The Engineers Room
First Grade
- Messages
- 8,945
Both ESL and NRL adopt the same season format for league
Teams divided into two pools of 8 each (Pools can be given significant names?)
Division may be regional, rivalry or random
Each team plays the teams in their pool twice (14 games)
Then the season has the “Mid-season break”
This can be used to play State of Origin, Challenge Cup Finals and international fixures
Top 4 teams in each pool go into the upper pool and the bottom 4 into the lower pool (once again the names of these pools can be significant)
Teams retain their current points
Teams play each team in their new pool once
Top 6 of the upper pool automatically qualify for the finals (in their positions 1-6)
Top 2 of lower pool play bottom 2 of the upper 2 in an eliminaton weekend. There are a two possible ways to decide who plays who:
1. Team number 7 of the upper pool calls out the team from the lower pool they want and the other two play off
2. Team number 7 of the upper pool play team 2 of the lower pool and team 8 of the upper pool play team 1 of the lower pool
Then the top 8 plays in the NRL McIntyre System (eg 1v4; 2v3; 5v8 & 6v7 etc..)
The advantages of this system are:
· There are 21 rounds thus allowing for a dedicated international window and stand-alone Origin game/s or Challenge Cup finals
· Depending on how the pools are set, there is opportunity to ensure at least 2 rivalry games against most teams rivals and thus maximise these games which everyone wants to see and will bring in bigger crowds
· Games in the last part of the season are more likely to not be dead rubbers. Most if not all games will be important. Teams in the upper pool are fighting for the important top 4 or trying to avoid the elimination weekend. Teams in the lower pool are fighting to make those top two spots. If the ESL still wants promotion/relegation this is possible and makes the lower pool the decider as the team/s that finish at the bottom in danger.
The NRL finals system is retained.
Teams divided into two pools of 8 each (Pools can be given significant names?)
Division may be regional, rivalry or random
Each team plays the teams in their pool twice (14 games)
Then the season has the “Mid-season break”
This can be used to play State of Origin, Challenge Cup Finals and international fixures
Top 4 teams in each pool go into the upper pool and the bottom 4 into the lower pool (once again the names of these pools can be significant)
Teams retain their current points
Teams play each team in their new pool once
Top 6 of the upper pool automatically qualify for the finals (in their positions 1-6)
Top 2 of lower pool play bottom 2 of the upper 2 in an eliminaton weekend. There are a two possible ways to decide who plays who:
1. Team number 7 of the upper pool calls out the team from the lower pool they want and the other two play off
2. Team number 7 of the upper pool play team 2 of the lower pool and team 8 of the upper pool play team 1 of the lower pool
Then the top 8 plays in the NRL McIntyre System (eg 1v4; 2v3; 5v8 & 6v7 etc..)
The advantages of this system are:
· There are 21 rounds thus allowing for a dedicated international window and stand-alone Origin game/s or Challenge Cup finals
· Depending on how the pools are set, there is opportunity to ensure at least 2 rivalry games against most teams rivals and thus maximise these games which everyone wants to see and will bring in bigger crowds
· Games in the last part of the season are more likely to not be dead rubbers. Most if not all games will be important. Teams in the upper pool are fighting for the important top 4 or trying to avoid the elimination weekend. Teams in the lower pool are fighting to make those top two spots. If the ESL still wants promotion/relegation this is possible and makes the lower pool the decider as the team/s that finish at the bottom in danger.
The NRL finals system is retained.
