eels2win said:
Two conferences:
Conference A (Greater Sydney):
Balmain Tigers
Canterbury Bulldogs
Cronulla Sharks
Eastern Suburbs Roosters
Illawarra Steelers
Manly Sea Eagles
North Sydney Bears
Parramatta Eels
Penrith Panthers
South Sydney Rabbitohs
St George Dragons
Western Suburbs Magpies
Conference B (Non-Sydney):
Adelaide Rams
Auckland Warriors
Brisbane Broncos
Canberra Raiders
Central Coast Jets
Gold Coast Seagulls
Melbourne Storm
Newcastle Knights
North Queensland Cowboys
South Queensland Crushers
Wellington Kiwis
Western Reds
That's 12 teams per conference. Play each team in your own conference twice. That's 22 weeks. 3 weeks in the middle for SOO + 1 week in the middle for test match (either NZ or GB). Comes to 26 weeks.
Finals consist of top four from each conference.
I like your thinking! But why not have it like the English Premier League, with the two lowest teams from the NRL Premier League relegated to NRL First Grade, and vice-versa. Going on current form and setting up of expansion teams, the comp could look something like this:
NRL PREMIER LEAGUE
1. Eastern Sydney Roosters
2. Canberra Raiders
3. Newcastle Knights
4. Canterbury-Liverpool Bulldogs
5. Penrith Panthers
6. New Zealand Warriors
7. Melbourne Storm
8. Parramatta Eels
9. Brisbane Broncos
10. St George-Illawarra Dragons
11. North Queensland Cowboys
12. Cronulla Sharks
NRL FIRST GRADE
1. South Sydney Rabbitohs
2. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
3. Central Coast Bears
4. Redcliffe Dolphins
5. Balmain Tigers
6. Newtown Jets
7. Gold Coast Chargers
8. Adelaide Rams
9. Western Suburbs Magpies
10. Darwin Goannas
11. Western Reds
12. Hobart (Tasmanian) Devils
This way, all the traditional rivalries are still there, with room for expansion. There is also the benefit of a shorter season for both comps, and a more level playing field.