Aussie Pro Rugby
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So who's going to win the Aussie conference? Yes the questions could be rephrased as 'who is slightly less crap'?
When I looked at the odds a few weeks ago I think the order was this:
Brumbies
Rebels
Waratahs
Reds
SunwolvesHas much changed?
The Brumbies probably are still favourites but they have really drifted in and out of games. The matches so far - Reds, Rebels & Highlanders.. all those matches have been in Canberra. They look really fragile.
The Rebels had an unbelievably high error rate for 120mins. Their second 120mins was ok. The one thing they have in their favour is they have the only proven 10 in Australia. Meeks is an underrated player too.
Tahs keep bumbling along. The Reds might find form when they finally play at home? I can't see the Sunwolves winning often enough to stay in touch
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The Brumbies will win the conference. They have the best pack, the most settled squad, and they are well coached. They won't set the world alight but they will win the games they need to, especially at home.
The Reds are the smokeys. The first half they played in Buenos Aires was electric, and with a few more 50/50 calls they would have won. They have a good young core and if they put it all together they could rack up wins in a hurry.
Tahs are rebuilding and won't get above 14th on the ladder. Rebels are too hot and cold to get above 12th. And the Sunwolves... your guess is as good as mine.
But for all the dross I'm actually enjoying watching our teams this year. Good young players finally given their shot. Like Harry Wilson at 8 for the Reds, Mark Nawaqanitawase on the wing for the Tahs, Noah Lolesio at 10 for the Brumbies.
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Two years in a row basically - the ones most important to his development too.
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Fairfax trying to rescue Australian rugby with two notable rugby devotees suggesting improvements:
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@antipodean said in Aussie Rugby:
Fairfax trying to rescue Australian rugby with two notable rugby devotees suggesting improvements:
Same article that gets written every couple of years but change the names?
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That article by Matt Rowley hits the nail on the head: why stay in an abusive relationship?
Despite a lot of bullshit flying around, and my personal criticisms of RA in our recent troubles, it is pretty clear that Castle et al know that doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results, is insanity.
The product is worth fuck all right now, so why not take a risk? At worst, you end up a couple of games per week on Free To Air, and gasp expose your product to more people.
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@NTA said in Aussie Rugby:
@antipodean said in Aussie Rugby:
Fairfax trying to rescue Australian rugby with two notable rugby devotees suggesting improvements:
Same article that gets written every couple of years but change the names?
I thought it was a piss take article, jokingly changing the laws to be league. You can't out compete League/AFL by becoming more like League/AFL. It'll just be a shit version of said game.
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This headline from the Daily Telegraph. The rest of the article is behind a pay wall but doesn't sound good.
OPTUS TO LAND RUGBY RIGHTS IN DISASTROUS RA DEAL
Three weeks after putting their broadcast package to the open market, Rugby Australia has not had a single offer, leaving Optus to snap up the broadcast rights in a new low for the game. -
@Daffy-Jaffy from The Australian:
Optus is favoured to become the new home of rugby, but the final deal could be disastrous for the code if the telco low-balls Rugby Australia as expected. The Daily Telegraph can reveal that three weeks after putting their broadcast package to the open market, RA has not had a single offer. The lack of formal interest has forced them to extend their period for offers for another week. Initially, all contract questions were to cease by next Wednesday, after which prospective buyers would have to table offers. Late on Thursday, it was confirmed this would be pushed back another week. Current broadcast partners Fox Sports have not signed RA’s nondisclosure agreements and will not, leaving Optus as the lone digital option, despite Qatari network BeIN Sports and streaming service DAZN flouting interest. It can also be revealed that Optus has begun talks with production companies, who they will need to film and package Super Rugby, club rugby and women’s rugby games, given they do not have the capabilities to do this in-house. It’s estimated that these production costs will be around $10 million a year, and Optus will fold this into their offer to RA. Knowing Fox Sports is no longer in the mix, having already had a $40 million-a-year offer rejected by RA late last year, insiders expect Optus to come in with a dramatically lower figure given the lack of options. This would leave RA chief Raelene Castle in a major pickle. Castle has already promised the states a larger percentage of the broadcast deal, however if the only offer received is much lower than expected, franchises will find it tougher to compete with foreign rivals. Already, some inside club land are expressing frustration at the prolonged negotiation process because the salary cap for 2021 is unknown, meaning the make-up of their rosters is unclear at a time overseas clubs are targeting their stars. All of the nominations for the RA chairman role and vacant board spots will be announced on Monday. It’s now inevitable that the new chairman and board members will play an integral role in the outcome of the broadcast discussions, given they’ll be appointed at the annual general meeting on March 30, just a fortnight after any offers will be fielded. The only interested free-to-air network for rugby rights, 10, is expected to offer $5 million a year for Wallabies Tests and one live Super Rugby match on Saturday nights. The rest of the code’s broadcast money will need to come from a pay-TV or streaming network, but the underwhelming response since RA went to market has heightened fears the game is facing major losses. The Daily TelegraphOne thing to keep in mind; the DT is a Murdoch rag. And a league one at that.
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It's a pretty shitty article by a pretty shitty publication.
'The final deal COULD be disastrous for the code IF the telco low-balls RA'.
Of course it could be. You could have said that from the start.
It's a blatantly partisan piece of hackery, designed to force Optus to lower their offer and leave a gap for Fox Sports to fill at a reduced price.
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@barbarian said in Aussie Rugby:
It's a pretty shitty article by a pretty shitty publication.
'The final deal COULD be disastrous for the code IF the telco low-balls RA'.
Of course it could be. You could have said that from the start.
It's a blatantly partisan piece of hackery, designed to force Optus to lower their offer and leave a gap for Fox Sports to fill at a reduced price.
Optus will know that too though.
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A different take
Optus pounds Foxtel into submission
A few years ago, Foxtel lost the broadcasting rights for the English Premier League to Optus Sports. And now Optus Sports looks set to steal the rights to televise rugby from Foxtel: Optus is favoured to become the new home of rugby… Current broadcast partners Fox Sports have not signed RA’s...
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Yep. Charity Day for 4th April now needs a re-think. Well on our way to hitting $10K for Neuroblastoma...
For our comp, May 2nd is Round 2* but I think that is absolutely best-case scenario because the general populace are deadshits. The amount of LOIG posts out there on SM about "FARKEN BULLSHIT MAYTE GREATEST GAME EVAHHHH FUCKEN BULLSHIT NEED A NORMAL LIFE"
i.e. the same fucking bogans who will complain about the healthcare system when their aged relatives die, or little J'nae can't get into ED for the broken arm they suffered in a DV incident at 45 Winnieblues Avenue, Shitsville.
*April 11 = Easter, Round 1 = 18 April but a bye the next weekend because of Anzac Day. Why not just start after Anzac Day?
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Rugby AU confirm new domestic competition
Australia's four Super Rugby teams and the Western Force are set to be part of a new domestic competition beginning next month. With Super Rugby suspended and travel bans introduced in Australia from 9pm on Friday night, a domestic competition shaped as the most likely option to fill the void of the five-nation Super Rugby tournament. Because of travel restrictions, the Japanese Sunwolves will no longer be part of the competition that will involve Australia's four Super Rugby teams in a home and away round robin series beginning on Friday April 3.Next season is still expected to be played as a 14-team competition, meaning the Force's involvement in this tournament would likely be a one-off. All matches will be played behind closed doors, in the same vein as the NRL and AFL competitions which have kicked off in the last fortnight. Rugby Australia confirmed in a statement on Friday night that the Western Force had also been approached to be part of the competition with the Sunwolves' absence.The national body is yet to confirm a fixture for the competition and said SANZAAR and its member unions were still finalising how the competition would relate to Super Rugby, with hopes still that some kind of finals series could go ahead. It is expected that South Africa and New Zealand will implement similar domestic competitions in coming days.Rugby AU CEO Raelene Castle said in a statement that this model had support from the key players in Australian rugby. “Rugby Australia, the four Australian Super Rugby teams and RUPA are united behind the continuation of Super Rugby in 2020 and have been intensively working towards a competition solution with our SANZAAR partners over the past six days," she said. "There are still some elements to work through as a group, but we are extremely confident that we will deliver a meaningful product for the remainder of the season for fans and broadcasters. “We have agreed on the principles of proceeding down the path of a domestic solution in Australia which will see our teams compete against each other in a round robin format from April through June, followed by a yet to be determined Finals Series format."One of the big question marks hanging over any competition is the risk that one player contracting the disease would put rugby back in limbo, as has been seen in a number of global sports like the NBA. Super Rugby teams are currently the only teams cleared to train or play games, with all club and community rugby halted until the beginning of May. No player has tested positive to the virus but rugby has felt the impact of a positive test after a Sydney Uni first grade player was a confirmed case this week.
