News NRL Plans to Fund Regional Academies

[Perth Red]

You do realize that the rules are the same for everyone? So if half the comps teams are consistently getting hammered on the scoreboard, then how is that a rules issue when the other half the comps teams don't?

How often have the top teams been blown away on the score board this year?

So if the better teams are not getting blown away on a regular basis or weekly like the lower teams, maybe the depth of quality players in the competition just isn't there? Just a thought...remember we are all playing under the same rules.

This is why the 2 conference thing that they are putting up the flagpole will be a complete disaster unless they do the hard yards and restructure the lower grades and make all clubs have reserves and a U20 something competitions again and spend big time in junior development and this time no loafers getting a free ride.

Once you have a very solid base of quality players always coming through, then and only then can you realistically start to expand and morph into a conference type of league.

I mean think about it? Imagine a conference system right now. Melbourne would be the only decent team in the interstate side one. Who thinks that that would work? It would instantly be regarded as the worst idea ever and a total joke and the media networks would be demanding changes and or a massive reduction in the rights fee due to the massive ratings nosedive that would happen.

Seems it has opened the gap, RL is an u forgiving game and even a small % difference is exposed cruelly in our sport. You can argue that using the wrestle to even the playing field wasn’t a positive way to do it but the stats this year so far clearly show a lot more blow outs and a lot less close games. It could be due to the other factors others have mentioned of course but I have little doubt the speed I g up of the game has widened the gap. It will probably close over time, hopefully, but at the moment the majority of games are not very interesting to watch until the end.
It is ironic though that my club who have copped the blame for bringing in the wrestle and only being successful because of it have so far won a gf under the new rules and looking good again this year lol

 

[TheRam]

Seems it has opened the gap, RL is an u forgiving game and even a small % difference is exposed cruelly in our sport. You can argue that using the wrestle to even the playing field wasn’t a positive way to do it but the stats this year so far clearly show a lot more blow outs and a lot less close games. It could be due to the other factors others have mentioned of course but I have little doubt the speed I g up of the game has widened the gap. It will probably close over time, hopefully, but at the moment the majority of games are not very interesting to watch until the end.
It is ironic though that my club who have copped the blame for bringing in the wrestle and only being successful because of it have so far won a gf under the new rules and looking good again this year lol

They haven't won due to only being the best at the wrestle. They are a winning club because they cheated the rules all those years ago and were allowed to accumulate some of the best players of a generation and even after they were busted, were able to hold onto the most important and talented of the lot.

Don't forget mate, that C. Smith was on the cusp of signing with the Gold Coast Titans, until the Storm presented him with 2 contract to sign. That he never questioned and SIGNED. What a joke!

 

[Perth Red]

They haven't won due to only being the best at the wrestle. They are a winning club because they cheated the rules all those years ago and were allowed to accumulate some of the best players of a generation and even after they were busted, were able to hold onto the most important and talented of the lot.

Don't forget mate, that C. Smith was on the cusp of signing with the Gold Coast Titans, until the Storm presented him with 2 contract to sign. That he never questioned and SIGNED. What a joke!

we even cheat better than the others lol. Sharks,eels, manly, bulldogs etc all cheated as well but were sht. Our club just does EVERYTHING better

 

[MugaB]

A bunch of elite academies aren’t going to mean shit if all the local clubs that feed them disband because of lack of players and/or funds and resources.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with setting up academies across the bush, in fact it’s a great idea, but the problems the sport is facing in the bush are much deeper and more complex than a bunch of academies alone can fix. They won’t even scratch the surface of the problems.

What really needs to happen is we need to find a way to get the majority of people that proclaim to be RL fans in any given town/region actively supporting a local club. If we can figure out how to do that then 80-90% of the issues would instantly go away and it would massively subsidise the cost of maintaining the sport across the country.

How you achieve that is open to debate, but it should be the goal.

Well firstly we need to list each of these catchments, then see which clubs should be looking at becoming its pathway figurehead.
Then make sure that after an acedemy is set up, that the team plays 2-3 matches a year minimum there to gain more fan days interactions and stimulates the area, now these matches aren't 2-3 HOME games, they can be 1-2 pre seaon trials, and 1-2 home games.

I reckon that period during Origin is a perfect time to schedule some of these rural games, as the local boys from that area might be in the side, as origin will take a few players from the 1st grade squad.. one thing folks forget is that NRL club games aren't that valuable, its the Finals, State of Origin, Internationals, these are the money makers, so taking a minimum 2 games to the bush will only help both the NRL side in fostering talent, setting up clinics and the area in question with that team being around heping boost that areas economy

Here's an example from last week
https://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/news/2021/04/30/back-to-bathurst-the-panthers-return/

 

[Perth Red]

Well firstly we need to list each of these catchments, then see which clubs should be looking at becoming its pathway figurehead.
Then make sure that after an acedemy is set up, that the team plays 2-3 matches a year minimum there to gain more fan days interactions and stimulates the area, now these matches aren't 2-3 HOME games, they can be 1-2 pre seaon trials, and 1-2 home games.

I reckon that period during Origin is a perfect time to schedule some of these rural games, as the local boys from that area might be in the side, as origin will take a few players from the 1st grade squad.. one thing folks forget is that NRL club games aren't that valuable, its the Finals, State of Origin, Internationals, these are the money makers, so taking a minimum 2 games to the bush will only help both the NRL side in fostering talent, setting up clinics and the area in question with that team being around heping boost that areas economy

Here's an example from last week
https://www.penrithpanthers.com.au/news/2021/04/30/back-to-bathurst-the-panthers-return/

Its only financially viable for clubs to move home games if the region is willing to fork out some serious cash. Usually in the region of $200-500k a game. If Bathurst council stopped funding the panthers game I can guarantee it wouldn't be held there! Clubs arent doing this out of some altruism, its good business for them. Now if other councils are willing or able to fork out for NRL games will be the ultimate deciding point of what gets taken where.