Macca

What about the masses rather than your tiny sample size? For instance, I know people in Sydney who love RL and can't get enough of it

No, not at all Australia wide, in terms of eyes on the sport (TV, cable, streaming etc) the NRL is in front) For proof, do a thorough Google search and avoid biased articles (either way) Here is one article ... NRL GF wins the ratings battle over the AFL GF Of course, in terms of revenue raised via memberships & attendees, the AFL is well in front But here's the thing ... would Ch7 (footy) be happy about being beaten in the ratings by Ch9 (RL)? And what if the margin blows out to 20% - 25% in terms of TV numbers etc It's not panic stations but nonetheless, it would be a concern for the AFL Thus, the push from the AFL to ease congestion and have way less stoppages. By the way, the NRL has way more continuous play these days with very few stoppages

In an ideal world we'd just have a final 6 as those outside of the top 6 have very little chance of winning the flag But an extended season involving teams 7th - 10th placed teams appeases the broadcasters and those 4 teams and their supporters (and keeps the season alive for the neutrals as well) Effectively making it easier for the top 6 teams in terms of rest (and being competitive) And Rugby league no longer has a free weekend to themselves Make no mistake, the AFL are concerned about the inroads that the NRL are making in terms of eyes on the sport (outside of those attending both sports and membership numbers) The AFL are also putting on a State of Origin game in Perth in mid February ... the timing of that game is interesting (stealing a march on the NRL?)

Well, from all reports the bye weekend came into being on the back of Ross Lyon at Freo resting a stack of players in a match prior to the finals (he also did the same in his early stint at the Saints ... against the Hawks in Tassie?) Fairly sure Brad Scott did the same at North on at least one occasion (resting players) Of course, now that we have dispensed with the bye weekend, will we see a return to teams resting players in the final round of the season? (more so pertaining to those teams situated in the 7th-10th spots on the ladder) It's a gruelling sport and often rest is the best remedy against players getting fatigued after a long season (as we found out in 2022?) We're heading towards teams having 2 byes during the season (in my view)

We need to get our heads around the notion that teams will rest players when applicable For instance, the Penrith Panthers rested 16 players in their round 26* match prior to the finals (they knew that they were going to finish 5th - 8th, no matter what) Some would argue that teams like Penrith have earned the right to rest players Most would know by now that in the big sports worldwide, resting players is quite commonplace, especially in soccer and the NFL. The NBA are trying to implement a strong policy but phantom injuries are always on the agenda Oddly enough, one of the reasons State of Origin in footy became obsolete was because so many players had suddenly become unavailable Yet in RL, State of Origin, players are clamouring to get selected to play in these rep games *Round 26 was the penultimate match in the NRL (not the last round)... they subsequently lost that round 26 match to the Canterbury Bulldogs 4 - 26

We'll all be watching (or going) if we finish 9th or 10th And if that happens and we win, bring on 5th or 6th!! Twilight or night GF will be next ... nearly all big time sport finals are played in the evenings. Might be every sport I'll give it 2 or 3 years in it's present time slot Anyway, it's now the Final 10

Yep, everything changes now in terms of our expectations ... if the thinking was that we are able to eke out 10 or 12 wins, then we're much more a chance of playing finals And forget the jargon of the wildcard weekend and what we might call the 2 extra games, the thinking will quickly gravitate to 2 extra finals being played

Yes and the teams that finish 5th & 6th can now have a competitive advantage in terms of resting players for a week after an arduous season (5th & 6th get the bye where as 7th to 10th need to keep going) The top 4 remains the same in terms of attaining the double chance And a lot of those end of season matches that we might ordinarily not have much interest in will now have greater importance

Yes and the bottom line is that robust competition can be good for business I'm a keen punter and I admire what V'Landys has done for NSW racing and the NRL. He's a true visionary The AFL are in a dogfight for eyes on their sport but both codes have hundreds of 1000's of rusted on types It's those who can swing either way is where the battle lies It's like Coke vs Pepsi or Trump vs whoever. Either side wants to win Ch7 won't want to be beaten in the FTA stakes to Ch9 & League So there can't be a footy free weekend Why they ever brought in a free weekend in the first place was a baffling decision

Fair enough B.A My biggest beef is how the sport is played these days with the numerous stoppages and congestion As a result, I switch over to the Rugby league when it suits. Not all the time, but from time to time Years ago it was never

I highly doubt that the wildcard weekend has been primarily brought in so 2 more teams have a chance of winning the flag It's more of a business decision in terms of maintaining interest in the home and away comp and as a competitive move against the NRL For anyone out there reading this, have you found yourself watching the NRL instead when we had the bye weekend? Let's say it's 15% to 20% of AFL fans having a gander? ... would the AFL be pleased with that outcome? No

The game isn't being destroyed just because a wildcard weekend has been brought in. C'Mon man! I well remember the opposition to the centre square (Diamond), the size of the ground at Waverley, the final 5, the final 6, the final 8 etc etc People just don't like change In 2 to 4 years time, hardly a soul will be in opposition to the wildcard round. It'll be accepted Slightly more than half the teams playing finals is about right Mind you, I'd like to see the goal umpires wearing the big white coats again along with the wide-brimmed hats 😃

We live in differeny worlds ... most people I know have at least a reasonable interest in the NRL and quite a few are keen fans of rugby league It's all about the money too and in a keenly completive market place, you don't give your biggest competitor a chance to garner support

Another reason why the wildcard weekend has been brought in is that the AFL were giving their biggest competitor (the NRL) a free hit on the bye weekend And with the NRL now ahead in the ratings battle, ground needs to be made up. This is as much a business decision as it is to maintain interest The AFL is already starting the season earlier to match the NRL Personally, I quite like the wildcard weekend as it gives a number of teams hope where as beforehand, the season might have sizzled out prematurely for too many clubs The AFL ladder often resembles the standings in European soccer except of course we don't have cup competitions or relegation I can see the NRL matching the wildcard weekend once the Perth Bears enter the competition Those against this sort of change will probably change their minds after a time

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Bills Lions Rams

@Gorgoroth , tips? Broncos win ugly again but winning is winning! KC are now relying on Denver & the Chargers dropping games (as well as winning themselves) The Chiefs have got the talent but have they got the drive?

It isn't amazing when factoring in that the AFL and most supporters are totally obsessed with crowd numbers For instance, the minute that the Demons draw a crowd of less than 20k against an interstate team, there's hell to pay Paranoia on a mass scale

A win to the Broncos tomorrow will see them land 3 wins ahead of the Chiefs I'm not sure that KC can win their division now as the Chargers can create a gap to KC as well (Chargers at home vs the Steelers SNF) KC on the road in the playoffs? (that's if they make it)

Highlights Champions League All 18 games (approx 2 mins per game) A little cumbersome but once one game is finished, the next game is lined up and may play automatically (or click on) So 4 of the preliminary games have been completed with 4 to go Of the 36 teams in the competition, the top 8 receive a bye with teams placed 9th to 24th play off to qualify for the final 16 Champions League Table

Bleacher Report Power Rankings (Detailed Analysis) Top 14 Rams Eagles Bills Colts Bucs Seahawks Broncos Pats Lions Chiefs Packers Chargers Steelers 49ers

I'm not sure that Dallas are as bad as the Packers right now haha We've got a QB who keeps making horrendous errors and we've just lost our best player (Kraft) to an ACL On a brighter note, thanks to your Jags*, I landed a 4 figure multi!! *Or should I be thanking the Raiders for missing a 2 point conversion?!! I couldn't watch or listen, too nerve wracking!

@Gorgoroth @Clintosaurus @Go the Biff @Dr. Gonzo @titan_uranus @ElDiablo14 @BDA @layzie @Dee Zephyr Leaderboard Tipping Comp 22 - Clintosaurus 21 - layzie 20 - Macca 19 - BDA, Go the Biff 18 - Dee Zephyr 16 - ElDiablo 15 - Gorgoroth 13 - titan_uranus 12 - Dr.Gonzo

A number of the primetime games have been very ordinary match-ups Looking ahead, it's a bit of a mixed bag

The problem is that most are latched on to 18 a side (nearly all the supporters as well) Your post is a good one but may not attract many 'likes'. People just don't like change and would see reducing the numbers on the field as an assault on the sport It's a bridge too far for most and doesn't even get talked about. But 18 a side is the root cause of all the problems with the sport It's a game of keepings off anyway so why not have a game that's not messy or overcrowded? (and a lot easier to umpire?) All the cosmetic changes solves nothing. It ends up being a crowded sport again