Enough talent for expansion?

[Perth Red]

EXPANDING the NRL competition would prove an unmitigated disaster, according to leading and influential rugby league identities who believe there simply isn’t enough quality playing talent to add any further teams.

The issue of expansion and re-location reared it’s head last week following revelations that the financial plight of the Wests Tigers is at breaking point.

NRL chief executive Dave Smith has consistently stated that discussion on expanding the competition will feature on his end-of-season agenda, with no extra clubs or relocation of teams expected during the current broadcast deal, which concludes in 2017.

But according to the game’s leading coaches, players, chief executives and commentators, the issue of expanding the competition needs to be withdrawn and replaced by a more intense focus — there simply isn’t enough talent to satisfy more than 16 NRL teams.


http://m.dailytelegraph.com.au/spor...eague-identities/story-fni3fbgz-1226862253588

 

[Perth Red]

There is a heap of talent outside the NRL waiting for a shot. We have barely scratched the surface in places like png and Fiji. Any expansion at the top has to come with a strong jnr development program at the bottom. I could make up two competitive NRL teams out of ex NRL players playing in other comps/codes.
Also this has to be about strategic growth of the game. An NRL team in Perth will see much greater profile for the code here and give kids with a different physical size an opportunity to play something other than afl. Yes it may take a few years but we have seen with our new jnr programmes already that within 4 years we are developing NRL quality talent. Expansion should be about growing the game of RL. At some point our game has to break free of the small town mentality that has seen its growth barely register in one hundred years outside its traditional heartlands on the East coast.

 

[georgesnmith]

depends on the salary cap and how much we pay players

weve stopped the drain of players to Super League, and indeed its going the other way now

Look at Semi Redrura, a Fiji union sevens player whose killing it in the nrl

we need to be getting more good union players over.

places like fiji and PNG we should be looking much harder

there are more than enough players for 2 more teams.

 

[BuffaloRules]

The games this week have been fantastic.

Typical Telegraph claptrap.

I am always a bit dubious reading quotes from other Club CEO's about the merits of Expansion.

They can never get past their fears about dividing up the pie amongst more teams, so they act in their own self interests and talk expansion down.

 

[typicalfan]

Question is could you make a semi decent first grade side with NSW Cup, QLD cup , ESL players and even the odd Union convert.

I think you could.

 

[Perth Red]

Strategy for Pirates/NRL to have a sustainable competitive squad without weakening existing teams:

1. WArL to receive decent resourcing to expand snr high school programme, development in Pilbara, run a nsw cup team and market the warl clubs better to attract more players to the game. WARL currently operate on smell of an oily rag, they need triple the funding they currently receive.
2. WC Pirates form an official partnership with the PNG RL. The best jnrs can play SG ball for pirates and png Hunters are one of the Pirates development sides.
3. Salary cap concessions to allow Pirates to sign players from outside the NRL
4. 3 years notice so we can start building now.

For second team, Brothers could link with ntrl and with development in that area access jnrs developed out of that system. Maybe link into Fiji as well.

Where there is a will there is a way.

If you don't change anything then you could always argue there isn't enough talent, though how you objectively measure "enough" I have no idea!

 

[Perth Red]

Question is could you make a semi decent first grade side with NSW Cup, QLD cup , ESL players and even the odd Union convert.

I think you could.

On another thread somewhere I named two sides from non NRL players that would likely make finals. Salary cap is a bigger issue than enough talent. To attract folau, hunte, Charnely, Westwood, plus best in union etc costs decent money.

 

[Perth Red]

Typical tele being g selective in their opinion sought. Makes you wonder the agenda and if they are already trying to keep the price down of next deal? Here is Andrew Ryans opposite view, funny how they didn't ask anyone who thinks there is enough talent!

Former Kangaroo forward Andrew Ryan believes Australia has enough talent coming through junior ranks to sustain an expanded National Rugby League competition.

Ryan, a NSW State of Origin representative who had nine seasons with Canterbury, also said an expanded competition could help stop the player drain to the English Super League.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/21826221/ryan-backs-perth-nrl-team/

 

[BuffaloRules]

I love Hadleys comment from the article saying how when they expanded to 20 teams before it was a 'disaster'.

Umm Ray, do you remember that it coincided with this little thing called the Super League war which involved seperate competitions, court cases, forced culling of teams and generally the most upheaval the game has ever known.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Question is could you make a semi decent first grade side with NSW Cup, QLD cup , ESL players and even the odd Union convert.

I think you could.

I also look at what is happening at the Tigers this year.

Due to injuries and poor recruitment, they have been forced to blood young players without much NRL experience.

They were hopeless last year, but the signs look good so far this year.

NSW Cup and young players are going to improve with the sport sciences,support networks and coaches around NRL Clubs these days.

 

[RUG13Y]

Pillage super league

 

[Ourimbah Magpies]

Not enough talent for expansion ?, well stop looking into AFL territory to start up new sides, stick to your heartlands NRL...Central Coast and another QLD side next up for expansion until Perth start developing their own players or prove they can be competitive in the NSW or QLD Cups. Should do the hard yards first and not just be accepted because they offer a new area and a different tv time slot.

 

[Perth Red]

Jnrs are one, and relatively small part of why expansion needs to occur. Indeed there is a stronger argument that expansion teams in nursery areas that are currently feeding existing NRL clubs will do more damage than opening up new pathways and jnr markets yet to be developed. If I'm a good player in Gosford I have my pick of nsw clubs to play for without leaving home. If I'm a gun jnr in WA I am likely to sign for the Western Force.

There are a number of options for dealing with the current lack of jnrs in WA that I have outlined previously.

 

[Perth Red]

CC centurions 38 -38 WC Pirates

Lol

 

[Ourimbah Magpies]

Hahaha don't bring rugby union into this as I'm waiting for the Force to be exactly that.....a force. The West Coast Pirates drew with the Central Coast 38-38 the other week in S.G.Ball, the Pirates have a whole state to draw on while as you correctly put it most of the Central Coasts players are with the Bulldogs, the Knights, the Sea Eagles etc, etc. Imagine if those players didn't travel to other areas, they'd go very close to taking out the Harold Matts and S.G.Ball competitions if they had a direct pathway.

 

[El Diablo]

typical negative Telegraph crap

 

[Cumberland Throw]

There are 50 NRL standard players in ESL

2 more teams would earn NRL 30 million a year in rights...

Salary cap could be $8M...

Problem solved...

There is plenty of talent out there... we just need cash to get them

 

[Perth Red]

Hahaha don't bring rugby union into this as I'm waiting for the Force to be exactly that.....a force. The West Coast Pirates drew with the Central Coast 38-38 the other week in S.G.Ball, the Pirates have a whole state to draw on while as you correctly put it most of the Central Coasts players are with the Bulldogs, the Knights, the Sea Eagles etc, etc. Imagine if those players didn't travel to other areas, they'd go very close to taking out the Harold Matts and S.G.Ball competitions if they had a direct pathway.

I thought we were an afl state with no RL jnrs? Your clutching at straws like a drowning man clutches to a lifeboat! You have answered your own question why the NRL does not need a team in Gosford. It has ten nsw teams giving CC jnrs pathways into the NRL. Putting a team in Gosford weakens those ten teams. Putting teams into new areas creates new pathways and leads to more kids taking up the game in new areas.

 

[Ourimbah Magpies]

I thought we were an afl state with no RL jnrs? Your clutching at straws like a drowning man clutches to a lifeboat! You have answered your own question why the NRL does not need a team in Gosford. It has ten nsw teams giving CC jnrs pathways into the NRL. Putting a team in Gosford weakens those ten teams. Putting teams into new areas creates new pathways and leads to more kids taking up the game in new areas.

Read the whole sentence not just what you want to read, you are saying expanding to Perth will be opening the area to a new audience and there fore new players, well I haven't seen league take off crazily in Melbourne and WA will be exactly the same, hell Melbourne only produced their first home grown NRL player last season and how long have they been in the competition for ?.
How did the Pirates go against Manly yesterday who had four gun Central Coast players in their squad. 1 draw, 5 losses and theres nobody to pilfer you junior talent. A new Perth side would also weaken existing clubs because you have a weak junior base so you would have to grab and uproot them from somewhere. Definitely not worth the risk.

 

[CC_Roosters]

New markets need to be engaged to increase the playing pool, for that to happen the first priority is perth. With that thinking Wellington should be second but toake the game more appealing in the next round of media rights it will surely be a new Brisbane side.