Ten Years Time

[jim_57]

Just a bit of a hypothetical, wondering what people would like to see happen in world of RL within the next 10 years. No doubt this may turn in to a thread of pipe-dreams but no harm in that.

In my opinion within the next 10 years we could/should be looking at aiming for these goals country by country. Sorry this might take a while..

England - Solidifying the current system/clubs. Expansion in new markets be it Amateur or League 1 level. Using internationals to spread/promote the game.

Wales - Adding a Cardiff team at League 1 level with an Academy team, making it 3 teams in League 1 and/or Championship.

Ireland & Scotland - Aiming for a League 1 team each with a stable domestic comp.

France - 2/3 clubs at Super League/top of Championship level. Building Elite 1 and perhaps incorporating it in to the English pyramid as their own French conference.

Italy & Spain - Aiming for a team in Elite 1 or 2 underpinned by stable domestic comps.

Rest of Europe - Stable domestic comps, with partnerships with semi-pro/pro clubs for pathways to higher level.

Australia - NRL teams in Perth & Brisbane (2), QLD/NSW Cup teams with juniors in Darwin, Perth, Melbourne, maybe Adelaide and Tassie.

NZ - 2nd NRL team, 3 teams in NSW Cup with links to Tonga, Samoa & Cook Islands.

PNG - PNG Hunters fielding teams at junior levels in QLD competitions. Possible 2nd QLD Cup team.

Fiji - NSW Cup team with Juniors.

Tonga, Samoa & Cook Islands - Links with 3 NZ NSW Cup teams for professional pathways.

South Africa - Links with an NRL club/s for professional pathway. Look to host trial, NRL or WCS games.

USA - Solidifying domestic comp with 1st division for stronger clubs and regional 2nd division for weaker/new clubs and 'B' teams. Possible link with NRL and/or SL clubs for "train and trialing" promising players/athletes.

Canada - Toronto stable in Championship or SL, possibly more clubs in British system if Toronto experiment works and the $ is there.

Lebanon - Using their national team's success to drive domestic growth. Linking with NRL club/s for professional pathways for domestic players.

Rest of the world - At this stage any other countries be they in Asia, the Americas or Africa should be all about focusing on their domestic comps.

That just about covers all the main ones off the top of my head, some more ambitious than others and call it pipe dreaming if you will but all more than achievable IMO.

Of course using a strong International scene to drive all this development.

 

[hutch]

If only the powers that be had 10% of your vision. Do they even think about the future?

 

[jim_57]

If only the powers that be had 10% of your vision. Do they even think about the future?

Definitely some lack of vision within the World of RL, in saying that my hypotheticals have even accounted for that, which in a way is kinda sad. Could have set the bar higher on some of these and who knows what "out of the blue" (like Toronto) stuff could happen?

 

[langpark]

Interesting read, but I don't like how have SL and NRL on such a pedestal and seem to think that for any nation to have any real ambition, the end goal for them must be to get a team in those leagues. I'd much rather see them all strengthening their own domestic leagues. It might be an idea to have some sort of a draft system, where each SL and Championship club is obliged to bring in two continental European youth players on, say a 6 month scholarship or something. That's just off the top of my head as an example.

I think my biggest concern in all this that League One seems to be everyone's solution to expansion, it's become somewhat of a dumping ground for expansion. They are already by far the most geographically diverse League in the UK, Toronto join next year, if you start bringing in Welsh, Scottish, French teams etc. travel costs will be off the charts and they have only a fraction of the budget of SL teams.

 

[deal.with.it]

A scottish team in the south makes sense in league 1. There was talk of a north and south conference in the future in league 1.

The pacific island nations dont really need a team in the nsw or qld cup. They already have a lot of scouted players playing in nz and aus. All they need is the money to be able to put training camps on where the team can get some consistency. And then obviously more matches.

 

[jim_57]

Interesting read, but I don't like how have SL and NRL on such a pedestal and seem to think that for any nation to have any real ambition, the end goal for them must be to get a team in those leagues. I'd much rather see them all strengthening their own domestic leagues. It might be an idea to have some sort of a draft system, where each SL and Championship club is obliged to bring in two continental European youth players on, say a 6 month scholarship or something. That's just off the top of my head as an example.

I think my biggest concern in all this that League One seems to be everyone's solution to expansion, it's become somewhat of a dumping ground for expansion. They are already by far the most geographically diverse League in the UK, Toronto join next year, if you start bringing in Welsh, Scottish, French teams etc. travel costs will be off the charts and they have only a fraction of the budget of SL teams.

Realistically within 10 years nobody is going to be able to build a comp to rival the NRL or Super League. Having links with emerging nations and salary cap exemptions for genuine developing nations developed players is a must short term. Some of these players can then take their experience back and if any cut the big time they're something to aspire to.

I think conferences is a solution for League 1, Toronto are fronting the costs and will be gone either way pretty quickly you'd say. Only other teams we're talking here are in the UK, maybe Ireland which could even work out cheaper.

I'd even consider having the Elite 1 in the pyramid below Championship somehow. French teams dropping standard to League 1 seems a fruitless excersize.

The pacific island nations dont really need a team in the nsw or qld cup. They already have a lot of scouted players playing in nz and aus. All they need is the money to be able to put training camps on where the team can get some consistency. And then obviously more matches.

There could be a whole lot more scouted players, it has been great for PNG and it will do wonders for Fiji when they get one. I would day the best next step would be to get them fielding juniors in the QLD/NSW leagues, that is where most scouting would be done these days.

For Tonga, Samoa, Cooks and ang others I think best case scenario are links with new NZ NSW Cup teams. The NZ teams could play 1 or 2 games a season there.

 

[hutch]

The pacific island nations dont really need a team in the nsw or qld cup. They already have a lot of scouted players playing in nz and aus. All they need is the money to be able to put training camps on where the team can get some consistency. And then obviously more matches.

You can literally count the amount of rugby league juniors from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa who have played in the NRL on one hand! And they are all from Fiji.
We definitely need to work on pathways for local rugby league players from this region to play at a higher level.

 

[jim_57]

You can literally count the amount of rugby league juniors from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa who have played in the NRL on one hand! And they are all from Fiji.
We definitely need to work on pathways for local rugby league players from this region to play at a higher level.

Exactly, a lot more work to be done. Tonga, Samoa & Cook Islands may never have the population or infrastructure to have their own semi pro teams, but linking with a NZ team could do wonders. Like the South Pacific Cyclones model maybe, just in NSW Cup, play most games in NZ with the odd one in the Polynesian Islands if affordable. But the main point would be to getting their players in to the system.

Pretty much all the goals in the original post are built around growing the player base and strengthening the International teams.

 

[adamkungl]

Interesting read, but I don't like how have SL and NRL on such a pedestal and seem to think that for any nation to have any real ambition, the end goal for them must be to get a team in those leagues. I'd much rather see them all strengthening their own domestic leagues. It might be an idea to have some sort of a draft system, where each SL and Championship club is obliged to bring in two continental European youth players on, say a 6 month scholarship or something. That's just off the top of my head as an example.

I think my biggest concern in all this that League One seems to be everyone's solution to expansion, it's become somewhat of a dumping ground for expansion. They are already by far the most geographically diverse League in the UK, Toronto join next year, if you start bringing in Welsh, Scottish, French teams etc. travel costs will be off the charts and they have only a fraction of the budget of SL teams.

Getting a team in a higher level foreign competition is a good way to raise the standard of the national team and get players into a professional system (eg. NZ Warriors, Catalans Dragons, PNG Hunters) . If and when the domestic league is capable of going professional bring them back.

Looking at Catalans, it could progress 2 ways.
1) France eventually gets its pro comp, Catalans (and Toulouse) come back.
2) Expansion sees Super League develop into a more European than English comp. With the Championship/League1 in UK and Elite comps in France becoming localised 2nd div leagues.

Either scenario would be a good result for the game, but a Euro Super League is the better in my opinion. Such a comp could financially compete with the NRL.

The pacific island nations dont really need a team in the nsw or qld cup. They already have a lot of scouted players playing in nz and aus. All they need is the money to be able to put training camps on where the team can get some consistency. And then obviously more matches.

As someone else said, a NSW Cup team would be a huge increase in quality of the pathways. It will get domestic island players into professional systems and make their national teams serious competitors rather than NZ B teams.


Anyway, nothing in the OP is particularly pie in the sky. Just a lack of vision, desire, and funding from people capable of making the necessary changes.

 

[jim_57]

As someone else said, a NSW Cup team would be a huge increase in quality of the pathways. It will get domestic island players into professional systems and make their national teams serious competitors rather than NZ B teams.


Anyway, nothing in the OP is particularly pie in the sky. Just a lack of vision, desire, and funding from people capable of making the necessary changes.

Exactly, the key for the pacific Islands is developing a core base of homegrown players to build a team around. The smaller islands like Samoa & Tonga will always have at least half heritage players IMO, but getting a good mix of homegrown players and loyal heritage players should be the goal.

Fiji & in particular PNG have the most potential to become genuine competitors with very little forward vision and work. Looks to be the right work in place and I think if Hunters & Fiji NSW Cup can hang around and get juniors involved the national teams will be springing wins against the big 3 in 5-10 years.