Opinion 2021… The year where Rugby League died in Australia

[dogluva]

Alzz has a point - it's not just about the Dogs but the lopsided results every week. There is no competition, and the top sides are rolling over the bottom eight. You can't put it down to eight sides being brilliant and the rest just no hopers.

As I mentioned in another thread there was a call on the radio today by a guy who does stats. He called the radio earlier this year in relation to the percentage of games that blew out to 13+ wins with basically the same sides being the winners and that ratio has now blown out to over sixty percent of games since then being by that particular margin......all the stats were factored in relation to the new rules which are having an effect on results across the board. He says he watches every game live and then twice on replay and he admits it is very hard to do so because the product has been changed so much by those rule changes, not only the 6 again but the crackdown on high shots which has become a bit of a lottery in the last few weeks after the initial crackdown. Seems that many fans are being turned off by the way the game has been changed....

 

[AlzzBulldog]

I’m not a fan of the set restart rule and I know the Bulldogs club have made the NRL aware of their unhappiness with it too, as I’m sure other clubs have. I expect a review at seasons end. But whether they modify it or go back to ruck infringement penalties, the cause is 90% the same - ill discipline.

All this talk of referee and NRL corruption and betting companies fixing games is no different to those who say Trump won the election - it’s all dribble with no evidence. Some will call that naive or whatever and I say if you’re going to point the finger, supply the proof.

That all said, no-one wants to see continued 50 point drubbings - but Bulldogs fans must accept the reality - right now we are just not good enough.

How’s Biden going lol?

 

[DinkumDog]

How’s Biden going lol?

Great post Alzz, one of your best .

 

[AlzzBulldog]

Great post Alzz, one of your best .

Is he stringing sentences together yet? You didnt answer the question

 

[DinkumDog]

Is he stringing sentences together yet? You didnt answer the question

You asked the same question previously - I answered it and predictably you disappeared.

He’s been great for employment - with Don gone the jokes and memes don’t write themselves anymore and thousands of gag writers have now been hired .

 

[Grunthos]

I couldn't agree more, the game is going downhill very fast,
The rot set in when they scraped contested scrums, the excuse was safety and it slowed the game down but the real reason was that Channel 9 worked out they could put in 2-3 more minutes of advertising into their broadcast. (I worked in advertising at the time)
There was also a time when there was a place on the field for every shape and size, from the skinny little whippet to the big boofy guy. Now the game is best suited to players who are big, fast, and athletic, like Sonny Bill etc, this is bad for the development of the game at the grassroots level in the long run as kids who are keen and want to progress to higher levels but just don't have the athletic build and stamina required to complete satisfactorily will fall by the wayside.
Now only Rugby Union can cater to all shapes and sizes from U6 mini through to senior grade and this has a lot of appeal for kids left behind by Soccer and Ausy rules and soon, unfortunately, league

 

[Teddybear]

Mate we its not about being good enough right now, it's about getting a fair go and all could see we didn't get a fair go in the 2nd half.
Same in the roosters Penrith game, roosters got canned when in front .

 

[chisdog]

Now I’m not only saying this because I’m a dogs supporter and we are at the bottom, but there was a time where I would watch almost every game with excitement because the product was relatively good… but in the last few year and especially in 2021 the game is barely on life support. I can’t enjoy watching any games these days, not only just ours, its boring and predictable and only 2 teams can win.

Not to mention the rule changes, the laughable calls, the controversy, I go into every game worrying about referees more than my team.
Its a real shame that it has got to this point, but the nrl will never win in the code battle with AFL.

I think Peter V'landys needs to be arrested for murder & the accomplices in Abdo & the commissioners should be too.

 

[Chris Harding]

How’s Biden going lol?

Really well by all counts. Economy improving, more jobs, millions vaccinated, welcomed on the world stage with hiscommitment toward zero emmisions, hard line against China.

Trump is looking like an old man having trouble putting his socks on, as he tries to grift his way around the remnants of his supporter base.

 

[Chris Harding]

Is he stringing sentences together yet? You didnt answer the question

I’m not a fan of the set restart rule and I know the Bulldogs club have made the NRL aware of their unhappiness with it too, as I’m sure other clubs have. I expect a review at seasons end. But whether they modify it or go back to ruck infringement penalties, the cause is 90% the same - ill discipline.

All this talk of referee and NRL corruption and betting companies fixing games is no different to those who say Trump won the election - it’s all dribble with no evidence. Some will call that naive or whatever and I say if you’re going to point the finger, supply the proof.

That all said, no-one wants to see continued 50 point drubbings - but Bulldogs fans must accept the reality - right now we are just not good enough.

I don't disagree with what you say, especially about our lack of discipline; but it's pretty obvious that repeat sets could be called almost every time there is a tackle. Referees are inconsistent with how they interpret the rule, particularly where certain teams are obviously breaching the rule and getting away with it. Multiple repeat sets on the 5th are rare, though, and it begs the question why the Dogs were so guilty in this game, and Parramatta were almost perfect.

 

[kmr07]

Alzz has a point - it's not just about the Dogs but the lopsided results every week. There is no competition, and the top sides are rolling over the bottom eight. You can't put it down to eight sides being brilliant and the rest just no hopers.

True. You know the competition is bad when you can make the finals when you have lost more games than you won. Right now the teams in 7th and 8th spots have lost more than won.

 

[James zac]

It’s the blow out scores I want to see close gripping contests I’ll always be a dogs supporter and watch our games but who gets off on 50 plus score lines it’s boring it watch 10 mins of the tiger game and I was done it was a farce

 

[DinkumDog]

I don't disagree with what you say, especially about our lack of discipline; but it's pretty obvious that repeat sets could be called almost every time there is a tackle. Referees are inconsistent with how they interpret the rule, particularly where certain teams are obviously breaching the rule and getting away with it. Multiple repeat sets on the 5th are rare, though, and it begs the question why the Dogs were so guilty in this game, and Parramatta were almost perfect.

Yes there’s inconsistency but that’s always been an issue with various rules. Good coaches also coach their teams to sail very close to the wind in bending the rules without breaking them.

End of season review will be interesting.
I expect changes for next year.

And I expect the Bulldogs to be better once some of the current squad are gone. Admittedly I said the same thing last year. I still don’t buy the ‘cheating’ or ‘fixing’ argument though. That’s just a cop out.

 

[Chris Harding]

It’s the blow out scores I want to see close gripping contests I’ll always be a dogs supporter and watch our games but who gets off on 50 plus score lines it’s boring it watch 10 mins of the tiger game and I was done it was a farce

Exciting if it's your team doing the scoring; but to watch them win by huge margins each week takes the pleasure out of the game. Part of the excitement following a side is not knowing how they'll go each round. If you know they'll win, and win well, why bother watching?

 

[Chris Harding]

Yes there’s inconsistency but that’s always been an issue with various rules. Good coaches also coach their teams to sail very close to the wind in bending the rules without breaking them.

End of season review will be interesting.
I expect changes for next year.

And I expect the Bulldogs to be better once some of the current squad are gone. Admittedly I said the same thing last year. I still don’t buy the ‘cheating’ or ‘fixing’ argument though. That’s just a cop out.

Agree about the cheating accusations. Gambling industry is more interested in playing politics, to prevent laws limiting their rivers of gold, than fixing NRL games.

 

[Wahesh]

If I were to pinpoint a time when Rugby League died, it was in 2012 when that idiot Dave Smith was appointed CEO of the NRL. The 'no shoulder charge' and 'one punch sin bin' rules he introduced before the 2013 season began were the beginning of the end. Everything that Greenberg and Vlandys have introduced since have just been extra nails in the coffin.

 

[Expedite]

I just think there is a strong hint of corruption in the game, the biased penalty counts, restarts, inconsistency in the sin binning all seem to affect the same teams, and never certain favourite teams. It also seems that the Dogs and Raiders always seem to get the dodgiest of calls.

 

[Wahesh]

@Mitch Connor please move to Rugby League general thread mate.

 

[DinkumDog]

Agree about the cheating accusations. Gambling industry is more interested in playing politics, to prevent laws limiting their rivers of gold, than fixing NRL games.

Take Crown Sydney for example.
The revenue they’ve missed by not being allowed a gaming licence in NSW has hurt them to the point they’re now a takeover target.
If one of the countries major gambling agencies can’t get their bread and butter right then how would they go operating some perceived scam on NRL games, which would be a drop in the ocean anyway?
The accusations make no sense.

 

[Chris Harding]

Take Crown Sydney for example.
The revenue they’ve missed by not being allowed a gaming licence in NSW has hurt them to the point they’re now a takeover target.
If one of the countries major gambling agencies can’t get their bread and butter right then how would they go operating some perceived scam on NRL games, which would be a drop in the ocean anyway?
The accusations make no sense.

Also how the Federal Hotels group campaigned hard to re-elect the Liberals in Tasmania a few years back, when Labor wanted to implement limits on poker machines.