NFL style Division System in the NRL

[Lesmets2000]

Just wondering what people would think of a NFL style Division system in the NRL, we would have 4 Divisions of 4 teams, play everyone in your own division twice, and home & away vs one of the other divisions but it would rotate each year then the other 2 divisions you would play each team once making a total of 22 game season, the Divisions could split like this.

North Division
Brisbane
North Queensland
Gold Coast
Newcastle

City Division
South Sydney
Sydney Roosters
Manly
Cronulla

Country Division
Parramatta
Wests
Penrith
Canterbury

Tasman Division
New Zealand
Melbourne
Canberra
St.George Illawarra

For the Finals Top 4 places will go to the Division winners seeding based on record, with the remaining 4 qualifiers coming from the next 4 teams with the best record in the comp!!

All just a thought for debate also it would leave a lot of room for future Expansion and the Divisions can be re-aligned accordingly while protecting most rivalries!!

 

[AJB1102]

Will this off season ever end?

Sounds like you put some thought into it mate but big change up for what benefits?

 

[Lesmets2000]

It's something that wouldn't have a lot of benefits with the current NRL, but if the comp was to expand to 18/20 teams esp if Perth, Adalaide and Wellington ever get teams ,it would help with fixtures/travel and maybe keeping teams alive longer with more to play for

 

[kdalymc]

I hate this idea. How can you be the best in the comp when you only play certain teams. That's why I think the Super Bowl is stupid- champions of 2 comps play off...

 

[cleary89]

I love how the country division is all city teams.

 

[DiegoNT]

Best GF of recent years was Broncos v Cowboys. That becomes impossible under this proposal

 

[taxidriver]

Best GF of recent years was Broncos v Cowboys. That becomes impossible under this proposal

how does it become impossible?

 

[taxidriver]

I'd prefer two divisions as a start
two lots of 8

home and away against your division (14 games)
once against the other division with home game alternating on a yearly basis (8 games)

Top 4 from each division in a seeded playoff system.

I'd split the Sydney teams but try to keep some of the rivalries in the same pool, I'm sure it could be tweaked better


Brisbane
North Queensland
Gold Coast
Wests
Penrith
South Sydney
Sydney Roosters
Manly

Cronulla
St.George Illawarra
Melbourne
Canterbury
Parramatta
Newcastle
New Zealand
Canberra

 

[Lesmets2000]

I hate this idea. How can you be the best in the comp when you only play certain teams. That's why I think the Super Bowl is stupid- champions of 2 comps play off...

In the Current NRL not all the teams play each other 2 times home and away, under this system every team still plays each other at le

Best GF of recent years was Broncos v Cowboys. That becomes impossible under this proposal

No it wouldn't up to 3 teams could still get into the Finals from any of the Divisions if they had a good enough record, so weather they could meet in the GF would come down to seeding etc

 

[myrrh ken]

The difference with the NFL and NBA is that NRL has a a mix of surburban and city teams - so geographical zones don't really fit.

But what's worse is that your divisions are completely arbitrary.

- Canberra is inland and not near Tasman sea.
- Canterbury is inner city and much closer to the city than manly and Cronulla
- Country clubs are all city based

 

[Bobby DIGital]

If there was 30+ teams in the NRL, this would be required. As the NRL stands now, it's not.

 

[adamkungl]

Only if there was more teams than games does this become necessary.

A regulated draw system on the other hand (without it affecting the ladder) is something they should do instead of making it up as they go each year and having teams play each other 5 weeks apart

 

[Smack]

No. This is a bad idea and why are the Dragons in the tasman group lol?

 

[Diesel]

No. This is a bad idea and why are the Dragons in the tasman group lol?

I'd assume this is based on the team being in the Illawarra

 

[Smack]

I'd assume this is based on the team being in the Illawarra

We are based in the St George area.

 

[Diesel]

We are based in the St George area.

I thought your team was based and trained at the Gong but shared games at Kogarah/Sydney

 

[unforgiven]

We are based in the St George area.

Wow the Dragons have these types of supporters too

 

[Diesel]

What's the point of conferences, is it to cut down on travelling and therefore costs, maximising rivalries or trying to make the draw fairer

 

[moffla]

Nope.

 

[unforgiven]

What's the point of conferences, is it to cut down on travelling and therefore costs, maximising rivalries or trying to make the draw fairer

Conference usually build very intense rivalries but its very hard to say they make the competition fairer. It is highly likely that a team with a good record will miss out to team with a very poor record at least once every few years or so.