NRL rebellion: Rugby league clubs want CEO Dave Smith gone or threaten to leave comp

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

I'd like to know where Newtown and North Sydney stand in this. Progress is one thing but culling 2 foundation clubs each who have 107 years of history is criminal, though nothing surprises me with the administrators in this game. Surely they would be part of the plan forward. Obviously some of these decision making clowns have never spent a day at Henson Park.

Im sure these brands could jump onto the regions shown.

Newtown > Central Sydney, North > Central Coast.

 

[boonboon]

If they aren't bringing in a national reserve grade comp then leave the NSW cup alone(besides maybe adding a Fiji team) and change the NYC to U/23.

Has there been any word on who helped Richardson put this plan together? As in who did he consult with?

He consulted with everyone. What the clubs mean is that he didn't do exactly what they wanted to continue their self centered bullshit which has seen rugby league not thrive in it's key markets.

What we have hear of the platinum league so far sounds like a huge improvement on what exists now and provides more support to regional areas that have been crying out for it and less money wasted on old men's blazers at sydney clubs watched by 10 people in NSW Cup.

 

[siv]

You say that an idea isnt great just because its an idea (fair enough), but you need to acknowledge that tradition isnt great simply because it is tradition...

Just because it has been one way for 110 years doesnt mean its a good system, just that we have never bothered to or been able to change a bad one.

A kid doesnt grow up longing to play reserve grade, and any adults that watches RL will be focused on the top level.

The lower levels are not about the spectators (so that branding doesnt matter in that slightest), they are about the player development; and on that count they are less effective than they should be.



Yes, without the incentives of the current system, the clubs will have no reason to invest in juniors. But if the ARLC is offering to fund the majority and 14 of the 16 clubs are running deficits, the clubs should be happy that their burden is reduced.

The only reason they are saying "this will lead to relocations" is because they know their club is poorly run and doesnt offer much. The claim that "we develop juniors" is just an anchor to justify their continued existence as poorly run clubs.

I think you will find there is a need to balance between NRL clubs whos junior structure is working verses ones that are almost disappeared

Also dont underestimate the power of the local brand in NSW at junior levels. Almost every junior wants to play for their local NRL team

And the pride they have when they make it at U16 U18 U20 RG levels in NRL club colours is just as strong for these fringe players who never make FG

So based upon this the following clubs should survive with full pathways

Penrith, Parramatta, Souths, Cronulla, Canterbury, Wests-Tigers, Canberra, Newcastle, Manly, St-George-Illawarra

Every other club Easts, Norths, Newtown, NSW Cup 2nd Division clubs and NSW Country areas are where we should address. As they dont have a complete U16 to FG pathway or associated NRL branding

And you could add Melbourne, Perth, Auckland to this list

So you end up very quickly back to the National RG/Y20s model

With a revised U18s/U16s which includes NSW Country divisions

And No draft as it is illegal

 

[Perth Red]

A draft isn't illegal lol. They are perfectly legal if players agree to it. It is only restraint of trade if players don't agree to abide by it. AFL has a draft every year if you hadn't noticed!

Sometimes re tradition the things that make the game great can also be the ones that hold it back the most. A very fine balance between modernising to make the game stronger and growing and keeping tradition so people feel good.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

I think you will find there is a need to balance between NRL clubs whos junior structure is working verses ones that are almost disappeared

Also dont underestimate the power of the local brand in NSW at junior levels. Almost every junior wants to play for their local NRL team

And the pride they have when they make it at U16 U18 U20 RG levels in NRL club colours is just as strong for these fringe players who never make FG

I agree that the NRL club brand is important, but that doesnt mean the club should be running the programs...

It should be the job of the NRL clubs to promote interest in the game (they are the most recognised faces and brand in the sport), but that can easily be a superficial thing placed overtop of an ARLC program

(this has actually been suggested by the clubs in other areas of development; DOs empolyed and paid by the ARLC in Club uniform. This Platnum League is the same principle pushed much further.)

 

[betcats]

He consulted with everyone. What the clubs mean is that he didn't do exactly what they wanted to continue their self centered bullshit which has seen rugby league not thrive in it's key markets.

What we have hear of the platinum league so far sounds like a huge improvement on what exists now and provides more support to regional areas that have been crying out for it and less money wasted on old men's blazers at sydney clubs watched by 10 people in NSW Cup.

Where has it been said he consulted with everyone? The two major stakeholders for development in NSW are the clubs and the NSWRL and both are saying they weren't consulted enough, I think the CRL said the same didn't they?

What ive heard of the platinum league so far sounds like a bunch of changes made for no good reason other than so Richo/NRL can say "look, we fixed it!"

 

[CC_Roosters]

I think you will find there is a need to balance between NRL clubs whos junior structure is working verses ones that are almost disappeared

Also dont underestimate the power of the local brand in NSW at junior levels. Almost every junior wants to play for their local NRL team

And the pride they have when they make it at U16 U18 U20 RG levels in NRL club colours is just as strong for these fringe players who never make FG

So based upon this the following clubs should survive with full pathways

Penrith, Parramatta, Souths, Cronulla, Canterbury, Wests-Tigers, Canberra, Newcastle, Manly, St-George-Illawarra

Every other club Easts, Norths, Newtown, NSW Cup 2nd Division clubs and NSW Country areas are where we should address. As they dont have a complete U16 to FG pathway or associated NRL branding

And you could add Melbourne, Perth, Auckland to this list

So you end up very quickly back to the National RG/Y20s model

With a revised U18s/U16s which includes NSW Country divisions

And No draft as it is illegal

Fair points and i think my thoughts on it reflect this. The only districts in sydney with standalone competitions from u6 through to a grade is parramatta and penrith, the rest at some point jump into the SCC, manly /norths combined or south juniors (whose clubs play u19 in SCC anyway but mixed with easts at a-grade).

So on that the propossd zones make perfect sense. At the end of it the 9 sydney clubs are atill in the shop window were it matters at NRL so as long as they a have one affiliate team within reasonable distance or that adds to there pathways then they should have no right to whinge.

 

[franklin2323]

Though I haven't read the proposal it seems to me from what I know that all the hysterics is unnecessary BS coming from old dinosaurs scared of losing their power and News click baiting.

From what I can ascertain the NRL is attempting to take control of junior development away from the clubs and then reorganise it into a more productive system with universal pathways into the NRL, culminating in a draft.

Hence why they want to remove NRL club ties at NSWcup level (and below) because having a team called the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs that isn't affiliated with the Bulldogs (NRL) would give the false perception that they are Bulldogs juniors when they aren't promised to any NRL club.

Juniors not being allowed to sign with an NRL club before the age of 19 makes sense also because that is presumably the age at which they enter the draft and before that age they will be on contracts with the NRL/new development clubs

And this talk of mergers is horse sh!t also, the NRL wouldn't be merging Easts and Souths juniors because Easts and Souths juniors would no longer exist in their current state(i.e. Roosters wouldn't be merging with Rabbits because they would no longer be getting funding from the Roosters and Rabbits, or be affiliated with them), what they would be attempting to do is rezone junior competitions into more sustainable groupings.

So basically the NRL take control of everything from under 6s all the way up to the NSWcup, the NRL clubs no longer have to worry about funding local juniors and running local competitions, which frees up time and money being spent on those pursuits to be spent on their NRL club businesses making them more focused and sustainable businesses.

It's a sensible move for the NRL, if they can pull it off, which I reckon they can if they stand their ground and just move ahead.

What's wrong with our junior development atm? nothing so why change it

 

[adamkungl]

What's wrong with our junior development atm? nothing so why change it

Nothing. The entire idea is garbage.

 

[franklin2323]

You say that an idea isnt great just because its an idea (fair enough), but you need to acknowledge that tradition isnt great simply because it is tradition...

Just because it has been one way for 110 years doesnt mean its a good system, just that we have never bothered to or been able to change a bad one.

A kid doesnt grow up longing to play reserve grade, and any adults that watches RL will be focused on the top level.

The lower levels are not about the spectators (so that branding doesnt matter in that slightest), they are about the player development; and on that count they are less effective than they should be.



Yes, without the incentives of the current system, the clubs will have no reason to invest in juniors. But if the ARLC is offering to fund the majority and 14 of the 16 clubs are running deficits, the clubs should be happy that their burden is reduced.

The only reason they are saying "this will lead to relocations" is because they know their club is poorly run and doesnt offer much. The claim that "we develop juniors" is just an anchor to justify their continued existence as poorly run clubs.

How does making a kid play in say Coffs Harbour instead of Newtown improve his development?

 

[franklin2323]

Nothing. The entire idea is garbage.

I would rather as a Panthers fan see our juniors go to other clubs then not be in game fullstop. Jnr development is one thing we do well

 

[siv]

How does making a kid play in say Coffs Harbour instead of Newtown improve his development?

Country areas are not represented

One of the areas that needs to change in NSW

A North Coast U16s and U18s team should play in the NSWRL Matts and SGBall comp

I also beleive a North Coast district team should be playing in a merged NSW/RM Cup after National RG/U20s is in place

 

[adamkungl]

No one disagrees that country areas need better representation and more attention from the top.

The disagreement is why you'd need to tear down the entire NSW Cup and the existing clubs attachment to their communities to do so. If the ARL can afford this grand plan they can sure as shit afford to fund a couple of bush teams or negotiate regional partnerships with clubs.

 

[CC_Roosters]

No one disagrees that country areas need better representation and more attention from the top.

The disagreement is why you'd need to tear down the entire NSW Cup and the existing clubs attachment to their communities to do so. If the ARL can afford this grand plan they can sure as shit afford to fund a couple of bush teams or negotiate regional partnerships with clubs.

If we get some progress it will be a win for all. Would like to see the nrl
make the review public sooner rather than later becore the leaks and opinion destabilizes the whole thing into a crisis.

As a first step and regardless of the result of the inevitable war of words to come, the regional areas need to be assisted and funded into getting teams into the HM and SG ball cups. New england, riverina, southern nsw and western nsw should be the priority imo.

Also please forbid the likes of canberra from linking with sydney a grade sides like mounties as a reserve team. They should be using say a team based out of wagga to cover south west nsw and provide the pathway for that region from juniors through to elite level. Just some common sense will see good outcomes that will strengthen the game massively

 

[insert.pause]

If we get some progress it will be a win for all. Would like to see the nrl
make the review public sooner rather than later becore the leaks and opinion destabilizes the whole thing into a crisis.

As a first step and regardless of the result of the inevitable war of words to come, the regional areas need to be assisted and funded into getting teams into the HM and SG ball cups. New england, riverina, southern nsw and western nsw should be the priority imo.

Also please forbid the likes of canberra from linking with sydney a grade sides like mounties as a reserve team. They should be using say a team based out of wagga to cover south west nsw and provide the pathway for that region from juniors through to elite level. Just some common sense will see good outcomes that will strengthen the game massively

richo will announce it tomorrow at midday
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...eil-blueprint-on-tuesday-20151214-glnawa.html

 

[CC_Roosters]

richo will announce it tomorrow at midday
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...eil-blueprint-on-tuesday-20151214-glnawa.html

That's great, looking forward to it and I have high expectations. It also clarifies for me the timing of the leak to news ltd from the nswrl powerbrokers who clearly wanted to get a jump on the nrl and put their opinion to the public first. I would be expecting a very strong and co-ordinated campaign from the NSWRL, Sydney nrl clubs and there journalist hack friends from here on

 

[siv]

Did the NSWRL and Clubs get their review before it gets set in stone ?

 

[kbw]

You say that an idea isnt great just because its an idea (fair enough), but you need to acknowledge that tradition isnt great simply because it is tradition...

Just because it has been one way for 110 years doesnt mean its a good system, just that we have never bothered to or been able to change a bad one.

A kid doesnt grow up longing to play reserve grade, and any adults that watches RL will be focused on the top level.

The lower levels are not about the spectators (so that branding doesnt matter in that slightest), they are about the player development; and on that count they are less effective than they should be.



Yes, without the incentives of the current system, the clubs will have no reason to invest in juniors. But if the ARLC is offering to fund the majority and 14 of the 16 clubs are running deficits, the clubs should be happy that their burden is reduced.

The only reason they are saying "this will lead to relocations" is because they know their club is poorly run and doesnt offer much. The claim that "we develop juniors" is just an anchor to justify their continued existence as poorly run clubs.

Fair enough tradition is not great just because its tradition, but the game is tribal and a fan's team is important to them. But that doesn't seem to be recognised.

Its not always about development but support as well.

I don't trust the NRL or the ARLC to look after junior RL, its had plenty of opportunities to do it and basically has left it out to dry, especially the country RL

 

[insert.pause]

Did the NSWRL and Clubs get their review before it gets set in stone ?

I would say so, club ceo's were briefed two weeks ago.

NRL Media ‏@NRLMedia 10h10 hours ago
@brentread_7 NRL already engaging with all clubs. Those not happy should identify themselves so we can work through any issues.

https://twitter.com/NRLMedia/status/676177179911172097

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

How does making a kid play in say Coffs Harbour instead of Newtown improve his development?

Youll have to point out where in the proposal it said this, i must have missed it...

If youre talking about a local rule though, i would have imagined the games traditionalists would have loved the idea of locals playing for their home town.