Get a load of this article written in the smh, what an idiot - Australia's best Athletes are wasted

It appears that the fightback against the AFL's raid on the NRL has started. Here's the first shot fired from the sports editor at smh.com.au

AFL is a dead-end sport that hinders us on global stage, by Stephen Samuelson at Sydney Morning Herald

Get a load of this article written in the smh, what an idiot - Australia's best Athletes are wasted

Read this before. Just another Sydneysider, don't listen to him

Read this before. Just another Sydneysider, don't listen to him

yeah classic sydneysider alright ha.

I needed that!

A good post I read on another forum:

"So if I read that right the NRL are fighting back because people went and watched a soccer game in the biggest soccer event in the world."

I can't be bothered reading the article but to respond to that one line the author kind of has a point with regards to competing at the international level. AFL will only ever be a sport played seriously in Australia.

If the NRL took Michael Newton, John Meesen and Stephen Baker it would be a win for both codes.

If the NRL took Michael Newton, John Meesen and Stephen Baker it would be a win for both codes.

Probably more than a handful of others you could ad to that list.

THe SMH ..what a rag. Interesting line of argument as Rojic summises. Wonder what they would make of the continuing interest overseas n AFL. Yes it wont be as popular world wide as soccer..nor could it be but who really cares. Many a domestic sport continues in many countries without a suggestion it will die because its supposedly a dead end code. The NRL..permanently suffering from "Little Man Syndrome" just cant stomach the idea of its teritory ( and players ) being raided. Im sure we can expect many more articles and ranting as League haemorages.

nice av there RR

Actually in many ways the article is flawed logic or at worst hypocritical. Strange he suggests that the AFL is expanding , for its own self interest and "survival'. Survival ? ..thats hilarious as where and upon what would one hang an argument that the premier sporting code is facing extinction ? Also, has not the expansion into villages up north and the poaching of another country's city folkby the NRL been but the act of desperation ?

I would have thought the pesty attempts to garner a GF to Sydney would be a smack in the face to such arguments that there is nothing more than ripples beyond the Murray. I suppose someone up there has to tilt at the windmill and Samuelson is that lucky clown. I suppose he'l need to sharpen his crayons as AD & Co havent even really started yet. Sheeds is hardly out of bed and into first gear either. Poor Sam...he'll be having an anuerism soon !!

I read that article while waiting for my coffee (where as would I read the HS but at a cafe ). It made me smile first thing in the morning.

What a stupid stupid waste of paper!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't seem that the NRL is mentioned at all in the article - it seems that's only come about because of what the guy who posted it wrote.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't seem that the NRL is mentioned at all in the article - it seems that's only come about because of what the guy who posted it wrote.

did you read the whole article ? he goes on about what Folau could do if remaining in rugby etc..

""If Folau stayed in the NRL, he could go to rugby and play for the Wallabies or for clubs in Japan, France and the United Kingdom. Even if he stayed in league, Folau could superannuate his career in northern England.""" ( from the article )

It isnt a NRL v AFL article I agree...but you can sense the undertone. ....and dare I say it smell the fear..lol

Ah yep, thanks.

I looked for the "read more" link and didn't find it so I thought that was the whole article.

A key point, IMO, that the author has missed is that kids/adults have complete choice to play what they like. As he states, Folau has the opportunity to go and play for the Wallabies... He's decided to play AFL, what does that tell you?

There is an intelligent point to this article, shame it's written like someone that just can't handle to idea of the AFL being the dominant sport in the country. AFL being the leading sport does hinder our abilities in some sports, Soccer, NRL, and Union probably being the most affected. But let me just throw this out there.......who cares? I love soccer, i follow liverpool and i've been staying up to watch the world cup every night, and i would love nothing more than to see Aussies succeed on that stage. But AFL is unique to Australia, just as NFL is unique to America, what does it matter if it's an Aussie only sport, to a player i'd imagine winning the AFL premiership would be equal to a soccer player winning the European Champions league.

I'm not comfortable with the AFL raiding the NRL, mainly because i think it's a slap in the face to the players who have had to work their butt off in the U18's and do their best to get drafted. But if a kid at 13 wants to decide to play AFL instead of soccer/NRL/cricket or whatever, then that's his bloody choice.

Ah yep, thanks.

I looked for the "read more" link and didn't find it so I thought that was the whole article.

A key point, IMO, that the author has missed is that kids/adults have complete choice to play what they like. As he states, Folau has the opportunity to go and play for the Wallabies... He's decided to play AFL, what does that tell you?

AFL offered much more money and hardly any of it is performance-based?

On a vaguely related point, did anyone see 'The Gruen Transfer' last night? One of the companies in the 'Selling the Unsellable' segment suggested that WA should secede so footy could go truly international! A nice footy related approach, but I think it puzzled the Sydneysiders on the panel - although Russel Howcroft loved it.

Ah yep, thanks.

I looked for the "read more" link and didn't find it so I thought that was the whole article.

A key point, IMO, that the author has missed is that kids/adults have complete choice to play what they like. As he states, Folau has the opportunity to go and play for the Wallabies... He's decided to play AFL, what does that tell you?

I think this goes to the fear of those great unwashed of NRL lands...CHOICE !! Once there was a time there that you had a choice or Rugby..Rugby..or ...Rugby...only the 'wogs' played soccer. Only the Toffs played 'Rugger' and you had to be a Poofter to play AFL. Blue Collar folk of NSW and much of QLd played the real (?) game. I concede it was Soccer that inflicted more of the early blows to League able to utilise the same fields the New Australians coninued their sporting culture and played the 'world game'. The Odd oval with sticks appeared here and there..but very sparse. Rugby was still safe. More and more Kiwis and Islanders settle into Sydney and they of course are Leaguers. Their game still seems safe-ish. What happens within borders stays the same. Or so it seemed. But this land was changing....morphing. People move around far more often. And that nasty mob have infiltrated with some clowns heralded by Helicopters, boofy hair and high leaping , tight short wearing , self promoting mulleted blondes. Even Sin City couldnt ignore this...and so a seed was sewn. But it seemed like naught but a blot on the landscape. To the North, further un-Bearable events transpire and now we have a Trojan horse (s) within the fortress. And it all goes south after that for League.

Suddenly it seems quite normal for folk to watch a variety of games. The rot has set in . League has misjudged the interest and intrigue of the populace. It arrogantly supposed what was always would always be. Despite Ch 9 refusing to concede ground in its NSW realm all else of the country turns and tunes to AFL . The more this happens over time the more natural it becomes for up and coming sporty types to consider playing that ping pong in lieu of that 6 tackle game. The AFL continues to invest and the NRL continues its self deceit. NRL is still tripping over its allowance of that 'southern town ' to participate thinking this might crack the ferocity of Aussie Rules. It of course judged wrong. We have ample room for the following of many a sport down here but there is nary a guarantee up north that this would be replicated. As more enjoy the spectating and /or playing of the 'Australian' game the more attractive it becomes for some to consider and inded commit heretic acts of cross coding or indeed choosing AFL from the beginning. In a nutshell ...CHOICE

They havent really allowed the notion of choice up there, for even the ackowledgement of this choice is yet a further nail in the coffin carrying the miscontrued idea of monopoly and so they cant admit it. Players, indeed household names, heroes of their code; defecting !!! Actually choosing to play AFL and snubbing the 'status quo' ? Surely not !!!

But its happened, and they just cant beleive it. Fait accompli

I think this goes to the fear of those great unwashed of NRL lands...CHOICE !! etc

YEp. And just wait and see how things will be when GC and GWS join to give people there a CHOICE of teams. Nothing like a bit of rivalry to fire up the coffee cup conversations on a Monday morning.

He made two points in that article, both of which are actually spot on.

1. AFL _does_ dilute the talent pool (and funding pool, probably) for our international sporting codes significantly, meaning that as a sporting nation we are crippled in these other sports compared to how we could be if there was no AFL
   
2. The AFL is somewhat of a "dead end" for professional athletes in that there's nowhere to go once you're in the system other than back out of it. The money is not as lucrative as the international codes and there's no opportunity for travel etc
   

These are both very valid points. Where he's wrong is the assumption that any of that actually matters. Point one doesn't matter - the majority of fans in all states other than NSW and QLD still love the footy - more so than any other competing sport. For many, including myself, watching the World Cup is a nice little gimmick, but what I really care about is what is happening in the AFL. Point two doesn't matter either - the lack of really lucrative money and travel doesn't seem to be bothering the masses of players competing in Australian Rules football at various levels. If these professional, talented sports people choose to play Australian Rules football instead of anything else then that shows that it's not that important a factor.

If these professional, talented sports people choose to play Australian Rules football instead of anything else then that shows that it's not that important a factor.

Agree Nasher,

The fact of the matter is that if one day the Dallas Cowboys thought 'Gee, that Aaron Davey would make a running back'. Sold. We'll offer him 3 million dollars a year for 5 years he would have to take it.

I would not begrudge him for a second because that money is ludicrous.

And this is what Folau was faced with, something that this SMH editor doesn't understand.

What he should have written an article on is why NRL players get s*^t wages comparatively to AFL?

That's the problem behind all of this, and all sports that compete for talent in this country.

Agree Nasher,

What he should have written an article on is why NRL players get s*^t wages comparatively to AFL?

That's the problem behind all of this, and all sports that compete for talent in this country.

Yep spot on, money money money. If one day NRL can capture the audiences that the AFL does then it might be a different story but as it stands, the tv stations will offer crazy money to have the rights to show the AFL matches and that alone brings in crazy revenue.

He made two points in that article, both of which are actually spot on.

1. AFL _does_ dilute the talent pool (and funding pool, probably) for our international sporting codes significantly, meaning that as a sporting nation we are crippled in these other sports compared to how we could be if there was no AFL
   
2. The AFL is somewhat of a "dead end" for professional athletes in that there's nowhere to go once you're in the system other than back out of it. The money is not as lucrative as the international codes and there's no opportunity for travel etc
   

These are both very valid points. Where he's wrong is the assumption that any of that actually matters. Point one doesn't matter - the majority of fans in all states other than NSW and QLD still love the footy - more so than any other competing sport. For many, including myself, watching the World Cup is a nice little gimmick, but what I really care about is what is happening in the AFL. Point two doesn't matter either - the lack of really lucrative money and travel doesn't seem to be bothering the masses of players competing in Australian Rules football at various levels. If these professional, talented sports people choose to play Australian Rules football instead of anything else then that shows that it's not that important a factor.

Agreed. Sure it's a "deadend" game but it's also such a great game that people keep coming and no one ever leaves.

I like the socceroos too but honestly I care more about Silvia's big toe...

After coming back from overseas last year and going to an NFL game, talking to the local footy fans they were amazed by Aussie rules. One guy went to Sydney and saw AFL on tv and said all he wanted to do was go to a game. Had no interest in rugby, he thought it was a basic dumb sport. He couldn't believe some of our athletes and was talking it up to everyone else on the train.

And after watching 2 games of soccer in the world cup that is just a putrid sport. Horrible to watch, slow soft crap. The diving is a huge blight on the game and everyone just abuses the ref. They carry on about sportsmanship but no-one shows it.