http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/10/1092102452138.html?oneclick=true
And last night all 15 club bosses were being emailed a proposal from South Sydney's Shane Richardson aimed at remodelling the game in NSW.
Under the proposal, NRL clubs would halve the number of players on their books by forming mergers with existing lower-tier clubs such as the joint venture recently formed between Cronulla and Newtown.
Each NRL team would have 25 senior players, five under-20s and five nominated over-20s players, with those not required each weekend playing for a feeder team responsible for its own recruitment.
Areas such as the Central Coast, Riverina and Western Division would compete in a 10-14 team league over 22 weeks, with ABC televising the match of the day as it does in Queensland, and other games acting as NRL curtain-raisers.
The money saved by senior clubs would facilitate a shorter, 22-round NRL season "improving the quality of fixtures and reducing the fatigue factor on elite players". Importantly, the document assumes no expansion in 2006, with Manly's feeder team listed hypothetically as North Sydney, who are aligned with the Central Coast bid.
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This would be the death knell of Premier League and any hopes of a true old fashioned NSWRL premiership. The article also draws out some themes about some flaws with the current administration.
What a pipe dream. As if the bush can afford to run teams in this second tier competition. They would not have a spare $500K that it would cost. Also, with the exception of the Central Coast, the travelling costs for players to go to and from Sydney would be a huge turn off to NRL clubs. Imagine transporting Wagga Wagga and Dubbo to the NRL ground for the curtain raiser in Sydney. As if clubs would look to the bush. They wouldn't look past their own backyard.
Why isn't ABC already televising PL? With the big name clubs currently in PL, TV exposure now would be more valuable than in the future when Richo's comp is made up of Wentworthville v Ryde-Eastwood - two clubs whose entire fan base could fit in a VW. The QLD Cup at least features traditional clubs. Hence people have an interest.
As if they'd keep a longer PL season if the NRL went shorter anyway. I doubt that this new structure would help the "improving the quality of fixtures and reducing the fatigue factor on elite players" anymore than the current PL would. The structure has nothing to do with the grading. It is to do with the clubs and the League.
The NSWRL have already made a mess of PL. In an era where fans are disenfranchised and long for a bit of nostalgia, the NSWRL has fumbled the golden opportunity it had to make PL the competition for such fans. Don't tell me that fans don't want to see these clashes. 19,000 people at Leichhardt Oval for "traditonal footy". An article in Friday's Telegraph about the success of retro jersies. There is a market to tap out there. In the UK, the National League one averages crowds of around 1200. Even clubs without a hope in hell of promotion get crowds because they have been playing their game for their team for generations. People like to see these clashes.
But clubs would rather save money they have now than take a chance to earn money in the future. And the League is happy. They want to fcilitate the rise of the "pokie clubs" the teams with a million times more money than they have fans.[/quote]
And last night all 15 club bosses were being emailed a proposal from South Sydney's Shane Richardson aimed at remodelling the game in NSW.
Under the proposal, NRL clubs would halve the number of players on their books by forming mergers with existing lower-tier clubs such as the joint venture recently formed between Cronulla and Newtown.
Each NRL team would have 25 senior players, five under-20s and five nominated over-20s players, with those not required each weekend playing for a feeder team responsible for its own recruitment.
Areas such as the Central Coast, Riverina and Western Division would compete in a 10-14 team league over 22 weeks, with ABC televising the match of the day as it does in Queensland, and other games acting as NRL curtain-raisers.
The money saved by senior clubs would facilitate a shorter, 22-round NRL season "improving the quality of fixtures and reducing the fatigue factor on elite players". Importantly, the document assumes no expansion in 2006, with Manly's feeder team listed hypothetically as North Sydney, who are aligned with the Central Coast bid.
----
This would be the death knell of Premier League and any hopes of a true old fashioned NSWRL premiership. The article also draws out some themes about some flaws with the current administration.
Areas such as the Central Coast, Riverina and Western Division would compete in a 10-14 team league over 22 weeks
What a pipe dream. As if the bush can afford to run teams in this second tier competition. They would not have a spare $500K that it would cost. Also, with the exception of the Central Coast, the travelling costs for players to go to and from Sydney would be a huge turn off to NRL clubs. Imagine transporting Wagga Wagga and Dubbo to the NRL ground for the curtain raiser in Sydney. As if clubs would look to the bush. They wouldn't look past their own backyard.
with ABC televising the match of the day as it does in Queensland,
Why isn't ABC already televising PL? With the big name clubs currently in PL, TV exposure now would be more valuable than in the future when Richo's comp is made up of Wentworthville v Ryde-Eastwood - two clubs whose entire fan base could fit in a VW. The QLD Cup at least features traditional clubs. Hence people have an interest.
The money saved by senior clubs would facilitate a shorter, 22-round NRL season "improving the quality of fixtures and reducing the fatigue factor on elite players".
As if they'd keep a longer PL season if the NRL went shorter anyway. I doubt that this new structure would help the "improving the quality of fixtures and reducing the fatigue factor on elite players" anymore than the current PL would. The structure has nothing to do with the grading. It is to do with the clubs and the League.
The NSWRL have already made a mess of PL. In an era where fans are disenfranchised and long for a bit of nostalgia, the NSWRL has fumbled the golden opportunity it had to make PL the competition for such fans. Don't tell me that fans don't want to see these clashes. 19,000 people at Leichhardt Oval for "traditonal footy". An article in Friday's Telegraph about the success of retro jersies. There is a market to tap out there. In the UK, the National League one averages crowds of around 1200. Even clubs without a hope in hell of promotion get crowds because they have been playing their game for their team for generations. People like to see these clashes.
But clubs would rather save money they have now than take a chance to earn money in the future. And the League is happy. They want to fcilitate the rise of the "pokie clubs" the teams with a million times more money than they have fans.[/quote]