18th club, whose next?

[jim_57]

What’s the obsession with conferences? Teams have a say in who they get to play twice so the draw is already skewed towards more rivalries. Broncos will always play Cowboys and now Dolphins twice a year for example.

I can’t think of any major comps that use it outside of America off the top of my head, all the major football comps in Europe have 20 teams with no conferences. Only way it makes sense is if we get to a huge number of teams like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL who all have 30+, but they also have a market of 330million, 370million with Canada.

 

[docbrown]

What’s the obsession with conferences? Teams have a say in who they get to play twice so the draw is already skewed towards more rivalries. Broncos will always play Cowboys and now Dolphins twice a year for example.

I can’t think of any major comps that use it outside of America off the top of my head, all the major football comps in Europe have 20 teams with no conferences. Only way it makes sense is if we get to a huge number of teams like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL who all have 30+, but they also have a market of 330million, 370million with Canada.

With 20 teams you need at least 10 teams in the finals to avoid more dead rubber games in the last few weeks of the season. More dead rubbers = fewer fans and lower ratings

There's a psychological factor here. You can have a 20 team comp without conferences and divisions. But if you're in the bottom 5 playing a top 5 or even 10 team it's hard to get invested in what will be one sided match. But if it's a division game you can be 2 vs 4 even though it's really a 1 vs 19 match up. I know it sounds odd but it works. There's a psychology behind numbers.

There's also a reward for winning your division with a home final. You're basically taking all those rivalry games and giving it a formal structure. And when you get to the finals, you can ensure that the teams involved are spread around as many markets as possible. North, South, East and West etc. It does have a purpose.

 

[Canard]

What’s the obsession with conferences? Teams have a say in who they get to play twice so the draw is already skewed towards more rivalries. Broncos will always play Cowboys and now Dolphins twice a year for example.

I can’t think of any major comps that use it outside of America off the top of my head, all the major football comps in Europe have 20 teams with no conferences. Only way it makes sense is if we get to a huge number of teams like NFL, NBA, MLB & NHL who all have 30+, but they also have a market of 330million, 370million with Canada.

It's a back-door way of Sydney teams avoiding travel and playing weaker opposition more frequently.

It's something that Phil Gould is championing out of pure self interest.

A Conference can't work with such a concentration of teams in one city. Unless you relocate or cull half of them.

 

[Dark Corner]

Yep nswrl and super league conferences

Great idea

given the failure of rugby league comps called super league

We still have that awful Super league term in England and it has not been super yet Netball and Womens Soccer has grown on that term

 

[jim_57]

With 20 teams you need at least 10 teams in the finals to avoid more dead rubber games in the last few weeks of the season. More dead rubbers = fewer fans and lower ratings

There's a psychological factor here. You can have a 20 team comp without conferences and divisions. But if you're in the bottom 5 playing a top 5 or even 10 team it's hard to get invested in what will be one sided match. But if it's a division game you can be 2 vs 4 even though it's really a 1 vs 19 match up. I know it sounds odd but it works. There's a psychology behind numbers.

There's also a reward for winning your division with a home final. You're basically taking all those rivalry games and giving it a formal structure. And when you get to the finals, you can ensure that the teams involved are spread around as many markets as possible. North, South, East and West etc. It does have a purpose.

Finals should be for the best teams so 8 out of 20 or 40% is pretty reasonable. Also not a fan of the idea that you could have teams missing the finals that are better than teams who do make it but happen to be in a weak conference that year.

I’d prefer we try and steer away from the idea that a team who won’t make the finals loses all interest for the rest of the year, changing the system to encourage it seems like a backward step. IF and it’s a big if the NRL want to make the finals a possibility for more teams for longer they could have teams 7-10 play 2 knockout games and 2 advance to join the top 6 who have a week off.

 

[Iamback]

Finals should be for the best teams so 8 out of 20 or 40% is pretty reasonable. Also not a fan of the idea that you could have teams missing the finals that are better than teams who do make it but happen to be in a weak conference that year.

I’d prefer we try and steer away from the idea that a team who won’t make the finals loses all interest for the rest of the year, changing the system to encourage it seems like a backward step. IF and it’s a big if the NRL want to make the finals a possibility for more teams for longer they could have teams 7-10 play 2 knockout games and 2 advance to join the top 6 who have a week off.

In sports that have conferences 90% of the time the best teams make the finals

Likely needs to contain a playoff as you said to ensure the 8 is filled with the best sides

Unless you play every team twice you need to work out who you play twice, I am sure TV market would rather an extra Bris v Cowboys as opposed to just against some random Sydney team

 

[Santino Patane]

It's a back-door way of Sydney teams avoiding travel and playing weaker opposition more frequently.

It's something that Phil Gould is championing out of pure self interest.

A Conference can't work with such a concentration of teams in one city. Unless you relocate or cull half of them.

It’s funny how as soon as some random in the media mentions Conferences all the Sydney Trolls come out in force. The same trolls stuck in Uber-Nostalgia Land that probably think the game would be better with real leather footballs, sand instead of kicking tees and shoulder pads.

If anyone objectively watched the caliber of RL in the 80’s they would quickly realise our game is far better now. Let go of the past people!

 

[Wb1234]

It’s funny how as soon as some random in the media mentions Conferences all the Sydney Trolls come out in force. The same trolls stuck in Uber-Nostalgia Land that probably think the game would be better with real leather footballs, sand instead of kicking tees and shoulder pads.

If anyone objectively watched the caliber of RL in the 80’s they would quickly realise our game is far better now. Let go of the past people!

I remember In 1995 how super league said it was going to revolutionise the game

now they can have their own conference again to show us Neanderthals how it’s done

happy to take back the dogs and panthers their sins are forgiven

I feel for the wahs being stuck with the duds but it is what it is

at least by having their own conference again the broncos would be a chance to win “grand finals” again without having to beat those nasty Sydney sides

plus it would show where the real powerbase of the game is

 

[Canard]

I remember In 1995 how super league said it was going to revolutionise the game

now they can have their own conference again to show us Neanderthals how it’s done

happy to take back the dogs and panthers their sins are forgiven

I feel for the wahs being stuck with the duds but it is what it is

at least by having their own conference again the broncos would be a chance to win “grand finals” again without having to beat those nasty Sydney sides

plus it would show where the real powerbase of the game is

So it wasn't a serious suggestion, it was just a shitpost

 

[blue bags]

Why don't we expand into Asia starting with Singapore. Some country with a bit of money and with the average size of players being under 5ft. This will help my Tigers avoid the spoon.

We need the NRL to do their part in helping the federal government by having NRL teams club's located on Australia's northern border
As protection against the invading Chinese
Those pesky comi,s from the north
Relocation of team's to the north
PNG hunter's
Townsville north Queensland cowboys
Cairns Storm
Singapore EELS
Mount Isa roosters
Darwin Sharks
Pacifica porcupines
Kalgoorlie Rabbitohs
Broom Bulldogs
9 team's will provide protection from the invaders from the North
By helping the federal government it secures the NRL's future

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Conferences are great when you have 30 to 32 teams. The us systems still has inter conference play especially the competitions who have huge number of games per season.

The nrl having a conference system with 18 or 20 teams is just over complicating things for no good reason.

 

[Canard]

Conferences are great when you have 30 to 32 teams. The us systems still has inter conference play especially the competitions who have huge number of games per season.

The nrl having a conference system with 18 or 20 teams is just over complicating things for no good reason.

In the NRL you could have 30 teams and it would still horribly favour Sydney, though.

 

[Centy Coast]

Another ordinary crowd for the Fiji v Cook Islands Test Match at Port Moresby today, league mad nation ?.

 

[Perth Red]

I remember In 1995 how super league said it was going to revolutionise the game

now they can have their own conference again to show us Neanderthals how it’s done

happy to take back the dogs and panthers their sins are forgiven

I feel for the wahs being stuck with the duds but it is what it is

at least by having their own conference again the broncos would be a chance to win “grand finals” again without having to beat those nasty Sydney sides

plus it would show where the real powerbase of the game is

The Superleague fist division comp only need 5 nsw clubs. the 4 big Sydney clubs with decent stadiums will do. The dross can become feeders In the second divison and play in their beloved shthole suburban grounds.
souths
roosters
dogs
eels
knights
in first division with other big city national clubs should do it.

 

[Perth Red]

We need the NRL to do their part in helping the federal government by having NRL teams club's located on Australia's northern border
As protection against the invading Chinese
Those pesky comi,s from the north
Relocation of team's to the north
PNG hunter's
Townsville north Queensland cowboys
Cairns Storm
Singapore EELS
Mount Isa roosters
Darwin Sharks
Pacifica porcupines
Kalgoorlie Bulldogs
8 team's will provide protection from the invaders from the North
By helping the federal government it secures the NRL's future

Surely the bulldogs would be in Broome?

 

[BuffaloRules]

The Superleague fist division comp only need 5 nsw clubs. the 4 big Sydney clubs with decent stadiums will do. The dross can become feeders In the second divison and play in their beloved shthole suburban grounds.
souths
roosters
dogs
eels
knights
in first division with other big city national clubs should do it.

Likely to happen

 

[Wb1234]

The Superleague fist division comp only need 5 nsw clubs. the 4 big Sydney clubs with decent stadiums will do. The dross can become feeders In the second divison and play in their beloved shthole suburban grounds.
souths
roosters
dogs
eels
knights
in first division with other big city national clubs should do it.

Having brisbane dolphins and wahs will be offset by Perth cowboys raiders storm and no Sydney clubs

 

[Perth Red]

Having brisbane dolphins and wahs will be offset by Perth cowboys raiders storm and no Sydney clubs

Eels
roosters
souths
dogs
knights
broncos
dolphins
south brisbane
cowboys
titans
perth
melbourne
adelaide
canberra
auckland
Christchurch

5 nsw clubs 5 qlnd clubs 4 national clubs 2 nz clubs

the perfect 16 club first division

 

[Wb1234]

Eels
roosters
souths
dogs
knights
broncos
dolphins
south brisbane
cowboys
titans
perth
melbourne
adelaide
canberra
auckland
Christchurch

5 nsw clubs 5 qlnd clubs 4 national clubs 2 nz clubs

the perfect 16 club first division

Eels
roosters
souths
dogs
knights
broncos
dolphins
south brisbane
cowboys
titans
perth
melbourne
adelaide
canberra
auckland
Christchurch

5 nsw clubs 5 qlnd clubs 4 national clubs 2 nz clubs

the perfect 16 club first division

18th nrl team thread

 

[Perth Red]

18th nrl team thread

Won’t need an 18th club with my 16 big club comp.