***Official*** NRL 2008 Thread

[chaminda_00]

Gasiner has pretty big deal with adidas, maybe not as big as those two, but it fairly significant. The thing though is that those deals aren't going to go away playing rugby or in Super League. If anything those deals might incease if he played for Wallabies due to larger market for adidas.

To keep players in the NRL, it has to be based on their base salary as your going to get the extras wherever you play and probably more in other places. There is a lot of limits with regard to the three marquee players and third party payments. Unless those limits are reduced players will always continually move to other places.

The salary cap has made for a competitive competition and kept some clubs afloat. But I much rather a competition with 12 good quality sides and don't need restrications to stay financial viable and all the top players and best fringe players stayed in the league. There like a 100 former NRL players overseas in other leagues. The quality of the NRL is getting worse every season.

Are we going to wait to 200 odd players are overseas and it just the best of rest for State of Orgin.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Gasnier won't be playing for the Wallabies if he stays in France.

 

[chaminda_00]

Gasnier won't be playing for the Wallabies if he stays in France.

There is fair bit of talk that overseas players in Japan and Europe will be able to still play for NZ, Australia and South Africa without having to play in Super 14. There is a massive exdous of current internationals to Europe in rugby. If Dan Carter allowed to play in France and still for All Blacks. The flood gates are likely to open, allowing Gasiner to be eligable. Whether he gets considered is another issue in itself.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Blatant plug....

For the NRL version of Last Man Standing: Linky-poo.

Just choose a team you think will win. It's what the cool kids are doing. Howard & Craigos, get yourselves signed up.

 

[howardj]

The salary cap has made for a competitive competition and kept some clubs afloat. But I much rather a competition with 12 good quality sides and don't need restrications to stay financial viable and all the top players and best fringe players stayed in the league. There like a 100 former NRL players overseas in other leagues. The quality of the NRL is getting worse every season.

Are we going to wait to 200 odd players are overseas and it just the best of rest for State of Orgin.

I agree with everything above. I just think that the NRL is in a very difficult situation in that the skills of our game are, at least as far as the backs are concerned, readily transferable to Rugby Union, which generates much more cash than our game which is only really supported in two states of Australia. The standard dished up is, as you say, getting progressively worse. I'm sick of hearing people say it's a great competition just because it's close. For mine, you judge the standard of a comp by the quality of the fare dished up, not the closeness of the matches.

Regarding the rationalisation of teams, I wouldn't mind a 12 team comp either, but again the problem is that less games may mean less TV revenue which at present is by far the major source of money for the code. Another problem is that it's very difficult to source third-party sponsorships...as the Gasnier situation proved. I mean, the guy is one of the biggest names in the game, yet even he couldn't secure a few $50 000 third-party deals, which is why his contract allowed him to look at other offers.

As David Gallop said, there's this misapprehension that there are all these companies out there willing to offer third-party deals when, in reality, they are very difficult to secure as the Gasnier situation illustrates.

EDIT: Now, as far as solutions go, one adjustment they could look at making is that club sponsors who wish to also personally sponsor players should be able to do so, without it counting towards the salary cap. I know with cricket, the 3 mobile phone company (who sponsor our Test team) also used to personally sponsor Adam Gilchrist. So say if Gatorade, who sponsor the Bulldogs, wish also to personally sponsor SBW then this shouldn't count towards the cap as it currently does. It wouldn't imperil the Bulldogs financially, as the money is not coming out of their coffers; yet it would open up a new stream of revenue for one of our bluechip players.

 

[Prince EWS]

Regarding the rationalisation of teams, I wouldn't mind a 12 team comp either, but again the problem is that less games may mean less TV revenue which at present is by far the major source of money for the code.

Not necessarily. First of all it's worth noting that the NRL gives out huge grants nearly the size of the salary cap to all the clubs currently, so if you cut down the number of clubs to twelve there'd be less clubs to have to grant. There'd also be less competition for merchandise, membership and even gate receipts.

To add to this, it has become well-known that the NRL bungled the TV deal (and indeed the internet rights deal..) badly. If it had to be renegotiated due to the reduction of games, I'm pretty sure the NRL would come out better off anyway.

 

[Mister Wright]

I just think the problem is N.S.W. players are less passionate than QLD players.

Honestly (Crocker aside) who was the last real big name QLD player who consistently got selected for QLD to head overseas? Apart From Crocker, can't really think of one. Yet, the last two seasons we've seen King and Gasnier go.








Disclaimer: This post is not 100% serious, probably closer to 88%

 

[Craig]

I just think the problem is N.S.W. players are less passionate than QLD players.

Honestly (Crocker aside) who was the last real big name QLD player who consistently got selected for QLD to head overseas? Apart From Crocker, can't really think of one. Yet, the last two seasons we've seen King and Gasnier go.








Disclaimer: This post is not 100% serious, probably closer to 88%

Shaun Berrigan?

 

[alternative]

Sea Eagles vs Eels
Cowboys vs Broncos
Titans vs Panthers
Sharks vs Knights
Bulldogs vs Warriors
Raiders vs Roosters
Rabbitohs vs Tigers
Storm vs Dragons

 

[BoyBrumby]

Sea Eagles
Broncos
Titans
Sharks
Bulldogs
Roosters
Rabbitohs
Dragons

****in' rock solid, me.

 

[Burgey]

Are you the CEO of Parramatta?

Right now mate, I wish I was. This week they're "resting" Luke Burt - he's not playing reggies either.
He can't be tired ffs, he hasn't loomed up in support in 8 weeks and it's not like he's been making shed loads of try savers each week.

Dire.

I just think the problem is N.S.W. players are less passionate than QLD players.

Honestly (Crocker aside) who was the last real big name QLD player who consistently got selected for QLD to head overseas? Apart From Crocker, can't really think of one. Yet, the last two seasons we've seen King and Gasnier go.








Disclaimer: This post is not 100% serious, probably closer to 88%

Nah, don't reckong it's a passion thing, it's got a lot more to do with belief when Qld play.
Wait a couple of years when the big OS offers come for Folau and Inglis. Many of th ecurrent Qld players are still very mich in the formative years of their NRL and rep careers.

 

[Simon]

I think you'll find Luke Burt will turn out for Wentworthville this weekend.

 

[Burgey]

Well he oughta, though it was reported in the SMH that he was being rested and wouldn't play. Maybe there's some personal issues there - I may be being a bit hard on the bloke.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Hayne should be ****ed off. The bloke's a dead set knob.

Cribbage to confirm/rant.

 

[Simon]

Well he oughta, though it was reported in the SMH that he was being rested and wouldn't play. Maybe there's some personal issues there - I may be being a bit hard on the bloke.

Maybe, it might be more of a case of not wanting to play NSW Cup if he has been dropped from first grade.

 

[99*]

Sea Eagles vs Eels
Cowboys vs Broncos
Titans vs Panthers
Sharks vs Knights
Bulldogs vs Warriors
Raiders vs Roosters
Rabbitohs vs Tigers
Storm vs Dragons

 

[chaminda_00]

Sea Eagles vs Eels
Cowboys vs Broncos
Titans vs Panthers
Sharks vs Knights
Bulldogs vs Warriors
Raiders vs Roosters
Rabbitohs vs Tigers
Storm vs Dragons

 

[howardj]

Brown To Coach Huddersfield

Good to see he's landed on his feet.

I think he's a very likeable guy, with no spite or nastiness in him whatsoever.

 

[Craig]

Brisbane 26 - 0.

 

[steds]

Interesting edit to the wiki page on the Cowboys.