NRLW - 2021

[The Great Dane]

Sorry but this is nothing like the AFLW. The AFLW went after quantity over quality from day 1 and is mostly a substandard product. Until the current admin came along the NRLW was about quality.

You've totally missed my point. I'm not making any comment on the perceived quality of the product.

The NRLW is a competition that doesn't need to be successful in it's own right to survive, that has had the supposed demand for it totally artificially boosted by corporate interests, and only exists to appease political forces; exactly like the AFLW.

If anything it's worse than the AFLW frankly, at least they've proven they can get people to show up to matches without bundling it into the price of an AFL ticket.

Have they got the timing right, maybe maybe not, but women's RL is by far the fastest growing part of the game and this competition is needed.

'Needed' is a strong word, I don't think any entertainment product is truly needed, but as I said before I agree that there is potential in a national women's league.

However, the way they've gone about it has doomed it to be a loss making opening act for the NRL that is unable to build it's own fan base independent of the NRL because of it's reliance on it for it's existence.

In terms of being Sydney centric, the only teams that have applied and not granted a license were Sydney teams.
As far as tacking it onto the NRL I think its important to give it that exposure and a combination of stand alone and NRL openers is the best way to go

Again you've missed my point, the fact that it was married to the NRL clubs at all is a mistake.

Nobody who was building a national competition from scratch would have 9 teams in Sydney, so in what world does it make sense to burden a brand new competition with that ball and chain? It's just a bloody stupid thing to do. And how has the exposure from being linked to the NRL worked out for the NRLW? What less than a thousand fans showing up early to watch most games, and most of them aren't really there for the NRLW anyway.
I mean what percentage of the crowd do you reckon paid the price of admission to watch the NRLW? It has to be significantly less than 1%.

Here's the reality; if you ever want the NRLW to be a successful product in it's own right then it needs to appeal to an audience that is willing to spend money specifically on it, not have it given to them effectively for free as part and parcel of another product that they are interested in, and that simply doesn't describe the vast majority of the NRL audience. However if you market the NRLW as a separate product, that targets a slightly different audience, then you could (and IMO would) build it it's own fanbase that is big enough to support it in it's own right.

 

[The Great Dane]

You know the fact that the Bears weren't contacted to be part of the NRLW is absolutely crazy.

They are a club crying out for a professional team on a higher stage with more exposure, that has a significant fan base with proven demand, but simply don't fit into the NRL's plans.
Giving them an NRLW license would have given them that team and exposure that they are are crying out for, and in return the NRLW would have got a lot of legitimacy out of being associated with the Bears brand and history and the probably roughly 5ish thousand fans at North Sydney Oval every second week.

You could have done a similar thing with one of the Qld cup clubs in Brisbane, say Wynnum Manly or Redcliffe, and maybe found one of the bigger more successful clubs in country NSW to own another team.
Then you're half way to a foundation comp of six clubs, and you're working with know quantities whom have proven fan bases, but could also benefit from teams in a televised professional comp with higher exposure.

Cap each city at 2 teams for the foreseeable future and avoid NZ initially to keep costs down, then fill the other three spots with the best bidders from around the country and you'd have ended up with the foundations of a pretty solid national competition, with plenty of potential to build into something bigger.

 

[Twizzle]

I think Dean Widders is a great choice for the Eels.

 

[10$ Ferret]

You've totally missed my point.

thats not unsual for me

 

[10$ Ferret]

I think Dean Widders is a great choice for the Eels.

Dean is a great fellow , if he learns to say "no" a few times he will do well.
Patmore on the other hand could prove to be a rookie error by the Eels.

 

[Perth Red]

Women's game is growing really strongly over here in the West as well. It is an opportunity for the NRL to create a slightly different national competition with some nod to the NRL. in the long term Maybe a womens club in 5 districts of Sydney plus the stand alone cities and then 3 clubs out of Brisbane QRL? plus some others longer term

North Sydney Bears
Penrith Panthers
Parra Eels
Souths
Sharks
Knights


3 QRL clubs
Broncos

WA
Melbourne
Raiders
Warriors


14 team comp.

or they could try out their two conference idea to reduce travel costs!

5 Sydney clubs + Knights + ACT
4 Qlnd clubs + Melbourne + Perth + Warriors

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Women's game is growing really strongly over here in the West as well. It is an opportunity for the NRL to create a slightly different national competition with some nod to the NRL. in the long term Maybe a womens club in 5 districts of Sydney plus the stand alone cities and then 3 clubs out of Brisbane QRL? plus some others longer term

North Sydney Bears
Penrith Panthers
Parra Eels
Souths
Sharks
Knights


3 QRL clubs
Broncos

WA
Melbourne
Raiders
Warriors


14 team comp.

or they could try out their two conference idea to reduce travel costs!

5 Sydney clubs + Knights + ACT
4 Qlnd clubs + Melbourne + Perth + Warriors

I like this idea

 

[10$ Ferret]

I don't think the Bears have a change unfortunately, as they want to align with the NRL clubs.
Penrith also will probably be one of the last as they don't give a flying eff about the woman's game. Its still the old boys club there very much.
Better news though, looks like Souths have woken up to themselves and are looking to re-enter a team in the Tarsha Gale comp

 

[10$ Ferret]

Looks like a big delay to the 2021 NRLW season, starting around the end of the NRL season, not sure if 1 or 2 complete rounds or not.

 

[Brick Tamland]

Looks like a big delay to the 2021 NRLW season, starting around the end of the NRL season, not sure if 1 or 2 complete rounds or not.

looks like 1 complete round, starting NRL grand final weekend:

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/07/31/power-move-standalone-comp-gives-nrlw-chance-to-shine/

'Power move': Standalone comp gives NRLW chance to shine​

​

Dragons forward Holli Wheeler believes the opportunity to play the NRL Telstra Women's Premiership as a standalone event is a chance to push for the competition to have its own identity.
The NRL confirmed on Friday the fourth season of the NRLW had been postponed until October due to the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions in NSW.

The opening round of the six-week competition is expected to get underway on the same weekend as the men's NRL grand final in October, leaving the NRLW as the game's centrepiece for the following five weeks.
Wheeler, who lives on the northern beaches in Sydney and will again play for the Dragons this season, joined other leading players in expressing their excitement that the competition will run on its own.
"It's probably not the way we envisioned the competition to become standalone but I think it will allow us a platform to see where we stand," Wheeler told NRL.com.

"And who knows, if we can all really put on a show it might help us build a case to keep it standalone.
"People who come to games, we know they're coming for us instead of being there for the men's game.
"Not that it's ever been a bad thing to play before them but it allows us to stand with a bit of power and know that the day itself was about our game.
"If we can also play some games unaffected with crowd restrictions we might get a new audience after many couldn't get out and watch in person this year.

We're going to be one of the only competition's going ... we'll have a lot of eyes on us
NRLW star Corban McGregor

"I just think it will lift a lot of spirits. The boys will be finished and people still want their footy fix."
Wheeler was a part of two of the NRLW's first standalone games in 2019 which included the Dragons playing against the Warriors in Auckland and the Roosters at Leichhardt Oval.
"The Leichhardt game was really cool with a few thousand fans there but even if you've got a handful of supporters it's a place that can seem like a lot more," she said.

"We've also seen with Origin that we can fill grounds. I think if we can get the timings and locations right people will come out and support with not a lot of other sports on."
The delay, however, will mean Wheeler and over 150 part-time NRLW athletes won't have played a game since June.
With pre-season training now pencilled in for August 30, players will have to prepare individually until further restrictions are lifted.
"We're very happy to be playing but just really want that pre-season," Wheeler said.
"It's so important for us, it's a long time between playing. It will have been four months for me."

The last time the likes of Wheeler and Roosters captain Corban McGregor played was for NSW in women's Origin on June 25.
"I think everyone is very happy we've been guaranteed that the competition is going ahead but it's a long time between footy," McGregor said.
"It doesn't change too much, everyone is keeping fit. We just have to switch on mentally when we start training as a team. It's going to be a different preparation.
"The positive is we're going to be one of the only competition's going in Australia so we'll have a lot of eyes on us which is a great thing."

Parramatta recruit Botille Vette-Welsh is one player under strict lockdown in Sydney's west and is yet to meet her new teammates.
"I just get down to the park and complete my programs without going outside a five-kilometre radius," Vette-Welsh said.
"We've got no excuse to train because not many of us are working and we've got the time.
"Game fitness is a bit different but being able to be at your peak fitness we can top it up later.
"The extra time gives a lot of Sydney teams the chance to get together when they can down the track and train for the first time.
"We want a good preparation leading into the season like everyone else."

 

[10$ Ferret]

Newcastle and to an extent the Titans have gone quiet on the recruitment front. Will be interesting to see how many of the 7s rugby players get picked up. I hope the Knights get a decent side up.
There are a few quality players still to be picked up, like Maddy Studden and Kirra Dibb will be interesting to see where they end up

 

[Ruby Roundhouse]

heart breaking she left tbh

 

[10$ Ferret]

there have been a few movements around the teams and as the number of teams expand it will continue.
There are other factors, I heard the environment at Stg last year was a big far from good and I am no fan of that coach. Saying that the change will be good and you maybe think some players would have stayed to see how its goes.
I think everyone will be hoping for a great comp coming up and anyone who is or has been involved (outside of the Broncos) will hope that Brisbane do no win. I am looking forward to when the comp is able to be run on an even playing field

 

[pennywisealfie]

Sorry mate, but it's finally the Broncos time. It has almost been a year since the Broncos won an NRLW premiership.

 

[10$ Ferret]

Sorry mate, but it's finally the Broncos time. It has almost been a year since the Broncos won an NRLW premiership.

As long as they are not too tired from training all year

 

[siv]

Will covid cancelled this comp?

 

[10$ Ferret]

Will covid cancelled this comp?

Its going to be tough, with the plans to start it on the weekend of the NRL GF it shows they are willing to adjust things to make it happen. There are rumours of it moving again to being a pre season, we will have to wait and see

 

[10$ Ferret]

There maybe an announcement soon about the NRLW in the next week or so.
They maybe delaying it again making it a preseason comp, just something I heard on the grapevine.

It will make it hard on the NSW Harvey Norman comp and that maybe shortened as well.
It will be good for the NSW based teams as Titans have been training or at least getting together an as most people know the Broncos have been training for months. The advantage of that extra training will be negated a bit.
I hope what ever happens, the comp is successful.

I have also noticed some more signings announced

2021 NRLW Signings Tracker: Squads finalised

All the NRLW signings news for the NRL Telstra Women's Premiership in 2021.

www.nrl.com

 

[League Unlimited News]

 

[siv]

So we get a summer womens RL season

Maybe