CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN have a certain amount of TV timeouts per game in the NFL, 2 years ago ESPN ran out of them and sent someone down to the sideline to ask the coaches if they would call timeouts (the game was one sided) so they could fit in some more adverts.

Put an ad on a conversion like they do in Aus if you want but no to breaking up the game. Football doesn't need to go into quarters so there's no real reasoning why our game should. As has been mentioned it can introduce artificial changes to the flow of the game. That said could that be something our game would benefit from? It might make things even closer than they already are but given that a team can monopolise possession for ten minutes easily during the course of the game that could mean a team defending virtually for an entire quarter.

Nah, don't like the idea.

Moan moan moan moan moan.

If it gets RL over $1 billion for the TV rights, who cares.

The time wasting going on now es me off more, when the ball is out of play, time off, simple isn't it?

We'd end up with a genuine 80 min game.

We do. Your comment suggests that the NRL couldn't secure that sort of deal without the advertising which may not be the case. The Premiership seems to manage very well and that's exported successfully to countries that are slaves to advertising with sports i.e. the Yanks.

Warrington vs. Rabbitohs was played in 4 quarters and it was actually alright. That wasn't a TV game so I assume they do it due to the heat or maybe just to allow tactical subs.

A club doctor can tell the NRL match official that due to heat any game can be played in quarters. He can also instruct them that the trainers are allowed on more often, moving away from the rules, to help hydrate players. You don't often see this as it tends to happen more pre-season when it's mid summer or when the juniors are playing. I recall a club doctor not allowing a game to continue in Penrith with the U18s as the temp rose to the mid 40s!!!

As I said, playing a game in quarters with a 3 min break isn't a problem.

As for being worried about losing players to Union or AFL, that's the normal paranoia that comes from insecurity here driven by the media unfortunately. We've lost a handful or so in the last decade. Now compare that to the people who play it.

I have been hung, drawn and quartered for implying as much, but some posters thrive on their online image of defenders of the RL faith too much...there really is no code war. In the case of Union, before I started following the Broncos, I never even gave league a second glance unless it happened to be on the BBC and there was nothing else on.....

I'm pretty sure that a Catalans / Warrington game a few seasons ago was played in 4 quarters because of the heat, I can't remember which season exactly it was though. (zero points to anyone who replies with 'summer').

June 2008 IIRC......it was rather warm in the south of France.

There's a big difference between 4 quarters with kick-offs etc and simply stopping the game for a quick drinks break. No-one minds the latter when it's hot, the former however would have a big impact on how the game is currently played and in my view isn't necessary or beneficial.

....not in the UK, you are correct.
..................but in Australia, where the size of the TV deal is EVERYTHING over the state of stadiums, the youth development or lack of it and at all costs, and everything must be bigger than that of other sports, they will bend over for TV and gladly change the rules in return for a quick fix.
Events earlier this year pointed to clues as to exactly how much a great number of NRL teams are banking on a much bigger cheque for TV.....some have bet the house on it and can't afford to lose.
Rooster will correct me if I am wrong, but the only reason for this is revenue......it will bring nothing more to the game.

Wtf are you going on with now troll?

Do you ever post without lying?

the nrl are well aware of any proposed changes may slow the game down (ala NFL) and will not be going down this path.

what has been suggested is quick ad breaks after tries, scums, drop outs etc.

LEK, who are advising the nrl on their upcoming TV broadcast deal have advised the NRL that introducing these minor changes and similar will add $70 million pa to the TV deal

divided by 18 NRL clubs (given nrl expansion by 2 new clubs in perth and brisbane) means extra revenue per club of over 3 million per club

As long as the essence of the game is unchanged im all for anything that gives our clubs more money

im not a fan of 4 quarters football that would slow the game way too much.

And too the people on this thread questioning a need to raise revenue i would advise this is lunacy. this is a professional sport and a business. as such we need to maximise our revenues where possible so that we can invest more money into juniors, give our players a badly needed pay rise, give more to each club and expand the game nationally.

Sport is a business and businesses need to make money to survive and grow.
Media is the biggest source of this income, what is wrong with that?

Without the media deal in the UK a decade ago the Game in England would be all but dead by now.

you must have big hands then



the nrl has lost around 20 or more players to RU including origin players like gower, craig wing

mark gasnier, tuqiri, sailor and rogers all returned from their union stints lesser players who never reached previous form

NRL fans would rather their stars stay there than play a rival sport which uses their signings as a way to encroach on RLs territory

higher salary cap would also ensure the 90 or so ex NRL players whove departed to Super League wouldve remained if their club wanted too

with a larger cap well have much deeper playing squads and the quality of the NRL would improve further as injuries wont harm clubs individuals performances as much

given all the players the nrl develops its only fair it has much better playing depth and only a poor TV deal last time has prevented this with Super League, union and AFL all taking our players

with over 100 of our locally developed players taken elsewhere this is a significant issue for the nrl to rectify

Ice hockey? I went to a Boston game a few years and the game stopped with the puck in play, someone told me it was for adverts.

NRL players who have moved to other sports in recent years.
Union
Berrick Barnes
Nathan Blacklock
Willie Carne
Ryan Cross
Paul Franze
Sam Harris
Wise Kativerata
Ben MacDougall
Craig Wing
Mat Rogers
Wendell Sailor
Clinton Schifcofske
Timana Tahu
Brad Thorn
Lote Tuqiri
Andrew Walker
Lesley Vainikolo
Sonny Bill Williams
Craig Gower
Mark Gasnier
Tasesa Lavea
AFL
Karmichael Hunt
Izzy Folau

Many of the above were State of Origin standard or Test players.

Luckily Oz Rugby Union have decided that most NRL backs do not suit their style of game and are unlikely to poach many more in the future.

Cooper Vuna

Luke Rooney.
Will Chambers.

Joseph Tomane

rocky elsom
wycliff palu
will chambers just returned

the bigger issue is clearly Super Leagues raids on the nrl and stopping this but union has mainly gone for quality over quantity and has certainly had a detrimental impact on the nrl and the quality of origin with so many origin stars taken in their prime and waiting around for new stars to reach that level.

on the news tonight Israel Folau is being paraded by the AFL for their upcoming match this weekend.

the AFL has estimated his signing has created million in free advertising for their sport as it hopes to push into western sydney, an area which is of course a RL hotbed.

clearly anything the NRL can do to raise its TV deal to retain its own players is to be applauded, provided it doesnt radically change the game

putting in a 30 second ad after tries, kicks to touch etc without delaying live coverage doesnt seem to change the game at all, and if it gives us $70 million more pa than im all in favour of it

I can live with a few ads if it is on free to air TV, better than not seeing the games at all.
Channel Nine are dead set mugs in how they have used the League contract and I gave up on Pay TV some time ago.

Stacey Jones and Jonesy Apologies for playing down the numbers without thinking about them too hard... clearly.

Indeed, anything the NRL can do to get more money in is good, but pretty please don't ruin the product.

I run the yellow and as such in my side, I go to the goal kicker. I'd say it'd take a minute or even two, to go from scoring a try to getting boot to ball. So if they can squeeze a commercial or two in that time, then fine. Just please never stop a game deliberately for an ad.

Its all good Rooster, most of us want what is best for the game in the end.