^This. While RL really doesn't get the media coverage it deserves (judging by apparent Sky viewing figures and weekly gates) in the mainstream press, we are often our own worse enemies. The way Union market their product, particularly at international level is head and shoulders above the SL. The product itself is a shadow on RL as we all know. I sound like a broken record player BUT we need choose a structure and stick to it. Simple. We do have people within the mainstream media who champion the game at every opportunity (eg George Riley) but SL needs to give him something to shout about.

Living in a Union "stronghold" (I feel that could be changed, but that's for another time) one of my New Years resolution is to stop being so hostile towards the other code. It gets on people's tits and does RL no good.

On Burgess, good player and good bloke but i think this chatters gone too far. RL is bigger than one player, I hope.

Much of the publicity is not down to poor marketing.
Although we may be accused of having a chip on our shoulders, League is definitely the poor relation in terms of media coverage.
Whether this is down to having fewer people on the "inside" or, the people we have, just not having sufficient influence, I don't know but,
certainly, the national press are firmly in the Union camp, with the broad sheets happy to give Union the same number of column inches as
football and League gets roughly the same as Darts or American Football.

Its not what you know its who you know. You only have to look at the schools sports editors, newspaper owners and and general media have gone to see that RL wouldn't have featured on their curriculum. Having the sport buried on Pay TV and geographically confined (at least at the top level) also adds to the feeling of its minority appeal. Finally England still has a very strong, but shallowly buried, class system in play. The Northern oiks are never going to get as much space as the Southern based sports like Union. When you look at viewing figures and attendances SL's are more than comparable to Unions top league but the game gets far less coverage. Hasnt changed in 100 years and I dont expect it will anytime soon.

On the plus side Union is in such a state in Australia some are suggesting NRL should buy it lol! www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 2ejvl.html

On the plus side Union is in such a state in Australia some are suggesting NRL should buy it lol! www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 2ejvl.html

Quote JB Down Under="JB Down Under"On the plus side Union is in such a state in Australia some are suggesting NRL should buy it lol! www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 2ejvl.html'" Sorry JB but as a League supporter for more than four decades I find nothing that Steve Mascord has to say worth reading. He tries too hard to be controversial to get attention. The paper he writes for would lean a lot more to Union than League, for most of its life it was a broadsheet paper until it realised nobody was buying it anymore. Steve comes across as a reporter looking for personal attention to me. Just my opinion, he is probably a great bloke. Just not my cup of tea.

Quote JB Down Under="JB Down Under"On the plus side Union is in such a state in Australia some are suggesting NRL should buy it lol! www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 2ejvl.html'" Sorry JB but as a League supporter for more than four decades I find nothing that Steve Mascord has to say worth reading. He tries too hard to be controversial to get attention. The paper he writes for would lean a lot more to Union than League, for most of its life it was a broadsheet paper until it realised nobody was buying it anymore. Steve comes across as a reporter looking for personal attention to me. Just my opinion, he is probably a great bloke. Just not my cup of tea.

Out of all the Aussie Journos I find him one of the few that is actually positive about the game and generally is well researched. the rest are just opinion mouth pieces with no substance and clear agendas by and large. I think he was on the eggnog for this one though lol.

Maybe its a follow on from his "Rock & Roll Rugby" theme

Yes by some distance Mascord is the most intelligent and open-minded Australian RL journalist. Also the most respected outside Australia I'd suggest. Almost all the others I've read from the so-called Buzz down are complete insular dicks with no idea where their sport came from or the damage the NRL's insularity is doing.

Peter Sterling and Joey Johns are well balanced in their views.
The fact that Mr Mascord has contract with an English media outlet that may influence some of his views may make you appreciate some of his opinions.
If the game in England could sell itself better in the Worlds biggest market you may find there would be plenty of Australian media commentators that you would like.

82,000 at Twickenham for a club game when we cant get that over 2 days and 7 games........yeah, its all a conspiracy

Wrencat didn't say it was a conspiracy. He was actually just stating a fact in a fairly reasonable manner.
You really are a t055er!