Not that I have any faith in the methodology used to gather TV statistics but seems we have even lost a key bragging right this year:

Overall the AFL GF rated 3.247 million to the NRL's GF 3.070 million from the five capital cities and regional networks

IF we could get a better TV deal next time then the money should be used to bring in 4 new teams; Perth and Central Coast 2013, Brisbane2 & Adelaide 2016. Ideally we would see a couple of Sydney teams disappear but unlikely to happen for another 5-10 years when the pokie money finally drys up and they finally admit there isn't the fanbase or corporate support for 9 teams in one city..

so to sum up :

1. AFL has no team in another country as the NRL does.
2. AFL has no real international game of its own
3. AFL has no origin.

funny how you miss all these things in your sycphantic rants about that god awful sport.

the upcoming RLWC will be a further nail in the coffin for that horrible, horrible "sport?"

what is the passion like for an AFL origin game?

you know origin, the event that gets TV ratings of 10 million, crowds over 150,000 and generates millions for australias number 1 footy code.

indeed a brisbane lions player (AFL) said he wished their sport had something that united queensland like the origin did.

the future for the nrl is in queensland.

with its population booming and the state RL mad, it needs more teams.

indeed i think queensland will cause the aFL massive losses as the gold coast and brisbane AFL teams will be losing lots of money

Don't disagree, the game needs another NZ team, another Q'land team, a central Coast team, an Adelaide team and a Perth team to just about wrap up the whole country. Unfortunately I don't think we'll ever see it whilst A) Gallop is running the show, B) News are running the game C) we have 9 clubs in Sydney.
NRL will need to make some tough choices in years to come, if it has the vision, leadership and b4lls to do it is very debateable.

How many such games does the AFL have, though?

RL is Aus has the GF, 3 SOO and any international matches which typically pull decent viewing figures as well.

Every game just about is like an origin game, if you have Collingwood v say Carlton at the MCG with 80,000 for a club match, who needs origin??

They used to have Origin, it was once quiet big i believe, butr like i said, the rivalries amongst the bigger clubs equals what Origin has to offer, the crowds are ridiculously big & passionate

take out adelaide and replace with PNG and ill back that.

i still believe we can expand without killing off clubs in sydney.

whats the point in gaining 15,000 fans in perth if you lose the same number in cronulla who then follow a rival sport.

we need something like 20 or 22 teams in the nrl.

The point is that it gives you a solid presence in Perth, something currently lacking. Sydney is already dominated by RL, the loss of 15k Cronulla fans won't change much; but the addition of 15k fans in Perth would.

you dont get 3 million people watching collingwood vs carlton thats the problem sunshine. 3 million people watch every origin game.

hence why the AFL cant match the nrl.

good to see you sticking up for the AFL mob, they need all the help they can get.

indeed, 1 origin game in queensland gets more TV ratings than an ENTIRE season of AFL games in that state.

so much for AFL in queensland eh mate?