Update on the figures.
Melbourne now 5/9 55% from 5/8 62%
Easts now 3/7 42% from 2/6 33%
Australian Rugby League now 15/33 45% from 14/32 43%
Australian Super League now 23/41 56% from 23/40 57%
I've made a few posts in the NRL Expansion forum in recent time with the main theme being having a Sydney representative team playing in the national competition fed from the existing Sydney teams whilst the Sydney teams play in the Sydney competition.
Player selection would be similar to the way the City team was selected to play against Country in the now de-funct fixture, the difference being they would be playing in the national competition against teams outside of Sydney.
I'm outward looking and believe people support their city, state, and national representative players and teams. We look inward to elevate those type of players and it works to have Townsville, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, Auckland... Sydney would work as well.
The opportunity became available in 1998 when the NRL formed and there were 20 teams which proved too many because of quality reasons.
There's a time for everything. The swell has grown and the wave is ridable. It has been for a while.
With that and having a look at the number of finals Sydney teams have won I would probably expect a Sydney representative team to be at the top of the Final Wins list.
The wins for Sydney teams as individuals appear to be fractured and there's a long waiting time whereas united they would probably be whole and frequent.
I say probably because with one team representing Sydney the door is open for players seeking higher reputation opportunities with teams outside of Sydney rather than settle for playing in a feeder team meaning the rest of the teams in the national competition can pick up those players and strengthen their own and it also opens the door for expansion into areas such as Adelaide and Perth.
We would have eight teams to start with... Townsville, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, Auckland, Sydney. Twenty one rounds, one home match, one away match, one match at a probable expansion area, maybe Adelaide and Perth.
Ideas. It's not a crime to think.