Duration of Toyota Cup

[The Observer]

Couple of quick questions:
1) How many rounds of competition will the Cup have? 26? 22? 15/16? Something else?
2) When will the comp run? Is there a draw out?

 

[girvie]

Couple of quick questions:
1) How many rounds of competition will the Cup have? 26? 22? 15/16? Something else?
2) When will the comp run? Is there a draw out?

It's exactly the same as the NRL.

 

[The Observer]

I fear that young players will play too much football before they even reach NRL (which is too many rounds as it is), without getting the true grounding they need for that level. NRL teams might need to play 24 rounds to keep the clubs financially afloat, but junior teams don't need to play that much. Makes me think of players like Karmichael Hunt just having come into NRL football, playing a full season and being physically and mentally exhausted.

A model that might have been given young players a more gradual build up to NRL 15 round competition, with two rounds of finals. Players that looked like NRL prospects could then have played a few rounds in the NSW or QLD Cup.

 

[APRIL BELLE]

I fear that young players will play too much football before they even reach NRL (which is too many rounds as it is), without getting the true grounding they need for that level. NRL teams might need to play 24 rounds to keep the clubs financially afloat, but junior teams don't need to play that much. Makes me think of players like Karmichael Hunt just having come into NRL football, playing a full season and being physically and mentally exhausted.

A model that might have been given young players a more gradual build up to NRL 15 round competition, with two rounds of finals. Players that looked like NRL prospects could then have played a few rounds in the NSW or QLD Cup.

These boys are not juniors. Nealry all of thes boys will have left school so they will not have any other committments.

Most of the representative 18 yo NSW boys and 17 yo QLD boys play over 45 games per year, so only playing 24 will seem ilke only half a season to them.

 

[freeridermx]

jersey flegg have played a full season in line with the nrl , so what the difference , just a name change is about it really.

 

[diab0lik]

will they be playing 80 minute games?

 

[eelz47]

will they be playing 80 minute games?

good question


i would say yes

 

[fourxman]

I played Pub League in Brisbane and it was 4 trial matches, 18 season rounds and there were 3 rounds of finals (if the team was to make it to the GF). So 25 games in all.

Everyone who plays in this comp all play on top of whatever they do for a living and actually have to pay to play.

I don't think there is any reason people should winge about length of the season for professionals who get paid an absolute motza to play. They should just love the fact that they are playing a great game and as a bonus they are getting paid to do it.

No sympathy here.

 

[The Observer]

I played Pub League in Brisbane and it was 4 trial matches, 18 season rounds and there were 3 rounds of finals (if the team was to make it to the GF). So 25 games in all.

Everyone who plays in this comp all play on top of whatever they do for a living and actually have to pay to play.

I don't think there is any reason people should winge about length of the season for professionals who get paid an absolute motza to play. They should just love the fact that they are playing a great game and as a bonus they are getting paid to do it.

No sympathy here.

fourxman, guess I was trying to say that player welfare could be better managed to
1) give them a longer career, thus giving the clubs and game value
2) keep them from going to other sports. In other sports like Union and AFL, contracted players play fewer games than League. In Union, they are limited to 30 games a season by the Players Associations CBA. So they could paid the same to play less.
3) using them to develop the game.

In League, these Toyota Cup players could play up to 38 games:

• 2 trials,
• 24 regular rounds,
• 4 finals,
• 1 junior City Country game,
• 3 junior Origin games
• 3-4 junior Kangaroos games (last year they played Junior Kiwis, Fiji and Tonga, in future they may play a Junior Tri Nations with Junior Kiwis and England Academy)

Like other sports, having a maximum limit of 30 games a season for pro players might get the best out of them. Som I'd recommend stripping 11 rounds out of the Toyota Cup to keep it under 30. If players want to play a few more games to take them closer to playing 30 games in the season, then they could play a few games in either
1) NSW Cup/QLD Cup
2) JBC
3) a regional comp on the coast, or the best option
4) a bush comp

Getting a game out in the bush especially would mean a lot to bush teams and their communities, the junior players would get open age footy, and develop their life experience too.

 

[Bulldogs_4_Life]

I would also like to know if they are playing 80 minute games.

Fox Sports says the coverage will go from 3:00pm-4:45pm unlike the usual 2 hours it would take to air a full 80 minutes NRL game. Shorter half time maybe?

 

[flamin]

I would say definitely 80 mins. They're not 10 year olds. They are playing in a professional competition.

 

[no name]

I would say definitely 80 mins. They're not 10 year olds. They are playing in a professional competition.

Going on the past competitions (Res grade, PL etc.) I reckon it might be 70 min.

 

[parra-matters]

it is 80mins as stated in big league magazine

 

[The Observer]

By creating the Toyota Cup (or replacing/expanding the NSWRL's Jersey Flegg), the NRL seems to have elevated Under 20s RL above the open age NSW and QLD Cups to become the second tier of RL in Australia. Now the TC has been running for a while, is it a higher standard than the old Jersey Flegg? Is it a higher standard than NSW/Qld Cup or reserve grade? Should the TC be the second tier competition?

NSW Cup and all its reserve grade predecessors seemed to provide a great breeding ground and preparation for the NRL, but is the competition suffering from a lack of television exposure? Is it a victim of the need to cut costs with the Pokies tax?

Perhaps the NSW/QLD Cups would provide the strongest second tier again if one were ranked higher. I'd suggest the NSW Cup could be that competition, with the QLD NRL clubs and Canberra selecting Qld Cup clubs to represent them in the NSW Cup. So the Broncos could put Norths Devils in the NSW Cup, the Cowboys could put the Northern Pride, the Gold Coast could put Burleigh Bears, and the Raiders could choose Souths Logan. The QLD Cup could become an effective 3rd tier by replacing those clubs with expansion teams like WA Reds, PNG team, Wellington Orcas and another Qld team. The NRL could seek out sponsors and partners to help offset the increased travel costs, and TV broadcasting would help too.

 

[greendevil]

By creating the Toyota Cup (or replacing/expanding the NSWRL's Jersey Flegg), the NRL seems to have elevated Under 20s RL above the open age NSW and QLD Cups to become the second tier of RL in Australia. Now the TC has been running for a while, is it a higher standard than the old Jersey Flegg? Is it a higher standard than NSW/Qld Cup or reserve grade? Should the TC be the second tier competition?

NSW Cup and all its reserve grade predecessors seemed to provide a great breeding ground and preparation for the NRL, but is the competition suffering from a lack of television exposure? Is it a victim of the need to cut costs with the Pokies tax?

Perhaps the NSW/QLD Cups would provide the strongest second tier again if one were ranked higher. I'd suggest the NSW Cup could be that competition, with the QLD NRL clubs and Canberra selecting Qld Cup clubs to represent them in the NSW Cup. So the Broncos could put Norths Devils in the NSW Cup, the Cowboys could put the Northern Pride, the Gold Coast could put Burleigh Bears, and the Raiders could choose Souths Logan. The QLD Cup could become an effective 3rd tier by replacing those clubs with expansion teams like WA Reds, PNG team, Wellington Orcas and another Qld team. The NRL could seek out sponsors and partners to help offset the increased travel costs, and TV broadcasting would help too.

With all due respect Observer, doesn't this deserve a thread of its own?

I think that people enjoy seeing the young fellas go around, play open, flamboyant footy and make a few mistakes along the way. Talking to a large number of people they are enjoying watching the NYC as much as NRL. It's just a shame that people don't get value for their money by actually showing up at the games (subject of another rant altogether). Personally, I'd rather watch NYC for the unpredictability than NRL which is getting a little (I'll think of a word one day)

I think that the NYC has been a great thing. For many reasons, but I'll only talk about the Qld Cup side of things as that is the limit of my knowledge.

The number of fringe first graders that are playing Q Cup has strengthened the comp enormously. The comp is a lot tougher and faster than it has been for years.

I'd love to see a 2nd tier comp involving Q Cup teams and JBC teams, but dollars would be a huge issue. Unless there was either FTO or pay TV coverage there'd be no hope of attracting sponsorship etc. I know first hand that currently it costs over $600k to run a Q cup team for a year, add to that the cost of travel, accommodation etc and you're looking at $1m plus. I don't know of any of the Q cup teams that can come up with the bucks.

There are a number of other things that would be great to see.... JBC v Q Cup Grand final winners, 2nd tier state of origin, etc etc, but it all comes down to dollars.....