NSW Clubs forced out of QLD Cup

[LeagueInsider]

Not really Geoff Carr's place to make a decision on this scale considering he's about to be phased out due to the IC. Guess he had to leave one last big black mark on Rugby League before he went out.

Just to clarify the above. THE BOARD OF THE NSWRL made this decision, not Geoff Carr alone... and he is only standing down in his capacity as CEO of the ARL, he will still be the General Manager of the NSWRL long after the Independent Commision is formed... So I guess all you haters had better get used to it!

Also for all of those 'whole of game' people out there, what about Israel Folau this year?? Was it good for 'our' game that he was allowed to play on our greatest platform as a walking advertisement for this 'dangerous' AFL you keep talking about??? Was that good for the game?? Of course it wasn't, but the QRL did what they wanted despite the protest, looking out for number 1 as per usual... How was that good for the game

 

[skeepe]

Well what a bloody shambles. Geoff Carr was just interviewed on ABC Canberra and said that he would be happy for Canberra to send 4 players to Shellharbour and the rest to Souths Logan but the Raiders wouldn't go for that.

Immediately after, a furious Don Furner was interviewed and he said that that is exactly the deal he and the Raiders were asking for put repeatedly denied by the NSWRL, and that the NSWRL were insisting it was all to Shellharbour or nothing.

I believe Don.

 

[adamkungl]

Raiders are to blame

their choice

Agree.

 

[LeagueInsider]

Well what a bloody shambles. Geoff Carr was just interviewed on ABC Canberra and said that he would be happy for Canberra to send 4 players to Shellharbour and the rest to Souths Logan but the Raiders wouldn't go for that.

Immediately after, a furious Don Furner was interviewed and he said that that is exactly the deal he and the Raiders were asking for put repeatedly denied by the NSWRL, and that the NSWRL were insisting it was all to Shellharbour or nothing.

I believe Don.

They agreed to send 4-6 players to Shellharbour and contribute $100'000 towards the runnning costs... Furner then rang back some 2 weeks later and decided they only wanted to tip in about $40'000!!! What a slap in the face! The Raiders have a vested financial interest in Souths Logan and that is what all of this is about. I feel sorry for your kids but this is your fault

 

[Edwahu]

So it makes sense to sideline that many juniors over 60k? Seems both parties are been pig headed.

 

[typicalfan]

not sure whether attacking a teams juniors is the solution to the problem. To me it sends the wrong message, I know the Raiders pour quite a bit of money into junior development probably among the highest % wise in the game. It opens the door to lose juniors quite ridiculous really.

I think simply barring the reserve team from playing for Souths Logan would be the right course of action.

The Raiders obviously don't want to lose their connection with Souths Logan and are risking their juniors now to do it which is also idiotic, the Raiders biggest investment (their juniors) will be kicked to the kerb without even putting up a fight.

 

[greeneyed]

This is a farce and the NSWRL are being idiots. NSW Cup is really fairly marginal in the big picture. It is not like it is creating any additional players for them for SOO... it is where older players who will never be up to NRL standard play, or is a spot for players to develop for a year or two if they can't step up from Toyota Cup immediately. The second function: doesn't really matter if the NSW players do that in Q Cup or NSW Cup does it? They are still NSW eligible players.

The "penalty" being imposed on the Raiders is simply bizarre; it is cutting off the development of junior players for NSW, the opposite of what the NSWRL wants, surely. Tragic, when other codes are increasing their investment in the Canberra region in junior development; our code cuts it off at the knees. Dumb, dumb, dumb, the dumbest thing you could ever imagine.

I can see why the Raiders don't really want to invest in Shellharbour. What's the real benefit? It just benefits the Dragons and puts our players into the midst of a Dragons set up. No control over how our players are used, in what positions etc, not our coaches running the show. It is simply a face saving exercise for Mr Carr and/or he's aiming to get the Raiders to cover costs of the Dragons feeder team... This "joint venture" is one of the stupidest ideas I've come across, but I shouldn't have been surprised the NSWRL came up with it.

 

[Raidersrawesome]

This is a disgusting decision. Do the NSWRL think the QRL is their biggest threat? This will damage Rugby league , this will allow other codes to set up a base in the ACT without too much oppposition. The kids at school will be brought up on AFL and union.

Congatulations NSWRL , you have probably take the title of the dumbest decision in Rugby League

The IC cant come quick enough.

 

[El Diablo]

that title belongs to the Raiders, not the NSWRL

 

[Big Pete]

Diablo does raise one good point and I'd like to see a Sea Eagles supporter or Raiders supporter answer it. If the Sea Eagles were able to set up a NSW Cup side, why couldn't the Raiders?

It's not like the Sea Eagles are running off the Broncos budget...

 

[El Diablo]

i suspect they thought the NSWRL were bluffing

all the other NSWRL clubs backed the decision from the start going off media reports

Manly and the Raiders were weakening the comp for other NSW NRL clubs yet they also wanted to participate in the SG Ball and Harold Matts

if the Storm and Warrors can do it the Raiders can too

 

[Raidersrawesome]

NSWRL reneged.

 

[Walt Flanigan]

that title belongs to the Raiders, not the NSWRL

Thank you Mr Carr.

 

[R2Coupe]

Well what a bloody shambles. Geoff Carr was just interviewed on ABC Canberra and said that he would be happy for Canberra to send 4 players to Shellharbour and the rest to Souths Logan but the Raiders wouldn't go for that.

Immediately after, a furious Don Furner was interviewed and he said that that is exactly the deal he and the Raiders were asking for put repeatedly denied by the NSWRL, and that the NSWRL were insisting it was all to Shellharbour or nothing.

I believe Don.

The solution was for the Raiders to spend less on their NRL cap and redirect funding to the NSWRL. The Raiders wanting the NSWRL to find them a solution is simply passing the monkey.

 

[Rocket]

So it makes sense to sideline that many juniors over 60k? Seems both parties are been pig headed.

This is the biggest tragedy for me too. The local Canberra club I'm involved with had 8 juniors make the Raiders U16 team.

The way that the code is structured and administered in this country means this type of mexican stand off is almost inevitable.

 

[Pete Cash]

The solution was for the Raiders to spend less on their NRL cap and redirect funding to the NSWRL. The Raiders wanting the NSWRL to find them a solution is simply passing the monkey.

Why the f**k should they. The goal of each Rugby League club in the NRL is to win the NRL premiership not to prop up some relic of the past.

What the Raiders should do is to take the most promising players in their catchment and send them to Souths Logan on scholarships so the next Josh Dugan, Todd Carney, etc is SOO locked to Queensland.

 

[typicalfan]

i suspect they thought the NSWRL were bluffing

all the other NSWRL clubs backed the decision from the start going off media reports

Manly and the Raiders were weakening the comp for other NSW NRL clubs yet they also wanted to participate in the SG Ball and Harold Matts

if the Storm and Warrors can do it the Raiders can too

Of course they would think that, what organisation would punish itself as much as the recipient? All the NSWRL had to do was put forward that any player who plays for Souths Logan in 2011 is ineligible for first grade until Canberra agree to field an NSWRL cup side that would have fixed the matter up in no time.

NSWRL are well within their rights to punish the Raiders but cutting off juniors isn't the right decision.

 

[Quidgybo]

I think it's a dangerous game the NSWRL are playing. Every bit as dangerous as the dance the QRL are playing with the Queensland Cup clubs. With a Commission coming that is not beholden to their political games, I think there is a real risk the new body will simply take the second tier away from the state bodies by setting up their own comp. And the threatened break away by the Queensland Cup clubs provides the pretext for the Commission to do it.

The Commission could offer the Queensland Cup clubs a home outside the grasp of the QRL in a new well funded centrally administered comp. They could call for bids from any other interested clubs from the rest of Australia and NZ to top up the membership to 16 or 18 clubs to match the number of top level clubs. And then they could give this new comp exclusive access to excess NRL contracted players. All NRL clubs would be guaranteed an affiliate of their choice in the new second tier comp and the politicing of the NSWRL and QRL would be effectively sidelined.

I can just see the Commission collectively rolling their eyes over situations like the one with the Raiders. "We're busting our arses trying to build a top level comp that can pull a billion dollar TV contract to fund the entire game and you lot are playing politics with our development paths. We can't let you risk the bigger picture over trivial matters like which state a feeder side is based in, we'll run our own second tier." As I said, it's a dangerous game and I suspect it'll all end in tears for the state bodies.

Leigh

 

[Big Pete]

Speaking of Manly, just did a little bit of research and despite their willingness to compete in next year's NSW Cup competition it appears the team is struggling to field a team having just pulled out of a joint venture bid with The Mounties and with little resources to suggest they can field a team.

http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/sport/story/sea-eagles-will-fly-solo-in-nsw-cup/

I re-iterate an earlier point, I don't see how any of this looks good for NSWRL - forcing teams who are kicking and screaming to play in a competition that is widely considered poorly organised. If they did a better job, there wouldn't be any problems.

 

[R2Coupe]

Why the f**k should they. The goal of each Rugby League club in the NRL is to win the NRL premiership not to prop up some relic of the past.

What the Raiders should do is to take the most promising players in their catchment and send them to Souths Logan on scholarships so the next Josh Dugan, Todd Carney, etc is SOO locked to Queensland.

The NSWCRL should field Mathews and Ball teams from the best talent drawn from the Riverina, Queanbeyan and the Monaro disticts (after all they are all NSW areas).

And we have seen in the past how low the Raiders will go to win premierships. The Raiders are the last club which should be pointing the finger at any organisation. Short memories Raiders fans.