NRLW to expand in 2023 and 24

[marshall stalin]

I think the NRL will be looking to add 2 non Sydney teams in 2023 to the NRLW comp- Warriors more than likely 1 of the sides if they re-apply and either Raiders or the Cowboys the other 1 suggest.

2024 - whoever misses out between Raiders and Cowboys and one other team

I hope the NRL sticks with NRL Clubs entering NRLW sides and not going outside this as Abdo suggested

While the current round of expansion will likely only include current NRL clubs, there is breadth to go beyond those as Abdo dreams of a larger competition. That could include the potential of sides in the Pacific Islands or Papua New Guinea, as well as interest from Perth with Western Australia the current champions from teams outside NSW, ACT and Queensland.

“There’s nothing stopping us from thinking differently about where women’s clubs may be situated beyond an NRL club licence,” Abdo said. “It’s difficult to predict where we will end, because hopefully we never do we just keep growing.”

10 team comp then in 2024- how long then should it be before more teams are added - be questions about playing depth so more to be done on juniors/pathways etc and of course finances/broadcast deals including player contracts/salary caps and how long the comp will go for/finals etc.

2023 clubs can sign two marque players full time which are not included in the cap but others I understand will be on pre-season/comp/season duration contracts.

The 350k salary cap and minimum wage 10k in 2022 will increase in 2023 when the CBA comes into affect.

Obviously it is not ideal to have to resign the bulk of your squad season after season though so need to look at extended contracts for all players.

2023/2024

8 clubs have confirmed interests in applying in 2023 and or 2024 - Sharks/Souths/Penrith(2024)/Wests Tigers/Cowboys/Warriors/Raiders/Bulldogs

3 Clubs no info on their intention that I could find but one figures they will want to enter a side - Manly/Redcliffe/Storm

Sharks- Will be applying for entry in either 2023/2024
Souths- Will be applying for entry in either 2023/2024
Bulldogs - Will be applying for entry in either 2023/2024
Manly- No info on their intention to apply in either 2023/24 but suggest they will will want to enter a side
Penrith - 2024 as the article says
Wests Tigers- Will be applying for entry in either 2023/2024
Redcliffe - No info on their intention to apply in either 2023/24 but suggest they will will want to enter a side
Cowboys- Will be applying for entry in either 2023/2024
Warriors - most likely be one of the teams added in 2023 if they apply for re-entry
Raiders - Will be applying for entry in 2023/2024
Storm - No info on their intention to apply in either 2023/24 but suggest they will will want to enter a side

URL link for quotes:

NRL confirm women's expansion, more pay

The NRLW will grow to eight teams in 2023 and 10 in 2024 as part of a raft of changes that include an extra State of Origin game and a 28 per cent pay increase.

7news.com.au

 

[10$ Ferret]

The reason for the season by season contracts is so that the talent is spread. This year's comp showed what happens when the talent is spread across the teams, you get very competitive games.
I have heard the whinging Broncos capt complain that players want to stay with their club. But sometimes you have to sacrifice personal stuff for the betterment of the game. She should pull her head in there have been more players give up alot more than she has had to so that players of her generation can get paid.

 

[siv]

Well most NRL clubs now want in

Lets see what exclusion policy excuse they will use for the already excluded clubs

 

[MrE_Assassin]

Expansion of the Women's Competition

I don't mind a mascot being renamed, like the Canberra Raiders, becoming Canberra Valkyeries for NRLW, things like that, but a completely different team, that has no affiliation to the current canberra club seems like a silly way to go. I agree with jamberoo, there's way too much cost plus...

forums.leagueunlimited.com

I pretty much have the same ideas on the other NRLW thread. My thoughts are for the following Expansion brackets:

2023 - Warriors reintroduced, Canberra added (ACT Gov has dumped a ton of money into the NRLW bid)
2024 - Melbourne (NRL Vic has had tackle comps for girls running since before 2013. Large Pacific Islander RL playing demographic down there too) and one more Sydney team (Tigers, Panthers or Dogs)

This, in my opinion would give the comp it best footprint in the interim. Further Expansion beyond 2024 should look to increase in 2-3 year blocks but only up to 14 teams max:

2026/7 - Nth QLD (Cowgirls/Gold Stars) & one final Sydney team

2029/30 - Possibly a WA team and NZ 2

Just my opinion, but I think its reasonable.

 

[Brick Tamland]

 

[MrE_Assassin]

View attachment 62732

That’s slightly unfortunate.

 

[Brick Tamland]

That’s slightly unfortunate.

For who?

 

[League Unlimited News]

NRLW confirms 2023 expansion teams » League Unlimited

leagueunlimited.com

The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has approved the addition of four new teams to an expanded NRL Telstra Women's Premiership competition from 2023.

The Commission has confirmed that Canberra Raiders, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, North Queensland Cowboys and Wests Tigers would be admitted to the Premiership in 2023.

The additional teams will ensure that the NRLW competition is represented from Townsville in far-north Queensland to Canberra, with three Clubs in Queensland, six in NSW and one in the ACT.

Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Mr Peter V'landys AM said the growth of the women's game was a priority for the Commission, from grassroots to elite, and that all four teams would add significantly to the new competition in 2023.

"We have a blueprint for investing in the women's game at all levels. We have seen from with the quality of the 2021 NRLW Premiership and the tremendous growth in female participation that we have capacity for sustainable growth," Mr V'landys said.

"The Commission have again demonstrated that the women's game is a strategic priority. The quality of the Club submissions was excellent. The Commission had always left the door open to expand to a 10-team competition based on the quality of the applicants, and we have seen that come through both in the success of the 2021 Premiership and the quality and applications made by Clubs."

National Rugby League CEO Andrew Abdo said the expansion of the NRLW Premiership to a 10-team competition was a watershed moment for the sport.

"Today is another exciting milestone in the growth of Women's Premiership," Mr Abdo said.

"The Sharks and the Tigers have strong teams in the Harvey Norman NSW Women's Premiership, and the Raiders and the Cowboys already have strong participation bases.

"We will continue to work with all NRL Clubs on the plans for further expansion beyond 2023 and the right time for each Club to potentially enter the NRW Premiership."

Mr Abdo acknowledged and thanked major partners for their investment including naming rights partner Telstra and broadcasters Nine and Fox Sports.

 

[grozzy]

Now there's enough teams to consider it a real competition. Hopefully the talent isn't too diluted or lopsided.

 

[10$ Ferret]

Well that's interesting.
My thoughts are its too many. But I sit back and think that one of the qualities of the women's game is the ability for unknown players to lift to a standard they aren't used to.
I hope the standard is maintained. I guess with further talent distribution briggenshaw will be on her high horse again whinging again.

 

[Danish]

My hope is that they lock in to this number of teams for at least 5 years. Give them time to grow organically. No adding any more teams until every player is a full time professional.

the NRLW’s current quality is bloody excellent, much more on par with the womens big bash than the glorified PR exercise that is the womens AFL.

Rushing to expand too fast just to grab headlines is dumb, and I fear that’s what this is (much like the stupid “parity pay for rep players” garbage from last year).

 

[10$ Ferret]

I am really really sick of hearing the whinging fans from teams that don't have NRLW teams.
For example, the only thing souths have done for Women's RL is
- Take a really good premiership winning HNWP team from Redfern Allblacks and turn it into a bottom of the table mess.
- Pull their TG cup team from the competition for a few years because they could not be bother funding it
- not much else. Some the clubs have done create things such as Lapa and RAB but that's not Souths.

Someone else was whinging that Penrith didn't have one and deserved it simply because they were premiers.

People have to realise its not about women from your area playing in your NRLW team, its about distributing talent and creating a good product.

 

[Dogs Of War]

Some good comments were made on nrl 360 about giving the womens comp some clean air. Maybe starting the comp later in the year.

I could see it working if you start in September so it fills the gap with the lesser number of games. And then once the grand final is over it can just take over. Not sure how many rounds you would want to go though. Play each other once then finals? That would take it into Nov. before cricket starts really.

I think that could work.

 

[Perth Red]

good,to,see expansion to a proper comp size but nrl360 made a good point of when do you play it if it wants tv coverage? The idiots on there suggested Oct-dec, somehow forgetting that is when we should be playing internationals.

also understand from cost to nrl why they are aligning to nrl clubs but over saturation of Sydney again is something you’d think they’d have learnt. Been better to have had Sydney n,s,e and w (fed or aligned to the appropriate TS clubs) brisbane n&s and nz north island and nz South Island then other club areas outside sydney for an eventual 12-14 comp Imo.

 

[siv]

Lets remember NRLW started as a TV product replacement for NYC finals matches

So there will be a desire to still play NRLW GF on NRL GF day

So where will a 11 week season fit?

July to Oct or Sep to Nov

 

[10$ Ferret]

The round games and most likely semis should be on their own not along with an NRL game.
The NRLW did not start as a TV replacement for anything. It started due to the need to fill the gap and take advantage of the growing profile of women's sport.

 

[Dogs Of War]

good,to,see expansion to a proper comp size but nrl360 made a good point of when do you play it if it wants tv coverage? The idiots on there suggested Oct-dec, somehow forgetting that is when we should be playing internationals.

also understand from cost to nrl why they are aligning to nrl clubs but over saturation of Sydney again is something you’d think they’d have learnt. Been better to have had Sydney n,s,e and w (fed or aligned to the appropriate TS clubs) brisbane n&s and nz north island and nz South Island then other club areas outside sydney for an eventual 12-14 comp Imo.

I think if you start in Sept it compliments the men's finals, and also allows for the switch of interest across to the women's game to follow that comp. Not to mention that the women's comp going past the grand final sustains interest in the comp and then supports the men's internationals cause interest in Rugby League hasn't died off. So you have your normal final series, but have the women games all scheduled to lead into each semi.

My only issue is what happens when you get to 17-18 teams. At some point you are going to have serious overlap or have the girls playing into Dec/Jan. Which is why you would want the comp to have a set finish time, say mid Nov before cricket interest really ramps up. How you schedule the conflicts at the start of the comp is another thing, unless you just put them against the men's games where an earlier slot doesn't exist.

So say Friday 4pm, Saturday 11am and 1pm games. Sunday 12pm game. As the early season pre men's timeslots when overlap occurs, and the other games just play against the men's games at that time.

 

[Valheru]

Some good comments were made on nrl 360 about giving the womens comp some clean air. Maybe starting the comp later in the year.

I could see it working if you start in September so it fills the gap with the lesser number of games. And then once the grand final is over it can just take over. Not sure how many rounds you would want to go though. Play each other once then finals? That would take it into Nov. before cricket starts really.

I think that could work.

This would have it come up against the WBBL which I doubt is a battle the NRLW wants now or at any point TBH given the strength of that competition. .

 

[Iamback]

It can't even be before or after NRL games due to not having the same about of teams.

It is a tough decision

 

[Iamback]

The round games and most likely semis should be on their own not along with an NRL game.
The NRLW did not start as a TV replacement for anything. It started due to the need to fill the gap and take advantage of the growing profile of women's sport.

Cost saving is why it went down that path. Still needed especially with the push to go Fulltime