18th club, whose next?

[Canard]

Origin is inherently unfair to clubs as it stands now, so nothing changes.
I agree with your second point if there were 4 or 5 different conferences, but I'm talking about two. Sometimes simple is the best way.
The NRL have a silent conference system now anyway. They ask each club who they would like to play twice, plus they try and make sure, what they consider to be blockbuster games, to occur.

Yes, but the beauty of it is that it's flexible and can change.

 

[bad boy bubby]

Yes, but the beauty of it is that it's flexible and can change.

I get your point, and accept how you are thinking.
I'm more thinking of how a 20 team competition is a totally different beast to how the comp is now.
If it stays in the same format as it is, it could be manipulated by the NRL by choosing which teams play each other. In turn this could upset a lot of fans and media if it is seen that way. To be truthful this already happens, with some teams deemed to have an easier draw than others.
A two conference system also opens up the possibility to expanding to 22 or 24 teams in the future. It would be a much easier task to add teams to the two conferences all ready set in place.

 

[Canard]

If it stays in the same format as it is, it could be manipulated by the NRL by choosing which teams play each other. In turn this could upset a lot of fans and media if it is seen that way. To be truthful this already happens, with some teams deemed to have an easier draw than others.

I dont see this as being much of an issue with the majority of the fan base though. And as you said, its already happening without any negative impact.

 

[Wb1234]

This is rubbish

If you do the numbers you will find that teams will always travel around the same

There is a group who always travel - Cowboys, Storm, Warriors, Canberra - 12 games

Qld teams - 9 games

NSW Teams - 5 games plus Magic round. Plus all take a home game to a regional location

Sydney v Regional pool wont change this

Dane talking bs as usual

 

[Wb1234]

It’s not just more derbies with higher crowds and tv ratings

it’s also the potential to bring back the top five finals system which is the best system to reward the team coming first

and both Sydney and either Brisbane melb or nz gets a grand final

cross pool games could also feature if they maintain the current number of rounds

 

[bad boy bubby]

I dont see this as being much of an issue with the majority of the fan base though. And as you said, its already happening without any negative impact.

I can't answer for the majority. Off the top of my head I can think of two examples this year where a lot of chirping went on.
Your team with how many times they didn't have to travel into NSW
My team with their easy draw.

To be truthful, personally I just like the idea of having a two conference competition with the finals to be determined by the top teams of each conference playing against each other. Top 5 or 6 from each conference going against each other in a "new competition". The finals system could be totally enthralling if set up right.
I am totally against one of the conferences being solely from Sydney, or NSW, in fact I hate that idea.

 

[Iamback]

Well, could we play a 28 game season?

20 teams, Northern and Southern conferences.

Play your own conference home and away, play all the other teams once.

I don’t like the idea of having a competition where you don’t play every other team during the regular season.

You would still play every team. 24 games will always be the maximum.

It just means that you only play teams in your conference twice, which happens to an extent now. You get Souffs v Roosters, Broncos v Cows twice

 

[Iamback]

I can't answer for the majority. Off the top of my head I can think of two examples this year where a lot of chirping went on.
Your team with how many times they didn't have to travel into NSW
My team with their easy draw.

To be truthful, personally I just like the idea of having a two conference competition with the finals to be determined by the top teams of each conference playing against each other in a. Top 5 or 6 from each conference going against each other in a "new competition". The finals system could be totally enthralling if set up right.
I am totally against one of the conferences being solely from Sydney, in fact I hate that idea.

You couldn't do it as Sydney only, Dragons play in Gong, Penrith are regional now with the push out west

 

[bad boy bubby]

You couldn't do it as Sydney only, Dragons play in Gong, Penrith are regional now with the push out west

I meant to say "Sydney or NSW". Edited to correct myself.

 

[Iamback]

I meant to say "Sydney or NSW". Edited to correct myself.

Back in the day ch9 had 2 commentary teams due to QLDers wanting to hear their own.

Sydney teams have the advantage of no travel but QLD can be insular about their own with a conference system.

 

[bad boy bubby]

QLD can be insular about their own with a conference system.

They have that already with SOO.
And all the QLD teams could be in one conference, there is only 4 of them, potentially 5. Added with 5 others from NSW.

 

[Iamback]

They have that already with SOO.
And all the QLD teams could be in one conference, there is only 4 of them, potentially 5. Added with 5 others from NSW.

If we are talking 20 teams. Then it is only 5 games to make up anyway so it would be more than 2 anyway

 

[bad boy bubby]

If we are talking 20 teams. Then it is only 5 games to make up anyway so it would be more than 2 anyway

Can you be a little clearer as to what you mean please.
I actually do not understand what you are trying to say.

 

[Perth Red]

I doubt we’ll have conferences, no real benefit. In an ideal world a 22 team comp would be:
play everyone once rotating home and away each year plus magic weekend, nines weekend and three stand alone rep weekends for a 26 week season.

 

[bad boy bubby]

I doubt we’ll have conferences, no real benefit. In an ideal world a 22 team comp would be:
play everyone once rotating home and away each year plus magic weekend, nines weekend and three stand alone rep weekends for a 26 week season.

You don't think having a few more rounds in the competition would be beneficial? You're talking a 26 week season, not the season by round.
Your season has only 21 rounds.
You think TV is going to pay more for the NRL to have less rounds??????
Bizzarre.
Even your mate, PVL, wouldn't dream up that idea.

 

[Perth Red]

You don't think having a few more rounds in the competition would be beneficial? You're talking a 26 week season, not the season by round.
Your season has only 21 rounds.
You think TV is going to pay more for the NRL to have less rounds??????
Bizzarre.
Even your mate, PVL, wouldn't dream up that idea.

no, I think there’s benefits to less is more. NFL has no problems getting squillions for 16 rounds a season.

we only sell 24 full rounds, we just use byes to spread it a bit longer.

11 games x 21 rounds = 231 nrl games plus extra weekend of nines and more rep games. Probably extended 10 team finals series as well.

currently we sell 204 regular season nrl games a year to tv.

so even with less rounds tv is still getting an extra 27 nrl games plus other content.

 

[Wb1234]

no, I think there’s benefits to less is more. Nrl has no problems getting squillions for 16 rounds a season.

11 games x 21 rounds = 231 nrl games plus extra weekend of nines and more rep games. Probably extended 10 team finals series as well.

currently we sell 204 regular season nrl games a year to tv.

so even with less rounds tv is still getting an extra 27 nrl games plus other content.

Good idea but it’ll never happen as long as our biggest competitor has a 26 round season and the advantage of much longer games

 

[bad boy bubby]

no, I think there’s benefits to less is more. Nrl has no problems getting squillions for 16 rounds a season.

11 games x 21 rounds = 231 nrl games plus extra weekend of nines and more rep games. Probably extended 10 team finals series as well.

currently we sell 204 regular season nrl games a year to tv.

so even with less rounds tv is still getting an extra 27 nrl games plus other content.

Thats fair, but you are also talking of 5 extra clubs, thats a helluva lot more TV money to come in.
If they had stand alone SOO games, Origin would definitely not be able to be on Free TV alone. Fox having 3 weekends a year with no game(s) would be a huge sticking point.

 

[Perth Red]

Good idea but it’ll never happen as long as our biggest competitor has a 26 round season and the advantage of much longer games

We’d Actually have 25 rounds.
21 nrl rounds, 3 mid season rep rounds, 1 nrl nines round.
a ten team play offs would also add another week or two of finals Rounds.

 

[Perth Red]

Thats fair, but you are also talking of 5 extra clubs, thats a helluva lot more TV money to come in.
If they had stand alone SOO games, Origin would definitely not be able to be on Free TV alone. Fox having 3 weekends a year with no game(s) would be a huge sticking point.

Nine are getting origin for a cheapo deal, the nrl should sell the three rep weekends stand alone for most value, be it to fox or fta or streaming, you could have origin and 6-8 test matches (men/women) each weekend.

with 11 games a weekend there’s a real danger of viewer fatigue if we are lazy and just keep thinking more content for more weeks equals more value.

anyway won’t happen in my lifetime but would be a nice problem to have!