PAW Patrol, The Angry Birds movie, even a re-run of the greatest tries from the State of Origin series through the 1990s somehow out-rated last weekend’s Sydney Sevens.

While the Sevens sold out Allianz Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, the event was an absolute stinker when it came to TV audiences, finishing a distant last on what was a jam-packed pay-TV sporting schedule.

The final one-dayer between Australia and New Zealand pulled in a national average audience of 183,000 viewers on the Sunday, followed by the Auckland Nines with 159,000, a tournament record.

Roughly 114,000 tuned into the women’s AFL clash between Melbourne and Brisbane.

On Saturday, the best tries through the 1990s Origin series attracted 66,000 viewers.

The Sydney Sevens averaged 31,000 viewers across the weekend, including 26,000 on Sunday.

An Australian Rugby Union spokesman said the ratings “obviously weren’t as strong as we liked’’.

“But the event was held over three days this year rather than two, and on the Saturday we had two channels in operation with the men and women on separate channels, so there would have been some fragmenting of the audience there,’’ the spokesman said.

The Sonny Bill Williams factor made the Sevens an easier sell last year. The tournament has another two years to run in Sydney.

There could be the option to move it forward a week in a swap deal with the Wellington Sevens, which would make it easier to schedule every women’s game on Allianz Stadium.

But any date change would have nothing to do with going head to head with the NRL’s Nines.

NO COMMENT ON CAP FIGURE

WHAT the 2018 NRL salary cap will be is one of the hottest talking points in rugby league.

So it will come as a huge disappointment that during all the discussions between the NRL, clubs and Rugby League Players Association, not once has an actual figure been proposed.

That’s right, not once.

You would have thought a ballpark figure would have been the first thing put on the table.

While the NRL and clubs have often come under fire for not making the matter a priority, Sports Confidential understands it could be the RLPA who are the ones dragging their heels.

The players’ union has been more than happy to hammer out the fine print for issues like insurance, player workloads and regulating player agents — not an actual cap price.

Speculated cap figures have ranged from $8 million to $11 million, but the amount is expected to be somewhere between $9.2 and $9.5 million.

Don’t expect an outcome before July.

It’s not just the NRL who are sluggish, the AFL season has not sorted its new collective bargaining agreement with the season a little more than a month away.

NRL GUARDED OVER SECURITY

ADRIAN Gard, the bodyguard at the centre of the All Blacks bugging scandal, helped with security for the Kangaroos during their Four Nations campaign last year.

Gard would often stake out a bar or club before giving the team the green light to attend.

When asked if they planned to use Gard in the future, the NRL would not comment, especially with police charges now being issued for public mischief.

SOMEONE LOVES THE REFS

THERE is still plenty of love for the referees with Youi taking over from AAMI as the official partners for the next two years.

Youi will be seen for the first time on the front of the refs’ shirts tonight with Grant Atkins and Chris Sutton in charge of the All Stars match.

Just like the players, Atkins found it tough to adapt to the frenetic pace when resuming during the Auckland Nines, but will improve in the coming weeks.

TITANS EYE OFF GREVSMUHL

Don’t be surprised if former Penrith forward Chris Grevsmuhl ends up with the Gold Coast Titans, especially now that veteran David Shillington has announced his retirement due to a range of injuries.

CHALLENGE NO CERTAINTY

THE captain’s challenge will be trialled all season in the Holden Cup, but whether the NRL adopts it for 2018 and beyond remains to be seen.

LOVETT’S FATE TO BE SEALED

KYLE Lovett is expected to learn his fate at the Wests Tigers as early as next week. After pleading guilty to cocaine possession, he has continued to train with the Tigers.

EASY AS ABC FOR DENE

DENE Halatau, one of the nicest blokes in rugby league, will make his debut on the ABC Grandstand team on Friday night at the All Stars game.

The former Wests Tigers utility will be a regular on the Friday night and Sunday afternoon slots at Aunty.

BUS DRIVERS DROPPED OFF

A CRAPPY training field was not the only thing that upset the Penrith Panthers during the Auckland Nines. We’re told two bus drivers were quickly given their marching orders, including one who wanted to play tour guide, complete with the annoying gibber over the coach’s speaker system, en route to Eden Park.