Scarves
Juniors
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This is a little long but I reckon it's a golden opportunity and a chance to really put it out there at a time when the great game of Rugby League is on the edge of a dream.
People talk of the large fan base in the AFL, we have the same fan base, arguably we have one even bigger when you include Sydney and that NSW and QLd has over half of the nations population. We have to maximise what the NRL has acheived through the fantastic finals series. The Bulldogs v Eels 80,000 blockbuster, we need to promote these rivalries and matchups more and make them important, so important that every meeting puts it all on the line, every meeting counts BIG.
NFL in America has a conference system, teams in relatively close proximity play each other twice in the same division and their points tally up against other teams within their division. Inter division games create enourmous rivalry.... we too can do this. I went there recently and was amazed with the rivalries developed over years of intra-divisional type games.
We must make our clubs big, we need to generate money to make our clubs strong, not allow them to go broke or become weak, weak clubs doesn't help the game or the fan.
It's obvious I'm promoting two divisions. There are 9 Sydney teams and 7 non Sydney (outside) clubs in the NRL. I say divide them up - 8 Sydney teams on one division and the 7 outside clubs + one sydney club in the other division. Every year the 'one' Sydney club can rotate in order to play in the outside division and it will be a "turns each" type of arrangement each season.
Each clubs play teams in their own distinct division twice, while playing against the other alternate division teams just the once each season. However there will be under this system two distinct competition tables for the seperate divisions with the top four teams from each division's competition table semi final bound making up a combined top 8 playoff series. That leaves us with 22 rounds, throw in the two byes and there's 24 rounds of quality.
Let's be honest, the Sydney clubs want to play each other during the season more often and the players and their fans enjoy playing on Sunday afternoons especially in winter when Old Sydney Town gets a bit of a chill. Each game versus other intra-divisional clubs would mean a hell of a lot more as they are accumulating points directly against their "local" opposition year in year out. Rivalries under this system would become enhanced, crowds will build because of the direct rivalries and the history will thicken. This is also applicable to the three Queensland clubs, the Broncos want to maximise their revenues as well by playing against the Titans and Cowboys, along with continuing to their developing rivalries with teams like the Storm and Warriors. Bigger crowds, bigger merchandising, bigger TV deals bigger clubs, STRONGER clubs, stronger game, better renumerated players, easier to follow draw, more local games for fans, this all spells GROWTH.
Yes the ability to create cash and grow the games junior base and set up good foundations for new outposts in Perth, Gosford, Wellington, or where ever else is a researched or targeted area for our game to grow in.
A grand final under this divisional system could be made up of any combination of the finalists, it wouldn't be too difficult to sort out order rankings in a top 8 system. Maybe the top two from each division make up the top four in an order reflective of their accumulated points, it's not the crucial part of the idea so I'm not going to discuss this particular point further.
This idea is all about maximising our fan base, our target market, promoting our clubs locally and getting back to traditions and focussing on our traditional rivalries. Forget rivalry rounds, every season will be choc full of crunch clashes laced with history.
Look, I'm a fan who is just a fan that loves his game, I want all clubs to be strong, I have cousins who follow Parra and Canterbury, mates who chant for the Tigers, workmates who are still struggling to comprehend the Roosters year of woe. I have a dad who is a Dragon till he dies while my family and a few other footy friends still bluntly regard Manly as the true reigning world club champions.
Yeah that's what we all love our mates and I, it's what fires us up all year, getting it over our mates and each other and championing the local derbies with our vocal attendance. We should scrap next years draw and re-do it with a format like I've discussed, now is the perfect time for the NRL to jump on board, understand the power this game really has in it's true tribal nature and take a firm hold of a massive development opportunity.
Good Talk.
People talk of the large fan base in the AFL, we have the same fan base, arguably we have one even bigger when you include Sydney and that NSW and QLd has over half of the nations population. We have to maximise what the NRL has acheived through the fantastic finals series. The Bulldogs v Eels 80,000 blockbuster, we need to promote these rivalries and matchups more and make them important, so important that every meeting puts it all on the line, every meeting counts BIG.
NFL in America has a conference system, teams in relatively close proximity play each other twice in the same division and their points tally up against other teams within their division. Inter division games create enourmous rivalry.... we too can do this. I went there recently and was amazed with the rivalries developed over years of intra-divisional type games.
We must make our clubs big, we need to generate money to make our clubs strong, not allow them to go broke or become weak, weak clubs doesn't help the game or the fan.
It's obvious I'm promoting two divisions. There are 9 Sydney teams and 7 non Sydney (outside) clubs in the NRL. I say divide them up - 8 Sydney teams on one division and the 7 outside clubs + one sydney club in the other division. Every year the 'one' Sydney club can rotate in order to play in the outside division and it will be a "turns each" type of arrangement each season.
Each clubs play teams in their own distinct division twice, while playing against the other alternate division teams just the once each season. However there will be under this system two distinct competition tables for the seperate divisions with the top four teams from each division's competition table semi final bound making up a combined top 8 playoff series. That leaves us with 22 rounds, throw in the two byes and there's 24 rounds of quality.
Let's be honest, the Sydney clubs want to play each other during the season more often and the players and their fans enjoy playing on Sunday afternoons especially in winter when Old Sydney Town gets a bit of a chill. Each game versus other intra-divisional clubs would mean a hell of a lot more as they are accumulating points directly against their "local" opposition year in year out. Rivalries under this system would become enhanced, crowds will build because of the direct rivalries and the history will thicken. This is also applicable to the three Queensland clubs, the Broncos want to maximise their revenues as well by playing against the Titans and Cowboys, along with continuing to their developing rivalries with teams like the Storm and Warriors. Bigger crowds, bigger merchandising, bigger TV deals bigger clubs, STRONGER clubs, stronger game, better renumerated players, easier to follow draw, more local games for fans, this all spells GROWTH.
Yes the ability to create cash and grow the games junior base and set up good foundations for new outposts in Perth, Gosford, Wellington, or where ever else is a researched or targeted area for our game to grow in.
A grand final under this divisional system could be made up of any combination of the finalists, it wouldn't be too difficult to sort out order rankings in a top 8 system. Maybe the top two from each division make up the top four in an order reflective of their accumulated points, it's not the crucial part of the idea so I'm not going to discuss this particular point further.
This idea is all about maximising our fan base, our target market, promoting our clubs locally and getting back to traditions and focussing on our traditional rivalries. Forget rivalry rounds, every season will be choc full of crunch clashes laced with history.
Look, I'm a fan who is just a fan that loves his game, I want all clubs to be strong, I have cousins who follow Parra and Canterbury, mates who chant for the Tigers, workmates who are still struggling to comprehend the Roosters year of woe. I have a dad who is a Dragon till he dies while my family and a few other footy friends still bluntly regard Manly as the true reigning world club champions.
Yeah that's what we all love our mates and I, it's what fires us up all year, getting it over our mates and each other and championing the local derbies with our vocal attendance. We should scrap next years draw and re-do it with a format like I've discussed, now is the perfect time for the NRL to jump on board, understand the power this game really has in it's true tribal nature and take a firm hold of a massive development opportunity.
Good Talk.
for the thought behind your post.
