RLA. Let's go!

[maccattack]

If money was no object and you were the CEO of the newly founded Rugby League Australia, free from the old shackles, one entity. Nothing to hold you back.

Where would you take this game? As head of RLA?

 

[SaveTheChildren]

If money was no object and you were the CEO of the newly founded Rugby League Australia, free from the old shackles, one entity. Nothing to hold you back.

Where would you take this game? As head of RLA?

McDonalds nos 1 sponsor.

 

[Perth Red]

6 Sydney Team
2 NSW Teams
ACT
5 Q'land teams
2 NZ teams
Vic
WA
Sa
NT/PNG team

2nd division Q'land/NSW comp

World 9's
Proper Int calendar

Independent TV contract

World Club challenge after GF

 

[T to the T]

6 Sydney Team
2 NSW Teams
ACT
5 Q'land teams
2 NZ teams
Vic
WA
Sa
NT/PNG team

2nd division Q'land/NSW comp

World 9's
Proper Int calendar

Independent TV contract

World Club challenge after GF

I agree with you on alot on things about the future of our sport PR but don't think any more axing of Sydney clubs in the answer. Altho' bastardisations like St. George-Illawarra do exist, I'd prefer if the laws of Darwin were allowed to take it's course rather than mess with nature.

Fans of broke teams wouldn't have turned away from the game like fans of shafted teams did. If you left them (North Sydney) in and they died, people wouldn't take it as hard, you forcibly kick them out and people do.

So whether that means that St.G-I merges with Cronulla, Illawarra get's its own side, whatever, if that happens naturally then so be it but don't force it!

Anyway, my powertrip:

* 20 teams by 2017 with current line-up + WA Reds and CC Bears by 2012 + Southern Orcas and Ipswich-Logan Crushers by 2017

* Ideally by 2030 we would also have Redcliffe-Sunshine Coast Dolphins, Adelaide Rams, NT-Port Moresby Vipes and either a Christchurch or Wollongong side, making a continental competition with teams located in all major population centres.

* TV packages split up along lines of days for club matches, SoO and internationals

* GF to be played in the afternoon and SoO to be played on the weekend, with no other NRL games played. During times of SoO, NZ'ers will have their own Kiwi Roots series

* Salary cap to allow players to get external endorsements, 1/2 marquee players and also a "luxury tax", so for every $1 paid over the cap of say $5 million, they have to pay a $1 tax to the league which will be redistributed around

* Teams to be encouraged to play 1 home game in areas without a team (Perth, Adelaide, country NSW etc) until a team is setup in those regions

* Ensure that the Q Cup and NSW Cup get TV deals. Also would like to explore the idea of the winner of the Q Cup playing the winner of the NSW Cup before the Grand Final (Unless this happens already?) along with the NYC. The NSW Cup and Q Cup are vital and need to be a viable step below the NRL. Too big a gap between quality and we'll start to have problems!

* Get that good feeling back. Create tribalism in Sydney once more. Have a boutique 'NRL Zone' in Sydney CBD and ram down the throats of everyman and their dog who comes to town, in Sydney and in Brissie, that these are RL towns!

Sure i'll come up with more ideas late but that's for starters. You have unleashed the megalomanic in me!

 

[TooheysNew]

Elite players will love 90 games a season....

 

[jdizzle]

A lot of these ideas are unrealistic.

 

[maccattack]

A lot of these ideas are unrealistic.

So? Read the original post. If money were no object and nothing could stand in your way. What would you do as the main man?



Imagine what you could achieve if you knew you couldn't fail.

 

[Dogs Of War]

First thing I would do is up the relocation grant, that is only eligible for Sydney teams to $25 mil. With it increasing by $5mil a season. I would also nominate areas/regions where these teams are allowed to relocate to.

Second thing is to put the state of origin on a standalone weekend (probably friday night), with NZ vs Pacific Islands on the Sunday daytime to help will the weekend a little better.

 

[greg]

The RLA could have a fan day celebration with a public burning at the stake of the conspirators RIBOT, MURDOCH (father and son). Then there would be an immediate re-instatement of Nth Sydney.
What the heck, bring back Newtown also........

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Reduce Sydney teams by 1 to make room for the CC.

Then add a second Brissy team, Adelaide, Perth, Wellington for a 20 team comp.

22 rounds of football.

11 rounds and then a month break from club football for SOO going on a squad system rather than picking 3 different teams months apart. Meanwhile the Kiwis can have their kiwi roots or play a 3 match series against England. Remaining NRL players can form teams representing clubs/nations and have weekend 7's tournaments in places such as Perth/Adelaide/Wellington/Melbourne. That would give good exposure plus give us league fans something extra to watch on TV.

Basically the length of the season stays the same but there's less of a workload and the rep games have a larger focus/importance on them without detracting from club football.

End of season tours/tri nations/world cups as usual.

On top of that I'd like to see a compulsary scholarship type scheme for foreign players/coaches. All clubs have 5 spots to sign one year deals with players from places such as Fiji/Samoa/PNG or anwhere else they can find them ther than the big nations. The can't play NRL but are paid say $30k each to train and learn from the best and then at the end of the ear they either return to their native home to help improve the standard back there or are signed to a standard NRL deal.

That'd be 5 player/coaches per team = 100 players per year. Even if a small percentage make the grade that's an improvement in international standards compared to what we have now, and all it costs is $150,000 a year per club. A bit much by today's standard, but in a money is no object environment it would be a boost to the international profile of rugby league.

 

[VictoryFC]

18 teams
17 rounds of football
State of Origin at the end of the season

Thats about it.