3 Grades on Game Day

[goldiesaintz]

I don’t think it even needs to be done perfectly for it to be worthwhile.

If I knew that there would be a guaranteed 3 games whenever we played in kogarah or the gong on a weekend, I’d spend more on tix, spend more at the game, and probably spend more on merch too.

Well said.

Oh, you’re serious about that?

I recall sitting on the hill At WIN watching all 3 grades in 2007..

But if you’re trying to work out when it started, we had all 3 grades for 16 teams starting 1995, plus if my memory serves me correctly we even may have had it when we had 20 teams in the late 90s..

But I could be wrong on that last one..

Either way, we’ve done it before when there was less money and less professionalism in the game, so there’s nothing stopping us now.

Except for negative Nancys.

How true.

 

[True_Believer]

It is very easy. Either Clubs that do not support lower grade competitions or junior competitions in their district, should sign up enough players to run a reserve grade side and an under 21 side.

Yes that would be an expensive exercise but given that clubs like SGI already do this, would suggest that those clubs are doing it on the cheap. The other benefit would begin to raise it's head and those clubs might become more inclined to foster a junior club competition in their district.

Nope doesn't work like that in QLD. And besides, they don't play in the NSW cup.

 

[possm]

Nope doesn't work like that in QLD. And besides, they don't play in the NSW cup.

Like all Qld Clubs that play in the NRL, their reserve grade sides and under 21 can play under one club. The Qld competition and the NSW competition can be in addition. That is the way it used to be and it worked well.

 

[True_Believer]

Like all Qld Clubs that play in the NRL, their reserve grade sides and under 21 can play under one club. The Qld competition and the NSW competition can be in addition. That is the way it used to be and it worked well.

They don't because the state leagues are stronger. "On October 28, 2016 it was announced that the 2017 season will be the last for the NRL Under-20s. It was to be replaced by stronger State-based competitions in NSW and QLD."

That suggests it wasn't working well at the time of disbanding.

 

[Dragonslayer]

https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2021/01/28/raiders-to-return-to-nsw-cup-for-first-time-in-14-years/

11 teams in CC (NSW) this year. I believe this is how they are aligned.

Dragons NRL - Dragons CC
Raiders NRL - Raiders CC
Roosters NRL - Nth Syd Bears CC
Sharks NRL - Newtown CC
Manly NRL - Blacktown Workers CC
Knights NRL - Knights CC
Bulldogs NRL - Mounties CC
Panthers NRL - Panthers CC
Eels NRL - Eels CC
Rabbits NRL - Rabbits CC
Tigers NRL - Western Suburbs CC

Broncos, Titans, Cowboys and Storm have alignments with a number of Q Cup squads, allocations as I believe its called there.

The 'outsider' is the Warriors, who usually compete in the CC under the Warriors. The issue hete is that at present they are based in NSW as the NRL squad. To include an additional number of players to their total squad would incur costs. Also, if they are part-timers with 'jobs' in NZ they would have to leave the job and basically become a full-time player, which again incurd additional costs and how does that effect their salary cap?
This puts the Warriors at an extreme disadvantage not having their 'reserves' playing. They also couldn't 'borrow' players like last year.

This is the bigger issue for the 3 games debate, imo.

 

[possm]

https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2021/01/28/raiders-to-return-to-nsw-cup-for-first-time-in-14-years/

11 teams in CC (NSW) this year. I believe this is how they are aligned.

Dragons NRL - Dragons CC
Raiders NRL - Raiders CC
Roosters NRL - Nth Syd Bears CC
Sharks NRL - Newtown CC
Manly NRL - Blacktown Workers CC
Knights NRL - Knights CC
Bulldogs NRL - Mounties CC
Panthers NRL - Panthers CC
Eels NRL - Eels CC
Rabbits NRL - Rabbits CC
Tigers NRL - Western Suburbs CC

Broncos, Titans, Cowboys and Storm have alignments with a number of Q Cup squads, allocations as I believe its called there.

The 'outsider' is the Warriors, who usually compete in the CC under the Warriors. The issue hete is that at present they are based in NSW as the NRL squad. To include an additional number of players to their total squad would incur costs. Also, if they are part-timers with 'jobs' in NZ they would have to leave the job and basically become a full-time player, which again incurd additional costs and how does that effect their salary cap?
This puts the Warriors at an extreme disadvantage not having their 'reserves' playing. They also couldn't 'borrow' players like last year.

This is the bigger issue for the 3 games debate, imo.

So, the following clubs need to form their own reserve grade as they did in the past:

Roosters
Sharks
Manly

The Broncos, Titans, Cowboys and Storm will just have to form their own reserve grade or lose their NRL licence.

The NRL will need form a salary cap for reserve grade where most players are full time players on minimum wage.

The NSWRL and QRL can from competions with clubs that are not in the NRL competition. The likes of Blacktown and Newtown can be NSWRL clubs.

 

[BLM01]

https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2021/01/28/raiders-to-return-to-nsw-cup-for-first-time-in-14-years/

11 teams in CC (NSW) this year. I believe this is how they are aligned.

Dragons NRL - Dragons CC
Raiders NRL - Raiders CC
Roosters NRL - Nth Syd Bears CC
Sharks NRL - Newtown CC
Manly NRL - Blacktown Workers CC
Knights NRL - Knights CC
Bulldogs NRL - Mounties CC
Panthers NRL - Panthers CC
Eels NRL - Eels CC
Rabbits NRL - Rabbits CC
Tigers NRL - Western Suburbs CC

Broncos, Titans, Cowboys and Storm have alignments with a number of Q Cup squads, allocations as I believe its called there.

The 'outsider' is the Warriors, who usually compete in the CC under the Warriors. The issue hete is that at present they are based in NSW as the NRL squad. To include an additional number of players to their total squad would incur costs. Also, if they are part-timers with 'jobs' in NZ they would have to leave the job and basically become a full-time player, which again incurd additional costs and how does that effect their salary cap?
This puts the Warriors at an extreme disadvantage not having their 'reserves' playing. They also couldn't 'borrow' players like last year.

This is the bigger issue for the 3 games debate, imo.

Exactly this plus the old grade below reggies whatever you wanna call it now,
To get that 3rd team some of those teams you mentioned Have to form and fund junior squads which they currently don’t even have.
and get them all together in the one location for each game.

The introduction of night football in the early to mid 80’s when it was just New South Wales competition was the start of tinkering with moving lower grades away from the elite grade to accommodate then when it come to the super league in the mid 90’s when newly formed teams who have since departed fid not even think about having three grades was pretty much the end of it all, splitting the reserve grade competition away from the 1st grade

Reverse all that and probably get rid of weeknight games and we can have again 16 team 3 grade on game day competition if they want
But every time a club travels away on a plane then gonna have to put up about 100 people in hotels for at least a night plus flights.

 

[BLM01]

So, the following clubs need to form their own reserve grade as they did in the past:

Roosters
Sharks
Manly

The Broncos, Titans, Cowboys and Storm will just have to form their own reserve grade or lose their NRL licence.

The NRL will need form a salary cap for reserve grade where most players are full time players on minimum wage.

The NSWRL and QRL can from competions with clubs that are not in the NRL competition. The likes of Blacktown and Newtown can be NSWRL clubs.

What aboutt the lower grade or third grade?

 

[George Sancti]

I do not see there being a major logistics problem, especially if the NRL was to establish just the second grade competition involving all teams as the first step.

All NRL clubs were required to field an under 20 national youth team up until 2017 which generally played before the main game. One reason for the national youth competition ceasing was that the clubs felt that the leap from the 20s competition to NRL was too great and that more resources should be invested in the NSW and Queensland Cup competitions.

Unfortunately the link between the State based teams and the NRL teams is not strongly recognised by many supporters, hence the general lack of interest.

I believe a proper open age, second grade completion comprising young players on the way up as well as some oldies on their way down, where teams consistently play prior to the main game would generate great interest.

 

[redandwhite4evr]

I do not see there being a major logistics problem, especially if the NRL was to establish just the second grade competition involving all teams as the first step.

All NRL clubs were required to field an under 20 national youth team up until 2017 which generally played before the main game. One reason for the national youth competition ceasing was that the clubs felt that the leap from the 20s competition to NRL was too great and that more resources should be invested in the NSW and Queensland Cup competitions.

Unfortunately the link between the State based teams and the NRL teams is not strongly recognised by many supporters, hence the general lack of interest.

I believe a proper open age, second grade completion comprising young players on the way up as well as some oldies on their way down, where teams consistently play prior to the main game would generate great interest.

Life was much simpler when I was a primary school kid watching the Dragons dominate in the early to mid 60s across three grades either at Kogarah or at the match of the day at the SCG in a Sydney based competition Then bloody Cronulla broke away, Penrith entered the competition and it all went to hell in a hand basket.

Given the complexities of a national competition with expansion into a Brisbane 2nd team being talked about in 2023, Vlandy's may have gone off prematurely with this one. BUT- the reason for expansion is that pay TV in particular wants more product to fill its dedicated League channel downtime. The CC and Jersey Flegg (or whatever new names the want to give these competitions) should be part of this expansion.