PreSeason/Challenge Style Cup

[siv]

After the huge success of the last 2 weekends of trials

I think the time is right for a 3 week pre season where teams are broken up into pools of 4. Where games are played throughout the country

Then during rep weekends on Thursday night you could play 2 semis and a final

 

[Last Week]

Na.

 

[GreenMachine121]

Be good but the clubs will treat it like the neins

 

[Diesel]

I always liked the Toohey’s Challenge back in the 90’s. Was a good pre-season competition but would only work if we had 20-22 rounds of NRL each season.

 

[TheDalek079]

Roosters can have a special red and black striped jersey for these games, maybe with a bear logo on it. World few fitting as we are basically selecting reserve graders for the trials

 

[AlwaysGreen]

For the millionth time.
No.
Nein.
Na.
Ne.
Awia.
Non.
Naw.
f**k no.

 

[King hit]

For the millionth time.
No.
Nein.
Na.
Ne.
Awia.
Non.
Naw.
f**k no.

Forgot gangster

hells no

 

[Captain Apollo]

Yeah, lets add more games for our elite players. I mean being fatigued and injured ensures they'll be playing their best football later in the year eh

 

[PARRA_FAN]

It wont work today but I did enjoy those pre-season knockout tournaments. A game on every 2-3 days, played in regional areas such as Port Macquarie, Dubbo, Arimidale, Bourke, Coffs Harbour, Bega, West Wyalong.

When I was kid it got me learning more about those country towns.

I remember they played a game in Noosa and there was a story about how they had to get temporary lighting from Brisbane.

 

[Knight76]

I'd settle for the NRL making sure the trials are spread out over a weekend like a regular NRL weekend to allow people to watch them all and get "the footy's back" vibe going.

No chance a pre season cup gets going again.

 

[Frailty]

There was a reason these stopped. It's also the same reason the AFL stopped theirs.

It's also why most major sports do not have pre-season tournaments.

 

[Captain Apollo]

There was a reason these stopped. It's also the same reason the AFL stopped theirs.

It's also why most major sports do not have pre-season tournaments.

As Phil Gould once said, trials are "necessary evils". I mean even in sports like the NFL, they have pre-season games, but the first string team does not play much - just enough to knock off the rust.

 

[siv]

Most clubs played 2 trials and some played 3 while many played 3 last year

So it would be no change to the pre season schedule if these were arranged as a competition table in pools of 4 with 3 round robin rounds

It would be a product that could be sold to TV

And it would be a way for the NRL to grow bush football

 

[siv]

There was a reason these stopped. It's also the same reason the AFL stopped theirs.

It's also why most major sports do not have pre-season tournaments.

They stopped everytime the competition expanded

Then returned a few years later. Only in the NRL era have not had any ore season cups

 

[Captain Apollo]

Most clubs played 2 trials and some played 3 while many played 3 last year

So it would be no change to the pre season schedule if these were arranged as a competition table in pools of 4 with 3 round robin rounds

It would be a product that could be sold to TV

And it would be a way for the NRL to grow bush football

If you put it on TV, the TV networks would want the "stars" to be on the paddock. Some clubs only play there first string side for part of as trial, not the whole 80 minutes in both trials e.g. Look at the team, the Roosters put on the field against the Knights on Saturday.

It isn't going to happen as it would mean more games for the first string players when the games they are already playing take a big toll on them. Money does not take away fatigue nor injuries.

 

[blue bags]

bring the big teams back


wanker -wayne carr- is in the team

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

A Challenge Cup might work in a 9s format; keeps player demands low, we can churn out a stack of games quickly and the minnow clubs might have a chance.

But a full-format tournament is just a waste that takes away other opportunities.

 

[Canard]

The game is crying out for a more congested calendar and more meaningless fixtures.

 

[langpark]

People! Before you over-react. Look at what he is suggesting!

After the huge success of the last 2 weekends of trials

I think the time is right for a 3 week pre season where teams are broken up into pools of 4. Where games are played throughout the country

Then during rep weekends on Thursday night you could play 2 semis and a final

I like the idea, and I believe it could work! It wouldn't be too different to the trials they are already playing during every pre-season, only it would add a bit of spice and meaning to it all. The biggest challenge though, would be fitting it all into 3 weeks though! The closest I could come up with was this:

Separate Qld and NSW teams.
- 3 Qld NRL teams + 13 Qld Cup teams (exclude Hunters or wooden-spooners from the previous year).
- 16 teams
- Straight knockout comp (but that needs FOUR weeks).

Then do something similar for NSW. Like I say, it won't differ all that much from the matches we are already playing in pre-season. Could even be a charity cup or something as well.

 

[blue bags]

The game is crying out for a more congested calendar and more meaningless fixtures.

we need more knock out comps, more 9s, more 7s, more trials, , more nrl, more origins, more tests, more tours, more cups, more tri nations, 4 nations