docbrown
Coach
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Just some interesting statistics to mull over.
The top 7 teams are within 2 points of each other. 1 win or loss and (based on other teams results) they can end up anywhere from 1st to 10th. There are 13 teams within 1 win of the Top 8 and 15 teams within 2. That's a close competition.
But also consider this: there are 10 points - 5 wins - separating 1st and 17th.
Now go back to 2000 & 2001 when the NRL was a 14 team competition. This is the kind of competition that anti-expansionists would like to have and would argue was more competitive. But was it?
Round 11 2001: 12 points - 6 wins - between 1st and 14th.
Round 11 2000: 14 points - 7 wins - between 1st and 14th.
So the margin between 1st and 17th in 2023 (5 wins) is actually smaller than what it was between 1st & 14th (6 & 7 wins) during the 14-team competition.
I'd argue that expansion has not seriously impacted the closeness of the competition. We're closer today to the 'any given Sunday' concept than what we were under the 14 team competition.
The top 7 teams are within 2 points of each other. 1 win or loss and (based on other teams results) they can end up anywhere from 1st to 10th. There are 13 teams within 1 win of the Top 8 and 15 teams within 2. That's a close competition.
But also consider this: there are 10 points - 5 wins - separating 1st and 17th.
Now go back to 2000 & 2001 when the NRL was a 14 team competition. This is the kind of competition that anti-expansionists would like to have and would argue was more competitive. But was it?
Round 11 2001: 12 points - 6 wins - between 1st and 14th.
Round 11 2000: 14 points - 7 wins - between 1st and 14th.
So the margin between 1st and 17th in 2023 (5 wins) is actually smaller than what it was between 1st & 14th (6 & 7 wins) during the 14-team competition.
I'd argue that expansion has not seriously impacted the closeness of the competition. We're closer today to the 'any given Sunday' concept than what we were under the 14 team competition.