Divided rugby league fell 25 years ago – but united has it conquered? by Steve Mascord.

[Iamback]

Whats gets me if the Broncos & Cowboys have all of this wonderful cash, why dont they field a RG or NYC team

Cant see any benefits for them to leach off the poor BRL clubs

The QRL is stuck trying to be relevant, Cowboys running one feeder team is a good start

 

[Canard]

The QRL is stuck trying to be relevant, Cowboys running one feeder team is a good start

Good start for who?

I don't get why people are rejoicing in the death of top level Rugby League in heartland areas like Cairns and Mackay.

 

[Iamback]

Good start for who?

I don't get why people are rejoicing in the death of top level Rugby League in heartland areas like Cairns and Mackay.

Cairns and Mackay shouldn't have to play against Fulltime players, They should be the link between local footy and the top tier

 

[Canard]

Cairns and Mackay shouldn't have to play against Fulltime players, They should be the link between local footy and the top tier

That doesn't exist and won't exist, ever.

This is a step backwards for RL in heartland areas, and it will only result in less opportunities for regional kids.

 

[siv]

Good start for who?

I don't get why people are rejoicing in the death of top level Rugby League in heartland areas like Cairns and Mackay.

By playing part time players against professional player stacked teams has a number of negative effects

Scores are lopsided
Sponsors and fringe players leave

Cycle continues until club folds

Reducing the Cowboys to only fielding 3-4 professional players lowers the standard if players coming through as drop to be on par with part-time players. Which we saw in the drop in Qld based teams after NYC ended and that next gen of player made it to NRL

The best way forward is running NRL RG fir the $120k NRL pool of players and Qld Cup seperarely fir the part-time $40k pool of players

This allows all Qld & NSW Cup clubs to grow together. Provide more opportunities for players and sponsors

 

[Iamback]

That doesn't exist and won't exist, ever.

This is a step backwards for RL in heartland areas, and it will only result in less opportunities for regional kids.

Mackay and Cairns will exist, If they do fold it is the QRL fault. Cowboys and Dolphins need to do what is best for their NRL sides

 

[Canard]

By playing part time players against professional player stacked teams has a number of negative effects

Scores are lopsided
Sponsors and fringe players leave

Cycle continues until club folds

Reducing the Cowboys to only fielding 3-4 professional players lowers the standard if players coming through as drop to be on par with part-time players. Which we saw in the drop in Qld based teams after NYC ended and that next gen of player made it to NRL

The best way forward is running NRL RG fir the $120k NRL pool of players and Qld Cup seperarely fir the part-time $40k pool of players

This allows all Qld & NSW Cup clubs to grow together. Provide more opportunities for players and sponsors

I agree with you that the first part is a terrible idea, that's why I'm against it.

There is no plan for a third tier QCup, which frankly will be a disaster anyway.

This is a short sighted idea, which will only weaken RL in heartland areas and reinforce the NRL centric control of the game

 

[Iamback]

I agree with you that the first part is a terrible idea, that's why I'm against it.

There is no plan for a third tier QCup, which frankly will be a disaster anyway.

This is a short sighted idea, which will only weaken RL in heartland areas and reinforce the NRL centric control of the game

Shouldn't teams like Cowboys do what is best for them to win the NRL? not what might or might not be good for the state Competition in QLD?

I honestly don't know what you expect them to do

 

[The Great Dane]

Shouldn't teams like Cowboys do what is best for them to win the NRL? not what might or might not be good for the state Competition in QLD?

I honestly don't know what you expect them to do

How is undermining the sport’s appeal in places like Cairns and Mackay good for the Cowboys in the long term?

The more NRL centric the sport has become the more it’s suffered outside of cities with NRL sides, especially in participation in the important demographics.

 

[siv]

I agree with you that the first part is a terrible idea, that's why I'm against it.

There is no plan for a third tier QCup, which frankly will be a disaster anyway.

This is a short sighted idea, which will only weaken RL in heartland areas and reinforce the NRL centric control of the game

We need to stop thinking NRL RG is Tier 2, U21 or NYC has the same issue. Its also not Tier 2 but a pathway to the NRL for professional athletes

It never will be

Tier 2 are the clubs that do not play in the NRL

NRL clubs pump around $5-6 mil into their RG/U21 group today, and this will continue to grow as the NRL funds increase

While the non NRL aligned Tier 2 clubs run on around $1-$1.5 mil which is limited by how their LC operates below the NRL

The gap has widdened over the last 5 to 10 years

Thus the need to divorce NRL RG from NSW & Qld Cups

Once this has been done you can start work on building up the Tier 2 funding model so they initially operate at around $2 mil

 

[Wb1234]

Really irks the ARL peeps that players are truly professionals, they are paid well and it is the only job they need.

They would probably like it if players were still low so low paid they needed a job to pay the rent. Should have followed amateur Union. League came into being cause kickby did not want to pay players, We need to stop thinking NRL RG is Tier 2, U21 or NYC has the same issue. Its also not Tier 2 but a pathway to the NRL for professional athletes

It never will be

Tier 2 are the clubs that do not play in the NRL

NRL clubs pump around $5-6 mil into their RG/U21 group today, and this will continue to grow as the NRL funds increase

While the non NRL aligned Tier 2 clubs run on around $1-$1.5 mil which is limited by how their LC operates below the NRL

The gap has widdened over the last 5 to 10 years

Thus the need to divorce NRL RG from NSW & Qld Cups

Once this has been done you can start work on building up the Tier 2 funding model so they initially operate at around $2 mil

Plus having all your juniors in one side means they get used to each others play

 

[Iamback]

Plus having all your juniors in one side means they get used to each others play

As Andrew Webster said about the Warriors running their own sides

"It’s huge. To get that continuity where your players go back to (a junior team or) NSW Cup and it’s your own," he says.

"They are the same play calls, the same defensive structures, the same attacking structures."

Teams are realising this and are changing their structures accordingly

 

[Perth Red]

We need to stop thinking NRL RG is Tier 2, U21 or NYC has the same issue. Its also not Tier 2 but a pathway to the NRL for professional athletes

It never will be

Tier 2 are the clubs that do not play in the NRL

NRL clubs pump around $5-6 mil into their RG/U21 group today, and this will continue to grow as the NRL funds increase

While the non NRL aligned Tier 2 clubs run on around $1-$1.5 mil which is limited by how their LC operates below the NRL

The gap has widdened over the last 5 to 10 years

Thus the need to divorce NRL RG from NSW & Qld Cups

Once this has been done you can start work on building up the Tier 2 funding model so they initially operate at around $2 mil

Totally agree, this is a great opportunity to creat semi professional comps under the nrl level. we could have thee conferences
northern (nswrl)
southern (qrl)
Pacific (nzrl)

nsw focussed mainly in regional areas. players game day payments, could include club/s from other states/countries. Travel costs are obviously the big expense but you could even develop it into 5 conferences eventually with the nrlwa and vicnrl comps elevated.
end of season interstate play offs. Rep teams picked from the comp to tour. Lots of exciting things you could do with it.

not everything that grows the game has to be about the nrl.

 

[Canard]

We need to stop thinking NRL RG is Tier 2, U21 or NYC has the same issue. Its also not Tier 2 but a pathway to the NRL for professional athletes

It never will be

Tier 2 are the clubs that do not play in the NRL

NRL clubs pump around $5-6 mil into their RG/U21 group today, and this will continue to grow as the NRL funds increase

While the non NRL aligned Tier 2 clubs run on around $1-$1.5 mil which is limited by how their LC operates below the NRL

The gap has widdened over the last 5 to 10 years

Thus the need to divorce NRL RG from NSW & Qld Cups

Once this has been done you can start work on building up the Tier 2 funding model so they initially operate at around $2 mil

The public and sponsors aren't fooled by semantics, it's going to be Tier 3 whether you like it or not.

 

[Canard]

Totally agree, this is a great opportunity to creat semi professional comps under the nrl level. we could have thee conferences
northern (nswrl)
southern (qrl)
Pacific (nzrl)

nsw focussed mainly in regional areas. players game day payments, could include club/s from other states/countries. Travel costs are obviously the big expense but you could even develop it into 5 conferences eventually with the nrlwa and vicnrl comps elevated.
end of season interstate play offs. Rep teams picked from the comp to tour. Lots of exciting things you could do with it.

not everything that grows the game has to be about the nrl.

This isn't going to happen and there is currently no plan to make it happen.

What will really happen is the game withering and dying in these areas.

But as long as you can feel good about a 3rd Tier Perth team being a dream I suppose.

 

[Perth Red]

This isn't going to happen and there is currently no plan to make it happen.

What will really happen is the game withering and dying in these areas.

But as long as you can feel good about a 3rd Tier Perth team being a dream I suppose.

You don’t know what is and isnt planned! Who knows the arlc may surprise us and actually have a strategy! I’m guessing the qrl and nswrl have been campaigning for their comps to maintain some level,of relevance and funding. The nrl won’t announce full reserve grade return until it has a strategy for the state comps, at least you’d hope so!

personally I’d like to see funding to nrlwa and all our clubs increased so we can have our own state comp that matches the nsw and qlnd one. That would be a great outcome for the games growth and can only help an eventual perth nrl club. Taking the nrl reserve graders out of those comps will bring the state comps closer together.

someone posted on Facebook the other day an advert from the early 80’s from Canning Bears advertising for players inc payment, accomodation and secured employment! Getting back the. Days would be great. Seeing nrlwa comp get even close to the level of the wafl league would be awsome.

Decently funded Semi pro state comps in wa, vic, nsw, qlnd and nzrl would a great outcome for the game.

theres $30million missing from grassroots funding last year, that plus some of the current qrl and nswrl funding would be more than enough to pay for it.

each club gets $400k grant, that’s $20mill plus say $5mill running costs. Arlc could sort out kit, equipment and insurance (sponsorship) centrally to bring in efficiency.

 

[siv]

The public and sponsors aren't fooled by semantics, it's going to be Tier 3 whether you like it or not.

I can not see how playing 3-4 NRL players makes a club Tier 2

But when the same club plays with 0 NRL players which happens during SOO or high injury periods it suddenly becomes Tier 3

 

[Wb1234]

This isn't going to happen and there is currently no plan to make it happen.

What will really happen is the game withering and dying in these areas.

But as long as you can feel good about a 3rd Tier Perth team being a dream I suppose.

The game won’t die in those areas lol

stop being dramatic

the game was played in those areas for almost 100 years before the nrl came to town

 

[gerg]

How does rugby league being the number one sport in western Sydney justify the exorbitant amount spent by three tiers of government on one club after gifting them a $300m stadium?

Rugby league is also the number one sport across all of Queensland, yet our clubs are expected to pay their way.

You're just deflecting from the fact that Parramatta paid just $4.5m (6.9%) towards their $65m CoE despite your claim that Sydney's Leagues Clubs can use gaming machine revenue to fund their footballing instructure.

The Cowboys High Performance Centre is also a "community asset" available to the public and other sports, yet Cowboys are footing 50% of its bill. Looks like Cowboys actually invest in their community. Not like the parasites from Sydney.

Cowboys open $40 million training centre

FFS. Do you understand how politics works? WTF is your point anyway? A Sydney team was provided government funding.... and a Queensland team didn't receive the same amount of funding? Seriously? You're just whinging and arguing for the sake of it now.

 

[Wb1234]

FFS. Do you understand how politics works? WTF is your point anyway? A Sydney team was provided government funding.... and a Queensland team didn't receive the same amount of funding? Seriously? You're just whinging and arguing for the sake of it now.

It looks like the cowboys own the thing themselves whilst parra don’t

do clubs pay rent to the govt for these things

in afl the govt gave the clubs the money directly so the clubs actually own them