Dakink
22-04-06, 10:39 AM
At least someone is now pushing for the introduction of televised NRL in Melbourne. I hope they push it, especially considering they now have no AFL when the TV rights change.
Chief executive Brian Waldron hopes Eddie McGuire will go for his scheme of screening live games down south, writes Richard Hinds.Advertisement
AS A former long-serving AFL administrator and a Melbourne native, few in the NRL are as in tune with Eddie McGuire's sporting sensibilities as Brian Waldron. So the Storm chief executive is unlikely to rub salt in the Nine boss' still-raw wounds by suggesting that the channel's loss of the AFL rights could be, to use a term with which McGuire is familiar, a lifeline for his club.
However, with Nine to be cut loose from AFL commitments next year, which, notionally at least, frees it to help the NRL fulfil its oft-forgotten objective of becoming a truly national competition, Waldron has formulated a proposal he plans to put to McGuire and his network.
With Nine likely to screen two Friday night games back-to-back next year, Waldron sees no reason why the Storm could not play several home matches at 6.45pm that would be shown live in Melbourne and screened in Sydney and Brisbane later, either as the main or secondary match.
The 6.45pm kick-off time has not been plucked from thin air. An early start would ensure the Storm avoid a clash with Friday night AFL games in Melbourne, which next year will be shown on Channel Seven, an acknowledgement that, like the Swans in Sydney, the Storm are still in no position to compete head-to-head with their entrenched rivals.
But if the idea will appeal to a small group of caffeine-dependent Storm fans who have grown tired of staying up past midnight to watch their team play, you can't imagine it will knock the socks off Nine's Melbourne programming department. Despite the fact 600,000 Melburnians watched last year's NRL grand final, Waldron acknowledges improved free-to-air television coverage of league in Melbourne would be, at best, a long-term investment for Nine rather than a guaranteed ratings bonanza.
"Talking to Eddie, he understands they own league and they have to make it work," says Waldron. "Having said that, I've been here for 37 rounds and we've had one Channel Nine game. It is extremely frustrating, not only to our footy department, who think they deserve to be on mainstream TV, but also to the sponsors."
During a week in which the ARL launched the return of State of Origin in Melbourne and the Storm prepared for tonight's long-delayed home opener against Newcastle, a lot of neat soundbites about "commitment to the game" in the southern capital were generated.
But while the Origin match is a start, generating greater regular free-to-air television exposure remains a key element to pricking the consciousness of an AFL-obsessed city. While that battle is yet to be fought, let alone won, Waldron claims the Storm are making steady progress in several other areas.
In the next three years, the NRL, the ARL, the Storm and the club's owners, News Ltd, will spend $20 million in "game development" - principally, in attempts to win the hearts and minds of children. Significantly, the ARL has made a three-year commitment to play Origin matches at Telstra Dome. And in 2009, the Storm will move into a new, purpose-built, 25,000-capacity stadium at Olympic Park, where they hope to double their current attendances of about 8000.
"The game wasn't supported at grass-roots levels - now that's happening," says Waldron. "It wasn't supported by having elite competitions like Origin and Tests here - now that's happening. It wasn't supported by being played in a stadium that was the equivalent of the other great stadiums here - now that's happening."
But, for all the optimistic talk, the Storm still face a tough battle in a city that remains largely indifferent to their existence. The Sydney Swans often claim they are competing in the toughest sporting market in the world because of the wide variety of football clubs fighting for fans and sponsorship. However, Waldron believes promoting the game in a city where AFL dominates so completely in every demographic is even more difficult. Entrenched prejudices against the game itself remain part of the problem.
"There are still plenty here who don't understand how much the game has changed, how athletic it is," says Waldron. "They think league players are a bunch of bum sniffers and all they do is bash and crash into each other. Changing that takes time."
But News Ltd is not noted for its patience when it comes to pouring money into unprofitable ventures. With undisclosed millions having been spent on a loss-making franchise, Waldron is well aware the club will need to turn a profit well before its licence expires in 2011 if it is to avoid more relocation talk.
To that end, he claims the Storm's sponsorship deals this year will bring in about $4m, a figure he says would put them in line with the top four Melbourne AFL teams, while the move to the new stadium will give access to corporate hospitality dollars not available at their current ground.
But while he says there has been no fresh talk from the owners of moving the club and that News Ltd remains committed to Melbourne, Waldron also acknowledges not everyone in the game shares his belief that a successful Melbourne franchise is a key to the NRL's overall success.
"There are a lot of people in high league executive positions, not necessarily in the NRL, who sincerely believe the game should only be played in Queensland and NSW," he says.
"Well, that's fine. But then don't go complaining about the value of the game when it comes to paying your bills and getting a dollar out of television rights. There is only one simple reason why the AFL pulls $150 million a year and the NRL pulls $100 million. Their's is a truly national game and has been promoted that way - our game hasn't."
Chief executive Brian Waldron hopes Eddie McGuire will go for his scheme of screening live games down south, writes Richard Hinds.Advertisement
AS A former long-serving AFL administrator and a Melbourne native, few in the NRL are as in tune with Eddie McGuire's sporting sensibilities as Brian Waldron. So the Storm chief executive is unlikely to rub salt in the Nine boss' still-raw wounds by suggesting that the channel's loss of the AFL rights could be, to use a term with which McGuire is familiar, a lifeline for his club.
However, with Nine to be cut loose from AFL commitments next year, which, notionally at least, frees it to help the NRL fulfil its oft-forgotten objective of becoming a truly national competition, Waldron has formulated a proposal he plans to put to McGuire and his network.
With Nine likely to screen two Friday night games back-to-back next year, Waldron sees no reason why the Storm could not play several home matches at 6.45pm that would be shown live in Melbourne and screened in Sydney and Brisbane later, either as the main or secondary match.
The 6.45pm kick-off time has not been plucked from thin air. An early start would ensure the Storm avoid a clash with Friday night AFL games in Melbourne, which next year will be shown on Channel Seven, an acknowledgement that, like the Swans in Sydney, the Storm are still in no position to compete head-to-head with their entrenched rivals.
But if the idea will appeal to a small group of caffeine-dependent Storm fans who have grown tired of staying up past midnight to watch their team play, you can't imagine it will knock the socks off Nine's Melbourne programming department. Despite the fact 600,000 Melburnians watched last year's NRL grand final, Waldron acknowledges improved free-to-air television coverage of league in Melbourne would be, at best, a long-term investment for Nine rather than a guaranteed ratings bonanza.
"Talking to Eddie, he understands they own league and they have to make it work," says Waldron. "Having said that, I've been here for 37 rounds and we've had one Channel Nine game. It is extremely frustrating, not only to our footy department, who think they deserve to be on mainstream TV, but also to the sponsors."
During a week in which the ARL launched the return of State of Origin in Melbourne and the Storm prepared for tonight's long-delayed home opener against Newcastle, a lot of neat soundbites about "commitment to the game" in the southern capital were generated.
But while the Origin match is a start, generating greater regular free-to-air television exposure remains a key element to pricking the consciousness of an AFL-obsessed city. While that battle is yet to be fought, let alone won, Waldron claims the Storm are making steady progress in several other areas.
In the next three years, the NRL, the ARL, the Storm and the club's owners, News Ltd, will spend $20 million in "game development" - principally, in attempts to win the hearts and minds of children. Significantly, the ARL has made a three-year commitment to play Origin matches at Telstra Dome. And in 2009, the Storm will move into a new, purpose-built, 25,000-capacity stadium at Olympic Park, where they hope to double their current attendances of about 8000.
"The game wasn't supported at grass-roots levels - now that's happening," says Waldron. "It wasn't supported by having elite competitions like Origin and Tests here - now that's happening. It wasn't supported by being played in a stadium that was the equivalent of the other great stadiums here - now that's happening."
But, for all the optimistic talk, the Storm still face a tough battle in a city that remains largely indifferent to their existence. The Sydney Swans often claim they are competing in the toughest sporting market in the world because of the wide variety of football clubs fighting for fans and sponsorship. However, Waldron believes promoting the game in a city where AFL dominates so completely in every demographic is even more difficult. Entrenched prejudices against the game itself remain part of the problem.
"There are still plenty here who don't understand how much the game has changed, how athletic it is," says Waldron. "They think league players are a bunch of bum sniffers and all they do is bash and crash into each other. Changing that takes time."
But News Ltd is not noted for its patience when it comes to pouring money into unprofitable ventures. With undisclosed millions having been spent on a loss-making franchise, Waldron is well aware the club will need to turn a profit well before its licence expires in 2011 if it is to avoid more relocation talk.
To that end, he claims the Storm's sponsorship deals this year will bring in about $4m, a figure he says would put them in line with the top four Melbourne AFL teams, while the move to the new stadium will give access to corporate hospitality dollars not available at their current ground.
But while he says there has been no fresh talk from the owners of moving the club and that News Ltd remains committed to Melbourne, Waldron also acknowledges not everyone in the game shares his belief that a successful Melbourne franchise is a key to the NRL's overall success.
"There are a lot of people in high league executive positions, not necessarily in the NRL, who sincerely believe the game should only be played in Queensland and NSW," he says.
"Well, that's fine. But then don't go complaining about the value of the game when it comes to paying your bills and getting a dollar out of television rights. There is only one simple reason why the AFL pulls $150 million a year and the NRL pulls $100 million. Their's is a truly national game and has been promoted that way - our game hasn't."