The Dragons NRLW coach was left angry that none of the media turned up after his side’s loss to Newcastle.
St George IlIawarra NRLW coach Jamie Soward was left angry and embarrassed after the press ignored him and his players in the aftermath to the Dragons’ season-opening loss to Newcastle on Saturday. The RLPA’s media ban continues to hurt those who can least afford it – as Soward’s Dragons found out at McDonalds Jones Stadium.
The Saints coach was left high and dry after waiting to front the traditional post-match press conference only to find no Sydney-based reporters in attendance to ask questions. The media, under the RLPA’s ongoing ban, is unable to speak to male or female players on match days.
The focus on the stars of the women’s game – and the competition as a whole – is suffering as a result. “I waited around for an hour and no-one asked for me,” Soward said.
“We talk about people wanting to cover the girls, but there was no one there to cover it. Our fans deserve to know why we didn’t win, what we’re going to work on and they want to hear from the players, who are the stars of the game. We can’t now (because of the ban) and we can’t anyway because there was no one here to ask.”
Soward did eventually front a hastily convened press conference arranged by Fox Sports after angry Dragons officials put in a complaint to the NRL. The media ban is not hurting the men’s competition as much, with saturation coverage continuing despite access to players being limited. But there are clear indications the boycott is denying the NRLW vital publicity, especially at a time where our female cricketers and footballers are enjoying a PR spike.
Experienced Parramatta media manager Tamara Jawad Shami pointed out the damage the ban is causing. She tweeted: “We’ve had to knock back interview requests with our players due to media boycott the same week their season starts.
“Not sure what the answer is but can guarantee rugby league (especially NRLW) is not the winner. I’m not taking sides. I’m just pissed because our NRLW teams and their fans deserve better than this shit show.”
With the NRL and RLPA no closer to finding common ground over the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), the media blackout is set to continue to at least the end of the regular season. With little or no access to players on match days, media organisations will be reluctant to send personnel to games, especially in regional areas. Soward may not be the only NRLW coach to find himself with a story to tell but no audience to sell it to.
