NRL Season Format

[eozsmiles]

The rep w'end is a good idea in theory but is shambolic in practise. I'd like more international footy but I think it should all be at the end of the season. We only give the teams a few days to prepare for a mid-year test, hardly a decent camp for guys that only play a handful of games together each year. We'd be better off getting the NRL competition done with a week or two sooner and having that time at the end of the year for test sides to prepare better or play an extra game, hopefully in a developing nation. If the NRL finished 2 weeks earlier, Australia could be promoting the game by playing a match in Fiji or Samoa last w'end in preparation for the Four nations.

And city/country isn't what it used to be. I'd like to keep the game because I've got country roots and it does mean something to country footy, but my left field idea is to expand it and include players Australia-wide, not just NSW. It's no longer an Origin trial so they could treat it as a breeding ground for future test/origin players from both sides of the border. If we are going to have stand alone origin and need some filler games, strengthening this game could be a decent option and it could be played in regional areas which should be a winner.

 

[Canard]

Radical idea - in order to help compress the season a bit, what about playing Origin after the season?

LU seems to treat Origin as an "inconvenience" and doesn't recognise that outside the Grand Final its our biggest draw of the year (3 times over).

Its not going to be radically changed to cater for hardcore club fans like us, it would be like changing the Melbourne Cup start time to midnight to cater for ex-pat Aussies who live overseas.

 

[Card Shark]

Correct

It is the showpiece of our game & a huge moneyspinner.

 

[docbrown]

Feb:
Pre-Season Cup
16 NRL teams + 8 others
40 minute matches, 2 weeks pools + 2 weeks of full length finals

World Club Series
Every 4th year 4 NRL teams play in the WCS instead of pre-season cup

NRL 9s

March to August:
NRL Season
24 rounds played over 27 weeks (teams get 4 byes during season)
Special features:
Opening Match on Sunday Night week prior
Heritage Round - solely for club milestones
Two Rivalry Rounds (in future Division Rounds)
Hall Of Fame Game in Round 22 or 23
More Anzac, Easter & Queens Birthday Event Matches
Monday Night Football replaced with Thursday Night Football
Every Sunday arvo an all Sydney match up at Parramatta, SFS or Stadium Oz
No Anzac Test Match (moved to post-season)
No City vs Country (replaced with Country Round) & State /Under level 20s City vs Country

State Of Origin
Played on Sunday Nights (to minimise impact on round before & after)
Only 3-4 NRL games played on each Origin weekend (so 8-12 games affected max effectively 1 split round - compared to current 50+)
Play over 7 rounds -- Origin I, break, Origin II, break, break, Origin III

September
NRL Finals
Remain as is until expansion

October/November:
All Stars Match
Indigenous All Stars vs Islander All Stars played on Friday before Grand Final

Grand Final Sunday
Under 20s
State Championship - would expand at first to incorporate NZ & PNG teams then others ala challenge cup
NRL Grand Final

World Club Challenge
In host country of end of season internationals the lead up game is WCC

International Season
6-8 weeks of international matches worldwide
Year 1: 4 Nations/Euro, Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean etc Cups/Shields/Bowls
Year 2: Ashes/Anzac/Baskerville/Pacific Islands tour series + Cups/Shields/Bowls
Year 3: 4 Nations + Cups/Shields/Bowls
Year 4: World Cup + Shields/Bowls (for non qualifying teams)
Every Saturday at 7pm (except for when they're in northern hemisphere) there'd be a Kangaroos match on
Every weekend there'd be 20+ internationals played

 

[goodplayer]

20 teams 19 games with gf in sept and full int program oct/nov.

inglis might play the most games this year ,auckland nines?, a trial?, 26 rounds. anzac test ?, 3 origins, 3 finals, 4 kangaroos games?

i forgot about the all stars teams game

 

[Lilyfield Rectangle]

I would reduce the season to 22 games, and have stand alone games. This would get rid of the current unfairness of the rep season drain.

2 pools based on finishing order of 2014. Teams play own pool teams twice and the opposing pool teams once.

Pools are therefore:
Pool A Pool B
1. Souths 2. Bulldogs
4. Penrith 3. Roosters
5. Manly 6. Nth Qld
8. Brisbane 7. Melbourne
9. NZ Warriors 10. Parramatta
12. Knights 11. Dragons
13. Tigers 14. Gold Coast
16. Sharks 15: Canberra

Another issue is lack of day games, need to have more.
Also need to have at least one Sunday game in Sydney every round.
Day time games on public holidays like last year, possibly have a ANZ double header on Easter Monday (2pm and 4pm) Tigers v Eels and possibly Dragons v Penrith ? as Souths v Bulldogs is Good Friday.

 

[pHyR3]

I would reduce the season to 22 games, and have stand alone games. This would get rid of the current unfairness of the rep season drain.

2 pools based on finishing order of 2014. Teams play own pool teams twice and the opposing pool teams once.

Pools are therefore:
Pool A Pool B
1. Souths 2. Bulldogs
4. Penrith 3. Roosters
5. Manly 6. Nth Qld
8. Brisbane 7. Melbourne
9. NZ Warriors 10. Parramatta
12. Knights 11. Dragons
13. Tigers 14. Gold Coast
16. Sharks 15: Canberra

Another issue is lack of day games, need to have more.
Also need to have at least one Sunday game in Sydney every round.
Day time games on public holidays like last year, possibly have a ANZ double header on Easter Monday (2pm and 4pm) Tigers v Eels and possibly Dragons v Penrith ? as Souths v Bulldogs is Good Friday.

I'd use somethign like that, but do it a bit more discretely. Basically, make it a reasonably fair draw. But with only 4 or 5 teams played twice there's less room for 'unfair' draws.

More day games is crucial but has to be balanced with TV requirements. Thursday 7:25pm, Friday 7:25pm, Saturday 3pm x2, 5pm, 7pm. Sunday 3pm x2, 5pm.

 

[taste2taste]

I'd like a short 16 week NRL season.

With a short season every game matters! Games would be played with a semi final feel.

A condenced season would also lead to higher crowds and higher ratings, not only because the footy is better but because there is less chance to see your team.

But it'll never happen, every code (with the exception of the NFL) flogs their players to death!

 

[Canard]

I'd like a short 16 week NRL season.

With a short season every game matters! Games would be played with a semi final feel.

A condenced season would also lead to higher crowds and higher ratings, not only because the footy is better but because there is less chance to see your team.

But it'll never happen, every code (with the exception of the NFL) flogs their players to death!

The NFL owners have been wanting to extend their season for years.

Its only the players that resist it.

 

[siv]

18 teams
25 rounds
8 team finals

With 2 9 team conferences
Sydney and Regional
Each conference plays Home & Away over 1 year and the opposite conference over 2 years

3 weeks of SOO stand alone weekends with a 4 team Pacific Cup and 4 team Euro Cup
Best teams qualify with Australia for 6 nations

WCC Fri 3rd week of Oct in England
With a 6 nations played in England

With Tier 2 6 nations in Pacific and Europe