NRL - Too many games?

[betcats]

f**king hell popeye the NRL will never get rid of the finals ffs.

 

[The Engineers Room]

I still say a set pool system is best but the finals are on the points.

For a shorter season pools of four, play everyone once and your own pool twice would give us 18 rounds. With two pools and the same principle it would be 22 rounds.

 

[POPEYE]

Sounds like Popeye is a fan of a team that won the minor prem one year and got bundled out of the finals that and its he is an obvious troll, but.....

Yes lets get rid of the Grand Final, it never seems to get any support, TV ratings etc who cares about tradition?

Whilst we are at it get rid of all the finals. The new re-valued price of the TV contract is $300M and meaningless games towards the end of the season are to be shown on 6hr delay.

If I really was a troll people would hide at the mere mention of my name . . . certainly not antagonise me.

A lot of what I say is BS . . . not bullshit but Brett Stewart . . . tongue in cheek.

I'm not slightly at all interested in tradition. Making women walk behind with a veil over the face is tradition.

I'm interested in a fair result for a season's work for all players and spectators

 

[adamkungl]

No finals or internationals :lol:

 

[POPEYE]

First past the post wouldn't do the code any favours whatsoever. Rugby League fans are the most fickle fans ever. It's not like the Premier League where people show up every week regardless of having no hope.
Imagine say a Souffs v Raiders game towards the end of the year, with both sides out of contention...you'd be lucky to get a few thousand.
The top 8 rewards mediocrity sure, but it keeps fans of even the worst teams coming to the games. If you introduce a first past the post, a lot of teams will be out of contention at the mid year mark, and clubs that are already struggling financially will fold completely.

In answer to you most seasons are decided by the halfway mark for the majority of the teams . . . unless.

Unless they get their act together and perform a minor miracle and charge up the ladder. Similar to what happens when a team realises the finals are near.

Sometimes a team can earn more respect in a charge against top of the ladder sides than a team cruising into the finals against weak opposition.

True followers won't abandon their teams if they perform well against adversity

 

[hutch]

Get rid of the pissant end of season cup, all teams play each other twice and first past the post is the winner.

International games are a joke so if overseas players are good enough let them show it in the NRL.

If some players are rugged and good enough to play more games ask them if they want to play SOO

Thank god you're not in charge or the sport would be doomed! Internationals are the reason why our sport will grow!

 

[rednblack]

So they play 'in house games' or simulate games either way clubs are still going to want to expose their players to game like situations in order to get the upper hand.

Cricketers don't get pre season trials.
To the best of my knowledge, nor do A-League clubs.
The idea of trials was relevant when we had part timers who worked a full week, trained at nights, and played on a Saturday arvo for nix. they needed the time on the field to ease out the cobwebs.
I suggest that in the professional era, trial games are not as necessary as some might think. Most clubs have sports psychologists on staff who train the players minds both during the season and out of it. With their physical training included as well, I don't see how a full game in the February heat is really going to benefit the players any more than their current training schedules already do.

 

[gypsy]

Agree with rednblack.

I don't think there's any need for trial games, and they could be done away with. Teams by and large don't go hard in them (apart from Souffs who play their GF in the Charity Shield), so what's the point? All we see occasionally is a marquee player pick up a season ending injury for no reason.

 

[dangerousdave]

Dare I say it? ... bring back the Amco Cup & the World Sevens and kick AFL out of the water.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/...er-with-bulldogs/story-e6frf3ou-1226219170784

Bring back the Mid-week cup! Run it as a direct knockout. Obviously teams wouldnt field full strength sides but maybe come finals and semi finals some regular first graders could get into the mix. Make it FA cup style with the winners of the strongest regional competitions competing against what would basically be NSW cup sides. Do anything to get more league on tele and increase exposure to the clubs brands

 

[gypsy]

Bring back the Mid-week cup! Run it as a direct knockout. Obviously teams wouldnt field full strength sides but maybe come finals and semi finals some regular first graders could get into the mix. Make it FA cup style with the winners of the strongest regional competitions competing against what would basically be NSW cup sides. Do anything to get more league on tele and increase exposure to the clubs brands

Great post. Agree totally.
This would also keep the likes of Titans/Raiders/Souths interested, as they could still pick up some silverware, even if they are out of contention for the main competition.

 

[POPEYE]

Thank god you're not in charge or the sport would be doomed! Internationals are the reason why our sport will grow!

Sorry to disillusion you but international games have gone nowhere in forty years. The only reason NZ is competitive is because their players play in the NRL.

Way back before France and England were left behind the game was competitive internationally but since then I've watched it go backward.

SOO is the saviour of League as long as it doesn't become one-sided

 

[supercharger]

Sorry to disillusion you but international games have gone nowhere in forty years. The only reason NZ is competitive is because their players play in the NRL.

Way back before France and England were left behind the game was competitive internationally but since then I've watched it go backward.

SOO is the saviour of League as long as it doesn't become one-sided

first of all

secondly i dont see nsw winning a series anytime soon

 

[Billythekid]

Sorry to disillusion you but international games have gone nowhere in forty years. The only reason NZ is competitive is because their players play in the NRL.

Way back before France and England were left behind the game was competitive internationally but since then I've watched it go backward.

SOO is the saviour of League as long as it doesn't become one-sided

How about you try educating yourself about the state of International League before spewing this bullsh*t.

 

[AXXXMAN]

Clubs are playing 24 matches in the regular season with these performances counting for didley squat from wk 1 of the 4 week post season. it's a farce how there are 7 months of football broadcast into living rooms when essentially, the final 8th month is what matters.

there is a lack of interest in the 26 rounds of play unless the fan is a die-hard or doesn't live a life away from the league. all the 7 months of drone games contribute to only one objective. to make the 8. once there, that's where the season becomes interesting. shorten the regular season.

I'd group them with 18 matches per team regular season and then the playoffs.

QUEENSLAND
Brisbane
Gold Coast
Melbourne
North Queensland

PACIFIC
Manly
Newcastle
South Sydney
Sydney

SOUTH
Auckland
Canterbury
Cronulla
St George Illawarra

WEST
Canberra
Parramatta
Penrith
Wests Tigers.

- intra group h&a = 6 matches
- inter group 1 h = 4 matches
- inter group 2 a = 4 matches
- inter group 3 h or a = 2 + 2 = 4 matches

Post season qual:
4 division winners (seeded 1 to 4 based on regular season records and tiebreakers) + 4 wild cards (seeded 5 to 8 based on best regular season records ex div winners and tie breakers).

Post-season format - McINtyre.

make each game a must win (fewer games means less chance tomorrow), and events, and watch crowds and viewer numbers increase even further.

instead the league bends over for fox to and c9 to control how its run, just so they can fill their programming schedule

 

[dragons__]

Such poor groups^

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Yes, they play too many.

22 matches with Origin on stand alone weekends.

However, and this is the big one. Scrap internatinal Football, we're all human, we are the same everywhere. Have a club WC instead. Top 11 from the NRL, top 5 from Europe. Played every other year. In even numbered years just have the WCC played in Dubai.

 

[AXXXMAN]

Such poor groups^

in what way? explain yourself FFS!

 

[firechild]

PACIFIC
Manly
Newcastle
South Sydney
Sydney

I'd take that. Being in the same group as 50uff$ can only be a good thing. Manly's record against both Newcastle and the Roosters makes me think Manly should top this group 9 times out of 10.

But seriously, I don't like the idea at all. If the competition has to be split at all it should only be into 2 groups, not 4. Fewer games = less tv money which is certainly not a good thing.