NRL ON THE ROPES

As if Rugby League needed any more bad news.
Greg Inglis’ charge of assaulting his girlfriend Sally Robinson is just the latest body blow for the NRL.
In the space of just a few months, the game been battered from pillar to post – and the question must be asked – is the game on its knees?
On the eve of the new season, Manly fullback Brett Stewart was suspended for four games for his drunken behaviour at the season launch, which led to sexual assault allegations against the Australian star, for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old girl.
He and Inglis were the faces of the new ad campaign for the NRL.
The ad ran with Stewart edited out.
Now a new ad promoting this week’s indigenous round in the NRL has been canned, costing the league about $250,000.
The costs could well be higher in the long term.
For Inglis, whose court case has been adjourned until August 26, the future does not look good.
Today he was stood down as the NRL’s indigenous ambassador.
Among all that, one of League’s brightest stars in Karmichael Hunt – a Queensland State of Origin player and Australian representative, no less – jumped ship to the AFL, signing on to the new Gold Coast team for 2011.
It is a rat jumping off a sinking ship?
Former Essendon premiership coach Kevin Sheedy said a couple of years ago that he couldn’t see Australia sustaining four football codes.
Football (or soccer) is growing by the day, with the success of the Socceroos and the new A-League a triumph. And if we host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, soccer will really explode.
AFL is unshakable, the nation’s biggest and most popular sport, played in all states, and with two rivalries brewing in Rugby League’s heartland.
It’s no wonder the next television rights deal is going to push the $1 billion mark.
And Rugby Union will survive simply because it’s international – the World Cup features strong and passionate representation from New Zealand, South Africa, England, Wales, France, Ireland, Argentina and many other nations.
Rugby League has no such luxury.
It’s crunch time for League – the players have to lift their game if they want their children to be playing the game they love.
And it has to be said, the poor crowds that frequent (and I use that word very loosely) Rugby League matches – particularly in Sydney – are doing nothing to help their code.
The average NRL crowd this season is just 16,000.
And in total, 100,000 people Australia wide hold an NRL club membership. That’s an average of just 6250 per club.