QLD/NSW Cup possibility

[DINGb@T]

With all the talk about the need to give NRL players a mid season break a while back I’ve been thinking about a possible solution I think has some merit and would be able to solve a lot of the problems League is facing at the moment. It’s a long post but I thought I’d post it to get some thoughts on its viability from you guys- to see if there are any huge holes in my thinking. This is the idea:

A mid-season knock out tournament played between the NSW and QLD Cups during the rep footy season.

It would take a bit of effort but think about this…

There’s a lot of talk at the moment about possible problems in rugby league, some of them being player burn out, the need for game-free Origin weekends, the expansion of the game and it’s evil twin the death/merger of established clubs. A solution for all these problems could be the establishment of a mid season knock out comp similar to the English Challenge cup that is run, not between NRL clubs, but between NSW and QLD Cup teams.

We have 5 weekends of footy where a break for players is desirable:

Country Origin
State of Origin 1
State of Origin 2
State of Origin 3
Mid-season Test

With a knockout comp you could use these weekends as NRL byes/rest weeks with the Country Origin and Test on Friday nights and the State of Origins on Wednesday nights (all of which keeps Channel 9 happy) and then play the knockout comp games as the second Friday game, both Friday games during Origin weeks, a Sunday arvo game and, for Foxtel, any other time slots they wish. Channel 9 is happy as they keep the rep games where they want them, plus getting the pick of the knockout games to show, while Foxtel get plenty of content on top of the rest of their rugby league coverage. League is also better off as we get another product to sell which further enhances the bottom line.

With 5 weekends you can fit in 32 teams in a pure knockout format (if you’re beaten you’re out, winners go on). As there are only 12 teams in each of the Cup competitions (scheduled for 2009) the format would allow for the adoption of rugby league expansion teams with Wellington, Perth, Adelaide, Port Moresby, Illawarra, etc all having the opportunity to compete in a competition that can be financially sustainable for smaller teams who may be at a stretch playing in a regional rep comp like the NRL, while still representing their area on a national level (at least till they get boosted to the NRL). Having national exposure to their brands would increase the sponsorship possibilities of both the NSW/QLD Cups (keeping comp administrators happy), help new expansion clubs get the finance they need, give NSW/QLD Cup players an extra payday in the form of prize-money (keeping them happy) and allow fans to see their team in it’s natural state (as opposed to a hybrid mash-up) play under national exposure.

Country Origin weekend would become the kick off weekend for the knockout comp, making it the weekend of the year where we celebrate grass roots footy across the board, breathing life back into Country origin and creating a bit of a carnival atmosphere with so much meaningful League all going on at the same time. On the three State of Origin weekends there would be 8, 4 and 2 games respectively which means, with no NRL games on the weekend, viewers still get their weekly footy fix, this time with teams like Newtown Jets, Illawarra Steelers and the Redcliffe Dolphins running around. (No need for a retro round cause we’d be able to watch the actual teams that make up our history).

For tv audiences all the big classic names are there to support ala Parra, Manly, Balmain etc so people will have a team to support (and therefore watch on tv- good for ratings) and the big final will be held on the more traditional Sunday arvo fixture. The Test can take the big-hoorah-Friday-night-lights time slot and for the bbq and beer traditionalists you can relax on grass-roots Sunday with your mates at home or on your local team’s footy park hill.

One problem could be the lack of 32 teams in the current set up but as an interim, in the absence of the extra 8 teams, a home and away aggregate round for the first two weeks could be played featuring the top 8 teams from each comp (to take away home ground advantage). That would create a real perk in making the top 8 each year- national exposure and the chance to represent your suburb/city on the national stage.

To reduce travel costs for many teams it would also be a good idea to make the first round a home derby round so that neighbouring teams can play each other to guarantee a big start to the comp, maintain local rivalries (and induce bigger crowds) and make sure that teams are driving short distance to games as well as reducing the number of teams who have to fly in the second round. Hopefully it would also mean people still have a team to support through the rest of the comp as well (Auckland fans might be disappointed being beaten by Wellington but they’ll still want to see a Kiwi team win- ‘go Wellington!’- or even its opposite 'I support anyone playing Wellington')

Games would be played in smaller suburban grounds, therefore reducing the empty seat problems that NRL teams currently have

Finally, and on a more morbid note, such a comp would be a safety net for any teams who don’t make it through the impending round of ‘team consolidations’ that could rock the code. If teams do go bust or can no longer stay in the NRL for whatever reason fans will still be able to watch and support their team on a national level via the knockout comp without the need for bastardised hybrids. If possible, the ideal would be to have the NRL as a ‘regional’ rep comp with the Cups as the ‘suburban’ rep comps. This will give us a direct link from country rep (via Centenary Knockout comp and Group comps) -> suburban rep (QLD/NSW Cups) -> regional rep (NRL) -> State rep (Origin) -> National rep (Kangaroos/Kiwis/Kumuls/etc) with under 20s and Country origin further strengthening links with a player’s (and, by extension, fan’s) origins which is the strength of rugby league- the grass roots nature of our game. A switch to fewer Sydney teams may then be more (but obviously not completely) bearable with current teams banding together to create and support brand new regional franchises that represent regions of Sydney (and their suburban teams) while individual suburban teams keep their own identity while supporting the new franchises with players, finance, etc.

(Obviously this last bit is all just me dreaming of the perfect solution to the mess we’re in and very theoretical but I thought I’d throw it in here anyways)

Like any solution it wouldn’t be easy but, if it were to establish itself the knockout comp would give our NRL players a mid season rest, give league another product to sell, give the tv stations more product to show, extend the League season without increasing the number of games, strengthen ties with the community, promote both the NSW and QLD Cups, expand and broaden Leagues national/international presence, provide a platform for future NRL teams to go up, provide a safety net for teams that go down and, best of all, we the fans would get to hear Rabs call the Redcliffe vs Newtown final on a sunny Sunday afternoon and then read about it in the papers the next day, as well as say things like 'well, we didn't win the NRL premiership but my team won the Cup- it was a good year'.





So, for anyone who managed to read all that- is there any massive gaps in my logic? I’ve tried to keep it as practical as possible but you guys probably know a fair bit more about the workings of these comps so I’d love your input.

 

[Coaster]

I had a similar idea, based on the Challenge cup in Europe, including more teams but along the same lines

Round 1 Played in Feb teams drawn out of a hat to match games
64 teams - Knock out to next round
teams would consist of

1. Brisbane Easts Tigers
2. Wynum Seagulls
3. Redcliff Dolphins
4. Sth Logan Magpies
5. Burleigh Bears
6. Ipswich Jets
7. Sunshine Coast
8. Tweed Heads Seagulls
9. Aspley Devils
10 Mackay Cutters
11 Northern Pride
12 Central Coast Comets
13 Toowoomba Clydesdales
14 Runaway Bay Seagulls
15 Wests Panthers
16 Wentworthville
17 Newtown Jets
18 Windsor Wolves
19 Western Suburb Magpies
20 Central Coast
21 Central Newcastle
22 Balmain Tigers
23 Belrose Eagles
24 Cabbramatta
25 Chester hills Rhinos
26 Erina Eagles
27 Mounties
28 Shelharbour Marlins
29 Sydney Bulls
30 North Sydney Bears
31 Indigence Rep Side
32 Army RL
33 Navy RL
34 Airforce RL
35 University RL Champions
36 School Boy Champions
37 Western Reds
38 Adeliade Rams
39 Winner of NZ dometic Comp
40 PNG
41 Darwin
42 Police RL REP side
and the GF winners of all 22 Group Country divisions

Round 2 Played in March
32 winners to play each other- Knock out- drawn from hat

Round 3 played in April
16 Winners + 16 NRL teams, Knock out- drawn from hat

Round 4 Played in May
16 winners - knock out

Round 5 played in June
8 winners - Knock out

Semi played in late June
4 Teams

Final played in July
2 teams

This could mean we could even shorten the season to fit in the extra games, but the Winning NRL team (if they win) would only play an extra 5 games anyway.

There could be seperate sponsers, seperate TV deals, Seperate Income to players, Increases national coverage, Brings the game to the bush, expands the comp, ect ect

 

[Seagullsrock]

Haven't read either of yours in depth but in relation to the 2nd suggestion, you can't have that many teams and you are lacking alot of common sense if you want semi professional sides in the Qld Cup to play school boys and police teams. I would need a post longer than the first to highlight all the other problems.

 

[Coaster]

Haven't read either of yours in depth but in relation to the 2nd suggestion, you can't have that many teams and you are lacking alot of common sense if you want semi professional sides in the Qld Cup to play school boys and police teams. I would need a post longer than the first to highlight all the other problems.

Why is that? the Qld cup has had under 18 sides in it before and they have always done very well, are you saying there is no chance for the winner of the Arrive Alive cup to beat any of those other sides?

All those 64 teams allready exist, and only the strongest would survive the first round, then the strongest of those the second round, leaving the final 16 teams to play in the next round with the existing 16 NRL teams.

The NRL teams would not be playing schoolboys, unless they are good enough to be there, and if they are, they deserve a chance to play a NRL team.

And if that Schoolboy team cannot compete, then change them to the winner of the NYC or a 18 Australian rep side, there is countless options

 

[Seagullsrock]

Why is that? the Qld cup has had under 18 sides in it before and they have always done very well,

Never had complete Under 18 teams and Norths has the most under 18's in their side and they are currently last. One of the beauties of the Qld Cup is that the young guys get to play with the old hard heads, which they cannot experince in the NSW Cup/Under 20's comp etc. It's impossible to co-ordinate all the games and would ruin all of the comps, particuarly if semi professional sides as I said are playing uni/schoolboy/army/navy teams etc. Fair enough, if you have the Qld Cup premiers playing the NSW Cup premiers, but certainly not all the other teams.

 

[Seagullsrock]

With all the talk about the need to give NRL players a mid season break a while back I’ve been thinking about a possible solution I think has some merit and would be able to solve a lot of the problems League is facing at the moment. It’s a long post but I thought I’d post it to get some thoughts on its viability from you guys- to see if there are any huge holes in my thinking. This is the idea:

A mid-season knock out tournament played between the NSW and QLD Cups during the rep footy season.

It would take a bit of effort but think about this…

There’s a lot of talk at the moment about possible problems in rugby league, some of them being player burn out, the need for game-free Origin weekends, the expansion of the game and it’s evil twin the death/merger of established clubs. A solution for all these problems could be the establishment of a mid season knock out comp similar to the English Challenge cup that is run, not between NRL clubs, but between NSW and QLD Cup teams.

We have 5 weekends of footy where a break for players is desirable:

Country Origin
State of Origin 1
State of Origin 2
State of Origin 3
Mid-season Test

With a knockout comp you could use these weekends as NRL byes/rest weeks with the Country Origin and Test on Friday nights and the State of Origins on Wednesday nights (all of which keeps Channel 9 happy) and then play the knockout comp games as the second Friday game, both Friday games during Origin weeks, a Sunday arvo game and, for Foxtel, any other time slots they wish. Channel 9 is happy as they keep the rep games where they want them, plus getting the pick of the knockout games to show, while Foxtel get plenty of content on top of the rest of their rugby league coverage. League is also better off as we get another product to sell which further enhances the bottom line.

With 5 weekends you can fit in 32 teams in a pure knockout format (if you’re beaten you’re out, winners go on). As there are only 12 teams in each of the Cup competitions (scheduled for 2009) the format would allow for the adoption of rugby league expansion teams with Wellington, Perth, Adelaide, Port Moresby, Illawarra, etc all having the opportunity to compete in a competition that can be financially sustainable for smaller teams who may be at a stretch playing in a regional rep comp like the NRL, while still representing their area on a national level (at least till they get boosted to the NRL). Having national exposure to their brands would increase the sponsorship possibilities of both the NSW/QLD Cups (keeping comp administrators happy), help new expansion clubs get the finance they need, give NSW/QLD Cup players an extra payday in the form of prize-money (keeping them happy) and allow fans to see their team in it’s natural state (as opposed to a hybrid mash-up) play under national exposure.

Country Origin weekend would become the kick off weekend for the knockout comp, making it the weekend of the year where we celebrate grass roots footy across the board, breathing life back into Country origin and creating a bit of a carnival atmosphere with so much meaningful League all going on at the same time. On the three State of Origin weekends there would be 8, 4 and 2 games respectively which means, with no NRL games on the weekend, viewers still get their weekly footy fix, this time with teams like Newtown Jets, Illawarra Steelers and the Redcliffe Dolphins running around. (No need for a retro round cause we’d be able to watch the actual teams that make up our history).

For tv audiences all the big classic names are there to support ala Parra, Manly, Balmain etc so people will have a team to support (and therefore watch on tv- good for ratings) and the big final will be held on the more traditional Sunday arvo fixture. The Test can take the big-hoorah-Friday-night-lights time slot and for the bbq and beer traditionalists you can relax on grass-roots Sunday with your mates at home or on your local team’s footy park hill.

One problem could be the lack of 32 teams in the current set up but as an interim, in the absence of the extra 8 teams, a home and away aggregate round for the first two weeks could be played featuring the top 8 teams from each comp (to take away home ground advantage). That would create a real perk in making the top 8 each year- national exposure and the chance to represent your suburb/city on the national stage.

To reduce travel costs for many teams it would also be a good idea to make the first round a home derby round so that neighbouring teams can play each other to guarantee a big start to the comp, maintain local rivalries (and induce bigger crowds) and make sure that teams are driving short distance to games as well as reducing the number of teams who have to fly in the second round. Hopefully it would also mean people still have a team to support through the rest of the comp as well (Auckland fans might be disappointed being beaten by Wellington but they’ll still want to see a Kiwi team win- ‘go Wellington!’- or even its opposite 'I support anyone playing Wellington')

Games would be played in smaller suburban grounds, therefore reducing the empty seat problems that NRL teams currently have

Finally, and on a more morbid note, such a comp would be a safety net for any teams who don’t make it through the impending round of ‘team consolidations’ that could rock the code. If teams do go bust or can no longer stay in the NRL for whatever reason fans will still be able to watch and support their team on a national level via the knockout comp without the need for bastardised hybrids. If possible, the ideal would be to have the NRL as a ‘regional’ rep comp with the Cups as the ‘suburban’ rep comps. This will give us a direct link from country rep (via Centenary Knockout comp and Group comps) -> suburban rep (QLD/NSW Cups) -> regional rep (NRL) -> State rep (Origin) -> National rep (Kangaroos/Kiwis/Kumuls/etc) with under 20s and Country origin further strengthening links with a player’s (and, by extension, fan’s) origins which is the strength of rugby league- the grass roots nature of our game. A switch to fewer Sydney teams may then be more (but obviously not completely) bearable with current teams banding together to create and support brand new regional franchises that represent regions of Sydney (and their suburban teams) while individual suburban teams keep their own identity while supporting the new franchises with players, finance, etc.

(Obviously this last bit is all just me dreaming of the perfect solution to the mess we’re in and very theoretical but I thought I’d throw it in here anyways)

Like any solution it wouldn’t be easy but, if it were to establish itself the knockout comp would give our NRL players a mid season rest, give league another product to sell, give the tv stations more product to show, extend the League season without increasing the number of games, strengthen ties with the community, promote both the NSW and QLD Cups, expand and broaden Leagues national/international presence, provide a platform for future NRL teams to go up, provide a safety net for teams that go down and, best of all, we the fans would get to hear Rabs call the Redcliffe vs Newtown final on a sunny Sunday afternoon and then read about it in the papers the next day, as well as say things like 'well, we didn't win the NRL premiership but my team won the Cup- it was a good year'.





So, for anyone who managed to read all that- is there any massive gaps in my logic? I’ve tried to keep it as practical as possible but you guys probably know a fair bit more about the workings of these comps so I’d love your input.

1. Almost no one cares about the Qld Cup in Sydney and vice versa
2. What happens to the Qld and NSW Cup regular seasons? Why do we have to stuff their regular seasons just to give the NRL blokes a break?

 

[DINGb@T]

1. Almost no one cares about the Qld Cup in Sydney and vice versa
2. What happens to the Qld and NSW Cup regular seasons? Why do we have to stuff their regular seasons just to give the NRL blokes a break?

1. No, but New South Welshman do care about beating Queenslanders and vice versa. They care a lot if Origin is anything to go by.

2. It's only 5 extra games and only if you make it to the finals. That makes no more than 29 games in a year, 25 for the 16 teams that get knocked out in the first round. The financial payoff would also make up for any 'inconvenience'. The Cup teams could do with the extra money and exposure.

 

[Seagullsrock]

1. No, but New South Welshman do care about beating Queenslanders and vice versa. They care a lot if Origin is anything to go by.

2. It's only 5 extra games and only if you make it to the finals. That makes no more than 29 games in a year, 25 for the 16 teams that get knocked out in the first round. The financial payoff would also make up for any 'inconvenience'. The Cup teams could do with the extra money and exposure.

It's a very NRL orientated approach. Who is paying the teams? The ARL/NRL certainly wouldn't. You are trying to solve the NRL's problem by causing a problem for the administrators of the Qld/Nsw Cup. "The financial payoff would also make up for any inconvienience." So if a team loses six players to injury because of a longer, more strenuous season, this money is going to make up for it? I don't think so! Some of the ideas in this proposal are certainly those of a 'Ding Bat.'

 

[DINGb@T]

It's a very NRL orientated approach. Who is paying the teams? The ARL/NRL certainly wouldn't. You are trying to solve the NRL's problem by causing a problem for the administrators of the Qld/Nsw Cup. "The financial payoff would also make up for any inconvienience." So if a team loses six players to injury because of a longer, more strenuous season, this money is going to make up for it? I don't think so! Some of the ideas in this proposal are certainly those of a 'Ding Bat.'

The NRL is a nationally orientated competition. My idea is a nationally orientated competition. Of course they have the same approach.

If the 2 state bodies can't organise themselves then organisation would fall to the national body (the ARL) or a completely new body (although that's the last thing our game needs). The ARL hasn't always been the best group to have its hand on the wheel but after the World Cup they should have some experience with large events like this.

With a new competition you have a new product, just like with the World Cup. This means new sponsors (ala Toyota for Toyota Cup naming rights) and new tv deals with both 9 and Foxtel. The aim of these funds would be to pay for all transport and prizemoney, prizemoney which, if extensive enough, should extend to match payments.

For the clubs the chance of national exposure increases the value of all sponsorship deals and creates an opportunity for large gates thanks to the bigger event and increased interest. The advertising alone for the individual clubs is essentially national exposure marketing paid in lieu and sales from merchandise etc would also increase with the exposure. Essentially you'd be turning every suburban team into a nationally exposed marketing entity, as opposed to the state-based entities they are now. That increase in exposure is a big step up in advertising land. And that means a lot more money for each club.

 

[Coaster]

Something along these lines IMO is a great idea, TBH the reason i said 64 teams to start off with was because the more i thought about it the more sense it made to include every regional winner and semi pro club, with the first 2 rounds to be qualifier so to speak.

In my version im including the 16 NRL teams, but only in the last few rounds, simply because they are needed for the finals to generate money and big sponsers.

Either way it would be a proactive approach to generate income in the sport, its also very easy to critisise, small minds get confused when you change the game.

 

[DINGb@T]

Yeah that's the problem with a pure knockout comp- you have to think in terms of 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc teams. Not exactly handy if you want something in the middle.

The Centenary cup had the Groups playing each other and I heard it was successful enough to bring back next year. It'd be interesting to see the quality of the final 8 and how they'd match up, although the financial practicalities might be a bit hard re: tv deals etc. Organising military and uni teams would also be a pain in the butt- that'd be a lot of beuracratic red tape.

Gotta say I'm with Seagull on the school boys though- there'd be all sorts of legal and insurance ramifications with them playing against adults. Not to mention angry parents and injuries galore. Also, many of them are already in the Toyota Cup and there's already a turf war over where and for whom they play.

Also agree with the need for something new- you can't just take something away, we're going to have to add to and rearrange the game to keep it growing and healthy. I'm all for it.

 

[Seagullsrock]

In my version im including the 16 NRL teams, but only in the last few rounds, simply because they are needed for the finals to generate money and big sponsers.

1. That's not making the season shorter as was the first intention
2. If NRL teams are playing even semi-professional teams, the scores are going to be 50-0 and worse for teams lower that level. That is not good for the game and certainly won't attract viewers.

 

[Seagullsrock]

I'm all for the Qld Cup premiers playing the NSW Cup premiers towards the end of the season, however, you cannot have so many teams playing each other at such different levels. Recently in the Quad series, for example, there were the Queensland Rangers (Brisbane reserve grade and quality country players), Jim Beam Cup team, Great Britain community team and a NSW Country team. All of these teams were at similar levels and played at numerous venues. As for completely disrupting the Qld Cup and NSW Cup, however, just for the Sydney (certainly not national) orientated NRL, it's a plan that will not succeed due to a lack of support from the public and sponsors.

 

[Coaster]

Currently the Challenge cup in europe is done like this

The modern Challenge Cup has 7 rounds prior to the final. Teams are seeded, entering at different stages. The precise format has altered slightly from year to year, however the basic format is as follows:

• First round: Amateur teams from around the British Isles.[1] Most of the teams are English and affiliated to BARLA. In 2008 the 54 teams entering at this stage are as follows:
  • all 38 teams from the National Conference League
  • the winners of the five major regional BARLA leagues
  • the British Army
  • the Royal Navy
  • the Royal Air Force
  • the university champions - Leeds Metropolitan University
  • the Student Rugby League champions
  • six representatives of the Rugby League Conference (including one each from Scotland and Wales)

• Second round: The twenty seven first round winners are joined by a Russian team.

• Third round: A further Russian team, three French sides, and the twenty two semi-professional British clubs from the Rugby League National Leagues enter the draw with the fourteen winners from the second round.

• Fourth round: The twelve Super League teams join the competition with the twenty third round winners.

• Fifth round: Last 16

• Quarter Finals: Last eight

• Semi Finals: (played at neutral venues)

• Final

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_League_Challenge_Cup

So as you can see the 64 names of clubs i put on my list, are not set in stone, If they decide to replace some, or revise the number, or change the structure, i dont care, as long as they are forward thinking and trying to create extra income in the sport.

As far as income generated we can only look at the Carnegie Challenge cup as an example, although in Europe, i dare say we could match if not have more ground support for this idea as we have such a large country, and defined supporter bases. Teams like NSWRL and QRL teams would have massive supporter bases if given the chance to shine again, other areas like Adelaide or Perth are vital to our growth.

The BBC paid for exclusive rights to the Carnegie Challenge cup, which is a seperate 3 year TV deal than that of the ESL with SKY. 2 Tv deals = 2 streams of income=more money for players and grass roots.

Crowd averages are through the roof, with the Semi's in front of packed Stadiums, and possibly 70k + for the Final at Wembley on the 30th of August to watch 2 SL teams . Last years final http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPSSEhwJFYw

 

[The Engineers Room]

I think you play the game on grand final game and run the QLD/NSW Cup season so their grandfinal is on the week before.

But be warned Queenslanders, I have watched many games in both competitions and the NSW Cup is a far superior league.

 

[Ram Man]

I think you play the game on grand final game and run the QLD/NSW Cup season so their grandfinal is on the week before.

But be warned Queenslanders, I have watched many games in both competitions and the NSW Cup is a far superior league.

I dont know about Far Superior.
The QLD cup has come a long way in the last few seasons.

I am a NSW man but I think the QLDers will get a lot closer than most people think.

 

[Seagullsrock]

But be warned Queenslanders, I have watched many games in both competitions and the NSW Cup is a far superior league.

1. It's not FAR superior. That Parra team that won last season or the season before would't have gone close to the QCup premiers.
2. I mentioned it before how one of the best attributes of the Qld Cup is that the young guys get to play with the old hard heads, which they do get the opportunity to do in the NSW Cup. This prepares them better for the NRL. Look at the Under 20's for example, some of the attack is outstanding but the defence is ****house. In the Qld Cup, even young guys like Dave Taylor can get shown up by the older, more experienced forwards.
3. Stop trying to rearrange the Qld Cup season for the NRL's benefit. Let it rearrange its own season if it wants to do it to fit around the Qld Cup.

 

[The Engineers Room]

1. It's not FAR superior. That Parra team that won last season or the season before would't have gone close to the QCup premiers.
2. I mentioned it before how one of the best attributes of the Qld Cup is that the young guys get to play with the old hard heads, which they do get the opportunity to do in the NSW Cup. This prepares them better for the NRL. Look at the Under 20's for example, some of the attack is outstanding but the defence is ****house. In the Qld Cup, even young guys like Dave Taylor can get shown up by the older, more experienced forwards.
3. Stop trying to rearrange the Qld Cup season for the NRL's benefit. Let it rearrange its own season if it wants to do it to fit around the Qld Cup.

Parramatta have won three in a row and would wipe the floor with any Qld cup side. Younger players do play NSW Cup and when it was premier league all the juniors went through there.

 

[XXXX Cap]

Younger players do play NSW Cup and when it was premier league all the juniors went through there.

Nobody is saying younger players don't play in it - we're saying there aren't many old tough heads in the comp for them to play against.

 

[DINGb@T]

3. Stop trying to rearrange the Qld Cup season for the NRL's benefit. Let it rearrange its own season if it wants to do it to fit around the Qld Cup.

It's not for the NRL's benefit it's for the benefit of all 3 competitions involved. You ask the QLD Cup CEOs if they'd like some national exposure for their product... I think they'd be pretty keen. Also ask the players if they'd like to play on the national stage and perhaps get an extra paycheck... some of those blokes may never get a game in the NRL but this would be their chance to get on tv, win a national competition, etc.

And the fact that we're already trying to prove which comp is the best suggests that there would be enough interest for fans of both comps, as well as those with a passing interest or a vested interest in any of the historical clubs, to watch the new comp and actually find out- who is better, the NSW or the QLD teams? Throw in the league fans who will now have a reason to support their local team in a fair dinkum way and you've got the building interest that would make the comp a success. Not to mention get out to their local QLD/NSW Cup game every now and then.