Rumours and Stuff

[Poupou Escobar]

Perhaps they would have to accept posters like Fanbase as eternal members.

With a stipulation that the media has to go to him for comment whenever anything newsworthy happens at the club.

 

[Johnny88]

Melbourne Storm’s Dave Donaghy proposes NRL player trade shake-up
CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI, The Daily Telegraph
July 27, 2017 11:05pm
Subscriber only
THE youngest NRL club chief executive of the game has come up with a fresh idea to end the intense daily obsession with player movements that is stealing the spotlight from the actual games.

Melbourne Storm boss Dave Donaghy proposed his bold shake-up for the game that included three transfer windows, including one at the end of the pre-season, one after the Origin series and a final two-week trade frenzy after the grand final.


“Having transfer windows gives you certain times of the year to focus on transfers and make it a priority, rather than how it is at the moment where it is every day of the week, seven days a week, 52 weeks of the year,’’ Donaghy told The Daily Telegraph.

Mitch Moses is one of a number of high-profile mid-season transfers.

“You could have one at the end of the pre-season, one after the Origin series and one after the grand final. It would keep the spotlight on the game in a good way.

“You can make the transfer windows one week or two weeks. Those three transfer windows are the only times players can move.

“Deals are done now, but this just formulates it.
One example would be Mitch Rein wasting away in the NSW Cup at Penrith and rivals Parramatta in desperate need of a back-up to third-string hooker Cameron King.
Another popular option tossed up in the NRL is a draft, which has worked successfully for years in the AFL.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...p/news-story/d2357f6a407d413864a069a145890a26

 

[Johnny88]

NRL considers double-header at new Perth Stadium to start season

The Perth Stadium, which is nearing completion, could host a rugby league double header to open the 2018 NRL season.

• The Australian
• 12:00AM July 28, 2017
• BRENT READ

The NRL is weighing up the prospect of kicking off the premiership next season with a double-header at the freshly minted Perth Stadium.

The Australian understands talks have been held on the prospect of playing two games in round one next season at the $800 million 70,000-seat venue, which is due to be completed early next year.

The ground was expected to host the Nines tournament in February but the event was postponed due to concerns over the availability of elite players due to World Cup commitments.

However, the NRL could instead give the green light for two premiership games to be played at the venue on the same day, stealing a march on the AFL.

The AFL season generally starts about a fortnight after the NRL, meaning the first bona fide sporting contest at the ground could be rugby league.

It has the potential to be the latest incursion into Western Australia as the game continues to gauge whether there is a market there. South Sydney have taken premiership games to Perth in recent years and the NRL has announced that one game of the 2019 State of Origin series will be held at Perth Stadium.

The double-header may not be the only game taken on the road in round one next year: reports have emerged that St George Illawarra are in talks to take a premiership game to Fiji.

Fiji, through former Brisbane and Queensland forward Petero Civoniceva, has been pushing for rugby league to gain greater significance in the Pacific region.

Officials in WA have been working to return to the premiership. The Western Reds had a short life before becoming victims of the post-Super League peace deal, allowing rugby union to gain a foothold through the Western Force.

However, the Force’s future is now under threat as the Australian Rugby Union looks to cut the number of Australian teams in the Super 15.

However, the code continues to draw strong support at NIB Stadium, but a double header to open the season shapes as a genuine litmus test for the state’s ability to host the NRL.

The biggest stumbling block to Perth regaining a place in the NRL appears to be reluctance by the ARL Commission to expand the premiership beyond the current 16 teams.

The clubs and the commission have been in talks over signing a perpetual licence agreement that will guarantee their place in the premiership in perpetuity.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...n/news-story/0658e3c464e11bece2fbfea34d8107c4

 

[Obscene Assassin]

Don't mind transfer windows but there will still be speculation from the media and players and clubs would still talk to each other when it isn't a transfer window, deals would be signed and whatnot but only announced during that period.

Draft of any kind, no thanks. They'd push the junior development towards high schools and we certainly don't need to be like the states and their awful college system.

 

[Snoochies]

If there were penalties for negotiating outside the transfer window and those penalties were added to the cap you'd might think twice.
Not sure how it works in the NFL.

 

[emjaycee]

I note no one is suggesting Parra relocates

Nothing like a bit of self interest to cloud peoples judgements.

I know I wouldn't lose any sleep if we became the Perth Eels tomorow.

With the government investing in a new Stadium i don't really see us in line for a relocation. I would see a name change to the Western Sydney Eels as a possibility.

 

[Snoochies]

With the government investing in a new Stadium i don't really see us in line for a relocation. I would see a name change to the Western Sydney Eels as a possibility.

So the Parra Parra chant would then be Westies Wesites instead?

 

[El Diablo]

Snoochies fix your sig ffs

 

[Chipmunk]

Don't mind transfer windows but there will still be speculation from the media and players and clubs would still talk to each other when it isn't a transfer window, deals would be signed and whatnot but only announced during that period.

Draft of any kind, no thanks. They'd push the junior development towards high schools and we certainly don't need to be like the states and their awful college system.

So the AFL has a draft and the junior development doesn't work through high schools the way you suggest it will, so why would it be different for rugby league?

 

[Obscene Assassin]

So the AFL has a draft and the junior development doesn't work through high schools the way you suggest it will, so why would it be different for rugby league?

Because the NRL administration is nowhere near the AFL admin when it comes to logical thinking. Also NRL seems obsessed with copying NFL for some weird reason.

 

[Obscene Assassin]

If there were penalties for negotiating outside the transfer window and those penalties were added to the cap you'd might think twice.
Not sure how it works in the NFL.

How could the NRL police that though? You can't stop CEO's or any of the coaching staff from meeting players. They have an informal talk and they say "we'll offer you x amount of y years".

 

[Glenneel]

"reported"

You're probably correct Pou, all this figures are rumours and very few know the real figure. Gee I really hope Mannah isn't on $600k as that is elite money for a forward and if so is one of the reasons we stuffed the cap last year.

 

[Glenneel]

Just shows you how much luck is involved in winning a comp. These merkins are the Chelsea of the NRL but really have failed to deliver notwithstanding their rorting. One Premiership and a runner up in the past 15 years is pretty ordinary considering the massive advantages that they hold.

They are Chelsea like only in the amount of money they spend, Chelsea have several trophy cabinets bulging with silverware.

 

[Gronk]

They are Chelsea like only in the amount of money they spend, Chelsea have several trophy cabinets bulging with silverware.

Derp, I think I reflected on that point.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

Neither Parramatta nor Penrith can be touched. They're too geographically important.

Merge the Roosters and Rabbitohs, or just kill off the Tigers and Bulldogs. The only other team that should be considered for chopping is the Sharks.

Out of those 5, two go. Then bring in Brisbane2 and Perth. After that, the NRL needs to look into player development to push out to 18 teams with NZ2, Adelaide and another Queensland team the options.

If that player development means centralisation and the essential loss of reserve grade as it currently is, then so be it. If it means a draft in some form, then so be it.

 

[Glenneel]

16 team comp with 2 conferences of 8 each. Play own conference twice and other conference once for 22 H/A games per year. Make it a more proper home and away comp. Conference selection to be based on ladder place the previous year (odd and even places form conferences). Finals series can be conference based with Grand Final being winner of each conference.

New Zealand
Nth Qld
Brisbane 1
Gold Coast
Newcastle
Melbourne
ACT
Sydney North (Manly district expanded to include all area between Parramatta and Hawkesbury Rivers and west to Pennant Hills Rd and M2)
Sydney Central (Roosters & Rabbitohs current areas)
Sydney South & Illawarra (Dragons, Sharks current areas)
Sydney Sth West (Dogs, Tigers current areas)
Western Sydney (Eels & Panthers current areas)
NSW Central Coast*
Adelaide*
Perth*
Brisbane 2 or Central Qld*

* can be move or merge option with 5 years advanced notice. Candidates are all Sydney teams undergoing potential merge.

I would also be happy to dump Warriors and find another Sydney area team - maybe another western Sydney based one.

Agree with your Sydney Central, as Roosters have no fans but plenty of money & Sydney South, as St Geo has no money but Cronulla now has. Parra, Dogs & Penrith are strong enough to stand alone. Tigpies need help atm but may be able to stand alone in the future as Campbelltown expands (NRL to support until becomes viable). Sydney Central could expand into Tigers area in inner Sydney. This reduces Sydney to 7 teams as you don't want to dilute market too much imo. To have 2 conferences under my model need another 2 teams, maybe NZ 2 and Central Qld or Northern NSW.

Btw emjaycee no need to send this to NRL as makes too much sense.

 

[Glenneel]

The clubs and the commission have been in talks over signing a perpetual licence agreement that will guarantee their place in the premiership in perpetuity.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...n/news-story/0658e3c464e11bece2fbfea34d8107c4

I don't like this Perpetual Licence Agreement idea, nobody knows whats going to happen in the future. Say Politis leaves Roosters and the other high profiles leave in droves, suddenly no fans and no money. How then can a non viable club stay in the comp?

 

[amitropo]

I for one would walk away from the game if I was forced to select a merged entity.
With the current state of the Nrl, it's refereeing,
Dubious bunker calls, bias towards some teams, inconsistent match review committee,
Poor Leadership at top level etc.... I can go on.
I would believe there are many out there like me.
I can honestly say that I no longer love the nrl and only the love of the Eels is the only thing keeping me tied to the sport. My kids 7,10,12 have been even questioning calls and I have no answers. They have asked that I buy season passes to Sydney FC instead.
We are losing them at young level and we need drastic chages at top, not mergers.
Kids grow supporting their parents team so until we as parents begin to follow another it will be many years until the mentioned tribalism wil agin grow. May be too late for the game.

 

[Incorrect]

I for one would walk away from the game if I was forced to select a merged entity.
With the current state of the Nrl, it's refereeing,
Dubious bunker calls, bias towards some teams, inconsistent match review committee,
Poor Leadership at top level etc.... I can go on.
I would believe there are many out there like me.
I can honestly say that I no longer love the nrl and only the love of the Eels is the only thing keeping me tied to the sport. My kids 7,10,12 have been even questioning calls and I have no answers. They have asked that I buy season passes to Sydney FC instead.
We are losing them at young level and we need drastic chages at top, not mergers.
Kids grow supporting their parents team so until we as parents begin to follow another it will be many years until the mentioned tribalism wil agin grow. May be too late for the game.

Your post has just made me realise that my 2 young blokes (nearly 12 and 10), have no real interest in rugby league. They play soccer, and while I watch between 3 and 4 games of NRL each weekend, and obviously cheer and curse at the TV like a mad merkin whenever the Eels are playing, they rarely watch it with me, and only show a slight passing interest... when I was their age I lived and breathed rugby league and so did my mates. And when I think about my mates kids, similar ages to my own kids, none of them have any real interest in league either, certainly no passion for it like we had/have.... wonder what ratings and match attendances will be like 20 years from now....

 

[emjaycee]

Agree with your Sydney Central, as Roosters have no fans but plenty of money & Sydney South, as St Geo has no money but Cronulla now has. Parra, Dogs & Penrith are strong enough to stand alone. Tigpies need help atm but may be able to stand alone in the future as Campbelltown expands (NRL to support until becomes viable). Sydney Central could expand into Tigers area in inner Sydney. This reduces Sydney to 7 teams as you don't want to dilute market too much imo. To have 2 conferences under my model need another 2 teams, maybe NZ 2 and Central Qld or Northern NSW.

Btw emjaycee no need to send this to NRL as makes too much sense.

When I did this last night I took into account the 2016 Census results.
I reckon each regional team needs at least 400,000+ residents to support a team and the only one that doesn't is the Central Coast. As a RL heartland, they will survive with lesser population regardless.

Each Sydney team needs at least 800,000 to 1,000,000+ residents so using the census figures for my break up above:
Western Sydney - 1.36M
Central Sydney - 0.87M (this includes inner west areas)
Southern Sydney & Illawarra -1.08M
Sydney North - 0.81M
Sth Western Sydney - 0.67M

Redefine the Western Sydney and Sth Western Sydney boundaries and give Sth Western Sydney another 200k residents and with the forecast growth in both areas they will both easily be the largest in 5-10 years.

Alternatively, keep Parramatta and Penrith separate and it looks like this:
Parramatta - 0.67M
Penrith - 0.64M
Sth West Syd - 0.67M

The interstate teams speak for themselves.
2 Brisbane teams means they share a 2.2M population so on par with the bigger Sydney teams.

Oh and something similar was sent to the ARL in 1997 before the Super League war but they ignored it then too.