It’s beginning to look like a three horse race for the premiership

[MilkShark]

It's beginning to look like a very low quality competiton.

We should expand

 

[Tommy Smith]

We should expand

I think it was Peter Beattie of all people that said we need to learn the lesson of the AFL.

Expansion has turned their league into a joke. The quality has dropped dramatically and it's full of blow outs. You also have at least half a dozen teams who are trash and out of the running for the top 8 just a couple of months into the season every year.

The Thuns and GWS Wasteland are also giant money pits that no one cares about.

So the NRL needs to be very careful. No wonder they're trying to push relocation instead.

 

[Apey]

Storm are a consistently good football side all year, but as we've seen in the last few years - it takes a great team to step up and beat them when it counts, which is what will happen again this year some time in the finals. When no team steps up, they win by default. See 2017.

That being said, this is a joke thread after round 3 surely?

 

[Perth Red]

I think it was Peter Beattie of all people that said we need to learn the lesson of the AFL.

Expansion has turned their league into a joke. The quality has dropped dramatically and it's full of blow outs. You also have at least half a dozen teams who are trash and out of the running for the top 8 just a couple of months into the season every year.

The Thuns and GWS Wasteland are also giant money pits that no one cares about.

So the NRL needs to be very careful. No wonder they're trying to push relocation instead.

One of the current quality teams is an expansion team, maybe the next one will bring the same strength to the game and the top 3 will be a top 4 or top 5 clubs? Souths are succesful as they have signed well, particularly from UK, Sotrm are good as they have great set up that takes young qlanders, fijians and kiwis and turns them into stars, Roosters are good becasue they've got loads of cash to buy a team. Its not like any of them are much different to any other club, just they are doing their jobs better at this moment in time. No league in the world exists without a handful of consistently successful top clubs/teams every year, not sure why NRL thinks it could be any different?

ps I can see two or three potentials that will shake u this three come finals times.

 

[MilkShark]

I think it was Peter Beattie of all people that said we need to learn the lesson of the AFL.

Expansion has turned their league into a joke. The quality has dropped dramatically and it's full of blow outs. You also have at least half a dozen teams who are trash and out of the running for the top 8 just a couple of months into the season every year.

The Thuns and GWS Wasteland are also giant money pits that no one cares about.

So the NRL needs to be very careful. No wonder they're trying to push relocation instead.

Yep, there are WAY too many players making a living out of being “professional” league players that shouldn’t be.

The talent is so diluted that we get maybe 2 or 3 good games a weak.

Expansion is not the answer. We can’t introduce 2 more teams and dilute the very minimal talent we have even more. IF we do go down the expansion road we need to change the rules via introducing limited interchange, halve it. Bring back the small talented players that are lost from the game. We need to go back to being a game with players of all shapes and size, we need to reintroduce attrition that opens games up and makes them exciting to watch again.

I don’t see the nrl reducing the interchange though so I think we need to merge / remove. teams. Make every game exciting to watch. It’s sad for the fans of those teams but the game is treading water in its current state.

I watch my sharks game every week and that’s it. I love league, I played it my entire life, but there are too many untalented players that it makes the games a struggle to watch, so I don’t watch them.

 

[Perth Red]

Yep, there are WAY too many players making a living out of being “professional” league players that shouldn’t be.

The talented is so diluted that we get maybe 2 or 3 good games a weak.

Expansion is not the answer. We can’t introduce 2 more teams and dilute the very minimal talent we have even more. IF we do go down the expansion road we need to change the rules via introducing limited interchange, halve it. Bring back the small talented players that are lost from the game. We need to go back to being a game with players of all shapes and size, we need to reintroduce attrition that opens games up and makes them exciting to watch again.

I don’t see the nrl reducing the interchange though so I think we need to merge / remove. teams. Make every game exciting to watch. It’s sad for the fans of those teams but the game is treading water in its current state.

I watch my sharks game every week and that’s it. I love league, I played it my entire life, but there are too many untalented players that it makes the games a struggle to watch, so I don’t watch them.

I wonder if that is the players, or the coaches faults? The game has been a power wrestle safety first game for a long time now and that has led to less and less talent on display. You get flashes of it every now ad again, but if it doesnt come off they get slated for it so no wonder they rarely try something. The most successful clubs are the ones with very tight structures but then the individuals with a hidden brilliance who bring it out every now and again to decide the game. Storm are by far the best example of this. everyone says they are boring, which they are for about 70% of the game, but look at the tries they score when they let loose!

I cant see it ever going back to 80's/90;s style regardless of the "talent pool".

 

[Whip Whitaker]

I think it was Peter Beattie of all people that said we need to learn the lesson of the AFL.

Expansion has turned their league into a joke. The quality has dropped dramatically and it's full of blow outs. You also have at least half a dozen teams who are trash and out of the running for the top 8 just a couple of months into the season every year.

The Thuns and GWS Wasteland are also giant money pits that no one cares about.

So the NRL needs to be very careful. No wonder they're trying to push relocation instead.

Expansion is not the primary issue for the uneven AFL competition. It is the draft. It takes years and years (if ever) for a team to build and get off the bottom of the ladder.

I am glad we don't have a draft in the NRL because then fans would have to start thinking like this:
'Great, we might get the number one pick in the draft (for coming last)'.
'We might be good in 5 years time'.

 

[MilkShark]

I wonder if that is the players, or the coaches faults? The game has been a power wrestle safety first game for a long time now and that has led to less and less talent on display. You get flashes of it every now ad again, but if it doesnt come off they get slated for it so no wonder they rarely try something. The most successful clubs are the ones with very tight structures but then the individuals with a hidden brilliance who bring it out every now and again to decide the game. Storm are by far the best example of this. everyone says they are boring, which they are for about 70% of the game, but look at the tries they score when they let loose!

I cant see it ever going back to 80's/90;s style regardless of the "talent pool".

You are right, the coaches want to slow it down so they can set their line. They want to keep their job, to do that they need to win so they slow it down.

Its all about attrition.

Players are given to many breaks (slow scrums, slow play the balls through the wrestle) etc and too many interchanges.

The forwards need to get tired and be forced to play on, not sub off for a rest.

 

[MilkShark]

Expansion is not the primary issue for the uneven AFL competition. It is the draft. It takes years and years (if ever) for a team to build and get off the bottom of the ladder.

I am glad we don't have a draft in the NRL because then fans would have to start thinking like this:
'Great, we might get the number one pick in the draft (for coming last)'.
'We might be good in 5 years time'.

The draft doesn’t work like that. It’s set up so tanking is not rewarded.

 

[T-Boon]

You are right, the coaches want to slow it down so they can set their line. They want to keep their job, to do that they need to win so they slow it down.

Its all about attrition.

Players are given to many breaks (slow scrums, slow play the balls through the wrestle) etc and too many interchanges.

The forwards need to get tired and be forced to play on, not sub off for a rest.

Its really not just about how good the defences are, it is also about how risk averse the attacks are now. They are basically unwilling to take any risks anywhere but inside the red zone.
You could break these defences down with some risk taking (like the chip kick).

 

[T-Boon]

Yep, there are WAY too many players making a living out of being “professional” league players that shouldn’t be.

The talented is so diluted that we get maybe 2 or 3 good games a weak.

Expansion is not the answer. We can’t introduce 2 more teams and dilute the very minimal talent we have even more. IF we do go down the expansion road we need to change the rules via introducing limited interchange, halve it. Bring back the small talented players that are lost from the game. We need to go back to being a game with players of all shapes and size, we need to reintroduce attrition that opens games up and makes them exciting to watch again.

I don’t see the nrl reducing the interchange though so I think we need to merge / remove. teams. Make every game exciting to watch. It’s sad for the fans of those teams but the game is treading water in its current state.

I watch my sharks game every week and that’s it. I love league, I played it my entire life, but there are too many untalented players that it makes the games a struggle to watch, so I don’t watch them.

I think what needs to happen is we need to open some space on the field by going to 11 aside.
That will add fatigue and more space for ball players and hole runners to exploit. It will make it harder to defend the middle and the wings at the same time.
Defences are so well drill and attacks so conservative now that you do not see line breaks at all in the first half of a game anymore. It opens up a bit towards the end of the game and looks something more like what we were all brought up on.

 

[MilkShark]

I think what needs to happen is we need to open some space on the field by going to 11 aside.
That will add fatigue and more space for ball players and hole runners to exploit. It will make it harder to defend the middle and the wings at the same time.
Defences are so well drill and attacks so conservative now that you do not see line breaks at all in the first half of a game anymore. It opens up a bit towards the end of the game and looks something more like what we were all brought up on.

It would have the same effect yes. But won’t ever happen. Why? The same reason we still have the scrum, it’s a part of the games history that people want to keep.

 

[T-Boon]

It would have the same effect yes. But won’t ever happen. Why? The same reason we still have the scrum, it’s a part of the games history that people want to keep.

Just get the powers that be to explain that 11 in todays money is the equivalent of 13 in yesterdays money. By that I mean 11 men with this level of fitness and drill work is the same is 13 from the amateur days.
It would also make it easier to expand the game and star players would get more money so get them to sell the idea.

 

[MilkShark]

Just get the powers that be to explain that 11 in todays money is the equivalent of 13 in yesterdays money. By that I mean 11 men with this level of fitness and drill work is the same is 13 from the amateur days.

I get that, believe me I do.

I have zero faith in the powers that be to do anything positive for our game.

 

[T-Boon]

I get that, believe me I do.

I have zero faith in the powers that be to do anything positive for our game.

We are in agreement.

 

[AJB1102]

Nearly as good as Anasta citing ladder positions the other night. It's round 3 of a 25 round comp, cool your jets. Origin hasn't even begun to f**k thinks up yet.

 

[Life's Good]

Way too early to call it despite Melbourne, Rabbits & Roosters looking strong.
For sure you’ll get a side going on a run & looking the goods.
It’s only last week everyone was hailing Brisbane after beating NQ. We beat Brisbane & NQ look lost without JT2 despite being labelled as ‘back in the Hunt’ after beating us in Rd1.
The comp is tight irrespective of quality of roster with the exception of the Titans & Dogs who are pretty ordinary.

 

[Whip Whitaker]

Way too early to call it despite Melbourne, Rabbits & Roosters looking strong.
For sure you’ll get a side going on a run & looking the goods.
It’s only last week everyone was hailing Brisbane after beating NQ. We beat Brisbane & NQ look lost without JT2 despite being labelled as ‘back in the Hunt’ after beating us in Rd1.
The comp is tight irrespective of quality of roster with the exception of the Titans & Dogs who are pretty ordinary.

Let's look at last year. The Chooks sign Tedesco and Cronk, and most people talk them up as premiership locks. They show some average form to start the year, and many think they won't win. But then they finish the season doing what most expected them to do from the beginning.

 

[mongoose]

I think the form of eels, raiders, tigers says a lot about the quality of the others.

harsh on the Raiders. I think we've underachieved the last 2 seasons. Our 1-5 is one of the best in the comp. Spine is decent with Hodgson and Sezer. Solid forwards. We should have been in the top 8 the last 2 seasons but a terrible inability to close out games and Hodgson being out for a large chunk of a season meant we fell short.

 

[Whip Whitaker]

harsh on the Raiders. I think we've underachieved the last 2 seasons. Our 1-5 is one of the best in the comp. Spine is decent with Hodgson and Sezer. Solid forwards. We should have been in the top 8 the last 2 seasons but a terrible inability to close out games and Hodgson being out for a large chunk of a season meant we fell short.

Not sure I rate the other players as highly as you do, but I believe Hodgson is one of the best players in the competition, if not the best.