I'm not so sure it's pride, as the success of the game in Aus doesn't really have all that much to do with us. We may have helped to set the ball rolling a [ilong[/i time ago, but the trajectory since then is largely due to the Australian support the game garnered.

Speaking personally, I'm happy that the game is getting the coverage it deserves elsewhere, but frustrated by the comparison to the media situation over here.

Oh well, we'll just keep plugging away "over here". We're making steady progress, I think, and we'll get there in the end.

I cannot fathom the fact that RL is not as popular in the UK as is in Aus ,especially when you had 13 years head start from ours.The way I look @ it you guys should be leading the way and setting a example to the rest of the world as you're the founders of this great game.

It's a pretty obvious thing to say, but the UK is not (and was not) Australia. There will obviously be common ground in some ways, but RL is Aus started in one of the major cities, and that city that has maintained its prominence in terms of population and media attention.

We never "had" London, for example. And nor did we ever really "have" places like Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool etc. It's my opinion that the open hostility RL faced from people in a position of power in the UK was a barrier that was not there in the same way in Aus.

Due to the Sydney connection, RL always had a direct line into one of the major power bases in Aus - we could never take advantage of something like that. We really needed business acumen and media savvy in the UK game, but the social situation has been such that the people who typically wield such powers simply didn't ever become involved in the game.

I think we're getting better at it, though. It'll take time, but I feel we're on an upward trajectory and picking up steam.

I don't know if you have heard but John Howard the ex prime minister of Australia is a candidate of running the NRL ,maybe they the RFL should follow suit.But then again John Howard is a die hard RL fan and he would bend backwards for RL.

They have a different mindset in England that has held the game back for decades.

Given that some recent PMs are Blair, Thatcher, Major and soon to be Brown, I wouldn't want any of them heading the RFL!



Dingdingdingding!

That's the advantage of influence - people in power not only make the effort to promote your game in an effort to leach good PR, they're also in a position to help out in some cases.

We don't have that, and never did.

It's time you did.It's the 21 century for crying out loud,like leaguefreak said you're behind for decades . Let's move with the times.
On another note on the 4 nations why why why aren't they playing the Aus vs Eng game @ wembley I never know. Yes I agree with Leaguefreak the game over there is going backwards It really is a shame.

thanks for that. enlightening

Compare that the crowds that the top sides in the AFL get - club games in the AFL dwarf attendances even for Origin let alone club games in the NRL - that is why the Sydney guys are bothered about the AFL - the best supported sports side in Sydney is the AFL side

Melbourne has the best attended sport in Australia, it has the biggest crowds for cricket, it has one of the top for tennis tournaments in the world and Australia's biggest horse race - Sydney has more TV viewers of sport - no wonder their jealous

All of this is very much easier said than done!

The game is starting to get a toe hold on the various ways of gaining influence; one is to move outside the traditional boundaries and expose more people to RL who otherwise wouldn't really be aware of it. Another is to get a better presence in the places that traditionally produce people who end up at the levers of power in commerce, industry and politics - specifically universities.



I'm guessing any reticence on the part of the RFL to move the games to the larger grounds is due to the expense, and the potential for a half full ground to kill the atmosphere. We're rebuilding from a very weak base financially (the World Cup in 2000 damn nearly killed us off in that respect), and the RFL have been doing good work to steadily improve the finances.

I have no doubt it will happen, but I'd rather slow and steady at the moment with respect to the internationals as opposed to a potentially costly disaster.

as this thread shows more RL fans watch on TV. having said that in terms of crowds the storm do very poorly given their success