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The NRL Rookie

14 burly bruisers will compete for a League contract in GO!'s new reality show.

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The biggest challenge for any sports reality show (of which there have now been several) is not to win over fans of the sport, but to win over non-fans.

The Recruit managed to do just that on Foxtel, with women and families enjoying the AFL show alongside men. It was produced by McGuire Media who now turn their hand to an NRL equivalent, The NRL Rookie screening on GO!

Like The Recruit it will offer a player contract to its winner, repeatedly touted here as the “greatest prize in Australian sport.” Apologies to AFL Premiership, State of Origin, Australian Open, NRL Premiership and assorted Olympians.

There are 28 players competing for 14 places in the first episode. No surprise they are big, burly bruisers, with tatts and biceps bulging. Aged in their 20s, they are impressively multicultural with ethnicities from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Pakistan, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Hosting the show is Footy Show‘s Erin Molan, joined by Brad ‘Freddy’ Fittler as head coach, Mark Geyer as forwards coach, Adrian Lam as backs coach and Kate Baecher as psychology coach.

Fittler wants to see effort and team skills in their first challenge, which involves endurance running as a group. Testosterone phrases fly thick and fast: “Chasin’ the dream / Dig deep / Any condition / Not leavin’ you behind mate,” -most would be right at home in the MasterChef kitchen.

Some will struggle but others will share the load, before a group match allows for individuals to show off with the ball.

Throughout the episode there are backstories of select players, such as the guy who lost his mum to cancer, the bloke who had heart surgery, or the son of a famous player who wants to succeed on his own merits. There’s also a nice moment where religion provides a welcome contrast.

I must admit the pieces to camera from the players left articulation at the door. I wish I had a dollar for every time I shouted out “What?”

However, the camerawork and editing is one of the show’s better attributes, if over-using the slow-mo. It captures close-ups and asides that relate the intensity of this pressure-cooker. A guitar soundtrack throughout underlines everything with raw grunt.

In “The War Room” as the coaches decide the lucky 14, there are cliches galore: “He talked the talk but can he walk the walk?”

Not a great deal is asked of host Erin Molan (I keep wanting to call her Erin Moran), but she handles uncomplicated scenes with uncomplicated ease.

The NRL Rookie strikes me as a good use of multichannel entertainment, although the barrage of brand names squeezed into frame, suggests the budget remains too tight.

It’s not must-see TV but as a non-NRL follower my attention was held until the actual match, which is a pass in my book.

The NRL Rookie airs 7:30pm Tuesday on GO!

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