NSW Cup / Jim Beam Cup - Plans in 2009 ???

[The Partisan]

I'm sure I heard Michael Beuttner (NRL co-ordinator of the NYC) mention on Barefoot Rugby League# that the NSWRL has only received 6 clubs nominations for a team in the NSW Cup !!! Surely this has got to either be incorrect or a great concern.

# Barefoot Rugby League is the indigenous RL show on FOX Entertainment channel. Great show too. Plenty of country and suburban footy covered.

 

[nqcowboy87]

he runs the 20's comp hes probaly just trying to deathride the open age comps, although it seems to me that nswrl is struggling along with many teams opting for a qcup based franchise for their older players, i hope the nsw cup stays but its not up to me

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Surely it must be a mistake. I thought that the NSWRL were trying to make the NSW Cup into a comp that the old NSWRL fans could get into. Now it looks like it's just becoming a second JBC...

They need to merge the two comps imo.

 

[yappy]

6 have 100% confirmed, but there will still be 10-12 teams in the comp. The others are just hedging.

 

[100yearsRL]

They would be hedging because of the financial strains on clubs at the moment. They are all waiting to see what the structure will be in 2009.

 

[Stagger eel]

6 have 100% confirmed, but there will still be 10-12 teams in the comp. The others are just hedging.

Manly have definitely gone to the Sunshine coast and Parra have a 5 year deal with Wenty so they're not going any where.

 

[yappy]

I believe the six are Wests, Wenty, Norths, Newtown, Windsor and Canterbury. Balmain will be there, and you would expect Cronulla to as well, just in what form is the question. Central Coast will be there so long as the Storm keep sending the players (no reason to believe they won't), and Auckland want to - but the cost is an issue for them every year. Manly have apparently said they may still have a team in (either solo or JV) - they claim that despite the Sunshine Coast link the decision to abandon the NSW Cup hasn't been made. Personally though I reckon they're gone. Newcastle are also long odds. Shellharbour and the Reds may come in though.

 

[The Wrong Eye]

There seems to be something a miss with the NSWRL.
Both their over age comps are struggling with teams dropping out or not committing to NSW Cup and Jim Beam Cup.No new teams either.
Also in todays tele Roosters are not going to have Matts or Ball teams.

It is a sad state of affairs of rugby league in NSW at the moment.

 

[Henson Park Hornets]

Think you'll find that it's the same every year with the clubs undecided about what they'll do with their reserve greade sides, so it's no surprise that there are only a couple of clubs signed up for the next season. But it doesn't help with the death riding of the NSW Cup and the JB Cup in the press.

 

[Ram Man]

Think you'll find that it's the same every year with the clubs undecided about what they'll do with their reserve greade sides, so it's no surprise that there are only a couple of clubs signed up for the next season. But it doesn't help with the death riding of the NSW Cup and the JB Cup in the press.

Exactly, it happens every year, most sign up to the NSW/JB Cup once they have the sponsership dollars locked in.
Not real clever to commit to a competition without the money to back it...:?

 

[yappy]

NSW Cup will be at least as good next year if not better. All of the clubs who participated in this year's comp (except Auckland), met recently. There will be a committee formed to oversee the comp including club representatives. The club's want to dramatically improve the coverage of the comp in the media with the possibility of match of the round radio coverage on 2SM and tv coverage on ABC canvassed. Shellharbour will be in as the Dragons feeder side, and don't count Manly or even Newcastle out just yet.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Shellharbour Marlins will be there next year, they are ironing out some issues with St George at the moment.

 

[Frailty]

Wenty are definately there next year. Contract with Parramatta and recent announcement about the retention of Rip Taylor.

The problem with the NSW Cup is the finals... why use a Top 8 system... it is a Joke for a competition of this size. Will be trying to make more NSW Cup games next year.

 

[yappy]

Agree with that. Would prefer a top 5 even though it would have left us out this year.

 

[griff]

There seriously needs to be a thorough review of open age sub-NRL competitions. The current feeder system is way too ad hoc and inefficient. This has arisen because we have the elite competition, the NRL as a separate organisation to the organisations running the rest of RL below the elite level.

The standard of the Queensland Cup, NSW Cup and Jim Beam Cup is good, and could have a much higher profile. Most obviously though, we need a single NSW state league.

I think they need to make it so that an NRL licence is contingent upon having a feeder team in the state competition in the state you are in. We should also have standalone teams in the larger regional centres that are too small to support the costs of an NRL club, but still could support a boutique RL team.

I also think the teams should be standalone brands with no branding links to the NRL teams so that any person can support them, not just fans of that club. Brands that used to exist in the old NSWRL could be kept alive in the NSWRL state league.

I'd like to see the Steelers running around again. We could have the Newtown Jets, the North Sydney Bears, the Illawarra Steelers (and even the Hunter Mariners!) up against teams from Coffs Harbour, Queanbeyan, Armidale, Wagga, or Dubbo.

How about a NSWRL and a Queensland Cup, each having their grand final the week before the NRL grand final, and then the winners of each playing in a Superbowl style final as a curtainraiser to the NRL grand final.

This might sound pretty pie in the sky, but I think it's achievable. Cost is obviously an issue, but currently NSW clubs are shuttling players back and forth to Queenland every week which must be very expensive, not to mention unsettling on players and their families. It's easy to see players getting to the age of 21 and giving the game away if they can't crack the NRL straight away. The NRL definitely needs to be involved here to fix up the development pathways into the NRL, not just for under 20s, but to recognise that we need a high standard of open age feeder competitions in NSW.

A stronger NSWRL also means more coming in on the revenue side, particularly if the higher standard and wider interest means ABC coverage.

An Auckland team and a Perth team in the NSWRL, and long term reintroducing a PNG team and introducing an NT team into the Queensland Cup would be great for the sport.

 

[testeagles]

something along those lines sounds good or something like in the uk, with national league 1 and 2. with premotion and relegation would be good!

 

[Perth Red]

Reds have turned down an invite for 2009 season in NSW cup but are definately still aiming to move up in 2010.

 

[Scott Gourley's Lovechild]

Reds have turned down an invite for 2009 season in NSW cup but are definately still aiming to move up in 2010.

Pretty mature on behalf of the Reds not wanting to rush things. I really do hope they get their shot at the big time in the next 5-6 years.

 

[Ram Man]

Pretty mature on behalf of the Reds not wanting to rush things. I really do hope they get their shot at the big time in the next 5-6 years.

Donr know if it was maturity or just realism...they didnt really bother many sides in the JBC to be fair.
Thye did play decent footy in patches but were far too inconsistent to warrant a move into the next level of competition...they will get there, they just have to be patient and be a little more careful on who they buy as their marquee player/s

 

[Spitty]

I really like some of your idea's Griff.

I'm quite passionate about seeing the NSW Cup strive and expand. I think getting this right is the cornerstone of making the NSW based NRL clubs stronger.

I read in the Big League that the NSWRL is going to give more money to Auckland and Newcastle to cover travelling costs, which is a great start. It's also a positive sign for Perth to enter when they're ready, to know that there is a good chance that the travel cost won't be as great therefor allowing them to pour there resources into more useful area's.