Grand Final ratings

Well, that was a fairly fitting end to another compelling NRL season. In the end it was the foreign fairytale versus the insular peninsula - and after a belated but compelling charge from the Warriors, Manly had enough class to run out as deserved premiers.

The other big battle on Grand Final weekend was the one for TV ratings, with the all-Melbourne AFL decider up against an NRL affair lacking the Queensland or Victorian presence which has typically propelled the strongest grand final ratings over recent years.

In the end the results were again close enough for both sides to feel justified in claiming victory based on their favoured set of numbers. Including the regionals the NRL decider chalked up an average national tally of 3.3 million viewers, with another 700,000 odd tuning in to a live or delayed telecast across the Tasman.

Excluding the Kiwi connection, the total capital city ratings came in at 2.2 million, the same as last year but below the 2.5 million plus figures recorded in 2005, 2006 and 2009 when the NRL enjoyed fortuitous combinations of two of a Queensland team, a non-reviled Sydney team and the Melbourne Storm.

Results in the Sydney and Brisbane markets were down slightly on last year's decider, with the lack of a Queensland team probably knocking around 200,000 people off the Brisbane figure based on past results. On the other hand, the sharp increase in Melbourne must have been a pleasant surprise for the NRL given the absence of the Storm and last year's salary cap disaster. The 362,000 viewers who tuned in to the NRL in Melbourne also comfortably exceeded the 258,000 viewers for the AFL the day before.

All up, while Nine and the NRL might have preferred a Brisbane v Melbourne decider - a surefire ratings hit given the Lockyer farewell and the proven ability of the Melbourne audience to watch in huge numbers when the Storm are involved - the GF again performed strongly on the TV sets. And the boost to the game in New Zealand from the Warriors' involvement can only be good for the competition (and the code) in the longer term.

The second installment of the cross-code ratings war continues this Sunday, with a twist, as Australia takes on New Zealand in the two rugby codes in back to back timeslots on Sunday afternoon. While NRL club and representative games usually comfortably outrate all but the biggest international rugby union clashes, the hit ratings in the 2003 rugby union world cup are proof that Aussies will tune in in big numbers when the Wallabies bandwagon is in full swing and the timeslot is favourable. That will probably be enough to give the union an edge over the league in the battle for TVs this Sunday, particularly given that the Wallabies v All Blacks game is in prime time and will get a strong lead in from the Kangaroos v Kiwis matchup.

Still, Nine's treatment of the rah rah hasn't pleased everyone, with all but the biggest matches on delayed telecast (or telecast live, but with zero promotion, on the extra digital channels).  We can't get too emotional about the concept of less union on TV, but we would like to formally maintain the rage about Nine's shoddy treatment of confirmed RL desparados who would like to watch big offshore matches like the English Challenge Cup Final or Super League Grand Final live despite the ungodly hour. Leeds ran out victors over Saints at the weekend - the Rhino's fifth Super League title, and fifth straight grand final loss to Saints (remarkably, four of these have been at the hands of Leeds). Of course, rather than show it live at the 4am on Sunday morning, Nine couldn't quite get around to altering the usual early AM Monday timeslot.

Presumably they've been too busy working on scripts for unpaid Clubs Australia spots to get around to scheduling some live sport. Why waste time showing footy you've bought the rights to when you could just...not? As Phil Gould would say, "I've never seen a more stupid policy in all my life".