Expanding the NRL through Promotion and Relegation

[Perth Red]

No thanks

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

One of the advantages of having 2 divisions is Perth, Adelaide and Central Coast can all have there own teams and no club and fan base are forced to go through a relocation. I would rather my club dropped to NSW cup then have them relocated and rebranded as the Adelaide or Perth Knights.

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

Watching how exciting the promotion and relegation phase of the Super League is furthers my opinion that the system can work well in the NRL. Having meaning at both ends of the table is something the NRL can greatly use. Even as a Knights fan I wouldn't hate if my team had the chance to take a season or 2 to regroup in the second division and actually have a chance at being competitive.

 

[Captain Apollo]

When you consider last we (i.e. the public) heard was that, as part of their funding arrangements (and to head off any threat of any future breakaway comps) the NRL were going to give the current teams licences in perpetuity to the NRL. If this is still in the pipeline, promotion-relegation will never happen.

Putting that aside, funding has been identified as the biggest impediment, and the one thing that is overlooked is that if NRL revenues go up, the players will want it to go towards an increase in the salary cap. They won't abide any revenue increase not leading to an increase in the cap so it can fund expansion.

 

[siv]

Doubling TV revenue means doubling the caps and grants

But it also means doubling the spare cash

 

[Perth Red]

AFL got $66mill a year for having a ninth game to sell. Even very worse case scenario two new clubs cost $30-40mill that is still more money in the rest of the clubs pockets.

 

[Perth Red]

Watching how exciting the promotion and relegation phase of the Super League is furthers my opinion that the system can work well in the NRL. Having meaning at both ends of the table is something the NRL can greatly use. Even as a Knights fan I wouldn't hate if my team had the chance to take a season or 2 to regroup in the second division and actually have a chance at being competitive.

Its no fun if you are a fan or investor in a club threatened, trust me! We could see 10 years of hard work to grow into a SL club undone due to one bad year of injuries and NRL numpties, and one potentially bad performance in a one off game. I am anything but excited!

 

[siv]

Thats if you are a team on the way down

But for Leigh or before Hull KR excitement was huge

 

[Perth Red]

As a team that went down, and went down again and took years to get back up, facing winding up orders and merger attempts along the way I can tell you having a "year or two "out of the NRL would concern you greatly!

 

[myrrh ken]

I think the costs to travel internationally and interstate for 2nd tier teams will sink them.

Might be the reason why we have intrastate comps at lower levels?

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

I think the costs to travel internationally and interstate for 2nd tier teams will sink them.

Might be the reason why we have interstate comps at lower levels?

A very legitmate issue with a pro/relegation system. The idea is the NRL will give equal funding and support the teams equally. This distrubution of funds will hopefully help pay for any travel expenses.

 

[CC_Roosters]

A very legitmate issue with a pro/relegation system. The idea is the NRL will give equal funding and support the teams equally. This distrubution of funds will hopefully help pay for any travel expenses.

I would only have the same salary cap between the leagues. funding would have to decrease in the second division; a. To keep costs down and B. You may as well have two equal conferences if everyone is getting an equal grant and cap. the same cap allows to teams in div 2 to be ambitious and spend the same as top tier clubs if they have the means. the only further measure I would have is that there is a lower salary floor in div 2 with a restriction on the percentage of revenue for footy spending.

Spud would the issue in England not be that traditionally the 2nd tier has been poorly funded and largely semi pro? the key is managing the gap so that teams can transition between divisions without overdue stress, meanwhile allowing clubs to reach their potential.

 

[flamin]

As a team that went down, and went down again and took years to get back up, facing winding up orders and merger attempts along the way I can tell you having a "year or two "out of the NRL would concern you greatly!

True but the NRL is a lot bigger than SL and we are talking about 15-20 years time where the game will have hopefully a lot more growth to maintain two well supported professional club competitions.

I like the idea of P&R as it gives a club for all those places that could potentially host an NRL team without the game having to go through further damaging "rationalisation".

With other markets better positioned at the moment, the likes of PNG and the Central Coast Bears may not ever get an NRL team but could be given an opportunity in the 2nd tier.

 

[siv]

Bring back the Newtown Jets

 

[Diesel]

Can't agree with P&L in Australia due to the size of the place, population/support, travel costs and corporate $ available when a team drops from NRL to a lower division, all of the above would diminish quickly. Playing at regional or suburban grounds at 2nd div would be cheaper than having a former NRL team playing at a massive stadium due to leases signed.

A NSW/QLD competition needs to be elevated to a real second division and used as a conference type system. You could have 2 x 16 team conference playing each other once (15 games) than cross over in to 6 x 3 team pools and play one pool once (3 games) then head into finals with the NSW V QLD conference game played on GF day as it is now.

3 teams could be made up by just from VIC, SA and WA, then you add NZ 2 & perhaps 3 (Warriors NSW Cup being NZ 1) which would cut down on international travel, add Fiji so you're looking at 6 extra teams over 2 conferences.

A second tier competition to include 5 states, ACT, NZ, Fiji & PNG should get more tv dollars than just the NYC alone. The only question would be travel costs.

Is the plan still for Fiji to play all home games in Sydney?

 

[CC_Roosters]

Can't agree with P&L in Australia due to the size of the place, population/support, travel costs and corporate $ available when a team drops from NRL to a lower division, all of the above would diminish quickly. Playing at regional or suburban grounds at 2nd div would be cheaper than having a former NRL team playing at a massive stadium due to leases signed.

A NSW/QLD competition needs to be elevated to a real second division and used as a conference type system. You could have 2 x 16 team conference playing each other once (15 games) than cross over in to 6 x 3 team pools and play one pool once (3 games) then head into finals with the NSW V QLD conference game played on GF day as it is now.

3 teams could be made up by just from VIC, SA and WA, then you add NZ 2 & perhaps 3 (Warriors NSW Cup being NZ 1) which would cut down on international travel, add Fiji so you're looking at 6 extra teams over 2 conferences.

A second tier competition to include 5 states, ACT, NZ, Fiji & PNG should get more tv dollars than just the NYC alone. The only question would be travel costs.

Is the plan still for Fiji to play all home games in Sydney?

Were did you hear this? I thought and assumed all games would be played in Fiji like the PNG hunters get to. playing their home games in Sydney would provide zero net benefit to Fijian rugby league.

Edit. Found this on the record saying home games in Fiji

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-17/fiji-gets-side-in-nsw-cup/5605662

 

[Diesel]

Perhaps it was a thought when they first mooted a Fiji team but if home games are in Fiji then that's great

 

[docbrown]

Any team that gets relegated will lose fans and finances. The Storm averaged 18k this year. If they were relegated to a B-league playing against teams like Newtown does anyone seriously think they'd pull more than 5k? 4k? 3k??

The future of the NRL is conferences and division, not promotion and relegation. The NRL just needs to identify the playing talent better but there's enough players there already to support 20 teams.

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

Any team that gets relegated will lose fans and finances. The Storm averaged 18k this year. If they were relegated to a B-league playing against teams like Newtown does anyone seriously think they'd pull more than 5k? 4k? 3k??

The future of the NRL is conferences and division, not promotion and relegation. The NRL just needs to identify the playing talent better but there's enough players there already to support 20 teams.

Teams losing finances would be part of the system no doubt. They would also lose fans however the Storm would still be in the divison below fighting for promotion in a league which is overseen by the NRL. There die hard fans would stay imo and only there casuals may leave. This all depends on how the 2nd divions is promoted and marketed. As for playing against Newtown they woudnt be a part of the second division. The 8 new teams to the system would be expansion franchises in places such as Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane 2 etc. Again this comes back to how the comp is marketed, they would not be dropped to NSW/QLD Cup. It would be a well run NRL 2 type comp.

I agree I would happily see the comp expand to 20 but as an NBA fan please leave out conferences and divisions. They are unfair and completely unnecesary

 

[BuderusIsaBeast]

As a further point a lot of people dismiss pro/rel because of distance. I understand distance is an issue however a lot of the same people advocate having a NSW Cup and QLD Cup that expands to places such as PNG, Fiji, WA, Adelaide, Victoria and multiple in New Zealand. I'm if the belief of we're gonna spend the money to expand to this areas it may aswell be at a higher level then NSW/QLD Cup