It’s the final grand week of the NRL, and with the same sense of inevitability that saw Penrith and Melbourne reach the premiership decider, players and coaches from both clubs must navigate the usual morass of drama concocted by the rugby league media. It didn’t happen.
But new controversies, and the constant search for new villains, are now facing backlash from players and coaches.
“I enjoyed talking to journalists. It never felt like a hassle,” says former Panthers winger Josh Mansour. “I thought it was a great way to connect with the players and make my voice heard. But once I talked to a few journalists, I walked away thinking I had a really fun conversation, and then went on to write an article. I remember seeing this headline, which gave the reader a really false impression of what I was talking about, and blew it out to be something completely different than what we talked about.
“A lot of players have gone through that. They’ve dropped the ball, they’ve made mistakes like humans, and you’ve seen the press talk about whether they should be burned at the stake. That kind of thing can be a little tiring.”
Ahead of Sunday’s grand final, much has already been revealed about the alleged “feud” between Panthers second row Liam Martin and Storm 58th row Cam Munster. Hours were spent searching for the “hidden meaning” of comments made by Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary in a press conference about his shoulder injury. And as a grand final clearly wasn’t convincing enough, the decision of NSW Blues coach Michael Maguire to take the Brisbane head coaching job sparked fresh outrage.
Nathan Cleary suffered a shoulder injury in the NRL qualifying final against Cronulla and was sidelined from the field. Photo: Dan Himbrecht/AAP
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has been outspoken about his frustration with the media reporting, in his words, “things that aren’t true.” And when Marshall does say something, such as in response to criticism that he spends too much time with his young family, it is framed as a “coverage” between him and the media.
The latest punching bag is Newcastle Knights full-back Karin Ponga. Ponga was heavily criticized last week after being removed from the Kangaroos squad ahead of October’s Pacific Championships.
Ponga cited his desire at the time to focus on the upcoming NRL pre-season and commit fully to the Knights. However, after a week of harsh press coverage of a man who appeared to be “scorned”, Ponga reversed the decision and allowed himself to compete. The move drew headlines such as “Amazing backflip.”
Karin Ponga of the Knights. Photo: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images
The Rugby League Players’ Association, the representative body for NRL players, issued a statement last week criticizing the “long and negative media agenda” that dominates mainstream coverage of rugby league to the detriment of players. It was partly a response to Ponga’s targeting. “happiness.”
“We have become so accustomed to brutal negativity that some people seriously think this is the only way to critique and promote our game,” the RLPA said. “No one is saying you can’t have opinions or criticism, but there’s a difference between having an opinion and tearing apart someone’s character.”
RLPA chief executive Clint Newton, himself a former NRL player, said the comments were made out of frustration with an “environment that has been built up over a long period of time”.
“It came about as a result of a lot of engagement, not just with the players, but with their families: wives, partners, parents,” Newton says. “It’s gotten to the point where we need to provide a reality check.
“It’s not a lack of understanding on our part that the media needs to sell stories. But when it starts to cross the line, that’s when it becomes a problem. We just need mutual respect.” We want to create a space where people can feel confident that these stories are being told responsibly.”
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Mansour, who currently co-hosts the ABC NRL Daily podcast, defended Ponga and said the media’s “outrage” over the incident was contagious.
Mansour said last week: “(Ponga) wants to take a break, step away from football and refresh himself mentally and physically so he can play football next season and be involved in a trade. That’s for sure,” he said last week.
Mansour, along with Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr, is also the creative force behind Let’s Trot, a podcast series featuring in-depth interviews with NRL players.
“It’s very difficult to win a player’s trust. We’ve all had the experience of meeting a fan face-to-face and being told, “You’re completely different from what people say.” says Mansour.
“When you’re talking to complete strangers, when you’re not very confident or really young, people get wary. I try to build trust with the people I interview, laugh and put them at ease. I want to create an environment where players can open up and be themselves.”
Newton refuses to name specific news organizations or commentators who have “crossed the line”, partly to avoid feeding the media beasts he criticizes. He is instead building an alternative media career, like Mansour and Ryan Papenhuizen, that cuts out traditional media intermediaries and reaches out directly to fans, expressing their thoughts in their own words. , points to a growing population of current and former NRL players.
“The media is a great platform to share your story and reach people who are looking for inspiration in their lives or just a little guidance,” Storm star Papenhuizen said this week. “So that’s what I really like about it: I get to share my story.”
Newton says it’s difficult to assess how much it’s worth in the NRL and NRLW.
“This is one of the great things that social media platforms and podcasting have done for players and fans,” Newton says. “It gives our players the confidence to step out on their own and create something they can be proud of. It’s a great opportunity to lift the character of our game and give them a voice.”
