Dragons crisis talks

[Father Ted]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/crisis-talks-on-dragons-feeder-team/story-e6frexnr-1225976430135

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Seems to be an article reminding everyone we still don't have concrete plans for Reserve Grade in 2011

 

[Willow]

As said before, we 'never saw this coming', eh?

We are one of the richest clubs in the NRL. But we can't have a second grade?

The dropping of the reserve grade team was done purely as a cost cutting exercise, courtesy of tightarse central. Now it seems the club needs to throw more money at Shellharbour to fill the vacuum.

I got an idea, how about we put a Dragons team in the NSW Cup and be done with it.

 

[Benny]

As said before, we 'never saw this coming', eh?

We are one of the richest clubs in the NRL. But we can't have a second grade?

The dropping of the reserve grade team was done purely as a cost cutting exercise, courtesy of tightarse central. Now it seems the club needs to throw more money at Shellharbour to fill the vacuum.

I got an idea, how about we put a Dragons team in the NSW Cup and be done with it.

I've got a better idea - how about the new IC make it mandatory for NRL teams to have a First Grade, Reserve Grade and National Elite Competition sides.

Play the National Elite competition before First Grade and have Reserve Grade as first game because more commercially markable but lets get 3 grades of footy back .

The NSW Cup is a joke and if I was an administrator I'd be more than happy putting players in Carlton League which standard is very similar to NSW Cup at no cost.

 

[Rexxy]

It would only take St George DRLFC to offer to pay for this team and call them the St George Dragons or Saints, playing out of OKI, for Shellharbour to change their mind and support it.

Come on The Mercury and i98, quit your free run on the red and white shirt tales you bludgers and throw in some cash.

The reason why the Steelers never survived is because the local newspaper was owned by fairfax and not News Ltd.

I've got a better idea - how about the new IC make it mandatory for NRL teams to have a First Grade, Reserve Grade and National Elite Competition sides.

Play the National Elite competition before First Grade and have Reserve Grade as first game because more commercially markable but lets get 3 grades of footy back .

The NSW Cup is a joke and if I was an administrator I'd be more than happy putting players in Carlton League which standard is very similar to NSW Cup at no cost.

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

The feeder team should be the Illawarra Steelers

 

[Timmah]

The NSW Cup is a joke and if I was an administrator I'd be more than happy putting players in Carlton League which standard is very similar to NSW Cup at no cost.

While I completely agree with your earlier remarks that we need an elite reserve grade comp, what a pisspoor attitude regarding NSW Cup.

While most acknowledge the quality of footy in NSW Cup is at the same standard as QLD Cup, suggesting teams pull out (and thereby making it even sh*tter) isn't a good way to address the problem.

 

[Father Ted]

It would only take St George DRLFC to offer to pay for this team and call them the St George Dragons or Saints, playing out of OKI, for Shellharbour to change their mind and support it.

QUOTE]


There should be a team playing out of OKI regardless of whatever those duds in Shellharbour decide . Canterbury are offering season tickets on the back of shopper dockets in Hurstville coles unopposed . The object clearly to win over fans in our district . The clubs success this year was too hard won to just give away.

The tight arses who run us are forever giving other clubs free shots at us and having a team at any level in the red vee called the Saints playing their local games here would be a big help in the hearts and minds games that the bulldogs love to play .

 

[Benny]

While I completely agree with your earlier remarks that we need an elite reserve grade comp, what a pisspoor attitude regarding NSW Cup.

While most acknowledge the quality of footy in NSW Cup is at the same standard as QLD Cup, suggesting teams pull out (and thereby making it even sh*tter) isn't a good way to address the problem.

Maybe it is a piss poor attitude Timmah.

While I see your point my question is if you were CEO of the Dragons what would you do:

- Spend 500k plus on forming a side that gives you no return commercially and little if any advantage to your playing group.

or

- Spend nothing, filter your excess players out to local sides that is of a good enough standard in comparison to the alternatives (NSW Cup) and might actually give some commercial returns for the local clubs that in turn put that money back into the club which promotes Rugby League in the local area and produces a talent of local players.

There is a third option and that is to do as most of the other NRL teams have done (as St.George have done previously) and that is to link with another side.

Now I definately wouldn't do option 1, my favoured would be option 3 (if we contributed some resources and no more than $100k) but if required to do anything more than that I'd go option 2.

Only Canterbury Bulldogs, Manky Sea Eagles and Cronulla Sharks go option 1.

New Zealand (Auckland Vulcans), Parramatta (Wentworth Magpies), Newcastle Knights (Central Coast Centurions), Penrith Panthers (Windsor Wolves), South Sydney (North Sydney Bears) and Sydney Roosters (Newtown Jets) use option 3.

Wests Tigers (Western Suburbs Magpies and Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers) effectively use option 3 as well.

Canberra are the only NSW team that have gone the 4th option which is send players to the Queensland Cup but as a subsquent have lost players in the Matthews Cup and SG Ball competitions. Though a compromise of sending some players to Southern Marlins has been reported which could see the Matthews Cup and SG Ball teams reinstated.

The Queensland teams - Gold Coast, Brisbane and North Queensland all have feeder teams (a few) from the Queensland Cup. Melbourne will also send its players to Queensland Cup.

 

[RedVee]

I've got a better idea - how about the new IC make it mandatory for NRL teams to have a First Grade, Reserve Grade and National Elite Competition sides.

Play the National Elite competition before First Grade and have Reserve Grade as first game because more commercially markable but lets get 3 grades of footy back .

The NSW Cup is a joke and if I was an administrator I'd be more than happy putting players in Carlton League which standard is very similar to NSW Cup at no cost.

I agree with the bit I bolded.

As said before, we 'never saw this coming', eh?

We are one of the richest clubs in the NRL. But we can't have a second grade?

The dropping of the reserve grade team was done purely as a cost cutting exercise, courtesy of tightarse central. Now it seems the club needs to throw more money at Shellharbour to fill the vacuum.

I got an idea, how about we put a Dragons team in the NSW Cup and be done with it.

The feeder team should be the Illawarra Steelers

Assuming we don't go the SGI in NSW Cup route and that Shellharbour are still out, I think the Steelers would be the choice for the NSW Cup. Dragons as the elite level, Steelers as the next level sounds about right. Steelers get to live on at a higher than junior level in the same way as Newtown, Wests etc. Bonus that wee don't have our fringe players playing AGAINST THEMSELVES in the Carlton Cup.

 

[Willow]

The feeder team should be the Illawarra Steelers

Who would finance it?

 

[Timmah]

New Zealand (Auckland Vulcans), Parramatta (Wentworth Magpies), Newcastle Knights (Central Coast Centurions), Parramatta Eels (Central Coast Centurions), Penrith Panthers (Windsor Wolves), South Sydney (North Sydney Bears) and Sydney Roosters (Newtown Jets) use option 3.

Assuming you didn't mean Parramatta twice?

But I do see your point. The whole reason we need the IC is to clean up our lower grades.

 

[RedVDave]

Please don't let this be a repeat of 2007-2008.

 

[Benny]

Assuming you didn't mean Parramatta twice?

But I do see your point. The whole reason we need the IC is to clean up our lower grades.

Fixed up the 2 x Parramatta.

Lower Grades are a mess and are in urgent need of an overhaul.

National Elite Youth Competition (Toyota Cup) in my mind if fantastic but it shouldn't have been at the expense of Reserve Grade.

As stated above I'd like to see 3 Grades - First Grade, National Elite Competition and Reserve Grade - promoted in that order and played in reverse order.

The NRL's grant to each club should be the maximum a club can spend on salaries for all those 3 grades - no excuse not to spend the money. The benefits will be enormous to the game.

As it stands the NSW Cup is effectively local clubs with small supporter bases playing in front of a few hundred people at best (get better crowds to A Grade games) on sub standard facilities in many cases.

I know of ex internationals and First Grade players who are returning from injury or been dropped that have played in front of 200 odd people on dust bowls. That is not good enough for the standard of competition it is meant to be.

After the 3 main grades you would have a NSW Cup and QLD Cup - pretty much the same teams and possibly Bundy Red Cup joining with current NSW Cup teams to form that competition - players could form links with NRL clubs and feed players up to these competitions if required.

That would be my plan.

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

Who would finance it?

I was thinking you would :sarcasm:

 

[Godz Illa]

There is no value in financing an entire NSW Cup side. This year we only used 7 players who ran out for Shellharbour, and of those a couple only took the field once or twice for us in first grade. There's no point shelling out several hundred thousand dollars minimum for such a tiny return. Joint ventures at that level of competition are the way to go - even Souffs (who have Rusty money) are engaged in one with North Sydney.

 

[watatank]

Roosters with Newtown as well

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

There is no value in financing an entire NSW Cup side. This year we only used 7 players who ran out for Shellharbour, and of those a couple only took the field once or twice for us in first grade. There's no point shelling out several hundred thousand dollars minimum for such a tiny return. Joint ventures at that level of competition are the way to go - even Souffs (who have Rusty money) are engaged in one with North Sydney.

You could not be more wrong.....The game needs a strong feeder comp or it's headed to sh*tville.

 

[Godz Illa]

No need to respond to PMQ

Roosters with Newtown as well

Melbourne Storm, bankrolled by News, have joined with Cronulla for NSW Cup. Newcastle with Central Coast. Parra-Wentworthville. Penrith-Windsor. Even the Queensland NRL clubs spread their excess players around a number of Qld Cup sides.

 

[Benny]

You could not be more wrong.....The game needs a strong feeder comp or it's headed to sh*tville.

Biker Dragon you are correct that the game needs a strong feeder competition BUT Godz Illa is 100% correct in his evaluation.