Off the Wall

The time has surely arrived for the seemingly endless celebration of the centenary of rugby league to end, or at least take a back seat while the critical issues facing the game today get the priority they demand.

If that does not happen it will be the game, and its future, that will be suffering a prolonged hangover.

Celebrating the history of the game was important - but it has become a seemingly endless parade of dinners, parties and media opportunities, as well as some more tangible events that have given the games supports at some connection with the celebrations.

The naming of the team of the century, the NSW country team of the century, and the NSW team of the century will soon be followed by the naming of the Queensland team of the century. And who knows what else?

There was always a risk the centenary celebrations would mask the reality of the game today. That has eventuated - and how!

We now know that perhaps half the nine Sydney based NRL clubs are in varying degrees of financial difficulty. The