As said before, we 'never saw this coming', eh?
We are one of the richest clubs in the NRL. But we can't have a second grade?
The dropping of the reserve grade team was done purely as a cost cutting exercise, courtesy of tightarse central. Now it seems the club needs to throw more money at Shellharbour to fill the vacuum.
I got an idea, how about we put a Dragons team in the NSW Cup and be done with it.
I've got a better idea - how about the new IC make it mandatory for NRL teams to have a First Grade, Reserve Grade and National Elite Competition sides.
Play the National Elite competition before First Grade and have Reserve Grade as first game because more commercially markable but lets get 3 grades of footy back .
The NSW Cup is a joke and if I was an administrator I'd be more than happy putting players in Carlton League which standard is very similar to NSW Cup at no cost.
The NSW Cup is a joke and if I was an administrator I'd be more than happy putting players in Carlton League which standard is very similar to NSW Cup at no cost.
It would only take St George DRLFC to offer to pay for this team and call them the St George Dragons or Saints, playing out of OKI, for Shellharbour to change their mind and support it.
QUOTE]
There should be a team playing out of OKI regardless of whatever those duds in Shellharbour decide . Canterbury are offering season tickets on the back of shopper dockets in Hurstville coles unopposed . The object clearly to win over fans in our district . The clubs success this year was too hard won to just give away.
The tight arses who run us are forever giving other clubs free shots at us and having a team at any level in the red vee called the Saints playing their local games here would be a big help in the hearts and minds games that the bulldogs love to play .
While I completely agree with your earlier remarks that we need an elite reserve grade comp, what a pisspoor attitude regarding NSW Cup.
While most acknowledge the quality of footy in NSW Cup is at the same standard as QLD Cup, suggesting teams pull out (and thereby making it even sh*tter) isn't a good way to address the problem.
I've got a better idea - how about the new IC make it mandatory for NRL teams to have a First Grade, Reserve Grade and National Elite Competition sides.
Play the National Elite competition before First Grade and have Reserve Grade as first game because more commercially markable but lets get 3 grades of footy back .
The NSW Cup is a joke and if I was an administrator I'd be more than happy putting players in Carlton League which standard is very similar to NSW Cup at no cost.
As said before, we 'never saw this coming', eh?
We are one of the richest clubs in the NRL. But we can't have a second grade?
The dropping of the reserve grade team was done purely as a cost cutting exercise, courtesy of tightarse central. Now it seems the club needs to throw more money at Shellharbour to fill the vacuum.
I got an idea, how about we put a Dragons team in the NSW Cup and be done with it.
The feeder team should be the Illawarra Steelers
The feeder team should be the Illawarra Steelers
New Zealand (Auckland Vulcans), Parramatta (Wentworth Magpies), Newcastle Knights (Central Coast Centurions), Parramatta Eels (Central Coast Centurions), Penrith Panthers (Windsor Wolves), South Sydney (North Sydney Bears) and Sydney Roosters (Newtown Jets) use option 3.
Assuming you didn't mean Parramatta twice?
But I do see your point. The whole reason we need the IC is to clean up our lower grades.
Who would finance it?
There is no value in financing an entire NSW Cup side. This year we only used 7 players who ran out for Shellharbour, and of those a couple only took the field once or twice for us in first grade. There's no point shelling out several hundred thousand dollars minimum for such a tiny return. Joint ventures at that level of competition are the way to go - even Souffs (who have Rusty money) are engaged in one with North Sydney.
Melbourne Storm, bankrolled by News, have joined with Cronulla for NSW Cup. Newcastle with Central Coast. Parra-Wentworthville. Penrith-Windsor. Even the Queensland NRL clubs spread their excess players around a number of Qld Cup sides.Roosters with Newtown as well
Biker Dragon you are correct that the game needs a strong feeder competition BUT Godz Illa is 100% correct in his evaluation.You could not be more wrong.....The game needs a strong feeder comp or it's headed to sh*tville.