If you were given dictatorial power over the NRL, what would you do?

[siv]

18 teams - 26 rounds

2 conferences of 9 teams - Sydney & Regional (playe everyone in conference twice and opposite conference once)

National Reserve Grade and U23's

U21's to revert back to a junior comp with U19's, U17's, U15's

Revamp the NSW Cup - with NSW Country divisions, Bundy Cup teams

Auckland to go back and focus on making the NZRL national comp once again

SOO, City v Country played on weekends with 4 Nation Pacific Cup(incl NZ) and 4 Nation Euro Cup (incl England)

6 Nations end of season with final in 1st week of Dec

World Club Challenged played in 3rd Friday of Oct

Midweek cup with NSW Cup, NRL, PNG Cup, Qld Cup and NZ Cup teams

Sevens comp to kick start the season with all 18 teams plus 14 other teams including Pacific natinal teams

Salary Cap indexed to CPI

NSW Cup & QLD Cup teams to receve $500K annual grants

Test Players to be payed $50K per match

SOO Players to be payed $30K per match

1 x FNF game 8pm kick off Ch 9
4 x Saturday games ( 2 x 5:30pm and 2 x 7:30pm live on TV 2 Ch9 and 2 Fox)
4 x Sunday games( 2 x 2pm & 2 x 4pm all live on TV 2 Ch9 an 2 Fox)

Schedule live broadcast of NSW Cup(Fri 5:30pm), Qld Cup (Sat 3:00pm) and NZ Cup (Sat 1:00pm) match of rounds
Sunday U23's and Reserve Grade game broadcast live
Monday U23's and Reserve Grade game broadcast live

 

[The Voice of Reason!]

Some sound ideas in here, siv. Just one comment:

Schedule live broadcast of NSW Cup(Fri 5:30pm), Qld Cup (Sat 3:00pm) and NZ Cup (Sat 1:00pm) match of rounds

Ideally, I would like to see the ISC have two games broadcast per week. Give the ABC a game for Saturday afternoon (which fits with the time slot that you have allocated) and let Nine continue with their 2pm Sunday game. You have to admit, despite any ribbing Nine gets for what they do to the NRL, they have done a pretty good job with the Queensland Cup (and yes, I am a Voss fan).

Imagine, and this is in a world that even exceeds the dictatorial power bestowed by this thread title: I am going into the sort of unfettered imperium that Augustus had such a good time pretending to the Senate and people of Rome that he was only exercising on behalf of the obsolete Republic... But imagine if the ABC had Saturday afternoons with 2-4 Qld Cup game and 4-6 NSW Cup game. That sort of second tier (or if you are feeling like a bit of a cheeky Queenslander, the second and third tier) coverage would be amazing. Throw in the NZ Cup (in whatever form they choose to organise it in any given week) and Superleague etc on GEM and life would be great.

Sunday U23's and Reserve Grade game broadcast live
Monday U23's and Reserve Grade game broadcast live

Again: digital multichannels are made for this stuff, don't you think?

 

[eozsmiles]

Imagine if overnight a coup was conducted on every major stake holder in the game and you were given dictatorial power over rugby league in Australia. You are answerable to noone. Your job is to do what is right for rugby league in Australia.

All of a sudden what 9 and Fox demand out of their own selfish interests is irrelevant. Club CEOs don't get to hold back expansion because they want to split the pie between just the 16 of them. Factional infighting in the NSWRL and QRL becomes meaningless.

You have sole control and you can do anything you like in the NRL (within realistic financial limits. Eg, not demolishing Brookvale and building a 100k stadium there).

What would you do?

On my first day in office at NRL HQ I would order the following:

1. Expansion
a)I would tell the Central Coast Bears to get ready to enter the comp in 2015.
b)I would tell the WA Pirates to get ready to enter the comp in 2016.
c)I would make an announcement that the game would aim to add a 19th and 20th team sometime in the life of the following tv rights deal (2018-2023 approx). The two locations would be Queensland and New Zealand. Any bids interested from those areas would be urged to begin working to create demand and grow their brands.

2. Scheduling
Each and every round round would consistent of exactly 8 games. Monday footy and Thursday footy would be abolished. There would be no byes and no split rounds. Barring the rare exception for public holidays etc, each and every round would look like this:
1. 7.30 pm Friday
2. 12 pm Saturday
3. 2.30 pm Saturday
4. 5pm Saturday
5. 7.30 pm Saturday
6. 1pm Sunday
7. 3.30 pm Sunday
8. 6pm Sunday

The timeslots on Saturday and Sunday are strategically placed to a) never have simultaneous games b) have precisely 2.5 hours between each kick off allowing 2 hours for the game with a 30 minutes show inbetween each game discussing the previous games and the next game. Wall to wall footy marathons.

All games would be simulcast nationwide at least on a digital channel and on pay tv. The distribution of slots between the teams would be done with the number 1 priority being as even as possible a split between all 16 teams. No more nonstop FNF for the Broncos. No more bending over teams like Canberra.

3) Rep footy
No more rep games getting in the way of club footy during the regular season and adding even more unfairness to the comp.

The rep schedule would be:
1. all stars game in February between the indigenous and NRL all stars. This would rotate between country areas in NSW and QLD to give them a replacement because there would be no more city country game.
2. State of Origin would take place during 3 consecutive Friday nights in October. No more affecting club footy, no more losing momentum after 1 game when all you want is for the next one to start.
3. International footy would be for the RLIF to control (don't care enough about it for it to be part of my coup), but it would not be allowed to take place between the all stars game in February and Origin 3 in October.

By the time I'd solved the above 3 issues (my 3 pet hates when it comes to how the NRL is organised) it would be 5pm on day 1 of Rugby Leagues New World Order. I'd be ready for the pub, anything else could wait for day 2.

If you had dictatorial power over the NRL for a life term, what would you do. Keeping in mind no stupidity like "kick out Souffs". Positive constructive things that are at least doable.

FMD. Since you've told Fox and Nine to go jump, the first thing you have to do is get a new media deal. You haven't got any money to implement your "vision" yet, John.

 

[BunniesMan]

FMD. Since you've told Fox and Nine to go jump, the first thing you have to do is get a new media deal. You haven't got any money to implement your "vision" yet, John.

Did you read the setup to my premise? You've taken over all stake holders. You have a stooge running Nine, a stooge running Fox, a stooge running the ARL/NSWRL/QRL. Stooges at all the clubs. You're dictator because you're answerable to noone because you control everything. Meaning, you tell 9 and Fox what the schedule is and they take it with a smile. Meaning you tell the clubs when and where the comp is expanding and they take it with a smile. Meaning you tell the NSWRL/QRL when Origin takes places, and they take it with a smile.

The point was to have a hypothetical where you remove all the different factions pulling in different directions and you have 1 person (you) running the joint with 1 goal in mind, the good of Rugby League.

 

[WayneBennett]

They tried that in Germany once

 

[Bulldog Force]

1. Expansion

• When the current merge contract for St.George-Illawarra and Wests Tigers finish, they go back to being stand-alone clubs, meaning 18 teams
• Central Coast and W.A. Reds/Pirates to enter in 2015
• Later down the track in the 2020s, CQ and 2nd NZ team to enter (NZ Warriors reverting back to Auckland)
• 22 team comp would be the end of expansion in this generation

2. Scheduling

• As it stands with 16 teams, there will be 8 games per round and 26 rounds - the byes go out the door
• 1 Game Friday, 7:30pm (Live on 9 HD)
• 3 games Saturday, 3:00pm, 5:30pm (Live on 9 HD), 7:30pm
• 4 Games Sunday, 2:30pm, 3:00pm (x2), 4:00pm (Live on 9 HD)
• Monday and Thursday permanently gone - this isn't America

3) Rep footy

• 1. All stars to stay as an early Feb exhibition and trial, VARYING hosts between NSW and QLD, not only QLD
• 17 players in all stars game, 1 from each team with the team captain being the exception
• Origin to stay on Wednesdays, Victoria NEVER to host a NSW Origin home game again... QLD can do whatever they want

4) Finals

• Quarter finals, higher ranking team plays at home
• All games thereafter head to Allianz stadium or ANZ - with no home advantage for either team
• Grand Final, Sunday 3:00pm - 9 can go f**k off.

 

[The Eagle]

1. Expansion

• When the current merge contract for St.George-Illawarra and Wests Tigers finish, they go back to being stand-alone clubs, meaning 18 teams
• Central Coast and W.A. Reds/Pirates to enter in 2015
• Later down the track in the 2020s, CQ and 2nd NZ team to enter (NZ Warriors reverting back to Auckland)
• 22 team comp would be the end of expansion in this generation

2. Scheduling

• As it stands with 16 teams, there will be 8 games per round and 26 rounds - the byes go out the door
• 1 Game Friday, 7:30pm (Live on 9 HD)
• 3 games Saturday, 3:00pm, 5:30pm (Live on 9 HD), 7:30pm
• 4 Games Sunday, 2:30pm, 3:00pm (x2), 4:00pm (Live on 9 HD)
• Monday and Thursday permanently gone - this isn't America

3) Rep footy

• 1. All stars to stay as an early Feb exhibition and trial, VARYING hosts between NSW and QLD, not only QLD
• 17 players in all stars game, 1 from each team with the team captain being the exception
• Origin to stay on Wednesdays, Victoria NEVER to host a NSW Origin home game again... QLD can do whatever they want

4) Finals

• Quarter finals, higher ranking team plays at home
• All games thereafter head to Allianz stadium or ANZ - with no home advantage for either team
• Grand Final, Sunday 3:00pm - 9 can go f**k off.

Not bad,but i'd leave Wests as is and re-admit the bears to the competition

Why? Well bluetongue will NEVER be the home for Manly and i would have the proviso that the bears would use the CENTRAL COAST ONLY for their juniors base,i don't see why they should ever get north sydney back with the catchment area that CC has,the coast has made many a good player and lets face it,lower grade success means very little to an NRL team

 

[siv]

Build a monorail

Not a bad option to link Homebush with Strathfield

 

[Cerne Abbas Giant]

I would order Rusty and Danielle to have marriage counselling.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Not bad,but i'd leave Wests as is and re-admit the bears to the competition

Why? Well bluetongue will NEVER be the home for Manly and i would have the proviso that the bears would use the CENTRAL COAST ONLY for their juniors base,i don't see why they should ever get north sydney back with the catchment area that CC has,the coast has made many a good player and lets face it,lower grade success means very little to an NRL team

True, true!

I heard however when the Bears come back in the comp, they will be playing 3 games at North Sydney oval.

 

[The_Team_Won]

Reinstate

Annandale
Glebe
Sydney University
Newton

 

[Prometheus]

1. Create a Sydney Lions joint-venture team owned by the Roosters and Rabbitohs (who would continue in the NSW Cup) with the sky blue of NSW as their primary colour and either yellow or navy blue as their secondary colour. They would play at the SFS.

2. Ship the Sharks off to Adelaide. The Sutherland Shire would still provide juniors for them and they would play a game or two from Toyota Stadium each year, but they would essentially be the NRL's Adelaide team.

3. Admit the Central Coast Bears and West Coast Pirates in 2015.

4. Force Souths to come up with an away strip that isn't almost identical to their home strip.

5. Limit uniform sponsors to 1 front, 1 back, 1 sleeve and introduce guidelines for the display of those sponsors so that they must compliment the jersey design, not ruin it.

6. Let it be known that no future expansion bid has any chance of success if they have not focused on creating/building a local juniors competition.

7. Free-to-air NRL games shown on Friday (2), Saturday (1) and Sunday (1). One NSW Cup (in NSW) or Qld Cup (in Qld) game shown each week on digital multi-channel.

8. Either make scrums a contest, or investigate what they should be replaced with.

9. 3-point field goals if kicked from your own half.

 

[The Eagle]

1. Create a Sydney Lions joint-venture team owned by the Roosters and Rabbitohs (who would continue in the NSW Cup) with the sky blue of NSW as their primary colour and either yellow or navy blue as their secondary colour. They would play at the SFS.

2. Ship the Sharks off to Adelaide. The Sutherland Shire would still provide juniors for them and they would play a game or two from Toyota Stadium each year, but they would essentially be the NRL's Adelaide team.

3. Admit the Central Coast Bears and West Coast Pirates in 2015.

4. Force Souths to come up with an away strip that isn't almost identical to their home strip.

5. Limit uniform sponsors to 1 front, 1 back, 1 sleeve and introduce guidelines for the display of those sponsors so that they must compliment the jersey design, not ruin it.

6. Let it be known that no future expansion bid has any chance of success if they have not focused on creating/building a local juniors competition.

7. Free-to-air NRL games shown on Friday (2), Saturday (1) and Sunday (1). One NSW Cup (in NSW) or Qld Cup (in Qld) game shown each week on digital multi-channel.

8. Either make scrums a contest, or investigate what they should be replaced with.

9. 3-point field goals if kicked from your own half.

1. No
2. As funny as it'd be, no
3. Yes, either team would get the spoon though
4.White is close to green, red and black? No
5.Good luck
6.Yes
7.Good luck
8.Meh
9. Call it topball, why should Parra get an advantage? They have the only bloke who could do it, to be clear though, f**k NO

 

[WayneBennett]

10) lol@souffs

 

[Bulldog Force]

So, I can do anything I wanted - and I have a billion dollars to play with ey Here we go...

• Firstly, NO BETTING ADVERTISING WHATSOEVER. During the commercials or on team jerseys, not even with players or the teams and logo in newspapers, I will rid the out of our game completely. No more Tom Waterhouse, no more Keno replay, nothing.
• No corporate sponsors logos on the lawn at stadiums. Like the olden days, the teams logos will be sprayed on the turf.
• No more 2 referee system, that's gone, back to the traditional 1 ref
• The referee will also NOT be allowed to go to the video ref to check the onside, if he misses the onside, he gets penalised by being dropped the following 2 weeks, and;
• If referees make up to 3 mistakes in a game, they are dropped the following week
• The video ref can rule on forward pass thanks to technology (similar to soccer replays check onside)
• Punches = sin bin rule - gone
• Shoulder charge ban - gone
• No more Monday night footy
• 1 game only on Friday night
• Saturday = 3 games - 3pm, 5:30, 7:30
• Sunday = 4 games 2:30, 2 @ 3pm, and 6:30pm.
• 2 More teams to enter in 2015 - Perth and CC
• 1 more team to enter in 2016 (2nd Brisbane)
• 1 further team in 2017 - (Adelaide/Wellington)
• Time-off if team forms scrums is ok, however, they do not need to stay packed in with their backs bent and strained, the same players just need to stay there once it's packed

That's it for now. No doubt I'll think of more later.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Oh wait, I remembered more just now lol - check my post at the top of this page for the other I left out, but on top of that:

• If any player leaves our game and goes to Rugby Union or AFL, they will be de-registered as an NRL player, and will NOT be allowed back into the game again. Israel Folau, K. Hunt and SBW want to make this game a scapegoat and use it as leverage to get more money, fine, just don't bother coming back, because you will not be registered. This will make it harder for the stars to walk in and out whenever they want
• If a player heads to England, they will no longer be eligible for rep footy - refer to Jamie Lyon playing in England then walking back into a rep jersey to play utter shit, and also Alfie Langer in 01/02
• Melbourne never to host an origin game - let's face it, there will never be a Victorian team

 

[Misanthrope]

Just a few off the top of my head:

Expansion

Admit Perth and a second QLD team in 2015
Look at admitting Central Coast and an NZ team in 2018
Further expansion farther down the track to include Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart, or a third QLD team

The Game

Remove the blanket ban on shoulder charges and biff
Clubs given salary cap exemptions for players declared for nations outside the 'big three'
Cap exemptions for poaching of rugby talent

Scheduling
1 Thursday night game
1 Friday night game
Saturday 3.30
Saturday 5.30
Saturday 7.30
Sunday 2pm
Sunday 5pm
Monday night game

Any additional games to go on Saturdays or Sundays.

Rep Football

Set four year schedule. World Cup, two Four Nations, and either a Lions or Kangaroos or Kiwis tour in the other year.
Full World Cup qualification outside of the host and the reigning champion
Pacific Nations Cup and European Nations Cup to run alongside the Four Nations
Introduction of a Challenge Cup style tournament for clubs across Australia. NRL sides to enter in the final stages.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

- NZ 2 and Perth to enter the comp in the first round of expansion.
- Bris 2 and ??? to enter a couple years later

22 rounds in the NRL, no byes, split into 2 x 11 rounds

4 weeks break midway through NRL season for Origin (remains Wednesday night) and test football (weekends) before a 1 week rest period before the season kicks off again.

Finals

End of season tests. Rotating basis. World Cup, GB tour down under, Tri/Four Nations, Australia tour GB.

 

[9701]

Donkeys not to get a FTA game for a minimum of 5 years.

BM you still haven't explained how there will be no byes but you are expanding the comp to 17 teams you imbecile.

 

[Jason Maher]

Split the Tigers and Dragons mergers, piss off Melbourne and souffs (for the lols), bring back norffs and Perth, chuck Perth Red in the joint on some trumped up charge and don't allow him a telly so he doesn't get to enjoy the return of Perth, play every Origin game in Sydney until the home game advantage Queensland were given in the 80s is equalised, and shoot anyone who writes ridiculously long compound sentences instead of using dot points.