Mediocre Teams.

[Packy]

We lack quality coaches more than players.

 

[bottle]

We lack quality coaches more than players.

This plus the comments already made re lack of a proper reserve grade system. Plenty of players. There will always be a top tier and a bottom tier. Was always thus, will always be.

 

[Warrior@Heart]

I think they should start a 2nd tier comp that plays in areas that don't have NRL teams. That way the bid teams that don't get a fg license are in line for one in the future and in the meantime can work on development and build from the ground up instead of going from no team to an NRl team. If the NRL expanded to 18 teams, each reserve grade team can be shared by two NRL teams. Could look something like this.

Southern Saints/SA (Raiders & Storm)
Central Coast Bears (Sharks & Rabbitohs)
Northern Nomads/NT (Cowboys & Reds)
Wellington Hornets (Warriors & Tigers)
Canterbury Bulls (Roosters & Bulldogs)
Ipswich Jets (Titans & Eels)
Logan (Broncos & Panthers)
Central Comets (Brisbane II & Knights)
Sunshine Coast Falcons (Sea Eagles & Dragons)
PNG (Unaffiliated)

If the NRL ever wanted to expand further (CCB & NZ II) than the second tier comp could expand also with teams from Tasmania, Fiji, Waicoa Bay (NZ), North Coast ect. The NRL needs a 50 year draft of where the game could be heading.

 

[besthalfbackPEARCE]

^ So which team gets which players if that model comes into fruition or is it first come first served

 

[Deleted member 10972]

Yep, such horrible depth that Sam Williams, Josh Papalii, Nathan Massey and Josh McCrone can go from not being in the strongest Canberra 17 at the beginning of the year to playing great football and being standouts for the Raiders. Same goes for Tyrone Roberts and Ryan Stig at the Knights. They've both been exceptional this year but at the beginning of the season were stuck behind four other players for a halves berth.

You also conveniently forget that the Roosters and Raiders are bottom four teams, have massive injury wards which are only compounded by the loss of their Origin players.

The Dragons have the biggest Origin drain, yet still put up a great fight against the Knights on Sunday. The Broncos were minus 5-6, still got a win.

There is an overload of talent in the NRL, so much that many (ie. Keith Lulia, in good form here in Newcastle) are forced to the ESL. If there were more sides, no players under 30 would be leaving the competition.

This week, the Roosters were missing Nuuausala (suspension), Minichiello (Origin), Myles (Origin), Pearce (Origin), Kennedy (injury), Conn (injury - retired), Aubusson (injury), Cherrington (injury), Cordner (injury), Tasi (injury), Naughton (injury), Pritchard (injury). Perrett, Linnett, Ryles and Masoe have all missed sizable chunks of the current season with injury too, with Perrett and Linnett in particular being only a few games back from injury.

To be honest, Newcastle are an average team, but they put together good enough performances every week. The Raiders and Roosters have very good teams IMO, at full strength.

Roosters

Minichiello (NSW/Australia + Golden Boot 2005)
Perrett (NZ)
Kenny-Dowall (NZ)
Linnett
Leilua
Carney (Australia + Dally M 2010)
Pearce (NSW)
Ryles (NSW/Australia)
Friend
Hargreaves (NZ)
Anasta (NSW/Australia)
Aubusson
Myles (QLD/Australia)

Symonds (City)
Nuuausala (NZ)
Kennedy
Masoe

Canberra

Dugan (NSW)
Robinson
Thompson (Country)
Croker
Ferguson
Campese (NSW/Australia)
Orford (City)
Learoyd-Lahrs (NSW/Australia)
Tongue (Country)
Shillington (QLD/Australia)
Harrison (NZ)
Picker
Fensom

Buttriss
Thurling
White (NSW/Australia)
Tilse

Those are NOT mediocre teams! Plenty of current and former representative stars, and even the non-representative players include many regular first graders touted for future representative honors (e.g. Aubusson, Kennedy, Friend, Croker, Ferguson, Fensom). Just because a team is playing bad, it doesn't mean that there is a lack of good players. The short memories some people have...remember that Raiders, Titans, Roosters were all finals contenders last year? With relatively similar lineups too...

 

[POPEYE]

Australia produces more than enough league players to fill a multitude of teams.

Finding enough coaches capable of bringing those players to NRL standard is another thing.

 

[Perth Red]

Probably not but there is plenty of talent outside the NRL waiting for a chance and the money!

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Australia produces more than enough league players to fill a multitude of teams.

Finding enough coaches capable of bringing those players to NRL standard is another thing.

I have to hear this.

How so Popeye? No coaches that can't coach an NRL teams? (Hagan, Stuart, Elliot, Anderson, Taylor, Folkes, Henjack)

 

[oldmancraigy]

When talking about mediocre teams it's a really great idea to include 2 teams who played grand finals in the last 18 months. [roosters/ eels]

Also a good idea to include a team which was in the top 4 the last 2 years [titans]

Top thread mate.

I'll grant you that the Sharks/ Knights/ Raiders have been pretty ordinary the last few years --> but that's as much to do with mismanagement or poor recruitment than anything else.

There's enough good players to go around, what we need is a (justifiable) increase of the salary cap so we stop losing the 'pretty good' players overseas.

 

[Noname36]

To be honest, Newcastle are an average team, but they put together good enough performances every week. The Raiders and Roosters have very good teams IMO, at full strength.

The only problem with your argument is that Newcastle have had even more injury concerns than the Roosters this year. They haven't been able to field even a semi-full strength line up since rounds 1 and 2 (when they were smashing their opposition). Newcastle are doing well to win now with what they've got, but to say that they wouldn't be a hell of a lot better with the likes of Mullen, Costigan, Taia, Gidley, etc on the park is silly. They're not really an "average" side when you get those players mentioned in the side. Yeah there's a few duds like Tolar and Ciraldo, but it's not a bad side.

 

[Eels Dude]

You're always going to have mediocre teams. Someone has to finish first, someone has to finish last. It's the same in any sporting competition in the world.