Astute post Wamberal I would take it as stage further and have been banging on about this for years but I am often seen as being negative and over the top.
As I posted above “Chickens coming home to Roost” is my version, as quick hands has very correctly stated the local park teams and state schools were largely ignored for a very long time.
But back to the start, we had three huge things in our favour, first the Super League War, AFL was in a rare period of poor management, and soccer was in the final years of its existence as the NSL.
We got media from both News and Fairfax because of the above like we had never seen before.
Those in control of the picky bank totally miss read the signs and believed their actions were the cause, not seeing it was mistakes by other codes.
So things like turn State teams into club teams, effectively destroy the Sydney and Brisbane club competitions. These actions hurt so much and yet the signs of ratings, crowds, media etc all said you are doing a good job boys. But it was the failing of others not our efforts.
Post then the AFL has returned to its normal excellent management, RL also recovered made friends with News, and soccer have built a new national domestic competition. More over AFL has expanded their teams, soccer has exploded, league is developing a international presence of sorts.
There will come a point if we don’t change that the combination of a poor player base [both number and quality] and lack of interest by the general public will reach a point were rugby could become unimportant to the general public and then we are in real trouble.
My answer to tear it all down and start again is seen by many as beyond crazy, but as each year goes by I think we just can’t keep sliding backwards
