Where to for Super Rugby?

[Rebels3]

Not sure if there is a single sport in Australia that had a resurgence in crowds

AFL - down
Big Bash - down
A League - down
NBL - down
NRL - up in W Sydney (because teams are winning there) but down in others like the Broncos

No league is winning the crowds issue, largely because of Covid restrictions.

 

[Derpus]

Not sure if there is a single sport in Australia that had a resurgence in crowds

AFL - down
Big Bash - down
A League - down
NBL - down
NRL - up in W Sydney (because teams are winning there) but down in others like the Broncos

No league is winning the crowds issue, largely because of Covid restrictions.

eSports probably. Does OnlyFans count as sport?

 

[Rebels3]

eSports probably. Does OnlyFans count as sport?

Haha

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Haha

Tahs crowds have fallen off a cliff and mismanagement at different levels up to NSWRU in particular largely responsible for that.

It is just appalling where got to for a city of 5 million for tahs to be drawing the sort of crowds they have, as is neglect of Western Sydney (and stupidity of turning away private investor willing to invest in a team in WS). The tahs is just a tragic comedy as would never have believed back in 2014 we would be getting crowds of just a couple of thousand for Tahs games.

 

[hoggy]

Tahs crowds have fallen off a cliff and mismanagement at different levels up to NSWRU in particular largely responsible for that.

It is just appalling where got to for a city of 5 million for tahs to be drawing the sort of crowds they have, as is neglect of Western Sydney (and stupidity of turning away private investor willing to invest in a team in WS). The tahs is just a tragic comedy as would never have believed back in 2014 we would be getting crowds of just a couple of thousand for Tahs games.

Whats more stupid is not having a 2nd team in NSW. The traditional heartland of rugby in this country can't even compete with the other codes.

 

[Teh Other Dave]

Whats more stupid is not having a 2nd team in NSW. The traditional heartland of rugby in this country can't even compete with the other codes.

Helps if their first team can actually compete.

 

[hoggy]

Helps if their first team can actually compete.

Yep, pity half the team are playing other codes now.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I think the force continue to show how to do a recruiting strategy to address lack of depth of quality players in oz - with latest recruitment of Fijian winger from crusaders and confirmation they are chasing nrl winger Blake Ferguson. Would love Other sides to be taking the same approach to build better and more competitive squads as assuming Force still doing all this recruitment within salary cap constraints other teams face.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

I think the force continue to show how to do a recruiting strategy to address lack of depth of quality players in oz - with latest recruitment of Fijian winger from crusaders and confirmation they are chasing nrl winger Blake Ferguson. Would love Other sides to be taking the same approach to build better and more competitive squads as assuming Force still doing all this recruitment within salary cap constraints other teams face.

Get your point but Hodgson is an idiot if he is chasing Ferguson.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Get your point but Hodgson is an idiot if he is chasing Ferguson.

Yeh point taken as you reminded me had some past discipline issues - can’t recall all the recent ones as don’t follow league that much

Ps I suspect it is the usual league manager of Ferguson seeking to increase his value on the open market - ie the usual games

 

[Adam84]

Yeh point taken as you reminded me had some past discipline issues - can’t recall all the recent ones as don’t follow league that much

Ps I suspect it is the usual league manager of Ferguson seeking to increase his value on the open market - ie the usual games

I’m not so sure, Force CEO has confirmed they’re interested. And Ferguson is currently in reserve grade, bit hard to increase your value on the open market when your own team doesn’t want you.

 

[Teh Other Dave]

Yep, pity half the team are playing other codes now.

Other codes? Did Hooper move to the GWS Giants?

 

[Members Section]

Not sure if there is a single sport in Australia that had a resurgence in crowds

AFL - down
Big Bash - down
A League - down
NBL - down
NRL - up in W Sydney (because teams are winning there) but down in others like the Broncos

No league is winning the crowds issue, largely because of Covid restrictions.

Melbourne is the common issue with all those sports, Melbournians are the biggest sports nuts & the caps on crowds + how labor intensive it is just simply go to a game ppl are voting with their feet.

Going to a sporting event is something you do in your free time at your leisure, the last thing you want is be controlled & dictated to.

 

[Rebel man]

Melbourne is the common issue with all those sports, Melbournians are the biggest sports nuts & the caps on crowds + how labor intensive it is just simply go to a game ppl are voting with their feet.

Going to a sporting event is something you do in your free time at your leisure, the last thing you want is be controlled & dictated to.

Also the issue is you have to book seats you can’t go down and get general admission. It’s such a pain in the arse, I am a member but even then you have to plan to go redeem your seats. You can’t just decide after work on a Friday that you will go down

 

[Rugbynutter39]

I’m not so sure, Force CEO has confirmed they’re interested. And Ferguson is currently in reserve grade, bit hard to increase your value on the open market when your own team doesn’t want you.

Yeh made that comment on force thread about ceo saying approach - but you also never trust player agents to feign more interest. Read there been less discipline issues for Ferguson in recent seasons and made an impact on teams. I am still probably not against Ferguson being recruited as look at Wright who was not a regular starter at manly and now a wallaby. League has more quality players so definitely should never be closed to looking at league players if they make sense.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Yeh made that comment on force thread about ceo saying approach - but you also never trust player agents to feign more interest. Read there been less discipline issues for Ferguson in recent seasons and made an impact on teams. I am still probably not against Ferguson being recruited as look at Wright who was not a regular starter at manly and now a wallaby. League has more quality players so definitely should never be closed to looking at league players if they make sense.

Unless it is an absolute top class player (like Sailor, Tuqiri or Rogers were) we shouldn't pick up any of them up over the age of 23. Top class players bring more than just playing ability. Huge level of marketability too. Ferguson fits in neither category.

I'm not against League players at all. It just about value. That entire NSW Blues backline would make the Wallabies.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

Unless it is an absolute top class player (like Sailor, Tuqiri or Rogers were) we shouldn't pick up any of them up over the age of 23. Top class players bring more than just playing ability. Huge level of marketability too. Ferguson fits in neither category.

I'm not against League players at all. It just about value. That entire NSW Blues backline would make the Wallabies.

You touched on key point of marketability - hence I am ok if we end up paying over the odds for the odd high profile league wingers (preferably not on too long contracts) as they bring a lot of bums on seats and interest from followers of other codes.....Obviously need to be astute to avoid having too many Tepai situations like tahs just had but agree entire NSW backline would definitely make the wallabies....as would a couple of forwards including Cook who was schoolboy rugby player and chrichton of course who was also GPS rugby player

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

You touched on key point of marketability - hence I am ok if we end up paying over the odds for the odd high profile league wingers (preferably not on too long contracts) as they bring a lot of bums on seats and interest from followers of other codes...Obviously need to be astute to avoid having too many Tepai situations like tahs just had but agree entire NSW backline would definitely make the wallabies..as would a couple of forwards including Cook who was schoolboy rugby player and chrichton of course who was also GPS rugby player

Don't half arse it though (by signing someone like Ferguson). Either go all out and sign Latrell Mitchell and Kalyn Ponga as stars. Have specific strategy and pick up someone like Jarome Luai and Brian To'o (Samoan heritage from Western Sydney) or go after players like Tom Wright was (young fringe first graders with some history of rugby).

As much as I like Crichton he doesn't fall into any of the above categories really either. We'd end up overpaying and not getting the results from the playing ability or marketability. Might get a few more Scots oldboys to tune in.

Players like Tom Trbojevic or James Tedesco would add to the playing ability but not as much to the marketability. Trbojevic is from the northern beaches and Tedesco plays for a team who have minimal followers.

Personally I'd chase the two Penrith players hard.

 

[rodha]

I think this year's TT was cobbled together very quickly, under difficult circumstances, and therefore was extremely flawed. The lack of a break between the domestic finals and when this comp started, the uneven number of home games and the lack of intra-conference matches were all problematic. I am extremely hopeful that should Rugby Australia and NZ Rugby decide to work together again in 2022, that next year's competition will be much more well planned and enjoyable for fans on both side of the Tasman to watch. In saying that I really enjoyed this year's comp. Watching NZ teams playing against other NZ teams is boring, I enjoyed watching the Australian teams play.

Completely agree on all points.

Another reason I'm hoping for this potential 12 team full trans-tasman competition is having 6 games being played in the weekend rather than having just 2, which is the unsustainable reality of the isolated Aotearoa and AU comps.

If you're only able to play 2 games per weekend (rather than 6) that means 3x as much time is taken up rugby calendar due to a longer and less efficient competition. Who wants to see another slow AU + NZ comp chewing-up valuable time in the rugby calendar at the expense of less room in the calendar for actual test matches & no room for any potential cross-hemisphere/world-club championship type matches that are only beneficial to the game in the long-term?

The Aussies on here don't seem to get it.. the individual franchises need a minimum of 6 home matches just to make end's meet. To put it into perspective, Super Rugby went from 18 matches per team before Covid to just 8 - that's only 4 home matches a year!

 

[Derpus]

Don't you mean 13?