Off the Wall

I have long contended that union is no longer the main threat to rugby league.

Union is no longer cashed up like it once was, and thanks to pedantic rules and referees it is no longer worth watching either!

Further proof of the decline in union comes with the television numbers from last Saturday night. The Wallabies were not only walloped on the field by the All Blacks, they were absolutely trounced on free to air coverage.

Nationwide, the Wallabies game attracted just 289,000 viewers on free to air television. It was basically shown live nationwide.

The Broncos v Dragons game - not shown live nationally - still attracted 1.03 million viewers nationally. In Sydney the league match attracted 550,000 viewers - the rugby encounter just 146,000.

The rugby match was rated 159th in the rankings!

While it is being argued by the ARU that the game rated well on Fox Sports, it did not have any rugby league opposition to contend with.

The television ratings for the NRL finals have been excellent. And timely!

This Friday nights classic between the Bulldogs and the Eels should be a ratings standout.

The other comparative good news for the NRL is that the A-League soccer competition is absolutely on the rack when it comes to attendances.

They posted just over 7,000 for the Roar's match at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. Soccer administrators must be borrowing one of the bad habits of some rugby league ground officials - double counting!

Today the media is reporting that the ARU might look at trying to entice Jarred Hayne across the divide in 2011.

If he took time out on Saturday night to watch another boring Wallaby walloping he will not have the remotest interest - not matter what John O'Neill might offer!