The following blog will go through a history of NFL Films and the NFL Network, which is the USA’s second venture into a 24-7 only sports-only channel and how this will help a proposed NRL channel on Fox Sports. I also look at who should be battling for the best Rugby League club in the world; I take a crack at the new TV schedule. As well as looking at a history of significant events of the Rugby League in Australia. This will all be featured in this, the first edition of the Blog of Cheese for 2012.
Ed Sabol regularly filmed his son playing high school American Football with a video camera he received as a wedding present. Impressed with his work, Ed created a small film company, Blair Motion pictures. In 1962 Ed bid $5,000 (twice the bid of the previous year) to film the 1962 NFL championship game (pre-Super Bowl era). Impressed with his work, then-NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle asked the NFL team owners to agree to buy out Ed’s company. Initially, the owners rejected the proposal, but they decided a year later and re-named the company NFL Films. Sabol received $20,000 in seed money from each of the league’s 14 owners; in return, Ed’s company would film every game of the season and create a season highlights package for each team.
What has this got to do with an NRL Channel? Well, NFL films founded the NFL Network, and the President and the Chief Operating Officer of NFL Films are both executives of NFL Network. N.F.L. Films is responsible for about a quarter of the network’s taped schedule.
From the Rugby League Films (RLF) website: “Rugby League Films Archive, is responsible for the management and preservation of Rugby League’s audiovisual history. RLF has initiated projects such as the Centenary Documentary Series, as well as providing footage for the National Museum’s Centenary of Rugby League Exhibition and all related Centenary Celebrations, Teams of the Century etc. Other projects include Queensland’s State of Origin Induction video, History of Australian Sport – Rugby League, various items for the Footy Show and Fox Sports, player highlights used in Barefoot Rugby League, game day highlight packages for use on the big screen plus television commercials for Toyota, JetStar, Sportsbet, Keno, Suzuki and various others. RLF provides access to the official Rugby League Archive and video production services for NRL clubs, sponsors and other partners.” So surely, once the independent commission comes into place, they will bring Rugby League films in-house and partner with Fox Sports to produce a Rugby League channel.
In November of 2010, an article appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, reporting that South Sydney Co-Owner Russell Crowe and CEO Shane Richardson had been working on a plan for an expanded World Club Challenge (WCC). The expanded WCC would be held in Las Vegas and contested between the top four teams from the NRL against the top four teams from Super League. Club CEOs of various NRL clubs were quoted as saying they would support the idea if given the green light. In January of this year, The Daily Telegraph reported that executive producer for Super League on Sky Sports Neville Smith had proposed a so-called end-of-season extravaganza, in which three counties would be represented by eight cities in a similar concept to the UEFA Champions League.
I believe both competitions have merit; however, I believe Russel has the better idea. I don’t think the same teams should be represented yearly just because of the city they are situated in, as Neville suggests. I believe that the RLIF should look towards the FIFA Club World Cup instead of looking towards the UEFA Champions League model. In the FIFA Club World Cup, teams representing the champion clubs from all six continental confederations compete to see who the best club side in the world is for that year. In the FIFA Club World Cup, the weakest confederation (Oceania) faces off against; either the top side from the host countries club competition (or if that club side won their continental competition, then the club that finished runner up in that continent). The winner of this game progresses to the quarter-finals, where they are joined by three confederations (Asia, Africa and North/Central America/Caribbean). The winners of these two matches are joined by the top side from the top two confederations (Europe and South America) to determine the club champion of the world.
The RLIF currently has 27 ranked nations; I believe the Netherlands also has a domestic completion, giving us 28 teams. My suggestion for a competition is to include all 28 domestic competition winners battling it out for the best club Rugby League side in the world. The first round features 24 teams, with teams being seeded by their world ranking (except for England getting the second seed, as they are the only other country with an entirely professional competition). Once the competition is down to six teams, the competition is joined by the third and fourth-ranked countries to have eight teams now active in the competition. Once the competition is down to two teams, they are joined by two entirely professional competitions in the semi-final matches. The Australian and English clubs enter the semi-final stage to prevent them from playing more matches against amateur teams (which would see more lopsided scores and stop the clubs from complaining about playing too many games).
Below is the current rankings order from the RLIF, with clubs’ names next to the country being the most recent champion. I could not find the winner for some competitions, so the title is blank. The question mark next to some countries indicates that, based on my research, I am unsure whether this country has a domestic club competition. If those countries don’t have domestic competition, then the competition may be reduced, with third and fourth-placed nations may enter earlier. Ireland does not have a national competition. Therefore, I could not join a single team. They would have to find a way of having one team representing them, which would go in other competitions that don’t have a national champion. The USA champion is that of the AMNRL, as they are the league recognized by the RLIF. Rebel leagues not recognized by the RLIF will not be allowed to participate:
- Australia: Manly Sea Eagles
- England: Leeds Rhinos
- New Zealand: Auckland Pride
- PNG: Bintangor Goroka Lahanis
- France: Limoux
- Wales:
- Fiji:
- Samoa:
- Tonga:
- Scotland: Edinburgh Eagles
- USA: New York Knights
- Ireland: Playoff between Munster, Ulster and Leinster
- Italy:
- Lebanon: LAU Immortals
- Serbia: RK Dorcol
- Cook Islands:
- Russia:?
- Norway:
- Germany:
- Malta:?
- Canada: Niagara Bobcats
- South Africa:
- Jamaica:
- Latvia:?
- Ukraine:
- Czech Republic:
- Sweeden:?
Netherlands:
Rd 1 – 28 teams
Limoux V Russia
Wales V Norway
Fiji V Germany
Samoa V Malta
Tonga V Niagara Bobcats
Edinburgh Eagles V South Africa
New York Knights V Jamaica
Ireland V Latvia
Italy V Ukraine
LAU Immortals V Czech Republic
RK Dorcol V Sweden
Cook Islands V Netherlands
Rd 2- 16 Teams
Limoux V Cook Islands
Wales V RK Dorcol
Fiji V LAU Immortals
Samoa V Italy
Tonga V Ireland
Edinburgh Eagles V New York Knights
Round 3 – 10 Teams
Auckland Pride V Edinburgh Eagles
Bintangor Goroka Lahanis V Tonga
Limoux V Samoa
Wales V Fiji
Round 4- 6 Teams
Auckland Pride V Wales
Bintangor Goroka Lahanis V Limoux
Round 5- 4 Teams
Many Sea Eagles V Bintangor Gorka Lahanis
Leeds Rhinos V Auckland Pride
Round 6- 2 Teams
Manly Sea Eagles V Leeds Rhinos
(Winners of games are based on the higher-ranked team winning to give some idea of how the competition is run and to note that, more than likely, the final would be the exact match we have now but a more meaningful competition ).
Last Sunday’s Sunday Telegraph (5th February 2012) mentioned in the What’s the Buzz column that David Gallop wants to introduce a Sunday night game and is talking to the three Free To Air networks about the game being part of the next TV contract. David says that many people are ready to watch TV but are not sure of the crowds, with people returning to work or school on a Monday morning. David states that Saturday afternoon is unlikely due to people’s bus days with children’s sports and shopping, saying that people’s Saturdays are pretty full. It was mentioned in this week’s Sydney Morning Herald that the NRL season kicks off on a Thursday night, which is a one-off due to a one-day cricket game on Friday night. The NRL moved one of the games on Friday night to the day before. I believe this is a mistake and that the NRL should kick off every season on a Thursday night. As stated in previous blogs, I think the Thursday night game to kick off the season should be played at the home of the defending premiers, as they kick off the defence of their title. This game is guaranteed a huge crowd, as many fans would be keen to see their premiers play for the first time since the Grand Final. This would be the only Thursday night game on the schedule for the season.
The NRL has realized that two Friday night games do not work, as many people are too tired to stay up for two games after a long week. The NRL has also said it is not keen on Saturday night games, as families are less likely to attend them. I also believe that the games should be split among the networks. Every network that shows the NRL can air finals games (the fewer NRL games a network shows, the fewer finals games it receives) and show rep football and the Grand Final on a rotating policy. I believe the NRL should follow the AFL model in that all games are live on Free To Air and are simulcast live on Fox Sports. Suppose Fox Sports says no to the deal. In that case, the NRL should play hardball and state that Foxtel started because of Rugby League, that Rugby League is the dominant code during the winter months on Foxtel ratings (not just Fox Sports), that if Fox Sports had no Rugby League, the company would die as they would lose a giant portion of their subscribers (the same cannot be said for the AFL) and that Fox Sports has been giving the NRL less money. If Fox Sports continues to decline the NRL channel, then the NRL should walk away from Fox Sports, put their games simulcast on Setanta Australia and/or ESPN Australia, and be okay with less money than Fox Sports.
The following is when I think the games should be scheduled under the current 16-team competition (All times are AEDT/AEST unless otherwise stated):
Friday- 1 game: at 19:30. If the Warriors are playing at home, then there are two Friday night games, one game at 17:30 and the second at 19:30
Saturday – 2 games: One at 17:30 and the second at 19:30 or if the Warriors play a 17:30 (NZDT/NZST) game, then there are three games on Saturday with the Warriors being played at 15:30
Sunday – 4 games: One at 14: 00, One at 15:00, one at 16:00 and one at 18:30. If the Warriors have a home game, it remains four games, and it just opens up the possibility of a 12:00 game.
Monday – 1 game at 19:00, or if the Warriors are playing at home, one game at 17:00 and one at 19:00
NB. The second Sunday game (15:00) is the flexible game that moves to accommodate the Warriors at home. The Second Sunday game is also not scheduled in week one as it is the Thursday night game. It should also be noted that by the end of 2013, analogue TV will be switched off, so the networks could place the games on their digital channels if they choose. I am unsure if the NRL will have this contract last for two years, then start a new one once there is a different game, or whether the networks will bid on the one unique game. If the Western Reds are selected, then extra games could be played on Friday at 21:30, Saturday at 21:30, Sunday at 18:30 and Monday at 21:00. The second Sunday game is only moved if both the Warriors and Perth are at home as well as week one. If the Warriors and Perth are both away, then on that occasion, two games would be played at 19:30 on a Saturday.
And Another Thing: Today is Independence Day. Finally, the Independent Commission will come to fruition and run the game of Rugby League. Given the importance of today, I will take a look back and list some significant events in the History of Rugby League in Australia:
Important dates in Australian Rugby League history:
1906 – All Black George Smith, on his way home from the All Blacks 1905 tour to England, meets James J. Giltinan to discuss Rugby League in Australasia.
8 August 1907 – Formation of the NSWRFL
20 April 1908 – The first games of the NSWRFL
1909 – The first season of the Brisbane Rugby League
1911- Rugby League first played at the SCG/Sydney Sports Ground
1924 – First radio broadcast of Rugby League
1928 – First Rugby League game played at night
1954 – First Rugby League World Cup
1961 – Rugby League’s first televised game
1967 – First Grand Final televised live/first Rugby League game played on Sunday
1974: First season of home and away Rugby League
1980 – First game of State Of Origin
1990- Introduction of the Salary Cap
1995-1997 – Super League War
1998 – Beginning of the unified NRL
2008 – Centenary of Rugby League in Australia
2012 – Birth of the Independent Commission
Quote of the Week: Ian Baker finch on Kerri-Anne “As I have always said, golf is 90 per cent mental and 10 per cent in the head”.
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Till next time,
Cheese