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Expansion Through the Second Tier

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Junior participation for starters and build from there.
It'd be interesting to know if there has been research done on how to get kids playing a sport in larger numbers?
I suspect it comes down to;
1. opportunity (cant play if there's no club near by or school doesn't have it as a option)
2. Awareness and coolness (kids love to do whats seen as cool and what the media superstars are playing)
3. Cost and culture (is it accessible and welcoming to kids and their families)
4. Familiarity (is it main sport and do your parents follow it)

In the very competitive market for kids participation Im not sure where RL sits really and if its getting better or worse.

Touch is such a good entree for younger kids, its inclusive, low risk and uses lots of the motor skills they want to see in kids development. If I was NRL Id be going hard at getting it on national sports curriculum then making sure it had really clear linkages back to NRL clubs (ie free merch from club of your choice, free ticket to a game if you've got a club in your city, coaching visits by NRL players etc)
 

Dragonwest

Juniors
Messages
1,652
NRL h
It'd be interesting to know if there has been research done on how to get kids playing a sport in larger numbers?
I suspect it comes down to;
1. opportunity (cant play if there's no club near by or school doesn't have it as a option)
2. Awareness and coolness (kids love to do whats seen as cool and what the media superstars are playing)
3. Cost and culture (is it accessible and welcoming to kids and their families)
4. Familiarity (is it main sport and do your parents follow it)

In the very competitive market for kids participation Im not sure where RL sits really and if its getting better or worse.

Touch is such a good entree for younger kids, its inclusive, low risk and uses lots of the motor skills they want to see in kids development. If I was NRL Id be going hard at getting it on national sports curriculum then making sure it had really clear linkages back to NRL clubs (ie free merch from club of your choice, free ticket to a game if you've got a club in your city, coaching visits by NRL players etc)

NRL has done plenty of research on this. Surveyed junior players and looked heavily into the "Relative Age Effect".

Its part of the reason the NRL:
1) Heavily invested in "Coach the Coach" prior to COVID. Poor coaching methodology, attitude and narrow focus is the main internal driver in players giving up. NRL provide online coaching resources, Coaching Conference etc.
2) Competitive games were dropped for the mini/mods and tag brought in for u6s across the country. Parents may whinge, but it's ultimately better for the kids and keeping them interested when they start.
3) It also lead the pushing back of HM and SG Ball a year to stop early too specialisation forcing young teens to make tough decisions to lockin their one sport too early and prevent burnout.
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,822
and accept not having a premier second tier comp in NSW? I doubt it.
Accept what? they already are, did you forget where this comp started... bwahaha, if you think qcup is the 2nd tier, you must have a skewed view
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,822
Key is what do the Bears do now Roosters are going alone. They will get pumped if they stay in NSW Cup
No they wont, its the other way round... the roosters have to scout from CC and other areas to fill thier reserve grade squad, they only have 4 junior clubs with their 4 suburbs of existence, this is where this site is mind boggling, we talk of relocations and removing clubs, and put shit on the manlys and cronullas, but easts is right between them doing SFA, in a region of 4 fkn suburbs.. fmd

Norths have existed way before teaming up with the roosters , theyve teamed up with storm and souths, and haven't lost any traction in their comp.. its the reason they are always being considered to return (although it shouldn't be in nsw imo)
they are good at junior development, same as newtown, same as mounties
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,822
Same for Newtown, Wentie and Blacktown. I'm guessing magpies will just be rolled in to Tigers reserve grade?
Maybe they'll take them 4 add in some of the strong RM cup clubs, Fiji and maybe look to other areas that may be interested to form a new lower cost NSW cup? Seems regional NSW has largely been excluded from the NSW cup so maybe an opportunity to include some regional clubs?
Magpies ARE the tigers reserves, balmain is lower grades.. wests rules the roost there, newtown and cronulla are still joint at the hip, leaves, wenty, blacktown, norths and mounties to take over the visiting qld away teams, for the resereve grade match
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
16,990
No they wont, its the other way round... the roosters have to scout from CC and other areas to fill thier reserve grade squad, they only have 4 junior clubs with their 4 suburbs of existence, this is where this site is mind boggling, we talk of relocations and removing clubs, and put shit on the manlys and cronullas, but easts is right between them doing SFA, in a region of 4 fkn suburbs.. fmd

Norths have existed way before teaming up with the roosters , theyve teamed up with storm and souths, and haven't lost any traction in their comp.. its the reason they are always being considered to return (although it shouldn't be in nsw imo)
they are good at junior development, same as newtown, same as mounties

That is my point though.

Roosters want their own side, Using Central Coast and they have the Fiji Ron Massey Cup link too. Then they have the excess Top 36 guys.

Teams without those fringe NRL guys struggle
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,822
That is my point though.

Roosters want their own side, Using Central Coast and they have the Fiji Ron Massey Cup link too. Then they have the excess Top 36 guys.

Teams without those fringe NRL guys struggle
Struggle what?... nsw cup... its not the NRL..
These unaffiliated clubs create NRL grade players too, Cameron Munster, Greg Inglis and Billy Slater didn't start at the storm or broncos, players come from everywhere, then get picked up by NRL clubs, then potentially get better or dont depending on the club

Besides the rate the roosters go with injures and head knocks, those fringe players wont be in reserve grade for the bulk of the season, its disruptive to lose those fringe players for that reserve comp
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
16,990
Struggle what?... nsw cup... its not the NRL..
These unaffiliated clubs create NRL grade players too, Cameron Munster, Greg Inglis and Billy Slater didn't start at the storm or broncos, players come from everywhere, then get picked up by NRL clubs, then potentially get better or dont depending on the club

Mounties are the perfect example last season, None of their guys got picked up and the side struggled to win games.
They would of been better off playing Ron Massey Cup and feeding into say the Dogs
 
Messages
12,413
I go back to my earlier comment about expansion on these forums and in my opinion we need to augment our junior playing base by large amount, and unless ALL CLUBS get onside with this we will struggle to expand to any great extent.
JUNIOR EXPANSION IS THE FUTURE OF OUR GAME AND WE NEED TO DO A LOT MORE OF IT THAN WE DO NOW
V'landys has reduced funding to junior rugby league to accommodate the NRL clubs. This will come back to haunt the game over the next 15 to 20 years.
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,822
Mounties are the perfect example last season, None of their guys got picked up and the side struggled to win games.
They would of been better off playing Ron Massey Cup and feeding into say the Dogs
Is that because the coach wasnt there, too busy running 1st grade bulldogs after barrett shat the bed againScreenshot_20220516-132329_Gallery.jpg
Mounties are feeding the dogs btw
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,822
Correct not from NSW Cup.
Same arrangement Panthers have with St Marys.
But they are feeding them no? Anyways its semantics, not every club every year will be competitive consistently.. so using one year you cannot say they don't deserve to be there
 

Dark Corner

Juniors
Messages
1,320
How many fans of their NRL club would want to watch Reserve Grade compared to people watching North Sydney and Macky Cutters and also the Newcastle and Illawarra comp ?
 
Messages
12,413
How many fans of their NRL club would want to watch Reserve Grade compared to people watching North Sydney and Macky Cutters and also the Newcastle and Illawarra comp ?
Not many will watch reserve grade. When the U20s was played there would be very few people watching. Most of the people who came early socialised and drank.
 

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