RL Champions league

[eaglerock]

Have we had an idea before of the best 4 or 6 teams from ESL and NRL playing at the end of season for a "champions league' type event???

Just a thought?

Would be a great idea tho

 

[hellteam]

Yeah well they had that Super League World Challenge with all the teams in it, but that was a failure... i like the idea you have though.

 

[Razor]

No the NRL teams don't take it seriously now, so they definitely won't if it includes more teams.

 

[Coaster]

I had a similar idea of a world club challenge, our version would be based based on the Challenge cup in Europe, including more teams but along the same lines, After the initial phases, we could conclude with a "World Club Champions Final" Between the 2 winners of ours and there's. There would be no disputing the best world Club imo unlike what we have in place at the moment.

There Challenge is already massive and here is some info on it:
The Rugby League Carnegie Challenge cup

The modern Challenge Cup has 7 rounds prior to the final. Teams are seeded, entering at different stages. The precise format has altered slightly from year to year, however the basic format is as follows:

• First round: Amateur teams from around the British Isles.[1] Most of the teams are English and affiliated to BARLA. In 2008 the 54 teams entering at this stage are as follows:
  • all 38 teams from the National Conference League
  • the winners of the five major regional BARLA leagues
  • the British Army
  • the Royal Navy
  • the Royal Air Force
  • the university champions - Leeds Metropolitan University
  • the Student Rugby League champions
  • six representatives of the Rugby League Conference (including one each from Scotland and Wales)

• Second round: The twenty seven first round winners are joined by a Russian team.

• Third round: A further Russian team, three French sides, and the twenty two semi-professional British clubs from the Rugby League National Leagues enter the draw with the fourteen winners from the second round.

• Fourth round: The twelve Super League teams join the competition with the twenty third round winners.

• Fifth round: Last 16

• Quarter Finals: Last eight

• Semi Finals: (played at neutral venues)

• Final

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_League_Challenge_Cup

The Australian Version could consist of these sides (some may not work, but others are there to take there place)

Round 1 Played in Feb teams drawn out of a hat to match games

64 Semi-Amateur teams - Knock out to next round
teams would consist of

1. Brisbane Easts Tigers
2. Wynum Seagulls
3. Redcliff Dolphins
4. Sth Logan Magpies
5. Burleigh Bears
6. Ipswich Jets
7. Sunshine Coast
8. Tweed Heads Seagulls
9. Aspley Devils
10 Mackay Cutters
11 Northern Pride
12 Central Coast Comets
13 Toowoomba Clydesdales
14 Runaway Bay Seagulls
15 Wests Panthers
16 Wentworthville
17 Newtown Jets
18 Windsor Wolves
19 Western Suburb Magpies
20 Central Coast
21 Central Newcastle
22 Balmain Tigers
23 Belrose Eagles
24 Cabbramatta
25 Chester hills Rhinos
26 Erina Eagles
27 Mounties
28 Shelharbour Marlins
29 Sydney Bulls
30 North Sydney Bears
31 Indigence Rep Side
32 Army RL
33 Navy RL
34 Airforce RL
35 University RL Champions
36 School Boy Champions
37 Western Reds
38 Adeliade Rams
39 Winner of NZ dometic Comp
40 PNG
41 Darwin
42 Police RL REP side
and the GF winners of all 22 Group Country divisions

Round 2 Played in March
32 winners to play each other- Knock out- drawn from hat

Round 3 played in April
16 Winners from Round 2 + 16 NRL teams, Knock out- drawn from hat

Round 4 Played in May
16 winners of Round 3 - knock out

Round 5 played in June
8 winners of Round 4 - Knock out

Semi played in late June
4 Winning Teams

Final played in July
2 Winning teams

The winning NRL team would play only 5 extra games, we could even shorten the season to fit in the extra games, as i dont see much difference between 26-22 round comp, if we make up the difference elsewhere

There could be seperate sponsers, seperate TV deals, Seperate Income to players, Increases national coverage, Brings the game to the bush, expands the comp, ect ect

Not to mention the chance for some Semi-pro side to take on an NRL side.

Clubs that are currently in the NSWRL or QLD would have extra income if they progressed to start buying some of the older players that would otherwise leave our shores, and teams like Perth and Adelaide, or the Central Coast could have a chance at creating a franchise that could compete in the NRL.

All the above teams already exist, only need to make agreements about feeder clubs.

 

[Satsok]

that sounds very good.. ive actually wondered why the NRL hasnt adopted like the FA Cup approach from the english premier league..

not only the NRL, but also the A-League..

 

[HAL]

Absolutely the best idea i've heard coaster,keep up the good work mate. We need visionary people like yourself running the game.

 

[hellteam]

Awesome idea good work. Except probably no schoolboy team in there, I don't know if parents would want their kids playing against grown men. Maybe the Aus schoolboys team would work because that would at least make sure they are all elite players (an AIS squad maybe?)

This would be a good competition because there possibly could be some upsets. Teams wouldn't want to play their full strength teams and I'm sure a strong QLD or NSW Cup team could knock off a poor NRL team without a lot of their players.

Now how do we get this to happen...

ps and Wests Panthers (my team) don't exist anymore!

 

[Coaster]

There would be a couple of teams there that could be altered, such as the Schoolboy side, maybe an Under 20 rep team, or Australian School Boys side.

As far as interest goes in the UK, its a raging success. With the final of this years Carnegie Challenge Cup played on the 30th August live into Australia and Both semi Live into Australia via Pay TV.

The TV rights in the UK have been bought by BBC for the next 3 years, not SKY which have the rights to all the SL matches, giving them a separate stream of income and a separate Finals series to generate crowds and dollars and mechandise.


Here is a youtube video of the Crowd in last years final between 2 Super League sides http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPSSEhwJFYw

I sent this information via email to a few people to canvas a reaction, so far the only media coverage is that of Titans TV which discuss the proposal to Scott Prince http://www.titans.com.au/index.php?page_id=tv Episode 11, segment 4, about 2m.15sec.

If anyone has Gus Gould, Roy masters, or Warren Ryans email could they send it to me please, as i would be interested to see how the powers that be, feel about a simple idea that could help us as a sport.

 

[cb4]

send your email to the sunday roast, the footy show n monday night football, someone is bound to read it
or send it to danny weidler

 

[Coaster]

All those have been sent, On monday night footy Phelps played with the idea, without reading the email. The NRL replied with a 'Thanks for your suggestion, we will place it in the large green bin with all the others and do it the way we want".

I wont send it to weilder, dont see the point, he reads these boards anyway for his scoopes.

Thanks for the ideas though

 

[Eels Dude]

It doesn't matter how good an idea sounds, if the public takes no interest in it then it's pointless.

Coaster's put really good thought into this idea, but to set up a competition like this is going to cost tens of millions of dollars, and certains sides will need to spend a near similar amount just to compete in it, and recoup very little.

Ideas like these are wonderful in the EPL, which has great exposure and money available. Though in the NRL, it just isn't going to happen.

 

[griffo346]

mate what about a affiliated states team instead of the school boys ?

 

[Coaster]

It doesn't matter how good an idea sounds, if the public takes no interest in it then it's pointless.

Coaster's put really good thought into this idea, but to set up a competition like this is going to cost tens of millions of dollars, and certains sides will need to spend a near similar amount just to compete in it, and recoup very little.

Ideas like these are wonderful in the EPL, which has great exposure and money available. Though in the NRL, it just isn't going to happen.

I appreciate your opinions Eels Dude, may i just ask why you keep comparing it to the EPL, instead of the Rugby League Challenge cup? I know both formats are similar, but the exposure and money available is completely different as you point out.

 

[Coaster]

mate what about a affiliated states team instead of the school boys ?

Of course, the teams i used was just to show that there is 64 plus teams worthy of a spot, the format can be changed, the teams changed, or anything else for that matter. The teams i selected basicly came off the top of my head.

There are still alot of semi pro teams i never mentioned, on the gold coast alone i would say there would be 4-5 teams in the Group 18 comp that could play in the Queensland Cup and do well (which are not in that list)

These clubs, like Southport Tigers, Tugan, Runaway Bay, are all financial stable, and pay there players,

They also are RL heartland, Runaway Bay alone had have players like Billy Johnston and Scott satler, and Tim Smith, and Brett Horsnell, Craig Freir, Troy Bellemy, Jace Van Dijk, Jeremy Smith, ect

Each of the clubs around the country could booast the same, i think it would be crazy to say it wouldnt get support, nearly all NRL supporters have ties with some smaller RL club, and im sure would support them if only for this challenge once a year.

The format could be changed to have qualfiers to be included in the final teams, such as Last years GF winners for all the Group 1-22 comps in NSW. With the QLD and NSW state teams joining Rams, Reds, and maybe a few others after they are wittled down. The final stage is of course the NRL teams, who join the final 16, this is where we would try and sell the concept to broadcasters.

 

[VictoryFC]

Logistical nightmare.

 

[Coaster]

Logistical nightmare.

I dont understand why.

There are only 6 rounds and a final.

Being a knock out, 32 teams only have to make 1 venue once a year

Each round is one weekend of football, games could be grouped at venues like Suncorp, Central Coast, Sydney, Perth with 6-7 games each day at the same venue.

 

[Eels Dude]

I appreciate your opinions Eels Dude, may i just ask why you keep comparing it to the EPL, instead of the Rugby League Challenge cup? I know both formats are similar, but the exposure and money available is completely different as you point out.

The reason why I mentioned the EPL is because it's the first example I thought of, which combines a club league with a knockout cup.

I believe this idea would be great as a backing competition, like it adds extra revenue to an already strong competition. But I don't think it's going to be a selling point on its own if the corresponding competition is failing.

 

[Coaster]

This is a backing comp, it fits snugly in the NRL calender, maybe drop 2 rounds to compensate for player stress or whatever.

We lose no income as the deal has already been done in the NRL, yet have the chance to gain more cash from a completely new source.

Im biased, because i put some thought into this idea, but am i the only one that thinks this idea has more merit than 100 minutes of football?

 

[hellteam]

Definately. 100 mins of football is possibly the worst idea I've ever heard.

 

[Coaster]

:yoink:

Guys please throw me some suggestions on that idea so i can define this a little better, or give me a indication on peoples thoughts please.

The silence is killing me, heh i wanted some feedback and appreciate all that have given it, but i dont want this to be thrown in the backpages while there is another 2 thousand threads about the same thing.