Opinion
Despite the spin, the NRL faces a long road to win over the Yanks
Peter FitzSimons
Columnist and authorThe Las Vegas venture? As discussed, it seemed to go pretty well, at least in terms of the buzz it created. That ain’t the issue.
The issue remains the overblown claims made about it by NRL officials, in many cases matched by the completely breathless reporting that turned otherwise sober-suited reporters into professional proselytisers for the NRL.
Next year they may even award an off-field MVP to the NRL official, TV or radio commentator or online/print journalist who consistently makes the most hyperbolic claims or predictions with no evidence to back them up. For the gap between claims made, and proven reality were simply staggering.
The average weekly viewership on US Fox Sports 1 during the past 12 months is 325,000, according to US Television Database. But for the opening match of Sea Eagles and Rabbitohs, 61,000 tuned in, while there were just 44,000 for the Roosters-Broncos clash. It means Fox Sports 1 dropped 80 per cent of its audience when the league came on. Spin that.
Try to convince Fox Sports 1 to put it on regularly, from here? Please.
Meantime, many versions of the claim that the NRL are taking America by storm were expressed. That may be, but with the principal newspaper the Las Vegas Review-Journal not having anything about it in the paper on the day of the match – and only one article in the lead-up – it seems there’s a way to go?
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There were also claims that the matches would see the beginning of huge inroads into the American gambling market, with Yanks starting to see the virtues of betting on games they knew nothing about. And yet, as reported by the Herald, “multiple local gambling sources who were not authorised to speak publicly said turnover across the first two games was on par with usual trading.”
There’s no doubt that the upside for this first venture was a big buzz back here in Australia, and record TV viewership for an opening match of the season. The thousands of people from Australia who attended all report having had a great time, and it will only grow for next year. Goodo. But possible rivers of gold from the Americans themselves?
So far, with poor US TV ratings; bugger-all Americans attending the matches themselves; little media interest in local news; no interest in national US media, and no increase in gambling apparent, the whole thing felt like a fan jagging a selfie with Taylor Swift.
It’s the biggest day of the fan’s life, and good luck to that fan who will tell every detail of the encounter to anyone who will listen, for decades to come. But for Taylor Swift herself, and the US, it is instantly forgotten the moment the fan is gone. At the base of these claims, somewhere in the NRL there will be serious number-crunching going on. Right now, it appears to have been an expensive way of jagging that selfie.
If anyone needs me, you’ll find me in my trailer.
Waratahs shock us again – this time in a good way
And yes, of course, as X/Twitter can tell you, the only reason I write such churlish things is because I am so desperately jealous that rugby league is blooming, while union is simply dying on the vine. They got me. Stop me, before I kill again. Honest, I have nothing better to do with my time!
Look, of course, rugby in this country is on the bones of its arse, most particularly after the disastrous World Cup campaign, but don’t get me started.
The worst moment this year? Ninety seconds into last Saturday night’s match between the struggling Waratahs and the incumbent champions, the rampant Canterbury Crusaders. Waratah’s fly-half Tane Edmed made a defensive error, and the Crusaders scored in the corner.
Anyone who knew anything about rugby knew that the Tahs were likely facing a 50-point drubbing at this point, to go with the drubbing they received in the opening round. But wait!
Captain Jake Gordon – who grew up on the mean streets of Newtown – starts laying down the law, and the Tahs steady – in no small part due to some death-defying charges by prop Angus Bell.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, they are holding on to 20-13 lead, when Gordon himself scoops up a loose ball, and charges down-field. Yes, the Crusaders defence closes, but Tahs winger “Marky” Mark Nawaqanitawase is there in support and takes the ball forward.
When he is tackled, Gordon does the honours himself, driving in the ruck, and the ball comes out to rangy back-rower Ned Hanigan who passes it to Tane Edmed on the fly. Edmed – EDMED! – kicks cross-field with an accuracy that would do Andrew Johns proud. Our bloke, Triston Reilly, goes over in the corner. Sing it, the great Ray Warren: It’s a super try, I’ll tell a man it is! A few minutes later, when the Crusaders toe downfield, and it looks like the baddies are about to make a comeback, it is again Edmed who charges back, and saves the day in extremis, by diving on it over the line.
Tane Edmed goes over for a try.Credit: Getty
But to the denouement, a few minutes later again. With the Crusaders again pressing the Tahs line, it is the other Waratahs back-rower, Charlie Gamble – who was playing subbies for the mighty Petersham only a few years ago, who reefs it downfield.
Who is first up, to pressure the receiver? Charlie Gamble. In the subsequent ruck, who knocks over the Cantabrian, to knock the ball loose? Charlie Gamble. Who picks it up and runs away for the winning try? Jake Gordon again! All up, the Tahs put up a 37-24 win.
Australian rugby remains on the bones of its arse. But that fantastic win, against all odds and all form-guide, felt a little like the dawn after a long night. Bravo to the lot of them, and to coach Darren Coleman. He came to the job highly regarded and has struggled to get results. But only a well-put-together team, with a real heart, could have pulled off that win. More, please.
Bulldozer Norman is back at it
It was Honest Abe Lincoln who said it best: “Hypocrite: The man who murdered his parents, and then pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.”
Did someone say “Greg Norman”?
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman.Credit: AP
Yes. For how funny I should mention that. These days a more modern example than Abe’s would surely be Norman’s efforts on LIV, starting a private golf tour with the backing of Saudi Arabian money, gutting the game of several of its leading stars, and then moaning about his new mob not being officially recognised for rankings points!
Greg, please take it away, and please do it completely shamelessly, the way you did in your address this week to your breakaway players.
“It is now clear that the best way forward for LIV as a league and you as LIV golfers is not through the current ranking system. A resolution which protects the accuracy, credibility, and integrity of the [Official World Golf Ranking system] no longer exists. We have made enormous efforts to fight for you and to ensure your accomplishments are recognised within the existing ranking system. Unfortunately, the OWGR has shown little willingness to productively work with us.”
Fancy that, Greg. You try and bulldoze half their house down, and then those boogers don’t invite you in for a cup of tea and a chat! Mongrels.
What they said
Sam Kerr, allegedly, to a British police officer who had intervened after Kerr had reportedly got into a stink with a taxi driver over the fare: “Stupid white bastard.” There was hell to pay.
Satirical website The Shovel weighs in: “Sam Kerr Named Australian of the Year After Revelations She Spewed In a Taxi and Swore at a Cop”.
In a piece for the Herald, Lucy Zelic had an interesting take on Kerr, headlined: “If Sam Kerr was a straight, white housewife, would she stand accused of racism?”
Rooster Spencer Leniu, apologises to Bronco Ezra Mam, for calling him a “monkey”, during the match in Las Vegas: “I want to apologise to Ezra and his family for using the word I did and I am sincerely sorry to cause him such distress. I’ve put my hand up and want to take ownership of this. I said the word but I didn’t mean it in a racist way. Anyone who knows me knows that’s not who I am.”
Play rugby league and see the world, says Rabbitoh Sean Keppie, after playing in Las Vegas: “This is only the third country I’ve been to if you consider Australia as one of them. I wouldn’t have got here without rugby league. It’s one of the great experiences of my life.”
Coach Darren Coleman after last week’s win over the Crusaders: “Hopefully that performance will get a few of the on-the-fence supporters and we know Sydney is a really fickle sporting crowd. They like winners, and we understand that, but hopefully, they’ll give us a shot … and support us.”
Alex De Minaur after his win in Acapulco.Credit: Getty
Alex De Minaur after he finally beat Greek nemesis Stefanos Tsitsipas: “I would like to say that no one beats me 11 times in a row. But, hey, Stefanos has had my number for a very long time, so I’m glad I was able to get one back.”
Mercedes Formula 1 team principal Toto Wolff after Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won the opening race of the Formula 1 season: “I think today Max is not in a different league, but he’s in a different galaxy — the performance is extraordinary.”
St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster after backlash due to his high hit: “I’m happy to cop the backlash, but I’ve got a 16-month-old and a wife at home. For them to cop it on social media, it’s obviously pretty shit.”
Young Matildas player Grace Wilson has been hailed for their bravery after becoming the first professional footballer in Australia to come out as non-binary: “This was the first step in my journey, but I had a phenomenal reaction. The girls were lovely about it and I got a hug from every player. As soon as I said it, cheers, and applause – it was this lovely thing. I felt so comfortable and supported, it was probably one of the best feelings.”
LeBron James on scoring 40,000 career NBA points: “I never thought about getting the scoring record. It just happened organically. I played the game the right way and went out and played the game and let the game come to me and the scoring record happened organically for me.”
Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou not a fan of the suggested rules changes, which – I think – will measure your distance from where you took off, not from the edge of the board: “I consider long jump to be one of the hardest events because of the board and the accuracy you need . . . So if they want to remove this, the long jump would be the easiest event. If that happens, I will not do long jump anymore. I will be a triple jumper.”
IAAF President Sebastian Coe: “The holy grail of every sport is to remain salient, interesting, exciting to young people. We can’t have a tin ear in their direction. We have to recognise that the way people consume sport - the way they consume entertainment – is different than it was even three years ago.”
Team of the week
Raiders. Got their season off to a great start, with a surprise win over the Knights on Thursday evening.
Waratahs. Beat the Crusaders last week.
GWS. Kick-off their season tonight by hosting reigning premiers Collingwood.
Portland Trail Blazers centre Duop Reath.Credit: AP
Duop Reath. The Australian basketballer is doing great things for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Simona Halep. Two-time grand slam champion cleared for an immediate return to tennis on Tuesday after sports’ highest court accepted she was not entirely at fault for her positive doping test.
Nicola Olyslagers. The Australian high jumper won gold at the World Indoor Athletics Championships.
Alex De Minaur. Defended his Mexico Open title.
X/Twitter: @Peter_Fitz
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