Oh please NRL
Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 9:14 am
How quickly the NRL forgets the debacle last year in Sydney when Telstra Stadium was forced to host an NRL final with a 20,000 odd crowd on the same night the AFL was forced to the much smaller capacity SCG. Fuck you NRL. Talk about arrogance and not going out of their way to disrupt the AFL finals in Sydney. 
Oh and as the AFL states, most Victorians wouldn't know or even care that the Storm are playing. Clearly this is nothing more than a desperate attempt by the NRL to get some media coverage in Melbourne during the first week of AFL finals.
Oh and as the AFL states, most Victorians wouldn't know or even care that the Storm are playing. Clearly this is nothing more than a desperate attempt by the NRL to get some media coverage in Melbourne during the first week of AFL finals.
NRL hits out at 'arrogant' AFL
By Dean Ritchie
September 05, 2006
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 11,00.html
ANGRY NRL officials last night launched the first shot in a bitter cross-code war, accusing AFL management of attempting to sabotage Melbourne Storm's premiership campaign.
NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley labelled the AFL "arrogant" and claimed his winter football rivals were treating Melbourne Storm "with contempt".
The drama comes over match scheduling with the AFL playing Collingwood's finals match against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on Sunday afternoon - in direct opposition to Melbourne's home final against Parramatta at Olympic Park.
But the AFL's move has drawn a stinging rebuke from Annesley, who said: "Whilst I admit the MCG is the AFL's traditional home, the AFL administration has once again decided to treat the Melbourne Storm and the NRL with contempt.
"Whilst the AFL decision will have no impact on the crowd that turns out for the Storm-Parramatta match, this type of disregard for the fans, most of whom will be Victorian residents, does nothing but reinforce the arrogance of the AFL.
"The AFL knows full well that the McIntyre system (NRL's finals format) requires week one finals to be played in sequence whilst their own website readily concedes that week one matches in the AFL finals series can be played in any order whatsoever.
"Everyone on the planet has known for weeks that the Storm would be playing on Sunday afternoon at Olympic Park.
"Yet the AFL couldn't care less about inconveniencing fans by creating massive congestion in the MCG-Olympic Park precinct.
"The NRL goes out of its way to avoid clashes of major events right throughout the season, particularly at Aussie Stadium and the SCG when the Swans are playing at home, yet we get absolutely no co-operation whatsoever in return from the AFL."
Annesley said the AFL was becoming increasingly concerned at Melbourne's success.
"Only last month we agreed to co-operate with them to avoid scheduling conflicts with the Titans on the Gold Coast next year," he said.
"It would appear that we are becoming much more of a thorn in their side in Melbourne than they are prepared to admit."
AFL communications manager Patrick Keane last night laughed off Annesley's suggestions.
"We've programmed finals at 2.30pm for more than a decade," Keane said.
"To be honest, most people wouldn't have known when the Storm was playing, especially at the time we scheduled our games."
Storm pivot Scott Hill expressed disappointment at the scheduling.
