NFL style Division System in the NRL

[unforgiven]

Because the 3/19 team that goes through has played against the same teams as the other teams in his division.

In the highly unlikely event that happened the outcome would suck but it wouldn't be all that clear who the victim is because which of the teams that came 3rd in their divisions has been duded? - you still came 3rd in your division. With the top 8 as we have it it is far more likely you would see the 8th team beat out the 9th team by 2 points on the back of playing Newcastle twice as against Melbourne twice in which case you know exactly who the victim is that has been duded.

Who has been duded? any of the 12 other better teams in the competition with a better record that miss out because of some stupid conference system.

So we could have and 11-11 team miss out and a 3-19 team make it and that's ok because they were in different divisions. This is Rugby League, of course the most unlikely thing in the world is going to happen.

 

[pennywisealfie]

Even though there's no division 1, Broncos would be in it.

 

[T-Boon]

Who has been duded? any of the 12 other better teams in the competition with a better record that miss out because of some stupid conference system.

So we could have and 11-11 team miss out and a 3-19 team make it and that's ok because they were in different divisions. This is Rugby League, of course the most unlikely thing in the world is going to happen.

you can relax because conferences is never going to happen in the NRL. This is the NRL where things need to get through four layers of stupid before it even gets on the agenda.

 

[unforgiven]

you can relax because conferences is never going to happen in the NRL. This is the NRL where things need to get through four layers of stupid before it even gets on the agenda.

I know I can relax because this stupid idea will never get through.

 

[POPEYE]

you can relax because conferences is never going to happen in the NRL. This is the NRL where things need to get through four layers of stupid before it even gets on the agenda.

and 4 layers of stupid agenda only ever get to be talked about in forums

 

[big hit!]

Just wondering what people would think of a NFL style Division system in the NRL, we would have 4 Divisions of 4 teams, play everyone in your own division twice, and home & away vs one of the other divisions but it would rotate each year then the other 2 divisions you would play each team once making a total of 22 game season, the Divisions could split like this.

North Division
Brisbane
North Queensland
Gold Coast
Newcastle

City Division
South Sydney
Sydney Roosters
Manly
Cronulla

Country Division
Parramatta
Wests
Penrith
Canterbury

Tasman Division
New Zealand
Melbourne
Canberra
St.George Illawarra

For the Finals Top 4 places will go to the Division winners seeding based on record, with the remaining 4 qualifiers coming from the next 4 teams with the best record in the comp!!

All just a thought for debate also it would leave a lot of room for future Expansion and the Divisions can be re-aligned accordingly while protecting most rivalries!!

I've mentioned something similar a couple of times in fixturing threads.

I had the breakdown as follows:
Brisbane - Gold Coast - Melbourne - North Queensland
Manly - Newcastle - South Sydney - Roosters
Canberra - Parramatta - Penrith - Wests Tigers
Canterbury - Cronulla - Warriors - St George

The groups with Sydney clubs have 3 metro teams and one out of town team. Avoids a situation such as your Tasman division where a Sydney club is isolated. Evenly distributed for all Sydney clubs.

Intra group play twice, and inter group once with home & away conditions the same for each team within a group.

Automatic qualification for a group winners (because each group has its own fixture re playing same teams twice and the majority of h&a), but they're seeded based on comp points from 1 to 8. A group winner with .500 w/l ratio doesn't deserve double chance in finals. 4 best non-group winners from all groups seeded 2 to 8. All teams in a group can still qualify for finals.

Season is reduced to 18 games which probably kills this proposal, but it would certainly make every game more of an event than the drawn out regular season we currently have.

 

[snickers007]

I've never understood why all Division/Conference systems have to have an automatic qualifier for the finals from each group. Just take the Top 8 teams total. Who cares if the Tasman Division is weak as piss and has no representation in the finals?

Seems like one of the main advantages for a Conference system is equity of the draw, but then you throw that out the window by gimping the finals system. Doesn't make sense.

 

[big hit!]

I've never understood why all Division/Conference systems have to have an automatic qualifier for the finals from each group. Just take the Top 8 teams total. Who cares if the Tasman Division is weak as piss and has no representation in the finals?

Seems like one of the main advantages for a Conference system is equity of the draw, but then you throw that out the window by gimping the finals system. Doesn't make sense.

there's no equity in the draw across the entire competition. the only way to achieve this is in the NRL under a single ladder to rank teams is via a double round robin season, i.e., 30 games per team.

in contrast, the equity in the grouping system is among the 4 teams in each group. teams in the same group share the same schedule (teams played twice, and home and away against most other teams). that's why group winners get a spot. if they don't, then there's no point in such a format.

 

[PaulyTom]

Hate the idea of NFL style divisions

 

[T-Boon]

I
Automatic qualification for a group winners (because each group has its own fixture re playing same teams twice and the majority of h&a), but they're seeded based on comp points from 1 to 8. A group winner with .500 w/l ratio doesn't deserve double chance in finals. 4 best non-group winners from all groups seeded 2 to 8. All teams in a group can still qualify for finals.

Excellent idea.

 

[unforgiven]

Excellent idea.

Still has the potential for a team to go 3-15 and make the finals, crap idea.

 

[T-Boon]

Its a good idea to consider anything which might increase rivalries and crowds.

 

[hrundi99]

there's no equity in the draw across the entire competition. the only way to achieve this is in the NRL under a single ladder to rank teams is via a double round robin season, i.e., 30 games per team.

in contrast, the equity in the grouping system is among the 4 teams in each group. teams in the same group share the same schedule (teams played twice, and home and away against most other teams). that's why group winners get a spot. if they don't, then there's no point in such a format.

It creates a competition with the division which is it's own thing. If you do away with it it lessens the interest within the division.

 

[unforgiven]

Its a good idea to consider anything which might increase rivalries and crowds.

Yes it is, but there is a huge hole in this idea, so therefore it has been considered and pointed out that it is not an idea that would be beneficial.

Or are you happy with the possibility of a team with an 3-15 or 3-19 record making the finals?

 

[T-Boon]

Yes it is, but there is a huge hole in this idea, so therefore it has been considered and pointed out that it is not an idea that would be beneficial.

Or are you happy with the possibility of a team with an 3-15 or 3-19 record making the finals?

Yes I am happy with that risk as its so highly unlikely to happen. I would describe it as a tiny hole with horrid consequences.

 

[Lesmets2000]

The main reason Conferances/Divisions came into US sports was due to geographical distances between cities etc, something that was never an issue in Australian sports until recently due to Leagues being State/City based up until relatively recently with interstate teams only being realised in the mid 80s in the NSWRL and VFL, but if the NRL is to expand into the West and other current non NRL area it maybe unavoidable.

 

[myrrh ken]

Its not evenly spread geographically and cant be neatly done though.

The current system which is based on the previous years performance is fine.

 

[Perth Red]

The main reason Conferances/Divisions came into US sports was due to geographical distances between cities etc, something that was never an issue in Australian sports until recently due to Leagues being State/City based up until relatively recently with interstate teams only being realised in the mid 80s in the NSWRL and VFL, but if the NRL is to expand into the West and other current non NRL area it maybe unavoidable.

When you've got 90% of clubs down one side of the country not sure this is an issue or ever will be. We aren't the afl where we are ever likely to have a large amount of clubs not within a shortish distance of Sydney.

 

[Lesmets2000]

I like it, I also thought about Melbourne in with the Queensland teams esp with all the Queenslanders in their side, but thought it would give the northern teams a lot more travel compared to the Sydney clubs, though there's no perfect way to do it until they add at lt least another 4 teams

I've mentioned something similar a couple of times in fixturing threads.

I had the breakdown as follows:
Brisbane - Gold Coast - Melbourne - North Queensland
Manly - Newcastle - South Sydney - Roosters
Canberra - Parramatta - Penrith - Wests Tigers
Canterbury - Cronulla - Warriors - St George

The groups with Sydney clubs have 3 metro teams and one out of town team. Avoids a situation such as your Tasman division where a Sydney club is isolated. Evenly distributed for all Sydney clubs.

Intra group play twice, and inter group once with home & away conditions the same for each team within a group.

Automatic qualification for a group winners (because each group has its own fixture re playing same teams twice and the majority of h&a), but they're seeded based on comp points from 1 to 8. A group winner with .500 w/l ratio doesn't deserve double chance in finals. 4 best non-group winners from all groups seeded 2 to 8. All teams in a group can still qualify for finals.

Season is reduced to 18 games which probably kills this proposal, but it would certainly make every game more of an event than the drawn out regular season we currently have.

 

[TheFrog]

Will this off season ever end?

Sounds like you put some thought into it mate but big change up for what benefits?

Penrith and Parra would play twice every year.