NRL to China ?

bradtalo

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The NRL reportedly considered moving the comp to Gladstone but I wonder if they ever considered China ?. Because the Chinese bought in tight isolation rules quickly they are now able to start re-opening businesses, go back to work and even re-open theme parks etc.

In parts of China they build these ghost cities - virtual whole new cities and even though the overall population is huge it can take up to 5 years before these newer cities become heavily populated. As we saw recently they can build a hospital there in like 5 days - nothing slows down construction. I've been to China several times and the level of construction there compared to here is simply amazing.

For them to house the whole NRL (players, family and staff) and construct a playing surface (wouldn't even need seats) it would be nothing. The NRL could strike a deal with the Chinese govt. Probably have to quarantine everyone for a few weeks on the way in but shortly after that the comp could start. It's only about a 9 hour flight from Aust too (not like the other side of the world). Some big Chinese tech companies would soon throw in sponsorship $$$$$ and the games could be televised around the world.

Would be a great promo opportunity for the game also now while people are staying at home around the whole world with not much choice for sports to watch.
 

blueyedsamurai

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I dont think bulldogs would be safe over there, but if the Roosters changed their name to the Honey Chickens I'd support it.
 

Delta

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Not the worst proposal, but the financial cost would be immense and not feasible right now. Besides, Chinese people reallly aren't into this kind of stuff. I think taking exhibition games there in the future couldn't hurt.

The NHL is a good case to look at.

Furthermore, the signals are mixed coming out of China, wouldn't say they are totallly in the clear yet. Besides, a second wave of pandemic is possible.
 

bulldog butch

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Send greenberg to North Korea.... Hopefully they have a spare seat on one of them rockets for him.....
 

boggie23

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To be honest. I can’t see why playing in a remote location couldn’t work. As long as the media, commentary and cameramen are all willing to bunker down. Maybe have 2 rounds a week and try and get the season over in 3-4 months instead of 7.

The thing is though I doubt the game has the money to make it work. With salaries slashed at the moment, if you move everyone away from their families, their homes, their friends etc you will need to pay them some sort of penalty rate. 100% of their salary wouldn’t cut it. Players would want 110-120% of their contract for going above and beyond what any normal footballer would be required to do.

The problem with this is the broadcast rights are pretty constrictive. So let’s say nrl comes back and they can almost get daily content. Say football 5-6 days a week. Getting airtime in America, Europe, South Africa etc. hypothetically you should be able to cash in on that. But they won’t be able to as fox holds the complete rights to the content which it gives 3 games a week to nine for a sum. At the end of the day any globalisation will result in money in their pocket. Not nrls.

Second issue is why not just set up online streaming and get a subscription based service? Telstra owns the online media rights. Again wouldn’t result into any additional money going to the nrl unless Telstra wanted to. And I have never known a corporate or multinational (fox) giving away money they didn’t have to.

I truly think there is a way to structure a league with lockdown. But I don’t think the league has the money to get it going. Like what Fitzsimmons wrote about today. I think they can either wait it out and die a slow death. Or try something crazy and most likely die anyways but Atleast it’s at your hands not from waiting for the inevitable. And you might just by chance or luck survive and get through.

Had the league had a 2-3 hundred million warchest then sure you can ride it out or try to move operations to a state and play all games centralised. But I honestly think the past incompetence of directors and chairmen and ceos will not allow anything to come about.

And I doubt players would be able to commit to something like a remote competition unless properly compensated for. And I doubt full pay will be enough for guys like smith and the Morris twins and klemmer :p to leave their family and kids for 4-6 months and move interstate.

So I reckon most likely this year of nrl is quickly diminishing. And unless they want to play over Into December I can’t see them coming back.

Doubt the federal and state governments will relax measures that have been instated for Atleast another 2-2.5 months. And even then hypothetically speaking we do manage to get the cases to 0 I doubt the government will be like ok everything is back to normal. I honestly think you can’t have stadiums opened to thousands of fans for another 6 months. Which means unless origin and grand finals are scheduled for November then you miss out on multi million of gate revenue.
 
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Moedogg

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I lived in China for 5 years and noticed that they don't really have that culture of watching live sports.... Hardly see them rushing home to catch the game or gather around the tv in a pub. Most of them are just too busy working their assess off from Monday - Saturday.
 

NPC83

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Seriously... no offence bro but I thought Dave Holland was a beauty.... dead set you have left him in the rear vision mirror with that idea...
 

bradtalo

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Any remote location in the world could work and of any location on earth at this point in time (other than the poles) China is probably the safest. Cheaper living expenses there too than even Gladstone.

Set up costs for rugby league aren't huge. It would cost more to set up the 1 Superloop 500 V8 race in Adelaide than it would the NRL comp in China. Cheap accommodation, cheap food. Players even willing to accept pay cuts now.

There are already plenty of Australians living and working in China. A whole expat community in Beijing.
 
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Sleeky

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Any remote location in the world could work and of any location on earth at this point in time (other than the poles) China is probably the safest. Cheaper living expenses there too than even Gladstone.
Flights are cheap too. Win win
 

Scoooby

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Could work. should work, but Won’t happen.and don’t.
 

fiordog

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Once second wave concerns are settled, maybe Hong Kong instead? Used to live sport and have a built in audience for footy (at least from a Rugby Sevens point of view), similar timezone to Aus.
 

bricktamland

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The NRL reportedly considered moving the comp to Gladstone but I wonder if they ever considered China ?. Because the Chinese bought in tight isolation rules quickly they are now able to start re-opening businesses, go back to work and even re-open theme parks etc.

In parts of China they build these ghost cities - virtual whole new cities and even though the overall population is huge it can take up to 5 years before these newer cities become heavily populated. As we saw recently they can build a hospital there in like 5 days - nothing slows down construction. I've been to China several times and the level of construction there compared to here is simply amazing.

For them to house the whole NRL (players, family and staff) and construct a playing surface (wouldn't even need seats) it would be nothing. The NRL could strike a deal with the Chinese govt. Probably have to quarantine everyone for a few weeks on the way in but shortly after that the comp could start. It's only about a 9 hour flight from Aust too (not like the other side of the world). Some big Chinese tech companies would soon throw in sponsorship $$$$$ and the games could be televised around the world.

Would be a great promo opportunity for the game also now while people are staying at home around the whole world with not much choice for sports to watch.
FUCK
CHINA. Will be avoiding anytnjng Chinese if I can, i know lots of products are from China, but because of their barbaric ways and how they eat and skin, boil and eat animals alive I refuse to endorse them. They are a communist fuckdd nation , won’t release Hong Kong from submission and they are now why every single one of us will be paying bsck these taxes for the rest of our lives. They responsible for 2 other major diseases. They bought our masks off us before the out break then selling it bsck to us for twice the price. Fuck wits
 
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