Can Rugby League survive the current crop of players (and some coaches)?
No, so long as the product (rugby league) is good enough, the game will stay strong. It’s just a matter of finding out how to eradicate the off-field problems. Compare the current situation to football. soccer players were earning big money around the 70s and the likes of Maradona and Gasgoine abused their great wealth, profile and spear time to a great extent. These days off-field scandals in the football world are either very well covered up or, more likely, they happen very rarely. NRL clubs just need to sit out the teething problems that comes with the combination of high amounts of testosterone, money and spare time.
I actually read an article from a year ago recently in which an expert stated that he in fact believes Union will soon die or become amateur again because of the strength of League and AFL in Australia making Union unable to compete. AFL is HUGE in VIC, SA and WA. NRL is HUGE in NSW and QLD. The clubs are well supported and memberships are high. Union clubs get like 20 people to a game so they made a “SUPER” competition which in all fairness is the equivilent of an NRL or AFL rep game. So in conclusion League wont die, it has a following and tradition. Union has none of that in Australia. The only thing it has on League and AFL is an international game…. but really WHO CARES when its SH*IT at grass roots levels.
Yes it can! As I agree with some responses, as long as the product is strong then there shouldn’t be too much of problem. The game is fast and exciting, I think the speed that its played at the moment cant be compared to Rugby or other sports. However, with the current economic crisis and the corporate image major sponsors want to maintain can have an ultimate effect on the bottom line of the game. I think the game will survive short term, however it culture of the players & clubs doesn’t change, than I do see a decline in revenue for the game, which flows on to the players wages – pushing many to other codes!!! Which then definitely will affect the quality of the product!!!!!
