b&wdynamite said:
Being an old Wests Magpies fan, I would HATE to watch us come up against a full or even half full NRL side, it would be like going back to the dark old days of the 90's, sitting in the stands at ANZ watching the donkeys put 50+ point on us.
This I can understand from a pre-mereger fan, but these things happen, in top-flight NRL, (NZW 66 v SOU 0) and in the Challenge Cup even, (STH 50 v HKR 0 Semi Finals). Obviously not an ideal thing but were not in an ideal world, let alone with an ideal RL body.
b&wdynamite said:
I agree with the point you make about marketing the package to non league places (just imagine the fact that a regular appearance on one of the US cable channels would probably generate more interest than some clubs have members)
Cheers mate, pretty much the idea, the USA in particular would be a good venture especially if they got into the RLWC, with little to no exposure of union and the liberty bell cup still in their minds (hopefully) the game could do wonders alongside NFL.
b&wdynamite said:
but what happens when a non NRL side makes a big charge and the people in "Target Audience Land" open their hearts (and wallets - merchandising) to a side like Bathurst, or the Auckland Lions. And then realising with disenchantment when you cannot even watch these teams in regular matches on television in Aust/NZ/PNG or find merchandising for them.
Well in response to that, i'd like this to be and EVENT and as such marketed like one. So in the numerous ads that would show on tv and the coverage of games and sport shows like the Footy Show each team would be displayed with their competition background, so the Auckland Lions would be advertised as the 'Auckland Lions - NSWRL JB Cup' with appropriate logos for both. This way both team and comp are advertised but to avoid confusion the NRL would feature heavy advertising and display itself as the nations premier comp.
b&wdynamite said:
Also the other problem I note, is that you have split the merged teams back into seperate entities for the competition. Whilst this satisfies the seeming endless list of people who would love to take the competition back to 1982, it also alienates those fans who have started following the competition since the mergers, those fans who will most likely be the ones playing for those teams in the next 5-8 years. Eg. A boy living in Sydney first starts to understand and follow league in 1999, when he is 6 years old. And the team he chooses is St George-Illawarra (god knows why - maybe he realised it is the greatest club ever) but fast forward to today and he is now turning 15 and has been playing and following SGI the whole time, so who does he follow in ths cup? both histories are attached to the team he loves, but he knows nothing of what it i like to support those teams from which his team has been created.
That story is pretty much spot on, my life mate. I've supported STGI since 1999, I was in primary school and getting into league heavily, now i'm older and still support STGI with a passion, I can tell you first hand that coming from St. George the spiritual home of the dragons that i would support the
STG dragons with a passion and the most people in wollongong would do the same for the steelers.
b&wdynamite said:
Not blasting your idea, which I quite like (anything to be the number 1 game right across the country) but it is a hard task to come up with an idea to satisfy everyone out there.
P.S - I hope you do become a board member, at least you look into things early, so if you do can you please ask for your first portfolio to be pre season marketing.
Cheers.
Thanks mate, I'm studying to do so and hopefully there is a no bs attitude about new ideas with the RL organisations.
I can imagine it now...
Wenty v Brisbane Broncos
Recliffe v Canterbury
Windsor v Parramatta
gee what great matched up games they would be. We are lucky enough to have 16 strong NRL clubs without dragging in the lower graded players from Jim Beam and Queensland cup.
Like I said in my first response to b&wdynamite, there is one-sided-ness is all games, but hopefully people support their local clubs and i'm sure these games at the QLD Cup teams home grounds would definately sell out. But it's a K/O comp and only the best survive plus i've said the early rounds should be PL/U20s comps and this moves through a 'progrssive standard competition', but there is a chance the PL/U20s sides could take their team to the later rounds and good for them I say.
Plus people in England/GB/Europe love the Challenge Cup and that has all sorts of different standard sides playing, you WILL get a NL1 v SL fixture and people still turn up, think about it STH smashed HKR but their in the SL now and hopefully franchising brings up the standard over time but theres my point anyway.
Anyway hope that answers a few Questions, plus cheers for the discussion.
