou first took over, and the usual conversation was going around about whether Demetriou had it in him to get the job done.
Most were of the opinion Demetriou was the best young coach out there and Souths had got their man. He certainly does know his footy. One of those in the meeting, though, whose name has been triple sealed and put away in a fireproof safe, doubted Demetriou would work at Souths.

LESSONS UNDER THE GRAND STAND​

The opinion was based on what he saw in those meetings under the grandstand and, more to the point, what Demetriou didn’t see while he was still out on the field running the team through drills.

The prediction didn’t quite sound fanciful at the time, even if it did seem bit of a stretch.

But now, though … Bennett halted training and called the leadership group into a meeting. Once in the changerooms, Bennett let loose. He is a quiet man, mostly, but his pedigree can be traced back to his hiring as an instructor at the Queensland Police Academy which, some say, had as much influence on his coaching as anything else he ever learned in his life.

Mostly, he learned to administer authority. To manage men, and to train groups of these young with a cuddle or a kick in the bum, depending what they needed. It is a delicate art. Sometimes it was delivered through his own behaviour, like a deliberate silence. Other times with those dismissive answers made famous at press conferences, or a short sharp comment causing small lacerations that quickly restores order to a restless crowd. And occasionally, if warranted, a full-blown spray.

HOLDING ‘TRELL, CODY TO ACCOUNT​

More than anything, this is why Bennett has long been regarded as the greatest man manager in the game. A playbook full of Xs and Os run second on his list of priorities. An ability to read a player or situation and give it what the moment properly needs, that’s what matters.

And so, to finish the story, what would happen in these quick meetings under the grandstand is Latrell Mitchell or Cody Walker or whoever else it was, although usually them, would be quickly pulled into line about their tardy performance or poor attitude on the training paddock. This is part of what Sam Burgess was giving a nod to when he called out Demetriou last year for failing standards around the playmakers Mitchell and Walker.

Burgess was in those meetings, too, and saw how Bennett made his two star playmakers accountable for their actions.

rcw1 said:

There is no way in Australia would you compare Waynes interpersonal skills with Jason's... poles apart. Demetriou's engagement with the players is not big Wayney . Not sure that Kent is on the money... with his story. Probably listened to one too many BSers and all the innuendos that go with it.

Rabbit not playing well.

Managing personalities is not just about private conversations. For mine the senior players have not stepped up. The coach will always take a bullet, much easier to get rid of the coach rather than player (s). Rabbitoh senior players need to rise if it isn't already to late for Demetriou. He is no dill and can coach, but certainly is not a Wayne Bennett.

Demetriou is still learning his craft. Some need more than one club to establish one's own identity. Tough gig coaching a NRL team.

Published April 9, 2024 - 5:58PM News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Paul Kent: Wayne Bennett’s secret grandstand meetings that left Jason Demetriou in the dark​

While Jason Demetriou was busy running training sessions, he was missing clandestine get-togethers deliberately held away from Rabbitohs players that may still be affecting the coach, PAUL KENT writes.

The heart of the confusion at South Sydney might be traced several years back when Wayne Bennett did all he could to confuse the bright young coach by his side, Jason Demetriou, in a way that was not intentionally done, but what might have been permanently.

Bennett was coaching the Rabbitohs at Redfern Oval and several times he was forced to pause training and call the leadership group into a quick meeting under the grandstand.
It seems nothing unusual on first look. Coaches are forever recalibrating and running an idea past their more senior men.

This little fable comes with a twist, though.

It came across this desk soon after Bennett was done coaching at Souths, when Demetriou first took over, and the usual conversation was going around about whether Demetriou had it in him to get the job done.
Most were of the opinion Demetriou was the best young coach out there and Souths had got their man. He certainly does know his footy. One of those in the meeting, though, whose name has been triple sealed and put away in a fireproof safe, doubted Demetriou would work at Souths.

LESSONS UNDER THE GRAND STAND​

The opinion was based on what he saw in those meetings under the grandstand and, more to the point, what Demetriou didn’t see while he was still out on the field running the team through drills.

The prediction didn’t quite sound fanciful at the time, even if it did seem bit of a stretch.

But now, though … Bennett halted training and called the leadership group into a meeting. Once in the changerooms, Bennett let loose. He is a quiet man, mostly, but his pedigree can be traced back to his hiring as an instructor at the Queensland Police Academy which, some say, had as much influence on his coaching as anything else he ever learned in his life.

Mostly, he learned to administer authority. To manage men, and to train groups of these young with a cuddle or a kick in the bum, depending what they needed. It is a delicate art. Sometimes it was delivered through his own behaviour, like a deliberate silence. Other times with those dismissive answers made famous at press conferences, or a short sharp comment causing small lacerations that quickly restores order to a restless crowd. And occasionally, if warranted, a full-blown spray.

HOLDING ‘TRELL, CODY TO ACCOUNT​

More than anything, this is why Bennett has long been regarded as the greatest man manager in the game. A playbook full of Xs and Os run second on his list of priorities. An ability to read a player or situation and give it what the moment properly needs, that’s what matters.

And so, to finish the story, what would happen in these quick meetings under the grandstand is Latrell Mitchell or Cody Walker or whoever else it was, although usually them, would be quickly pulled into line about their tardy performance or poor attitude on the training paddock. This is part of what Sam Burgess was giving a nod to when he called out Demetriou last year for failing standards around the playmakers Mitchell and Walker.

Burgess was in those meetings, too, and saw how Bennett made his two star playmakers accountable for their actions.

Click to expand...

It seems to me that too much time was spent talking about the Voice last year and leading players were distracted from their profession.

I noticed last year that Mitchell seemed to be off his game and was getting frustrated and angry when things did not go well for him.

I understand his emotional involvement but there are many other players who are of aboriginal descent and they seem to have a better balance about it.

He is a great player when right, hopefully he can put it all back together and then Souths can climb up the ladder.

I think Jack is a really good player as well and with him added to the squad they really should be a great team this year

macca said:

It seems to me that too much time was spent talking about the Voice last year and leading players were distracted from their profession.

I noticed last year that Mitchell seemed to be off his game and was getting frustrated and angry when things did not go well for him.

I understand his emotional involvement but there are many other players who are of aboriginal descent and they seem to have a better balance about it.

He is a great player when right, hopefully he can put it all back together and then Souths can climb up the ladder.

I think Jack is a really good player as well and with him added to the squad they really should be a great team this year

Click to expand...

might well be right there macca. The thing is, maybe just maybe Mitchell is a confidence player a tad or so overrated. Flaws in character will not help the team win, especially if the lad believes he is better than everybody else and can do what he wants... not quite sure it is arrogance but certainly his confidence is lacking.

News report said Mitchell was shattered with Mundine's recent comments about racial behaviour.
Added to his failure in confidence. Dunno, but can play, not consisent enough for rcw1 liking though.
At the moment.