Quote: JB Down Under "Don't let Gutters see that report, he will be slashing his wrists lol!'"
nobody has ever denied Union is a basket case in Australia and doesn't stand up well against League, but in the context of this thread, it has little relevance.
Quote: JB Down Under "Re the announcement that from the AU$1 billion broadcast revenue that it gets, the NRL will in 2014, "to ensure the long-term viability of NRL clubs", pay them an increased annual funding grant of AU$7.55 million next season (approx. £4.7m per club).
Can't the SL clubs just all join the NRL(UK) and let them run the game?'"
The reason the NRL and AFL control the sporting landscape in Australia is because they are the 2 professional codes that dominate in winter scene....there is at least one team sport in the UK that dwarfs the team sports landscape with possible another that is equal in terms of divisional games but ahead in terms of Internationals and public consciousness.
Then there's the question of why would the NRL invest in a competition that would be of no interest to their broadcast partners? St Helens v Leeds at 3am in Sydney isn't going to sell many Holden SUV's!
The RFL and SL is the 2nd biggest draw card on Pay TV in the UK and it is 100% the responsibility of the governing body to cash in on that popularity.
They are currently failing miserably....ergo, you get threads like this.