Ourimbah Withdraw From the Jim Beam Cup - Effective Immediately

[Jeffles]

That's the latest news. Any side now due to play Ourimbah (and that is pretty much every team) will get two points. Their poor results and lack of licenced club are obviously a factor.

For the Jim Beam Cup competition this is another unfortunate event. The competition has had a high turnover of clubs since its inception. People who believe this competition is the future of the NSWRL shuld be wary of this. Even clubs like Guildford and Ryde-Eastwood withdrew when they could afford it.

 

[roopy]

The Jim Beam Cup has restrictive rules that has excluded most of the best sides from entering.
Wyong were the real powerhouse team on the CC and declined to join the JB Cup because they would have had to cut most of their veteran players like Dean Amos etc who had played NRL firstgrade and cut the money they spent on their league team in half.
None of the rich Newcastle clubs even considered joining after they saw the rules restricting the type of players they could sign.
If the JB cup were to genuinely have the best twelve leagues club backed sides within 200klm of Sydney they would have Newcastle Wests, Lakes United, Cessnock, Wyong, two or three teams from Wollongong and the rest from Sydney.

 

[Bluebag]

But most clubs already there would not have entered if the points system was not in place otherwise its like th old Metro cup, remember when St Marys spent 700k on their 2 teams, so the rich clubs buy the premiership while others miss out.
The Jim Beam Cup has had interest from Canberra and Newcastle as given the new pokie laws it enables clubs to keep their costs down and play at a higher level.

Guildford pulled out as they were not interested in football and Ryde could not grasp the points system and simply wanted to buy proven players. In fact the NBL have started using this type of system and the Aussie rules think it is good for lower grades in competition to ensure more even competition.

 

[roopy]

The Wyong Roos setup is worth over $100 million dollars, and Wests Newcastle is probably worth more than that.
Both clubs are founded on League and really committed to being involved in League.

The JB Cup could rival the Premier League if it was set up to harness the resources available to the different clubs that could enter.

As it stands the Newcastle district comp is much stronger than the JB Cup.

 

[Jeffles]

The restrictive rules in JBC pertain to the points system. But there is no salary cap! Wyong could'e made it in JBC if they restructred. The Newcastle comp was just easier for them. And that's fine. I think at this level, having teams spread out across NSW is unworkable. Sydney and the Central Coast works fine. Let Newcastle, the Gong and Southern NSW work strengthening their districts.

I think my examples of Ryde and Guildford are appropriate. These are clubs that have been earmarked as the future of the NSWRL but have not been willing to commit 100% to their own sides (for whatever reasons). Narellan's attempt is also relevant.

There is a body of support that wants all NRL 2nd grades to be outsourced as they believe such a "different" competition will appeal to the fans. What I am saying is that many of these clubs that are supposed to step up have a questionable record.

 

[mightydragon]

Where did you get the info from Jeffles?

 

[Vicious]

In my opinion the NRL

 

[Jeffles]

Marvin Gaye told me. He heard it through the grapevine.

 

[roopy]

Wyong has huge pride in their side.
They were never going to sack all their local players to sign up no names to fill their spots.
I think the original concept of the JBC to allow clubs within a radius of 200 klm of Sydney was very workable.
I'd like to see them allow Quenbeyan Blues and Tweed Heads - the two richest Leagues clubs outside of Sydney - into the comp.
The reason this will not happen is because it threatens too many little kingdoms of league officials.
It would be easy to find a dozen leagues clubs in NSW that could spend a million a year on developing the game of League - but we don't want to upset the applecart do we.

 

[Vicious]

In my opinion the NRL should fund Country Divisional sides such as Riverina based in Wagga Wagga, Western Divison probably based in Dubbo and include them in a true state wide comp along side rich clubs such as Newcastle Wests, Wollongong Wests, Wyong, Cessnock, Newtown, Wentworthville, Cabramatta, Sydney Bulls etc.
My idea is to get rid of Premier League all together and let each NRL side have feeder clubs, ie. Newcastle (Newcaste Wests and Cessnock), Sharks (Newtown), Penrith (Penrith-St Mary`s Cougars and Windsor Wolves), Parramatta ( Cabramatta and Wentworthville), Bulldogs (Sydney Bulls), South Sydney (Souths Juniors), Roosters (??????????), Wests Tigers ( Wests Magpies and Ryde-Eastwood), St George-Illawarra (possibly Wollongong Wests???), Canberra (possibly Queenbeyan Blues???), Manly (Belrose and Asquith???), i`d also suggest that a Riverina representative side based in Wagga Wagga and funded by the NRL act as a feeder club for the Melbourne Storm???).Not forgetting that the Central Coast could have 2 ready made feeder clubs in Wyong and The Entrance??? I`d also like to see an NRL funded Western Division rep side and possibly a Northern N.S.W rep side probably based in Port Macqarie also funded by the NRL. These 2 sides wouldn`t be feeder clubs to any side, but their inclusion would encourage county rugby league and give young country kids the opportunity to stay around their home towns for much longer, but still give them something to aspire to and still be under the eye of NRL clubs!
I realise that a lot of people probably won`t agree with this idea, but i really do think that it could work and work very well???

 

[Bluebag]

Just allowing the rich clubs to enter a team will destroy the comp and send many other clubs to the wall. What you forget about the points system is the discounts for local players which is no obstacle to Wyong entering a team even with there players they currently have. Perhaps they just enjoy being a big fish in a small pond.

 

[Jeffles]

I don't think it is that at all Roopy. Even the biggest Leagues Clubs in the JBC (eg Wenty) would have a problem travelling 700km to the Tweed and 270km to Canberra. The players would be semi-pro.

There are players on the CC that play in the local comp rather than travel to Sydney every week. And that's just from the CC. Would players further interstate give up their whole weekend to travel to and from the ACT/Gold Coast??

In any event, nothing is stopping the Blues or the Tweed from entering. Queanbeyan were sounded out I am told. But the didn't want to be involved. You cannot blame the existing clubs if the new club didn't want to play.

Wyong would not have to sack their whole squad for no names. Heck, I'm sure they have plenty of no names as it is. It's about accomodating points. Although I do agree with you that the JBC cannot have it both ways (be a "development" League and an "elite all comers" League). Admittedly it is trying to fill both roles and it cannot do so successfully.

With the pokie tax coming in and the generally dwindling grants from these clubs to the teams, a statewide JBC will always be a bit ambitious. Even Wagga Wagga (a "heartland") has lost their Leagues Club.

I'd rather a strong Wolllongong and Newcastle comp than see their clubs come to Sydney.

Remember roopy, the system of open slather happened in Sydney during the 1990s (Metro Cup). It was a dismal failure in terms of club participation.

 

[roopy]

Just allowing the rich clubs to enter a team will destroy the comp and send many other clubs to the wall. What you forget about the points system is the discounts for local players which is no obstacle to Wyong entering a team even with there players they currently have. Perhaps they just enjoy being a big fish in a small pond.

Wyong didn't even make the semis the first year they played in Newcastle. The year before they hadn't lost a game and easily beat The Entrance in the CC grandfinal. The Entrance won the JB Cup.
Wyong has yet to win a Premiership in Newcastle, but have improved enough to be 2nd or 3rd favourites this year.

 

[Jeffles]

In my opinion the NRL should fund Country Divisional sides such as Riverina based in Wagga Wagga, Western Divison probably based in Dubbo and include them in a true state wide comp along side rich clubs such as Newcastle Wests, Wollongong Wests, Wyong, Cessnock, Newtown, Wentworthville, Cabramatta, Sydney Bulls etc.
My idea is to get rid of Premier League all together and let each NRL side have feeder clubs, ie. Newcastle (Newcaste Wests and Cessnock), Sharks (Newtown), Penrith (Penrith-St Mary`s Cougars and Windsor Wolves), Parramatta ( Cabramatta and Wentworthville), Bulldogs (Sydney Bulls), South Sydney (Souths Juniors), Roosters (??????????), Wests Tigers ( Wests Magpies and Ryde-Eastwood), St George-Illawarra (possibly Wollongong Wests???), Canberra (possibly Queenbeyan Blues???), Manly (Belrose and Asquith???), i`d also suggest that a Riverina representative side based in Wagga Wagga and funded by the NRL act as a feeder club for the Melbourne Storm???).Not forgetting that the Central Coast could have 2 ready made feeder clubs in Wyong and The Entrance??? I`d also like to see an NRL funded Western Division rep side and possibly a Northern N.S.W rep side probably based in Port Macqarie also funded by the NRL. These 2 sides wouldn`t be feeder clubs to any side, but their inclusion would encourage county rugby league and give young country kids the opportunity to stay around their home towns for much longer, but still give them something to aspire to and still be under the eye of NRL clubs!
I realise that a lot of people probably won`t agree with this idea, but i really do think that it could work and work very well???

Travel costs would kill that competition. Not to mention money problems. A lot of bush clubs struggle as it is. It may look good on the drawing board but it doesn't work out well.

 

[Jeffles]

Wyong's choice to go to Newcastle was probably influenced by travel as well.

 

[mightybears]

I'd like to see them allow Quenbeyan Blues and Tweed Heads - the two richest Leagues clubs outside of Sydney - into the comp.
The reason this will not happen is because it threatens too many little kingdoms of league officials.

the seagulls run teams in northern nsw and the qld cup
no way would they get involved in a non local comp that has a lower quality than qld cup

 

[Vicious]

Travel costs would kill that competition. Not to mention money problems. A lot of bush clubs struggle as it is. It may look good on the drawing board but it doesn't work out well.

Money would be a huge issue, but as Country Rugby League is such an important part in Rugby League in general, i think that the NRL should poor plenty of money towards travel so that this type of comp can run successfully for the good of the game.

 

[Jeffles]

It's a bit "should" Vicious. This is the NewsRL you're talking about.

A lot of people are overestimating the real potential of the JBC.

 

[***MH***]

why not run a superbowl type match where the winner of one lower tier comp plays another lower tier comp winner.

 

[roopy]

why not run a superbowl type match where the winner of one lower tier comp plays another lower tier comp winner.

They already do. The winners of all the Country divisions play off in a knockout comp.
The winner of the JBC doesn't enter, because they would lose.