New NRL conference system proposal

[getsmarty]

Secret dossier reveals bombshell proposal for NRL revolution
NRL Premiership

• April 27, 2021 7:04pm
• by Tyson Otto
• Source: news.com.au

Wayne is keen.Source: Getty Images
A secret dossier given to NRL clubs has revealed the bombshell plan to revolutionise the game.

The NRL has taken a huge step forward in it plans to split the competition into two conferences as part of its expansion plans for the 2023 season.

The league has previously flirted with the concept of a divided competition, but it emerged on Tuesday night the league is more serious than ever about the plan to turn the competition on its head.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo last month put the 18-team conference system on the table for public discussion and it was reported Tuesday the plan has advanced to the stage of discussions with the 16 NRL clubs. He also claimed the New Zealand market was the perfect destination for an 18th club. The second Kiwi team would join a 17th team from Brisbane, which is on track to be introduced for the start of the 2023 season — when the NRL’s new TV rights deal would begin.

Round 8
The leading contenders to become the NRL’s 17th team are the Redcliffe Dolphins, who have lodged a Brisbane Dolphins trademark, the Brisbane Jets — a coalition of the Brisbane Bombers and Ipswich Jets — and the Easts Tigers-backed Brisbane Firehawks.

The atmosphere of the 2019 NRL grand final.Source: News Corp Australia
The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday reported Abdo and chairman Peter V’landys have been meeting with clubs. Channel 7 reported Tuesday night the NRL executives have been handing the clubs a secret dossier with the details of the proposed 18-team competition that would divide the league into two conferences made up of nine teams.

Bennett last month went public with his support of the concept

“I think they should play in conferences, I’ve always argued for conferences,” Bennett said.

“I think Sydney do themselves a great disservice by not playing each other on a regular basis home-and-away because that’s what the fans want in Sydney.

“(Sydney fans) embrace the national league but they also embrace the club rivalry and unless you’re living in Sydney you don’t realise how strong it is,” Bennett said.

“It’s what people outside of Sydney don’t get about Sydney is the genuine rivalry between the clubs here.

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Wayne is keen.Source: Getty Images
“It makes the game, I love it.”

The two conference system would include a Sydney-based conference and a conference made up of the teams outside Sydney.

The proposal includes the nine clubs in each conference playing each other twice, and playing the clubs in the other conference once — expanding the season to a 25-game home-and-away competition.

It will also result in an overhaul of the finals system with the proposal outlining plans to have the best four teams from each conference qualify for the finals.

The two conferences would then have separate finals systems before the best club from each conference clash for the NRL Grand Final.

It comes after the NRL last year flirted with the idea of breaking the competition into two conferences as part of the plan to re-start the season following the COVID-19 season shutdown.

The NRL in 2019 also investigated a proposal to expand the finals system with a wildcard weekend that would see teams from 7th to 10th play off for a chance to secure a spot in the top eight. The proposal was designed to eliminate the number of games played that had no impact on the make-up of the finals.

How the NRL conferences would look

Sydney conference: Roosters, Rabbitohs, Eels, Bulldogs, Tigers, Panthers, Dragons, Sharks, Sea Eagles

Expansion conference: Broncos, Titans, Cowboys, Storm, Warriors, Knights, Raiders, second Brisbane franchise, second New Zealand franchise

How the season would work:

The nine teams from each conference play each other twice (16 games) and each team from the other conference once (nine games)

How the finals system would work

Each conference would have a top four group of teams that qualify for the finals. The finals would then unfold as separate competitions in an elimination format that would begin with 1vs4 and 2vs3. The winners of each conference would then play for the NRL grand final.


https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...n/news-story/e532aa4a521e5bef1c46c45c7c230ba6

 

[Forbes Creek Dragons]

Maybe one thing at a time would be nice.

 

[getsmarty]

Maybe one thing at a time would be nice.

Yep...fix up the Bunker and the judiciary followed by cap allocation...........

 

[Saints Forever]

Like the idea

Unsure though whether there is enough talent to fill another 2 squads

 

[Mickthedragon]

The talent pool would be really stretched under this system.
It's a good idea though.

 

[getsmarty]

Like the idea

Unsure though whether there is enough talent to fill another 2 squads

some clubs will have no problem.........

 

[mickeylane]

we would be a perennial 5th placed team each year behind Souths, Penrith, Parra, Roosters... cant they make it top 5? lol

 

[RedVDave]

Yeah nah won't happen.

Although I would much rather see a second NZ team before a second Brisbane team.

 

[This Year?]

Stupid idea. Hate it.

 

[Gareth67]

Wow ! Yet another head honcho of the NRL has come up with a brilliant plan to revolutionize the game !

The great game is nothing but a mere shadow of what it once was now , with all the changes to the rules , back to the 2 point field goal , 2 damn refs who still cannot do their job without the help of the $2 million dollar bunker that could not film a bank robbery in progress .

Should these plans go ahead would it make sense to assume that the ‘ money ‘ clubs would scoop the pool as they do now ?

Or perhaps V’landys intends to splash a bit of cash to the strugglers of the competition in each of the conferences to even out the playing field ?

If they do intend to proceed with this idea then they had better get the salary cap in order and have it working in a manner where there can be no unscrupulous dealings taking place.

That should be the foundation stone of this proposal , at least then there shall be no advantage to any club .

 

[BLM01]

Like the idea

Unsure though whether there is enough talent to fill another 2 squads

There isnt. The current super well run wealthy clubs will get stronger. The division between the current strong clubs and the weaker clubs in each conference will get wider.
But would not Melb love being in the out of Sydney conference. Basically lay down mizzarre to win their side. Weak competition for them if you look at this year.

 

[possm]

The Dragons can be thankful that they fell into the Sydney conference. I would have thought that his would have been the ideal time to push the Dragons completely into Wollongong.

A second team for Brisbane and New Zealand will only strengthen the the depth of first Graders. Brisbane lose a lot of good athletes to other sports and New Zealand has un tpped talent being recruited by the rah rah form of the game. As long as they form the second team on the South Island, this move would be a huge success in NZ.

 

[Coffs dragon]

It seems inevitable as they have completely ruined and added rule changes every year to speed the game up, and so it no longer resembles the great contest and battle it once was.

The Bunker, the challenge, the six again......blow it all up as Gus says!
Can we just let the game stay unchanged for at least 5 consecutive bloody years and not become a TV game.

 

[HenryTatana]

You might get the players up to play in the conference final but to get them up again 2 weeks later to play in the battle of the conference's is going to be hard.

You will have the marketeers printing the conference champions t shirts and living off the back of that when, should they lose the conference final it all means jack.

It will be no different to school/ kids sport these days, everyone wins a prize.

 

[muzby]

 

[Dragon David]

I like it! Ha!

 

[Dragon David]

If Wayne Bennett likes it then the two conferences will come to exist. He says he supports the idea. So what is in it for him?

 

[Red V for life]

I’m not a fan.

I don’t like the fact that certain teams will never be able to meet in the GF or championship game or whatever the hell it’ll be called.

Also, conference champions does not interest me at all.

 

[Dragonslayer]

Bit too much like the NFL with their 2 conference structure.

The only positive is that the NRL amd Clubs will save on transport and accomodation costs especially the 'Sydney' group. A couple of financially struggling clubs would go for it obviously.

If you want 18 teams then have 18 teams no need to divide them up.

Whats next? Franchising? Private ownership of clubs?

I think the NRL needs to get its mind our of this 'blockbuster' mentality. A blockbuster is not only Roosters v Storm (as this conference idea may end up as the "champions" final), every game should be promoted as such.

We also don't want to end up like the EPL where you have a handfull of 'super clubs' ie Liverpool, Man U, Chelsea, Man City to name a few, and the others making up the numbers with an occasional surprise winner.

 

[TruSaint]

It seems inevitable as they have completely ruined and added rule changes every year to speed the game up, and so it no longer resembles the great contest and battle it once was.

The Bunker, the challenge, the six again......blow it all up as Gus says!
Can we just let the game stay unchanged for at least 5 consecutive bloody years and not become a TV game.

Yep.

I can see what they are trying to do by mimicking the NFL, but this isn't America.

Can't think of any other code that chops and changes at the core of the game more than RL.

They wanted a faster spectacle, they have it. They wanted technology, they have it. There are 2 teams earmarked for franchises, bring them in.

As you say, a bit of stability would do the game no harm.