NRL Storm franchise is wasted in Melbourne

[Calaber]

I have just returned from a two week trip through Victoria. (Even spent a couple of days in the Geelong/Torquay area and didn't see any of Minux's road bogans.)

I read the papers daily and was amazed at the different levels of media coverage given to the AFL and the NRL in that State. I realise that it was the week leading up the the AFL Grand Final, and the level of interest would obviously be high, but it is also the last fortnight of the NRL and Melbourne was still in the hunt for a consecutive Premiership. Despite this, the coverage afforded the NRL was pathetic, totalling less than one page each day. TV replays were put on around midnight. The only games played at reasonable times were Melbourne matches in the last two games of the season. To my knowledge, not one Melbourne player is a Victorian by birth.

Victoria's religion is AFL. As a New South Welshman, I reckon the Storm franchise is a dead loss while it remains in Melbourne. After eleven seasons, the NRL has failed to make a substantial impression in that state, while there are areas in NSW that could support a Rugby League team far better.

I assume that most forum members from Vic, SA, WA won't give a toss to this debate, but what do members from NSW or QLD think - should the Storm franchise go to another state?

[minux]

I have just returned from a two week trip through Victoria. (Even spent a couple of days in the Geelong/Torquay area and didn't see any of Minux's road bogans.)

I read the papers daily and was amazed at the different levels of media coverage given to the AFL and the NRL in that State. I realise that it was the week leading up the the AFL Grand Final, and the level of interest would obviously be high, but it is also the last fortnight of the NRL and Melbourne was still in the hunt for a consecutive Premiership. Despite this, the coverage afforded the NRL was pathetic, totalling less than one page each day. TV replays were put on around midnight. The only games played at reasonable times were Melbourne matches in the last two games of the season. To my knowledge, not one Melbourne player is a Victorian by birth.

Victoria's religion is AFL. As a New South Welshman, I reckon the Storm franchise is a dead loss while it remains in Melbourne. After eleven seasons, the NRL has failed to make a substantial impression in that state, while there are areas in NSW that could support a Rugby League team far better.

I assume that most forum members from Vic, SA, WA won't give a toss to this debate, but what do members from NSW or QLD think - should the Storm franchise go to another state?

Storm should stay, love going up to the matches at Olympic Park, Storm have a stronger membership base than many other NRL teams, they draw bigger crowds than many NRL games.

NRL in itself is pretty much dead, AFL are drawing 80+k crowds week after week while NRL are stoked if they punch out 8k crowds.

[Full Spectrum]

You are wrong, Simply, Many Victoria i know, Including myself are heavily into the Storm.

I have been a Fan of the storm since day one, I used to watch the ARL way back when Benny Elias was in the state of origin with his head band before the game, Because we all knew he would have blood coming out of every hole he had.

1 page has got to be more, then a few words here and there the Swans get?,
Plus in the biggest week of AFL noone will get a go past that, The news lead off with the GF for a good 10 min last night.
2 Victorian teams, The first in 8 years.

The Storm has a great following of supporters that travel around the country, They have a good base of support here in Melbourne, And they love it down here.
Also a good base of Kiwi supporters thanks to the many on the list.

Comparing the AFL and NRL with making players is hard, AFL has always been a better game to get kids involved across the country for many years decades, From all corners of the country and overseas the AFL has many players..
The few Melbourne born players are not currently on the Storms list, But there have been.

On promoting the game, The AFL gives it's testicles to promote the Swans in NSW.
The NRL doesn't do much, But it's fine, Because us Storm fans have built our own rivalry, Thanks to the NRL, It's Victoria verses the rest as we like it, But they did create it.


Some player that are Victorian born that have played or play, NRL and or ARU.

Timana Tahu, Jake Webster, Craig Polla-Mounter, Peter Wallace,
These players leaving the state to play in other codes, Because?, There is no ground up way into them here, Again the NRL's doesn't support the development of Victoria like the AFL has to other states outside it's base.

Interesting find, Jeremy Smith, Was recruited from Victoria where he played the chunk of his junior club football, Technicality being the first Victorian made player?.

There is also so I'm told, About 6-8 Victorian players in the U/20 Toyota cup.

Channel 9 might not show the game, But that is what Foxtel is for.. You don't miss a thing.

[minux]

You are wrong, Simply, Many Victoria i know, Including myself are heavily into the Storm.

I have been a Fan of the storm since day one, I used to watch the ARL way back when Benny Elias was in the state of origin with his head band before the game, Because we all knew he would have blood coming out of every hole he had.

1 page has got to be more, then a few words here and there the Swans get?,
Plus in the biggest week of AFL noone will get a go past that, The news lead off with the GF for a good 10 min last night.
2 Victorian teams, The first in 8 years.

The Storm has a great following of supporters that travel around the country, They have a good base of support here in Melbourne, And they love it down here.
Also a good base of Kiwi supporters thanks to the many on the list.

Comparing the AFL and NRL with making players is hard, AFL has always been a better game to get kids involved across the country for many years decades, From all corners of the country and overseas the AFL has many players..
The few Melbourne born players are not currently on the Storms list, But there have been.

On promoting the game, The AFL gives it's testicles to promote the Swans in NSW.
The NRL doesn't do much, But it's fine, Because us Storm fans have built our own rivalry, Thanks to the NRL, It's Victoria verses the rest as we like it, But they did create it.


Some player that are Victorian born that have played or play, NRL and or ARU.

Timana Tahu, Jake Webster, Craig Polla-Mounter, Peter Wallace,
These players leaving the state to play in other codes, Because?, There is no ground up way into them here, Again the NRL's doesn't support the development of Victoria like the AFL has to other states outside it's base.

Interesting find, Jeremy Smith, Was recruited from Victoria where he played the chunk of his junior club football, Technicality being the first Victorian made player?.

There is also so I'm told, About 6-8 Victorian players in the U/20 Toyota cup.

Channel 9 might not show the game, But that is what Foxtel is for.. You don't miss a thing.

Well said

Now to really **** off QLD and NSW lets see the storm go back to back

[Full Spectrum]

Be nice, A so called touch by a ants dick no less, Seen us loose to Broncos in 06.. Hodges touched it!. Cheat!.

But beating them with only 40 seconds to go felt good..

Rumors are we are trying to get Cam smith off to play this week, IF Sydney can do it with Hall and dunkley??? We can.



Am i wrong in something, Am i the only one that feels Ray Rabbits Warren over does the explaining of the rules to the Victorian viewers?.

Oh knock on against the Storm!, For those down south!, That means the ball has propelled forward.

It's come off Anderson tackle count restarts Sharks!, For those down south!, That means the attacking team gets six more tackle, Because the defending teams was deemed to have played at the ball,

No six to the storm there!, For those down south, That's because the sharks were not deemed to have played at the ball..

Double movement!, For those down.. You get me... He goes on and on and on and on. Worse then my post.
At times we turn the sound off, But best is, You can't hear that voice at the ground.

But people shouldn't expect big things from most Victorians, One listen to the commentary and they will turn it off in anger, If it's not about rules, It's about this poor old weather, like it never gets cold in Sydney?, Or it never rains in Sydney?, Must be the perfect weather over there?.

[Calaber]

Storm should stay, love going up to the matches at Olympic Park, Storm have a stronger membership base than many other NRL teams, they draw bigger crowds than many NRL games.

NRL in itself is pretty much dead, AFL are drawing 80+k crowds week after week while NRL are stoked if they punch out 8k crowds.

Minux

You make a valid point regarding average crowds. However, while the Storm gets good numbers at each home game, their attendance is the total Victorian support possible within one venue. (It would be interesting to see what the crowds would be if they played at the MCG.) Sydney is divided into a number of clubs and the aggregate attendance per round is around 50-60k, with the Regional teams such as Newcastle, Townsville and Gold Coast generally playing to full houses each home match. Melbourne has no drawing power to speak of in either NSW or Qld (witness last Friday's semi final against Cronulla) and there are regoional areas of both States where support would easily match Melbourne's at home matches.

One comment though/ I assume that 80k plus crowds would only be possible at the MCG? What are the averages at suburban grounds? ( I realise they greatly exceed 8k - as I said, to Victorians, AFL is a religion.

[Calaber]

[QUOTE=SlickHolden;885911]You are wrong, Simply, Many Victoria i know, Including myself are heavily into the Storm.


1 page has got to be more, then a few words here and there the Swans get?,


No way, Jose. The Swans get a top level of coverage up here and after the last two weeks in Victoria, I can assue you that Sydney media gives far more air time to Aussie Rules, than Melbourne gives to Rugby League. The successes of the Swans over recent years has seen a huge increase in support for AFL up here and they now have weekly coverage on Saturday afternoon on Channel Seven of a full game. Note I said "afternoon", as in "live coverage". Victoria gave the impression that League was of little or no concern, and if the Storm had been eliminated from this years comp by now, I reckon there would be no coverage. Yesterday, the ARL Grand Final was televised live up here.

Yep, AFL gets VERY GOOD coverage in NSW, not just a few lines.

[Calaber]

:
But people shouldn't expect big things from most Victorians, One listen to the commentary and they will turn it off in anger, If it's not about rules, It's about this poor old weather, like it never gets cold in Sydney?, Or it never rains in Sydney?, Must be the perfect weather over there?.

Hey Slick,

No need to be so defensive of Victoria. I happened to love the place and don't agree with the idiot Sydney-siders who put crap on Melbourne. Your capital lacks only one thing compared to Sydney - the harbour. As a city, it eats Sydney. And the weather is certainly no better up here than down there.

I admit that I had a gutful of AFL on the radio whilst travelling and turned the radio off a few times. It was the week leading into the GF, so it was to be expected, but after I had heard the bloke who won the Brownlow Medal interviewed for about the tenth time last Tuesday on the way back to Melbourne from Port Fairy, I wondered if anything else was happening in the world.

Oh, and I agree completely with you about Ray Warren. A total d***head who is way past his use-by date and should be pensioned off. He annoys the crap out of all of us.

[Grennan]

The NRL support here is very strong, storng from the followers. Within the Media there is very poor support, but i think they are comming around VERY slowly. I mean they played all 3 origins this year at reasonable times, theyve played 2 storm games live (more than ive ever seen whilst living here) and they will show the Grand Final next weekend (where we will go back to back).

Im queenslander moved down here, and we have to buy foxtel to even watch rugby games. However the problem with that is, during finals season, fox arent allowed to show the games untill ch 9 has. In melbourne, that is 1 am.

I lived in Sydney for a year before comming here, and the Swans, even 5 years ago, got very good coverage. A lot of games were played live or delayed an hour, a lot of games not featuring the swans were played live, or delayed an hour. Same story in Brisbane, they do get considerable coverage. Considerably more than the storm get. It angers me that Victoria (Media) is so biased.

Im a season ticket holder and the games at Olympic Park are awesome, theres a great atmosphere and its only going to get better when they have finished our new stadium

I would love to see Victoria get more involved with the Storm, since weve come into the club weve been one of the most sucessful teams. Finals series almost every season, 4 grand finals in 10 years, 2 premierships and a possible 3 next weekend.

[Grennan]

Rumors are we are trying to get Cam smith off to play this week, IF Sydney can do it with Hall and dunkley??? We can.

Sorry for the double post but yes, they will try another appeal this week, but after what the coaches said on Friday night its very doubtful he will play.

PS. I love Ray Warren, when im watching the game with mates they always say "What was that for?" and he points out for me The commentators are stupid but you get a laugh out of them.

[Rishy]

Ray Warren cant be as bad as Dennis Cometti and Bruce McAvaney. They are the worst commentators in Australia.

[Full Spectrum]

No way, Jose. The Swans get a top level of coverage up here and after the last two weeks in Victoria, I can assue you that Sydney media gives far more air time to Aussie Rules, than Melbourne gives to Rugby League. The successes of the Swans over recent years has seen a huge increase in support for AFL up here and they now have weekly coverage on Saturday afternoon on Channel Seven of a full game. Note I said "afternoon", as in "live coverage". Victoria gave the impression that League was of little or no concern, and if the Storm had been eliminated from this years comp by now, I reckon there would be no coverage. Yesterday, the ARL Grand Final was televised live up here.

Yep, AFL gets VERY GOOD coverage in NSW, not just a few lines.

Money, The AFL hands over millions, It's as simple as that, They see The Swans as a large investment, And they offer plenty of money and other types of winks to get them places.

It's up to channel 9 and the NRL to bring us the love games.

Foxtel covers most of the games live, 9 will only at times cover Storm games live.. This years State of origin was beamed live to us, All 3 games..
Tell me, Did the Sydney viewers get or AFL exhibition game live at all?.

Coverage is small, It's the support from the powers that be that is the biggest missing link in the Storm franchise, The AFL gives it's support to Sysdney and it's market, So much so it ruffles our feather down here.
The NRL offers minmal or no support to the Storm..

It's liek i said, They have created this us vs them, And they live off it, It drives them.

But we didn't miss Stewarts words after game, Plenty of coverage of that.

Hey Slick,

No need to be so defensive of Victoria. I happened to love the place and don't agree with the idiot Sydney-siders who put crap on Melbourne. Your capital lacks only one thing compared to Sydney - the harbour. As a city, it eats Sydney. And the weather is certainly no better up here than down there.

I admit that I had a gutful of AFL on the radio whilst travelling and turned the radio off a few times. It was the week leading into the GF, so it was to be expected, but after I had heard the bloke who won the Brownlow Medal interviewed for about the tenth time last Tuesday on the way back to Melbourne from Port Fairy, I wondered if anything else was happening in the world.

Oh, and I agree completely with you about Ray Warren. A total d***head who is way past his use-by date and should be pensioned off. He annoys the crap out of all of us.

No defense, Just plan old truth.

Ray Warrens has created this belief that everytime he commentates, We are so thick, Everytime the crowd goes off at a decision they didn't like (which all home crowds do) He jumps in with his "thick Victorians don't no the rules".. Your average Victorian who might come across this, Will turn away, And it punishes the Storm for his ignorance..

I actually think hes a nice bloke, But when he starts going on like that, Mate i truly get fed up fast.
Bruce Mcafanny is the same, Nice bloke, But on TV!, Wank! Passed it.

All week i didn't listen to the radio, i missed most of the lead up..
Cooney won the brownlow, I didn't miss anything of that.. At that time, Nothing else matterd

[Full Spectrum]

Sorry for the double post but yes, they will try another appeal this week, but after what the coaches said on Friday night its very doubtful he will play.

PS. I love Ray Warren, when im watching the game with mates they always say "What was that for?" and he points out for me The commentators are stupid but you get a laugh out of them.

Does that mean, That what they actually said was true.. Bellyache was right what he slightly eluded to.

[Grennan]

They were always going to appeal to the NRL for common decency if Storm got into the Grand Final. Smith is the scapegoat, nothing has been done about the "grapple tackle" in years, but its convienent now to suspend someone.

Also very conveinent that he only got 2 weeks. Coincidence that the World Cup is on after the grand final and Cameron Smith is a much needed player.

Slick, you are wrong about the AFL coverage in NSW. Compared to the NRL coverage here, it is fantastic. MOST GAMES, not only swan games are broadcasted at a reasonable time, usually about an hour delay. I remember in 2000 when i was living there i watched a St Kilda vs Melbourne game in the afternoon, that was my first ever AFL game that i had seen (mind you i watched it for 5 minutes and changed the channel)

Unlike Victoria where a NRL game will be on at 1 am. They didnt even put the Bronco's Storm game on live, that was on at 1 am. It took petiioning of CH 9 to get this weeks Storm Game on live.

I believe the storm is a wasted franchise down here, dont get me wrong i love them here, it means i can watch rugby almost every weekend (season ticket holder) but the media coverage, or lack there of, is holding them back.

[jules]

people should remember that the VFL (victorian precursor to the AFL) was doing very badly a while back and that fans were turning away to other sports, in particular basketball at one stage.

it was only after a real shakeup that the AFL has become incredibly popular over the past decade or so and taken a grip nationally.

the Storm has a cult following in Melbourne, although i dare say most Melburnians don't follow NRL closely or at all, and i wonder how many of the supporters would stay if the Storm stopped winning. i don't know the details, but i assume that like Sydney in the AFL, the Storm have gotten heaps of favours to boost NRL support in victoria.

[Full Spectrum]

The NRL doesn't have the money the AFL does to offer around..


Grennan, It was only a few years ago we had a few games every week of the Storm live on 9 or late afternoon, It now seems that since they lost the AFL they wont offer it.
Maybe because they are in some type of partnership with Foxtel right now?.

The AFL sticks a **** load of money into Sydney, They expect coverage and time.

[AirStrike]

Minux

You make a valid point regarding average crowds. However, while the Storm gets good numbers at each home game, their attendance is the total Victorian support possible within one venue. (It would be interesting to see what the crowds would be if they played at the MCG.) Sydney is divided into a number of clubs and the aggregate attendance per round is around 50-60k, with the Regional teams such as Newcastle, Townsville and Gold Coast generally playing to full houses each home match. Melbourne has no drawing power to speak of in either NSW or Qld (witness last Friday's semi final against Cronulla) and there are regoional areas of both States where support would easily match Melbourne's at home matches.

One comment though/ I assume that 80k plus crowds would only be possible at the MCG? What are the averages at suburban grounds? ( I realise they greatly exceed 8k - as I said, to Victorians, AFL is a religion.

What's a suburban ground? We have quite large grounds mate, MCG, Telstra, Kadinia, etc.....no **** ant 8K stadiums.

[STEALTHY™]

You think rugby gets a raw deal in the papers, try following motorsport.

[Calaber]

What's a suburban ground? We have quite large grounds mate, MCG, Telstra, Kadinia, etc.....no **** ant 8K stadiums.

Christ Airstrike, are you clever or what? I passed Kadinia Park a number of times in the past fortnight. In Sydney, that's a suburban ground. Don't care what you call it. And yeah, we have grounds that big out in the suburbs too!

Last time I looked, Sydney's Telstra Stadium was larger than the MCG. (and I wouldn't class the MCG as a "suburban" ground either, it's the AFL headquarters located very close to the CBD. The average larger regional and "suburban" grounds cope with 25K up to 40K. Sure, we have trouble filling them all in the Sydney 'burbs, but the Regionals sure don't.

[Full Spectrum]

Only for the Olympics Telstra stadium ANZ had a larger seating capacity then the MCG.

There is a new stadium going up, Victory and Storm should play out of it in the future.
It's more traditional to there ground configurations.

[Grennan]

Yeah thats our new stadium. Hopefully now Storm will have a regulation size field LOL.

[Full Spectrum]

Get us closer to the game, Telstra dome was good but still to far away.

[Grennan]

Telstra dome was shocking. It was very impersonal. It had no feeling to it. Atleast when you go to Olympic Park you have that feeling that its your home ground and it has that "Graveyard" tag. I hope the new stadium has that same "aura"

[Full Spectrum]

Will try, We can dig up the bones of the past teams that came sore and were laid to rest, And move them over the road.

I think the commentators were harsh on the ground, It's very open and pron to wind and dew on the ground, With some wind cover it will be heaps better.

[Fr3ak+--]

i lived in vic all my life and nrl was pretty much a fairy tale.. to me it didn't really exist

none of my mate ever spoke about.. saw it on the tv once or twice and never saw it on the news

but now i live in sydney is a whole different ball game.. i love the nrl now.. i watch it close to every weekend.. and i am also a big geelong supporter and i saw atleast half of the games this year while living in sydney..

sydney is alot fairer to both codes even though it is a heavily a nrl state