I remember when Rugby League was 'respected'.
When the Kangaroo tour or test match against Great Britain was League at its best.
Even Melbournians would stay up late to watch in their thousands.
But League (Cain) soon became 'jealous' of AFL/VFL who had huge crowds (sometimes over 100,000) attend nothing but a local 'suburbian/club level' game of Carlton V Collingwood, etc.
Then they knocked it down from the International scene to the State scene with State of Origin and even that has lost its importance.
Now, its all about the Grand Final as being 'the most important' thing. Hell, the Sharks even one a Grand Final.
Good for ratings ain't it.
AFL hasn't been 'innocent' either with its attempts at the International level via the hybrid Gaelic/Rules Football tests against the Irish.
We even saw League try to compete with Union via its 'Super League' - well that flopped and Rugby Union just 'stole the show' with a very successful 'Super Rugby' format of its own.
Watch those NRL 'Footy Shows' on TV where they prance around in Drag and call AFL as GayFL?
Anyone who watches/follows NRL or even AFL are GRUBS - because its all 'Cain & Abel' from now on.
I miss a Australia where I could go into another State and it was like a unique 'other country' with its own type of football and other cultural differences.
Now Pauline Hanson's Dream of a One Nation has made all of Australia a 'generalised bore' of sameness.
Travel across the border and you're still seeing the same stuff you left behind. Travel 3000kms and you still see the same stuff.
League has lost its way because of jealousy and insecurity.
Melbournians may get bigger crowds at 'club level' Football, but they have always been amazed at how many people would pack into the Leagues 'clubs' themselves, compared to their own. But that idiot Packer set up the Crown Casino in Melbourne and well...
...everything that this country stood for as a great place to live has been done over by the OVER-ACHIEVERS.
This country was not 'broken' - but look at all the idiots trying to fix it.