Talking Footy

NRL commentator Andrew Voss has unleashed at The West Australian’s front page in the wake of the Perth Bears being officially confirmed as the league’s 18th team.

WA Premier Roger Cook confirmed the news on Wednesday with a $65 million deal set to see the team join the expanded competition in either 2027 or 2028.



While the news was met with excitement from long-time fans of the club, Perth’s major newspaper The West Australian was not on the same page.

The newspaper’s Thursday front page was titled “The bad news Bears” with the subheading further stating: “Rugby mad Roger Cook forces WA taxpayers to pay Sydney NRL rejects $65m to play in Perth”.

The story went on to criticise the move and slam projections regarding the economic benefit the new franchise would have for the state.

“Treasury has watered down NRL claims in east coast media that the club would bring more than $500 million in economic benefit over the next decade to WA,” the story read.

“Analysis of the League’s modelling by ACIL Allen showed a WA club would bring in $28 million a year once competing, rather than $52 million as initially claimed by the Australian Rugby League Commission.”

The backlash came in thick and fast with Voss slamming the front page display as nothing more than “clickbait”.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/was-u ... 30e6959195

Posts with name calling and attacks / offensive if deemed unnecessary will now be deleted by my self going forward.
of course when i have time to do so

Funny how the media attacking have the rights to the AFL. No coincidence there.

Valandys is right. The AFL media clearly don't want competion of another code there.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/eating ... 7027bdb4ec

makingnrlfansgowacko wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 4:58 pm

NRL commentator Andrew Voss has unleashed at The West Australian’s front page in the wake of the Perth Bears being officially confirmed as the league’s 18th team.

WA Premier Roger Cook confirmed the news on Wednesday with a $65 million deal set to see the team join the expanded competition in either 2027 or 2028.



While the news was met with excitement from long-time fans of the club, Perth’s major newspaper The West Australian was not on the same page.

The newspaper’s Thursday front page was titled “The bad news Bears” with the subheading further stating: “Rugby mad Roger Cook forces WA taxpayers to pay Sydney NRL rejects $65m to play in Perth”.

The story went on to criticise the move and slam projections regarding the economic benefit the new franchise would have for the state.

“Treasury has watered down NRL claims in east coast media that the club would bring more than $500 million in economic benefit over the next decade to WA,” the story read.

“Analysis of the League’s modelling by ACIL Allen showed a WA club would bring in $28 million a year once competing, rather than $52 million as initially claimed by the Australian Rugby League Commission.”

The backlash came in thick and fast with Voss slamming the front page display as nothing more than “clickbait”.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/was-u ... 30e6959195

Tremendous publicity for Australia's most watched sport. In the middle of a fumbling season Rugby League gets front page of WA's biggest newspaper. Well done Peter The great. Well done Rugby League. Go the Bears!!!!!!

Terry wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 6:43 pm

makingnrlfansgowacko wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 4:58 pm

NRL commentator Andrew Voss has unleashed at The West Australian’s front page in the wake of the Perth Bears being officially confirmed as the league’s 18th team.

WA Premier Roger Cook confirmed the news on Wednesday with a $65 million deal set to see the team join the expanded competition in either 2027 or 2028.



While the news was met with excitement from long-time fans of the club, Perth’s major newspaper The West Australian was not on the same page.

The newspaper’s Thursday front page was titled “The bad news Bears” with the subheading further stating: “Rugby mad Roger Cook forces WA taxpayers to pay Sydney NRL rejects $65m to play in Perth”.

The story went on to criticise the move and slam projections regarding the economic benefit the new franchise would have for the state.

“Treasury has watered down NRL claims in east coast media that the club would bring more than $500 million in economic benefit over the next decade to WA,” the story read.

“Analysis of the League’s modelling by ACIL Allen showed a WA club would bring in $28 million a year once competing, rather than $52 million as initially claimed by the Australian Rugby League Commission.”

The backlash came in thick and fast with Voss slamming the front page display as nothing more than “clickbait”.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/was-u ... 30e6959195

Tremendous publicity for Australia's most watched sport. In the middle of a fumbling season Rugby League gets front page of WA's biggest newspaper. Well done Peter The great. Well done Rugby League. Go the Bears!!!!!!

These fumblers are so dumb.... soooooo .. dumb Tez
they don't even know when they're being played



PVL
bit the pin off a grenade & just threw it into stumbles & bumbles town ... right in the middle of their season
what are these clowns talking about

the NRL

what were they talking about leading into their season

the NRL

what will they be talking about in their off season

the NRL




PVL knows what insecure little dweebs they are
he sets them off

go Lord Peter
go

GlobalRugbyLeague wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 6:35 pm

Valandys is right. The AFL media clearly don't want competion of another code there.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/eating ... 7027bdb4ec

the snake oil salesman PVL plays you lot like chimps! he is a desperate little attention seeker that does everything to grab the AFls attention
me says something and you lot take it as gospel

leeroy*NRL* wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 5:33 pm

Posts with name calling and attacks / offensive if deemed unnecessary will now be deleted by my self going forward.
of course when i have time to do so

the paper is point out how it will cost the tax payer and like usual PVL and his team of snake oil sales men have cooked the books of the economic impact

makingnrlfansgowacko wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 8:19 pm

leeroy*NRL* wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 5:33 pm

Posts with name calling and attacks / offensive if deemed unnecessary will now be deleted by my self going forward.
of course when i have time to do so

the paper is point out how it will cost the tax payer and like usual PVL and his team of snake oil sales men have cooked the books of the economic impact

That's great Wacko. But the Perth Bears are coming to town pal. And got the front page of the local rag today in the middle of a fumbling season. Well played Peter The Great. Well played Rugby League. Well played Perth Bears.

Stay strong Wacko 'ol mate.

Not really the kinda front page the NRL would have been hoping for Terry.

GlobalRugbyLeague wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 6:35 pm

Valandys is right. The AFL media clearly don't want competion of another code there.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/eating ... 7027bdb4ec

or its the Newscorpse and the NRL media up set after finding out PVL cooked the books and lied?

GlobalRugbyLeague wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 6:35 pm

Valandys is right. The AFL media clearly don't want competion of another code there.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/eating ... 7027bdb4ec

And the NSW and QLD Rugby League dominated media have been so supportive and friendly to the AFL.
​
Perhaps this news explains why that is.


V’landys denies NRL pressuring TV networks for positive coverage​
Danny Weidler​
Sport columnist
May 4, 2025

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/the-nr ... 5lp9j.html

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys has hit out at speculation the NRL is leaning on its broadcasters for positive publicity with negotiations about to start on a billion-dollar TV deal.
This column first aired the news that subtle pressure was being put on networks to be positive in their coverage of the game. And the background to the story is the upcoming negotiations, which will determine where rugby league is watched after the current broadcast rights deal expires at the end of 2027.

The TV talks are about to heat up now Foxtel has been sold by News Corp and Telstra to British company DAZN. Significantly, Nine Entertainment – owners of this masthead – recently appointed a new head of television, Amanda Laing, who formerly worked for Foxtel. She will do the negotiating alongside Nine Entertainment chief executive Matt Stanton.

Laing started the job last Monday. She has been in Brisbane for Magic Round and has been seen with the game’s bosses, who she knows well from her time on the ARLC.

This column put it to V’landys that the broadcasters were being told to provide positive coverage for the game, which he strongly denied.

“That’s not something that we would ever do, and not something we would do around the time of a negotiation,” V’landys said. “I think there is some reverse psychology being used here. People are saying it so that we don’t do it. But the truth is, we don’t do it.”

V’landys’ relationship with the media has been in the spotlight in recent times as he has been accused of seeking positive coverage. It has been highlighted by ABC’s Media Watch that all the stories written in the News Corp press about PVL have been positive. The same program also raised concerns about this masthead, but acknowledged its critical coverage of the league and racing boss.

Having dealt with V’landys for several years, as the chairman of the game, I can say he has never asked me to write a positive story about him. He has never even hinted at it, or asked for a negative story to be pulled. If he did, he knows the response he’d get.

Having said that, there is definitely a push from the NRL to ensure its broadcast partners remember they are partners when it comes to dealing with the sport more broadly.

A particular bugbear of the NRL is when the AFL is deemed, in their eyes, to be getting more coverage in news bulletins than the NRL. This column also recently highlighted requests from NRL spin doctors for access to rundowns, or at least topics that are to be discussed, on magazine-style rugby league TV programs.

Again, it’s understandable why they would like to put the NRL’s spin on things, and to correct or prevent errors, but it is a very fine line they are treading.

The bigger concern is the potential gagging of talent. If that ever happened, the game would have a serious issue. Trying to control the media narrative by stopping people from expressing their opinions would hurt the game more than help it.

Sometimes commentators not saying anything can be more damaging for the code.

It has been widely reported that Channel Nine commentator and league Immortal Andrew Johns refused to call the last 23 minutes of the Wests Tigers-Cronulla game on Sunday as he was so frustrated with the NRL’s approach to high tackles and the number of sin bins.
His silent protest made a real impact.

What plenty of people missed – and it should be documented – is the stance Phil Gould took on 100% Footy on Monday night. NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo was facing up to questions about the farcical 18 sin bins last weekend. In a panel of experts, of which Gould was by far the most experienced, he was the only one not to ask Abdo a question. He’s clearly fed up with the way the NRL is handling its crackdowns – or non-crackdowns, as the NRL claims – and could not be enticed into entering the conversation with Abdo, who is doing his best in a tricky situation.

Gould can talk for hours about tackle techniques and where the game has gone wrong, but his refusal to ask Abdo any questions said it all.

Terry wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 8:41 pm

makingnrlfansgowacko wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 8:19 pm

leeroy*NRL* wrote: Thu May 08, 2025 5:33 pm

Posts with name calling and attacks / offensive if deemed unnecessary will now be deleted by my self going forward.
of course when i have time to do so

the paper is point out how it will cost the tax payer and like usual PVL and his team of snake oil sales men have cooked the books of the economic impact

That's great Wacko. But the Perth Bears are coming to town pal. And got the front page of the local rag today in the middle of a fumbling season. Well played Peter The Great. Well played Rugby League. Well played Perth Bears.

Stay strong Wacko 'ol mate.

the AFL isnt the one always mouthing off at the other code wanting attention and hype as it doesnt need it!

old PVL got out foxed by a politician like the 2nd rate hack that PVL is, uses tax payer and gambling dollars to grow a game, dribbles out one liners about the AFL for some attention seeking promotion and it has the ******** NRL fans in a fluster thinking he is a genius. then beats his chest how the game is growing!
be sure keep to keep an eye out for the magic carpets PVL and co will soon be selling for trips over to WA also

https://www.smh.com.au/national/western ... 5lxic.html