I'm not bringing this up because of another West Tigers loss but because of a conversation between me and my son. He's a soccer buff so it explains the topic somewhat.
He suggests that the NRL should expand to 20 teams and have a 1st and 2nd division competitions consisting of only 10 teams. Both comps have TV coverage as it does now.
At seasons end the the bottom 5 of div1 go down and the top 5 teams of div2 go up. The bottom 5 teams get salary cap relief of 500k to assist in getting a marquee player and to keep the division healthy. A draft system maybe?
At first I disagreed but then I thought there might be merit in it.
I thought it would be better to have just the winner of div2 to go up rather than a huge shake up of having all the bottom sides of div1 to go down.
Are there enough quality players to have a two tier comp?
What it does make is for a quality top tier comp as sides can rebuild...thoughts?
I don’t like it. I would prefer to expand to 20 teams and just play everyone once rather than the bizarro draw that we have now.
i would put a team back in Perth, an extra one in NZ and one in Ipswich.
A break for Origin in the middle of the year and a genuine international window at the end of the year.
I like the idea of Indigenous va Māori game and would like to keep it in the calendar but not sure what time of year is best. Maybe it’s during the pre season as an event that everyone is genuinely looking forward to after the off season.
A trade window after the Grandfinal and one in June to adjust rosters.
there should be some salary cap dispensation if you have a top 30 player who played in your Matts, SG ball, flegg teams (scaled benefit, more benefit for debuting at a younger age etc).
I like that thought.there should be some salary cap dispensation if you have a top 30 player who played in your Matts, SG ball, flegg teams (scaled benefit, more benefit for debuting at a younger age etc).
I'm hesitant in expanding to Perth or Ipswich etc unless there is a guarantee it would succeed for ever 🤔
I think another NZ team to set up a Derby and maybe a north Melbourne team likewise but I'm not privy to the logistics and if it would succeed.
League is traditionally a NSW coast sport but if the support both financially and with spectators is there so be it.
I think increasing the number of teams increases a catchment of players and supporters....just like AR have done.
I don’t think promotion/relegation would work here. Australia doesn’t have a culture of it. The second tier would be treated as such and players would only want to play for clubs in the top tier.
I also couldn’t see TV coverage been even, using your example and the current broadcast set up. Foxtel would cover the 10 games each week but channel 9 would have 3 games which would come from the top tier at least 80% of the time.
would fans hang around if their team was continually stuck in the 2nd tier?
what are players playing for in the second division?
I like the thinking outside the box but just can’t see it working.
There is not a big enough population in NSW/QLD and therefore not enough $$$ to support a promotion/regulation system in the NRL. Relegated teams are simply doomed.
I like that thought.there should be some salary cap dispensation if you have a top 30 player who played in your Matts, SG ball, flegg teams (scaled benefit, more benefit for debuting at a younger age etc).
I'm hesitant in expanding to Perth or Ipswich etc unless there is a guarantee it would succeed for ever 🤔
I think another NZ team to set up a Derby and maybe a north Melbourne team likewise but I'm not privy to the logistics and if it would succeed.
League is traditionally a NSW coast sport but if the support both financially and with spectators is there so be it.
I think increasing the number of teams increases a catchment of players and supporters....just like AR have done.
The Perth and NZ times lots have value from a broadcast perspective (NZ can play the early games like Friday 6pm AEST and Perth can play the late ones but in daylight). Perth is also a new market and there is a lot of money there, a good rectangular boutique stadium and a state government that is always looking to support events. A second team in NZ (not sure the best location from a derby perspective) means there will be a home game played in NZ every weekend, it will give the opportunity for derby games (north vs south etc) and most importantly contribute a critical mass to junior development. PVL talks about setting up a U.S. combine for failed NFL talent but surely the lowest hanging fruit is rugby talent in NZ in the junior leagues. The more opportunities there is to allow NZ kids to stay close to home and become involved in elite pathways the better for the production of NRL talent. There is a lot of support for league amongst kiwis that I know (they appreciate the game as a TV product). Ipwisch team would lock out AFL from QLD forever.
Some provoking thoughts there. I live in Brisbane and I'm not sold on Ipswich. I think Brisbane and Redcliffe are sufficient. I do like the idea of having a west Sydney team, country team if you like. If only my Norfolk Island team was still going, they did had a good footy team once, now it's lawn bowls, and a good team they are too 😉Ipwisch team would lock out AFL from QLD forever.
I'm on the same page - although my 3 new teams would be Perth, NZ2 and a PNG/Pacific team.
Going down 19 games a year - importantly opens up the calendar for a decent international season.
Best of both worlds
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So true, and the little amount of televised KOE games would suffer too I would imagine.I also couldn’t see TV coverage been even,
I'm not supporting the idea, I'm just throwing it out there as my son raised the idea.
The thought that it basically not an Aussie thing rings true... it's more English soccer I guess. The supporters over there would follow z div 🤣
I don't like byes. I want my team to play every week even if they're are getting belted.
I'm a sore head in bye week and if it wasn't for supercoach I'd be lost. 🤣
my 3 new teams would be Perth, NZ2 and a PNG/Pacific team.
Are you saying teams would play in Port Moresby?
Yeah personally I wouldn’t have a PNG team in the NRL. There is no commercial logic to it. Commit to a regular international window and put a PNG in reserve grade (same for Pacifica) to be a shop window for their talent into other teams. I’m also not sure a second team in Melbourne would work. Given there is no grass roots support in Melbourne I think a second team sends up like GWS.
Apparently there's a big push for the PNG/Pacifica team from the Aus Government who would essentially fund it- as a relationship building exercise in the Pacific region.
Apparently it would be based in Cairns but play out of Port Moresby, Suva - I would even play a few games in Honolulu
Lots of big sponsors in PNG from mining
There's nearly 10million people in PNG alone (excluding the 5mill in west PNG), plus 1 million in Fiji.
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@tigertownsfs 100% agree. A PNG team adds nothing, it’s already a sold market so no new fans or sponsors coming in. GWS and the Suns should be warnings for the NRL - you can’t create markets that aren’t there.
@the-last-ronin yeah I would say Perth slight exception in that there are a lot of Saffa’s and poms who follow rugby so I think some natural ability to convert to NRL. PNG/Pacifica teams wouldn’t work IMHO. Just pay for them to play in reserve grade and create a Pacific Cup at seasons end.
@tigertownsfs Perth would be a good market. A lot of NSW/QLD expats who’d jump on a team as a base. They’d help you grow it by bringing WA locals along. There’s that rugby factor as you mentioned. It opens up you corporate opportunities and new time slot options.
