Grand finalists in the NRL vs AFL for the last 21 Years....

[Mr Spock!]

The nrl were bankrolling the storm too....after News spent squillions on it.

 

[Perth Red]

Afl are protecting their expansion investments. Worked for the swans so I guessed figure if they give a leg up to Suns they’ll come good eventually. Not sure what’s worse contriving the comp for success or letting a new club sink or swim Ike the nrl did with the Titans?

 

[King hit]

It was a period of stagnation for the sport, not unlike what we're seeing right now.

Yet they attracted record crowds, more publicity then ever and had massive test matches against the poms with the likes of Gasnier, Raper etc etc thrilling everyone

 

[King hit]

Not as bad as the Scottish Premier League where no team except Celtic or Rangers have won it since the 1984–85 season..

Or in super rugby where New Zealand teams have won 17/23 titles or where the All Blacks have won the bledisloe cup 48 times out of 60 and have held it since 2003 with no end in sight

 

[TheFrog]

Or in super rugby where New Zealand teams have won 17/23 titles or where the All Blacks have won the bledisloe cup 48 times out of 60 and have held it since 2003 with no end in sight

Rugby was bigger here when Randwick used to play Gordon.

Yet they attracted record crowds, more publicity then ever and had massive test matches against the poms with the likes of Gasnier, Raper etc etc thrilling everyone

The big finals and the SCG match of the day had good crowds, but 3,000 and 4,000 were very common among the also-rans during the Dragons era. International RL died because no-one could reliably challenge Australia.

As soon as it was decided to modernise the game with limited tackles and expand to new areas, the Dragons era was at an end, and crowds continued to grow. Never again would a single club be able to monopolise the best available talent, although its heading that way again now.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Throw in the Knights too, who aren't a Sydney club obviously but have significant support.

Big clubs starved of success make for huge storylines. Souths fans you could argue have become a bit complacent since they won theirs. Parra, Bulldogs, Dragons, Tigers and Knights have been starved of success.

Yep agreed and take your point on the Knights who will travel. Sid Fogg stands to make another fortune when they get back in the finals again - lately he must be out selling ice creams trying to make ends meet. The starvation of success for these clubs has really impacted in the real finals atmosphere and rivalry in Sydney that fill stadiums. (mindful that Parra did fill Bankwest against the Broncos though).

Again it's not a shot at the successful teams or out of town clubs but these clubs have the biggest fan base in the Sydney basin, and arguably (with the exception of Souths) have been among the worst performed teams on average over the last 4-5 years.

 

[Mr Spock!]

Yep agreed and take your point on the Knights who will travel. Sid Fogg stands to make another fortune when they get back in the finals again - lately he must be out selling ice creams trying to make ends meet. The starvation of success for these clubs has really impacted in the real finals atmosphere and rivalry in Sydney that fill stadiums. (mindful that Parra did fill Bankwest against the Broncos though).

Again it's not a shot at the successful teams or out of town clubs but these clubs have the biggest fan base in the Sydney basin, and arguably (with the exception of Souths) have been among the worst performed teams on average over the last 4-5 years.

Some of those clubs have made baffling decisions though.

Like signing underperforming coaches to 5 year deals.

 

[Mr Spock!]

Like would Politis accept a record like McGregors?

 

[Travitoh]

Sport isn't about punishing success and rewarding mediocrity. Get better.

 

[moffla]

Sport isn't about punishing success and rewarding mediocrity. Get better.

f**king this.
I've seen people suggest Storm and Roosters start off with lower caps to even out the playing field.

 

[Dave's mate]

f**king this.
I've seen people suggest Storm and Roosters start off with lower caps to even out the playing field.

Lol no one says that you lunatic

 

[Travitoh]

Lol no one says that you lunatic

There was a thread a month or two ago suggesting exactly that.

 

[Travitoh]

f**king this.
I've seen people suggest Storm and Roosters start off with lower caps to even out the playing field.

I don't understand the obsession with talent equalisation. All it will achieve is an increased number of midtable standard teams. Yuck.

Personally, i believe the purpose of a salary cap should be in place to create a level playing field when it comes to signing uncontracted players.
Don't punish clubs for nurturing talent, Manly shouldn't be punished because Tom and Jake Trbojevic have grown to become superstars of the game and will warrant salaries that reflect that. Encourage talent progression instead.

 

[forby]

Do away with TPAs would be a good start, and then all the other allowances. Make it a hard cap and then publish the values of contracts for transparency.
Whilst my club, Penrith, develops many juniors I don't believe salary cap allowances for juniors would be fair. However, TPAs are equally unfair, and unpublished contract values breed suspicion.
Doing away with rich benefactors who can 'boost' players salaries would be difficult to do though.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

Do away with TPAs would be a good start, and then all the other allowances. Make it a hard cap and then publish the values of contracts for transparency.
Whilst my club, Penrith, develops many juniors I don't believe salary cap allowances for juniors would be fair. However, TPAs are equally unfair, and unpublished contract values breed suspicion.
Doing away with rich benefactors who can 'boost' players salaries would be difficult to do though.

I agree but the players association want TPAs and would fight it and win. Restraint of trade yada yada

 

[Lambretta]

Seeing as you brought up fairness, thought I'd just add in that today the AFL granted the Gold Coast Suns a massive "emergency relief package" that gifts them 4 consecutive #1 draft picks in addition to the picks they already get and the entire city of Darwin as a junior catchment area, while stopping all rival clubs from bidding on any player in their junior academy system, which basically means they get 15 junior clubs in the NT and 11 in the Gold Coast that no other team is allowed to even offer a developmental contract to over the next 3 years to any player in those systems.

Talk "fairness" all you want, rugby league can at least fall back on the integrity of not allowing a team that has failed miserably, priority selection to the point of effectively restricting the right of a player to seek employment just to prop up a single club.

Right across Victoria and NSW there will be kids praying not to be the number 1 draft pick

Could you imagine growing up dreaming of playing for a club you love only to shipped off to die a slow death at that contrived pile of shite as a reward for being the most talented player of your age group?

 

[moffla]

Lol no one says that you lunatic

If I had nothing better to do, I could pull out multiple quotes from this forum and media personnel suggesting this very thing.

 

[Lambretta]

f**king this.
I've seen people suggest Storm and Roosters start off with lower caps to even out the playing field.

Pick a number, any number

We'll pick our own............ allegedly

 

[Perth Red]

Do away with TPAs would be a good start, and then all the other allowances. Make it a hard cap and then publish the values of contracts for transparency.
Whilst my club, Penrith, develops many juniors I don't believe salary cap allowances for juniors would be fair. However, TPAs are equally unfair, and unpublished contract values breed suspicion.
Doing away with rich benefactors who can 'boost' players salaries would be difficult to do though.

Why should players not be able to earn from their image rights outside of what they can earn in the game? If anything it is a good way to encourage them to behave themselves to be a more marketable commodity.

 

[Mr Spock!]

I don't understand the obsession with talent equalisation. All it will achieve is an increased number of midtable standard teams. Yuck.

Personally, i believe the purpose of a salary cap should be in place to create a level playing field when it comes to signing uncontracted players.
Don't punish clubs for nurturing talent, Manly shouldn't be punished because Tom and Jake Trbojevic have grown to become superstars of the game and will warrant salaries that reflect that. Encourage talent progression instead.

Well for those of us who followed rugby league before the cap, we would watch our nurtured talent go to Manly or Easts.