COMMENT

BY SCOTT DILLON

Week One of the NRL Finals had everything, four heart-stopping games with more drama than a Jerry Bruckheimer television series.

There’s the usual referee bashing but that comes with the territory when your team loses.

But there has also been a significant spike on social media in code war comparisons between NRL crowds and AFL crowds.

Despite being totally different sports played on different shaped grounds, people love bashing rugby league for their inferior attendances.

The NRL is dead apparently (lol).

Where has this come from?

Like anything, people’s opinions are shaped by mainstream media.

Recently The Daily Telegraph ran with a piece about AFL crowds being far superior and that it meant the NRL was battling.

Huh?

So the NFL gets better crowds than the English Premier League so soccer is shit house?

Huh?

The media, particularly Sydney’s rugby league media, has a lot to answer for.

Five years ago a league fan would smile and shrug his shoulders if somebody compared crowd sizes. Now it’s the end of the world?

Who cares?

It’s time fans learnt to love themselves and their game. 

We consistently win the TV ratings because we have an amazing product.

There’s work to do but we will get there.

Everyone just needs to calm down.