BY DAN

Somewhere along the line a decision was made to drip feed the draw through November. Confect the outrage. Manufacture the drama. Win the media cycle. Live the dream.

I get it. Marketing is about building anticipation. You give people a taste and it gives the papers something to write about. The collective discussion, which is meant to die down for Christmas, continues, and the rugby league world is at the forefront while we wait for cricket to start. I’m sure there’s a consultant at NRL HQ pointing at his slide with impressions at the header and high-fiving himself, blissfully unaware of any negative impacts the dance may create.

The impact of this drip feed tends to be that aspects of the draw are treated with overblown significance. A game here is considered a titanic struggle. A game there an unfair debacle. We’ve been guilty of this in the past too. In late 2019 we were infuriated at the disrespect – sent to the Gold Coast in round one for 2020, denied FTA exposure, as if 2019 had never happened. Yet again, the Milk being put at the bottom of the pile.

Instead the Raiders ended up with 8 free to air games in the initial draw, much more than they’d had for years. Our happiness with that situation only lasted two games before the Covid break saw a reframing of the draw explicitly around the broadcasters needs. So at each turn the message was to wait and see. The drip feed invites instant judgment without perspective. The world moves and changes quickly. What seems important in a moment may not matter in a month.

This year we’ve got an ironic twist on the matter. Canberra have been given Manly at Brookie in round one. A hit-out against their former half Jamal Fogarty first up, and a chance for Ethan Sanders to prove his worth. The paid media will draw so many long bows from the outcome of this matchup you’ll think you’re at Agincourt (dope Henry V reference Dan, just what the fans want). A victory for the Milk will be proof Sanders is god. A loss will be proof Fogarty was the right decision all along. This will only be compounded by the fact that round one tends to bring out the small sample size theatre.

It’s a nice little bit of meta-synergy. A game of which the outcome will be disproportionately obsessed over, dropped early to be disproportionately obsessed over. Somewhere Leo DiCaprio’s spinning top wobbles as he looks on confused.

Of course, smart footy minds like yourself will no doubt note that Ethan Sanders’ career will not be determined by round one 2026. Jamal Fogarty’s $2.1m salary will not be proven valuable by victory first up next year. A win will always be the best way to start a season, but time is a constant companion. Be patient and she’ll eventually speak her truth.

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