Fitzgerald's Comments on the Melbourne Storm

[Beaussie]

Fitzgerald kicks up a Storm
By Paul Kent
July 21, 2005
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,86 ... 14,00.html

PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald has fired a broadside at the Melbourne Storm - claiming they don't deserve to be in the NRL.

The Eels boss made the controversial comments at the NRL chief executives' conference yesterday.

Fitzgerald also called for one board to run rugby league and he only needs the support of the ARL to get the proposal across the line.

On a day when the Storm were still waiting on a final decision from halfback Matt Orford with reports late last night he was ready to sign with Manly, the Melbourne club found itself under attack on other fronts.

Fitzgerald also said the Victorian capital did not deserve a State of Origin game next year.

"I don't believe rugby league has a future in Melbourne and I don't believe Melbourne Storm have a future there," Fitzgerald said after the meeting.

Last year Fitzgerald - a vocal critic of the Storm - equated rugby league's presence in Victoria to "promoting beach volleyball in Iceland".

His criticism did not wane yesterday when he claimed an Origin would be "stolen" from Sydney and NSW fans if the plan to shift a game to Melbourne went ahead as expected.

"I don't think people in Melbourne want rugby league," said Fitzgerald.

"They haven't embraced the Storm and things are getting worse with crowds down there. It's just depriving the people of Sydney and NSW the chance to attend one of the showpiece games of the rugby league season."

But an angry Storm chief executive Brian Waldron hit back last night, saying: "It's a very insular approach to think that the game should only be played in Queensland and NSW because you will restrict your capacity to grow the market."

With the lowest average crowd in the NRL, Fitzgerald has raised a valid point if you ask me. When the Swans won 3 wooden spoons in a row in the early 90s, they average better crowds than the Top 4 Melbourne Storm, whilst when they made the finals in the late 80s the SCG was always sold out. Victorians have demonstrated they don't want rugby league. How else can the pathetic crowd averages for the Storm be explained. Imagine what the crowds would be like if the Storm missed the finals a few years in a row. Scary thought isn't it?

As Fitzgerald says, promoting rugby league in Victoria is like like promoting beach volleyball in Iceland.

[King-Eliagh]

Personally i think fitzgerald has and will always be a dickhead. However i dont mind his comments about SOO in the above article. Melb dont deserve an origin. I also believe melb storm are in a lot of trouble but they havent been round for long so really its too early to say whether they can get a neiche in the market. I believe not enough is being done to promote the game and consequently noone gives two shits.

Also beaussie we all know that comparing nrl crowds and afl crowds is absurd as afl is a dreadful game to watch on television, but i was wondering about the swannies crowds in relation to the other afl crowds when they won three wooden spoonies? Were they last in the league for crowds back then?

[Beaussie]

Personally i think fitzgerald has and will always be a d***head. However i dont mind his comments about SOO in the above article. Melb dont deserve an origin. I also believe melb storm are in a lot of trouble but they havent been round for long so really its too early to say whether they can get a neiche in the market. I believe not enough is being done to promote the game and consequently noone gives two shits.

What do you mean not enough is being done to promote the game? The Melbourne Storm are owned by the News Ltd Herald Sun, the biggest selling newspaper in Melbourne. You don't think they promote their own product?

Also beaussie we all know that comparing nrl crowds and afl crowds is absurd as afl is a dreadful game to watch on television, but i was wondering about the swannies crowds in relation to the other afl crowds when they won three wooden spoonies? Were they last in the league for crowds back then?

That is crap about footy being dreadful to watch on TV. The TV ratings for the AFL around Australia would certainly suggest otherwise too. I certainly don't think what you say is indeed the case, although I will admit I prefer to be at the game. As for the crowds back then for the Swans, well I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps the old Brisbane Bears take the cake in that department.

[King-Eliagh]

It is only good to watch on tv if you know the game well. Really all the cameras usually cover is someone kicking a ball, then 5 seconds later as it travels through the air all of a sudden there's three people trying to mark it. It really cant cover the game anywhere near what its like to be there at the game where you can see all the options the kicker can kick to.