Rugby League this week has been like a conveyor belt for success stories in the worlds media!

The two biggest stories are obviously Jarryd Hayne and his 53 yard rush and Sam Burgess and his big defence.

Think it's about time our sport got noticed on wider scale not just when players leave and it turns into a media frenzy!!?

What are the RFL doing so wrong????

They're not.

Rugby league is not going to get the same media attention as the NFL does in the US or international rugby union does in the UK because it simply doesn't have the participation base, the supporter base or the subsequent media coverage that generates. TV stations, newspapers and online portals will only cover what they think people want to read about, and rugby league isn't it.

When there are teams running around in the third tier of football who draw crowds bigger than the current SL leaders and Challenge Cup holders, you can't really blame them.

That suggests media exposure is a meritocracy. It hasn't been historically: there have been active interventions by the ruling class to disrupt the sport's development and restrict the exposure of RL, or to annihilate the sport all together (in France).

Hopefully the global, relatively classless, new media will create a more level playing field.

I do agree with what your saying Andy, but I think the RFL could do more or even something completely different to whatever they have been doing, It isn't moving our game forward quick enough. I understand it's a business and they need to make money but something needs to happen or we will end up getting eclipsed.

Dr K is a berk but at least some of his better ideas that are outside the box could shake things up, it needs a smarter more experienced RL version of himself at the helm of the RFL that see's whatever is happening at the minute isn't good enough.

I agree a sport's popularity is actively prescribed by the media rather than caused by merit.

The shoddy treatment of RL by the non-business called the BBC historically suggests that it's entirely ideological rather than business driven. The grammar school set in charge (epitomised by John Inverdale) despised us, and promoted the inferior Union product thereby begetting the popularity you describe.

Oh I always wondered what the term rushing meant even though I live over here .Thanks

Don't forget, ours is a sport that sold the sponsorship of its top league for some painted lorries.

You want to know why we don't get coverage, look inside the sport not outside.

It's a mix of both.

The media that tell people what to go and see is all based in London and run by ex public school boys.
The major companies that sponsor and invest in sports are all based in London and run by ex public school boys.

Now that wouldn't necessarily be a problem (other than my utter disdain for the private school system) but unfortunately because they're ex public school boys (or generally come from that kind of world) they've been born, brought up and live in a world where Rugby League isn't relevant and so they don't report it or invest in it.

Unfortunately that is a vicious circle. The less RL is reported in the media the less relevant it becomes and so the less it's reported.
It's not all of RL's doing, just because RL happens in a different world to these "elite" doesn't absolve them of their responsibility to report on RL. It's why London (relevant) gets 24 times higher transport spending than the North (not relevant).

Where it is our fault is that we've not done enough to make ourselves relevant. We didn't get the international game sorted and are suffering from that now. And we persisted with the same old teams in the same old areas without realising the bigger picture. The likes of Sheffield & Newcastle should be receiving extra help from the RFL to expand the borders of our games as should London in the past.
Plus the retreat of the international game from Wembley to the KC/DW/John Smith's stadiums was a disaster.

BUT, it's not all our fault. Unfortunately, due to our unequal and imbalanced society, we aren't relevant to the right people.

I really dislike this "it's their faul" mentality.

If you want something to happen then make it happen. All this griping about public school boys is rather pathetic.

Our sport is a minority because like it or not it is a northern sport and always has been. Over the last 100 years what in roads have been made?

And Rugby Union is a southern sport that has made very little in roads north of Leicester.
Both domestic competitions get similar crowd levels.

Which gets significantly higher media exposure? The one based in the north (not relevant) or the one based in the south (relevant)?

I don't believe there are still people who think that this kind of bias doesn't exist, the evidence is all around in virtually every aspect of life. As I said, it's why London gets 24 times higher transport spending. It's why issues in the north and south-west, Wales & Scotland go un- or under-reported. It's why a significant proportion of Scotland wanted to break away and form their own country. They'd had enough of being treated like second class citizens by the London elite.

HIM for president!

There's going to be some changes when I'm in charge

What's the betting that the alleged racism at Wakefield vs the Bulls currently under investigation by the RFL gets mentioned in the national press?

Totally agree, its everyone else's fault. It's a conspiracy! Its just so unfair.

Here people are bleating on about blaming others for our shortcomings yet not two threads up we berate Wane for doing just that. Double standards?

The reality is that outside of the top league we have no support, no money, no marketing. Look at football and the support even conference level clubs achieve.

Then look at union and its coverage of international rugby.

We need to learn and innovate. Not gripe about the injustice of London's transport spending. Playing the martyr gets you nothing.