ARLC Advancing RL

[POPEYE]

You think League should be a game for the people, not one for the boys

 

[siv]

To support the running of a NSW Cup teams should get grants just like the NRL does

If the NSW Cup ended up being something like

Newtown, Wests, Wentworthville, Ryde-Eastwood, Hills District, Windsor, CC Bears, Illawarra, North Coast, New England, Western Division, Riverina, Perth, Cabramatta

All team bar Perth play at home ground that is a 5hr drive from Sydney

North Coast - at Coffs
New England - Armidale
Western Div - Dubbo
Riverina - Wagga

Then the only team we need to arrange flights for is Perth

Where all clubs get $250K grant and areas that need for financial support get $500K grants

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

IMO, they key to junior development is in the schools.

Getting the game into schools puts the game right into the face of the target audience we want for Jnr development. Plus there's a sense of pride for representing your school. I know when I played, it was better then club footy.

I think nearly all schools in West Sydney put out at least the one team (my old public school had a team for grades 4, 5 and 6), but I think we could solidify that and expand it more.

Dont know if its still going, but the Panther Trophy was a great success. When I played in it, it was seen as a huge deal at school.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Armidale is more than five hours from Sydney so Coffs would be too. Not that is the only reason why this state league is not possible and certainly not beneficial.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

IMO, they key to junior development is in the schools.

Getting the game into schools puts the game right into the face of the target audience we want for Jnr development. Plus there's a sense of pride for representing your school. I know when I played, it was better then club footy.

I think nearly all schools in West Sydney put out at least the one team (my old public school had a team for grades 4, 5 and 6), but I think we could solidify that and expand it more.

Dont know if its still going, but the Panther Trophy was a great success. When I played in it, it was seen as a huge deal at school.

On that note, now that the game has a united front perhaps it's time we turned our attention to getting RL back into the RU-only schools.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

On that note, now that the game has a united front perhaps it's time we turned our attention to getting RL back into the RU-only schools.

Hell yes. Lets face it, kids with rich parents go to rich schools which are usually RU dominant. Parents volunteer for their kids sports. Hopefully, with rich parents volunteering for our game, more money for the kids.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Nice idea but how do you get a private school with a clear prejudice against RL to... start playing RL? It's actually getting harder to get public schools in heartland areas to play the game.

 

[Perth Red]

Best case outcome (imo) from my list of ARLC activities:

1. TV and internet deal of $1.25bill is announced with 4 games on Ch10 live nationallly and every game live on Fox. Naming rights announced at a value of $60million over 5 years plus $10mill of contra
Expansion - Perth and CC announced to join the comp in 2014, Wellington and Brisbane2 announced as preferred expansion options for 2019.
Salary Cap & Club grants announced to be going up to $6mill each
Strategic plan for grass roots development in every state and territory - Affiliated states given decent grants to build the game and schools targetted across the nation. Reserve grade announced and a National cup announced between Q'land and NSW teams
International game - Annual World' 7s announced to be played in Feb, 4 nations expanded to 6 nations, NZ, France, PNG, Wales, Eng and Aus to contest every two years. Every 4 years WC and every alternate 4 years an Ashes tour of GB v Aus to be held.

That'd do me for this years announcements!

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Nice idea but how do you get a private school with a clear prejudice against RL to... start playing RL? It's actually getting harder to get public schools in heartland areas to play the game.

My old school played Union but then the local comp switched to rugby league sometime after the Union WC in 2003 when the ARU ran out of money and the ARL/QRL stepped in.

The ARL is about to be richer than we can imagine and the ARU is still dirt poor, if they're smart they could convert a lot more

 

[Perth Red]

Yep, offer free insurance, $10k worth of training gear, regular visits from local NRL team and coaches and a decent inter schools comp to be a part of and watch them come running.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Insurance isn't an issue surely. And NRL clubs aren't going to visit anywhere regularly, assuming there is even a local one. And they won't just start playing RL because there's a comp available. Principals and teachers have almost entire control over such things and if they are anti-RL we're pushing it up hill. It might work in a few schools, but the schools where RL isn't played in the heartlands don't play because of the prejudice of these people and that isn't something you can just change no matter how much money and effort you put in. If you're going to try and lure them and you have tens of thousands of dollars to spend the best idea might be to offer it all up as prizemoney in a GPS comp and allow any of those schools to enter. Might work. Might not.

 

[blukablu]

In Brisbane a few GPS old boys started up an annual 'GPS Old Boys Rugby League' day. Majority of the GPS schools have a open and U21 team, I think only Toowoomba Grammar and Southport didn't play last year (2nd year). Even two AIC schools entered last year and it's already turned into a pretty big day a few hundred people went along to the latest one.

I know it might not seem like much but the guys playing in the open age group are/will be the coaches of all the younger teams and lower grades for the U16's and Opens at their old schools. If the ARLC could sponsor teams, provide jerseys and a little prize money to U14 - U16's teams from the all the schools it'd be a pretty cheap way to get into the elite private schools.

 

[K Mull]

In Brisbane a few GPS old boys started up an annual 'GPS Old Boys Rugby League' day. Majority of the GPS schools have a open and U21 team, I think only Toowoomba Grammar and Southport didn't play last year (2nd year). Even two AIC schools entered last year and it's already turned into a pretty big day a few hundred people went along to the latest one.

I know it might not seem like much but the guys playing in the open age group are/will be the coaches of all the younger teams and lower grades for the U16's and Opens at their old schools. If the ARLC could sponsor teams, provide jerseys and a little prize money to U14 - U16's teams from the all the schools it'd be a pretty cheap way to get into the elite private schools.

Hell yeah, its an awesome day!!

League is such a better product and its taken all the private school guys to finally leave their insular rugby union up bringing to see this for themselves.

 

[Canard]

Insurance isn't an issue surely. And NRL clubs aren't going to visit anywhere regularly, assuming there is even a local one. And they won't just start playing RL because there's a comp available. Principals and teachers have almost entire control over such things and if they are anti-RL we're pushing it up hill. It might work in a few schools, but the schools where RL isn't played in the heartlands don't play because of the prejudice of these people and that isn't something you can just change no matter how much money and effort you put in. If you're going to try and lure them and you have tens of thousands of dollars to spend the best idea might be to offer it all up as prizemoney in a GPS comp and allow any of those schools to enter. Might work. Might not.

Isn't this type of thing being employed by the AFL to great effect in NSW and QLD Schools?

I.e Schools with no AFL culture or background get money thrown at them and bang kids are playing AFL?

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Not sure. Doubt anything like that happens in country areas but in places the fumblers are desperate to grow in like western Sydney anything is possible. The thing about them getting into our schools is that they just offer a free Auskick day once or twice a year in primary schools and for a principal or sports organiser to have a free event like that where they don't have to do any work is readily accepted in many cases. And bang, the AFL suddenly has thousands of new "players". I don't know about money being thrown at them but I suspect the fumblers would give them stacks of Sherrins and plastic poles, which, once again, your average public school or small Catholic school will readily accept. The problem we have is that we're trying to crack what are generally exclusive, wealthy, private schools who don't need free clinics or minor financial incentives to alloed RL in. They can afford to follow their prejudice and say no.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Yeah the AFL do like to give away those bags of Buffalo (?) brand AFL balls at schools. The kids use them for at lunch to play touch footy w/ rugby league rules or force 'em backs usually but still...

The thing about Auskick days is true aswell. If the AFL officers come along with a program and all that shit sorted out there's not a sports teacher who'll knock them back. The school even gets a horrible little certificate.

 

[docbrown]

To support the running of a NSW Cup teams should get grants just like the NRL does

If the NSW Cup ended up being something like

Newtown, Wests, Wentworthville, Ryde-Eastwood, Hills District, Windsor, CC Bears, Illawarra, North Coast, New England, Western Division, Riverina, Perth, Cabramatta

All team bar Perth play at home ground that is a 5hr drive from Sydney

North Coast - at Coffs
New England - Armidale
Western Div - Dubbo
Riverina - Wagga

Then the only team we need to arrange flights for is Perth

Where all clubs get $250K grant and areas that need for financial support get $500K grants

Well except for Perth who I think could actually get their own state comp built up to a high level, that's how I see it working.

NSW, QLD & NZ would be the strongest because they have the most players

WA & VIC would be on par with one another. VIC & TAS could form some kind of cooperation. WA & SA could do the same. NTH QLD & NT similar.

PNG, FIJI would have strongest domestic comps. Samoa & Tonga would also grow.

 

[eozsmiles]

The national reserve grade comp would be difficult logistically. There would be some hellish road trips for the blokes with full time jobs and playing footy on the second tier. You'd need a pretty understanding boss.

 

[siv]

The national reserve grade comp would be difficult logistically. There would be some hellish road trips for the blokes with full time jobs and playing footy on the second tier. You'd need a pretty understanding boss.

A good argument why MNF should be scrapped

That does raise the question around should players ahve a work or study commitment away from RL - I beleive the answer should be yes

 

[docbrown]

There's no need to have reserve grade/state teams play on a Monday night. Just give them a bye or let them play on the weekend elsewhere.

As for this whole National Reserve Grade Comp - look I don't suggest that it should be that at all, I don't think you can have both the NRL, NYC & OVER 20's for 20 clubs on a national basis.

However I think you can have though 5 really strong state/national comps - NSWRL, QRL, NZRL, PNGRL, FIJINRL, 2 reasonable state comps WARL, VRL, 3 developing state comps NTRL, SARL, TRL and 2 reasonable international comps TONGA & SAMOA.

That's 12 regional reserve grade type structures that would be direct pathways to the NRL but who play the home and away season and their finals seperately.

At the end of the season you could then have a seeded Challenge Cup style round with the teams seeded

Say it was held this year -

Round 1 - Qualifying Grand Finalists -
4 Interstate Home & Away Comp Seasons, 4 Pacific Home & Away Comp Seasons

NTRL, SARL, TRL, WARL, PNG, FIJI, TONGA, SAMOA - all seperate competitions and all grand finalists decided by Sunday 2nd of September 2012 at the very latest but not necessarily on that date, some would be earlier obviously. These matches can be televised on local television or Foxtel where applicable.

Round 2 Pool A - Interstate Club Knockout Finals
Saturday Afternoon 8th & Sunday Afternoon 9th of September 2012:
NTRL, SARL, TRL, WARL Grand Final Winners - 4 teams, 2 games, 2 winners advance, losers eliminated

Round 2 Pool B - Pacific Club Knockout Finals
PNG, FIJI, TONGA, SAMOA Grand Final Winners - 4 teams, 2 games, 2 winners advance, losers eliminated

During Round 2 the Grand Finals would be held for NSWRL, QRL, NZRL, VRL. These games could be played on the Sunday when there is only 1 Week 1 NRL Finals games.

Round 3 - Challenge Cup Quarter Finals
Sunday 16th September 2012 (there's no Week 2 Sunday NRL finals game)
NSWRL, QRL, NZRL, VRL Grand Final Winners plus 4 Round 2 Winners - 8 teams, 4 games, 4 winners

Round 4 - Challenge Cup Semi Finals
Sunday 23rd September 2012 (again no NRL finals game)
4 Round 3 Winners - 4 teams, 2 games, 2 winners

Round 5 - Challenge Cup Grand Final
Sunday 30th September 2012 (on NRL Grand Final game)
2 Round 4 Winners

On NRL grand final day you could have:

Under 20s NYC Grand Final
Challenge Cup Grand Final
NRL Grand Final

There would be a travel fund for the 12 teams involved so that no matter who plays every year travel costs are covered.

This tournament will make money - period.

15 Finals Matches

in Australia
A significant number Home & Away Derby/Traditional Rivalry games on potential say ABC in WA, NT, SA, VIC, TAS
At least 26 Home & Away Derby/Traditional Rivalry games on say ABC/One HD/Foxtel in NSW
At least 26 to 52 Home & Away Derby/Traditional Rivalry games on say ABC/One HD/Foxtel in QLD
A significant number of games to be sold to local broadcasters in PNG, NZ and the Pacific Islands

All games under the one unified banner but split into 12 divisions.