If we started the NRL from scratch, what teams would we have?

[Von]

Assume the NRL was starting all over again and a new competition was being born in 2014.
In the same way the A-League was started from scratch from the old NSL days.
No old teams, no old affiliations, no mergers, no hidden agendas.

How many teams would we have?
What teams would we have?
What cities could sustain multiple teams?

Please just state your number and teams. No existing teams or mergers, and no talk about what current teams should go or merge. Remember these will all be new franchises.
In the fantasy world, all franchises must meet certain targets or risk being cut for other clubs waiting in the wings.

My view...
An 18 team comp, including
3 Brisbane teams, 5 Queensland teams,
4 Sydney teams, 7 NSW teams,
2 NZ teams.

1. North Queensland team (Cairns/Townsville)
2. Brisbane City
3. Brisbane South/Logan
4. Brisbane West/Ipswich
5. Gold Coast
6. Newcastle/Hunter
7. Central Coast
8. Northern Sydney
9. Sydney City
10. Southern Sydney
11. Western Sydney
12. Illawarra
13. Canberra
14. Melbourne
15. Adelaide
16. Perth
17. NZ North
18. NZ South

Waiting in the wings:
A Darwin/NT franchise
PNG
Central Qld

 

[Loudstrat]

F*ck - how many times has this old chestnut been done to death?????????????

1. Parramatta Eels
2-16 - Who f*cking cares?

:BDH:

 

[Von]

Sorry Loudy.

Haven't seen it before.

But one thing's for certain, Parra wouldn't Matta in a new comp.

 

[docbrown]

I pretty much agree with your list except I'd add Sunshine Coast, New Zealand 3 & a long way down the track Melbourne 2 to the waiting in the wings list. End result - 24 team comp.

 

[sputneek]

Eastern Suburbs Rooster-ohs
St George Cronulla Steel Dragons
North Sydney Manly Bear-Eagles
Parramatta Penrith Western Eel Panthers
Canterbury Balmain Tigerdogs
Newcastle Central Coast Knights
Melbourne Tasmanian Storm
Adelaide Alice Springs Rams
Western Australia Perth Reds
Darwin Manbearpigs
Brisbane Broncos
Gold Coast Titans
Brisbane 2
North Queensland Cairns Cowboys
Auckland Warriors
Wellington Orcas

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

looks alright but the market wouldnt be there for both an ipswich team and a logan team, either have one or the other and have one for the northern suburbs or sunny coast.

 

[RHCP]

Adelaide Sharks.

 

[parraparraparra]

Adelaide Sharks

 

[Parra Pride]

F*ck - how many times has this old chestnut been done to death?????????????

1. Parramatta Eels
2-16 - Who f*cking cares?

:BDH:

+1

If a new comp were to start from scratch, without the Eels, I would still watch the games, but I would not support any team.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

It would be awesome if there was only 4 Sydney teams.

 

[derp]

It would be awesome if we converted back to a Sydney based comp.

 

[derp]

Oh.. with the exception Newcastle.

 

[DC_fan]

It would be awesome if we converted back to a Sydney based comp.

Then the game would very quickly die

 

[Berkeley_Eagle]

from Scratch hey

Illawarra Iguanas
Gosford Gorilla's
Waverly Wombats
Narrabeen Nudists
Ramsgate Robots
Homebush Homo's
St Marys Skunks
Campbelltown Car Thieves
Newcastle Numbats

Victorian Victorians

Perth Piranhas

Surfers bodyboards
Brisbane Shirts
Brisbane Skins

NZ Maoris
NZ Kiwis

Darwin donuts

Canberra Carbon Taxes

 

[betcats]

Western Sydney needs more then 1 team imo. There are 2 million people living there.

Just because Sydney breaks down into 4 nice regions doesnt mean each should get one team and thats it. It requires some more in depth research and thought.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Then the game would very quickly die

Indeed.

 

[Panfas]

If we were to re-fresh the comp had had some govt $$ for stadium builds and upgrades (all stadia all seaters except WIN)

1. Sydney City Roosters - SFS, 45k
2. Kogarah Dragons - Win Jubilee (upgrade), 30k
3. Liverpool Bulldogs - New Stadium, 35k
4. Campbelltown City Tigers - Campbelltown Stadium (upgrade), 30k
5. Parramatta Eels - Parra Stadium (upgrade), 30k
6. Penrith Panthers - Centrebet Stadium (upgrade), 25k
7. Chatswood Sea-Eagles - New stadium, 25k
8. Woolongong Steelers - Win Stadium (upgrade), 25k
9. Newcastle Knights - Ausgrid Stadium, 33k
10. Canberra Raiders - Canberra Stadium, 25k
11. Melbourne Storm - Aami Park, 30k
12. Adelaide Sharks - Hindmarsh Stadium (upgrade), 20k
13. Perth Rabbitohs - NIB Stadium, 25k
14. Nth Qld Cowboys - New Stadium, 30k
15. Brisbane Broncos - Suncorp Stadium, 52k
16. Ipswich Jets - New Stadium, 30k
17. Gold Coast Titans - Skilled Park, 27k
18. NZ Warriors - Mt Smart, 26k

 

[juro]

Just looking at comps that have reinvented themselves over the years, the A-League is more successful than the NSL ever was, and the BBL has invented new teams this year with pretty impressive results. Granted, it is very early days for the BBL.

Restructuring the NRL would lead to massive short term pain for a large number of supporters, but the result in the long run would probably make it worthwhile. I agree with the overall split of teams suggested by the OP. Where the teams in Sydney and Brisbane would go could use a bit more thought.

But as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The soccer and cricket were basically forced to make the changes they made. The NRL is working well at the moment, despite the problems of having so many Sydney teams. It would take a very brave leadership in the game to bring in such sweeping changes.

 

[Raiderdave]

18 teams in 2014
16 from Australia

1 in all 3 of the Sthn capitals ...

Melbourne
Perth
Adelaide

I'll get howled down about Adelaide
don't care ... its called a national footprint.

2 in Brisbane
1 on the Gold Coast
1 in Nth Qld

7 in NSW /ACT

Regional

Newcastle
Canberra
Wollongong

Metro
4 in Sydney ... South , East .. North .. West

2 in NZ

Auckland /Warriors
Christchurch/Wellington ..either or Ither

Sydney sides playing out of just 2 Stadiums ... ANZ or the SFS

 

[Haffa]

Western Sydney needs more then 1 team imo. There are 2 million people living there.

Just because Sydney breaks down into 4 nice regions doesnt mean each should get one team and thats it. It requires some more in depth research and thought.

Exactly, Western Sydney would need at least 3 teams. Not sure how it can be justified having 2 teams in the South West of Brisbane but one in Western Sydney.