The future of woman's RL

[10$ Ferret]

That's what I'm talking about. If they're uninterested, then the next level up who they answer to should be telling them to pull their finger out.

They just need to look around them and see what's happening. Surely they don't to be left out?

Unfortunately there are 2 situations, either clubs telling NSWRL what to do or NSWRL telling other clubs what they can't do ...
Seriously thought I hope they do pull their fingers out, especially Manly as there are so many RU/oztag players out there that would make very good RL players

 

[TheRam]

That's what I'm talking about. If they're uninterested, then the next level up who they answer to should be telling them to pull their finger out.

They just need to look around them and see what's happening. Surely they don't to be left out?

I would suggest the hesitation is coming from the Manly owners, the Penn family. They barely like to spend the money that they are now. Understandable seeing that they have spent so many millions of their own with little return, but they chose to do it and they fought hard to keep control of the club so they can't keep crying poor.

But that's the problem when you have owners that are rich, but not uber rich and are sensitive to losing a few million dollars. If clubs are to be owned privately, then I feel that it should be by entities that are worth in the vicinity of $500-600m+, but preferably billionaires. That way they would be less likely to be spinning out on the losses and easily able to afford them.

That idiot that owned the Knights for a while doesn't count. He was basically a billionaire on paper and a lot of smoke and mirrors stuff and we all know what happened there.

In fact I would love to see the ARLC take the initiative and scour Australia and the world to find a billionaire or two that would fancy owning an NRL franchise. I would then offer them a one city, one club franchise licence either Adelaide or even Tasmania or Darwin. I wouldn't offer Perth or Christchurch because I feel that those locations don't need much encouragement to sell them. But by offering a licence to a billionaire that otherwise would not see a team there for probably decades, we maybe able to fast track our expansion march way sooner then otherwise possible with very little risk to the game and its resources.

So my point is that by offering these less desirable locations to a mega rich person and making it clear that he is not only wanted for his good looks and charming personality, but primarily for his abundant wealth, then the owner knows exactly why he has the licence and there are no delusions as to what the ARLC wants from him and why. The advantage of having a billionaire that is ok with spending his cash this way is whatever the new franchise needs the new franchise gets. Of course from the ARLC's perspective, I would give these new franchises allowances and advantages that other more established regions would/will not receive. One example would be, for the first 25 years of the licence, they can bring in any player from anywhere in the world, league or Union or any other sport, and the max it will count on their salary cap is $300K if they are current internationals, minimum wage if they are not. Imagine some of the Rugby players that we could get for example Semi Radradra could come back to Oz.

But crucially part of the written conditions of the licence would be that they must spend minimum $5m per annum on junior development that isn't associated directly to their own lower grades, and a further $2m on lower tier clubs that are associated directly to the NRL club. So in other words if it were an Adelaide licence the kiddies clubs would be getting $5m right across all the junior clubs from 5 year olds right up to u15's. Then a further $2m for the ones above that i.e. HM, S.G Ball and upwards. By doing this the long term benefits are obvious.

Also by having someone like this involved they would also have some clout on politicians in those States/cities and if for example the ARLC were to do this soon enough this Billionaire maybe able to persuade the S.A. pollies to reverse their decision to not build the Adelaide city indoor stadium for rectangular football use and build it so it is footy compliant. Something that our ARLC Chairman should be screaming about but has said absolutely nothing and it wouldn't surprise me if he didn't even know about it at all.

Anyway, sure all pie in the sky stuff, but this is how you can really add some new blood and excitement to the comp with much less risk and a hell of a lot of upside if you can pull it off. Sure it would be very hard to find the billionaire Unicorn/s that I am referring to here, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. But if done correctly and well negotiated, I wouldn't be all that surprised if there were at least one or two billionaires out of the 2755 odd that exist worldwide today that wouldn't mind to take a shot at owning a top tier football franchise in a country like Australia, that normally would be way more expensive then a few million dollars a year to do. Spending $10-20m of their own money a year would seem like chicken feed to a lot of these guys.

Also remember that they would still receive the $13m a year grant money that all the clubs receive, but the TV deals would obviously reflect the new teams and increase games in new time zones too. Win, win for all concerned. For all the glass half full Nellie's out there, yes the the TV money will be increased no matter what anyone says. You just have to look at the AFL with the money that they are given every time they add a team anywhere. To suggest otherwise is to believe lying TV execs who always want to keep prices down and weak ARLC execs. The AFL just does whatever it wants and the TV contract just follow. There will always be a network willing to fork out big to own the rights to all or part of the rights to one of the two biggest footy code in the country.

 

[siv]

Simple rule should be

All NRL clubs should be asked to field a team in the NRLW

Playing 15 rounds

If say Manly doesnt want to participate, then the CC Bears should be invited to play and Manlys NRL grant reduced by $1 mil and given to the Bears

We need to move beyond the exclusion strategy now in place

You currently have Nth Qld, Canberra, Souths, Cronulla and Wests-Tigers all wanting and ready to join

 

[10$ Ferret]

Its not all about the NRLW. There is Tarsha Gale, there is NSWHP and more importantly there are the age group competitions for girls. (that is in NSW) Its more important that these are where the investments are made and that these comps grow

They have it right in terms of the current numbers for NRLW and the increase should be incremental so the comp stays at a good standard.

 

[T-Boon]

It was a very good move to switch the season to Feb/March. Viewership must be up significantly.

 

[10$ Ferret]

It was a very good move to switch the season to Feb/March. Viewership must be up significantly.

An interesting point, considering this is a catch up season and the normal 2022 season will be at the end of the year

 

[ALX25]

Looks like the QRL have had a win over NSWRL with Otesa Pule being named in the QLD Women's U19 squad. @10$ Ferret

 

[10$ Ferret]

and thats the way it should be, she is a QLDer and I don't know why they let her play for NSW City.
She for some reason decided she wanted to play for NSW and I am glad she isn't for one its not right and if we are going to criticise QLD for dodgey selections then NSW should not do the same.
Saying that I don't rate her as much as some do. I certainly don't believe she was the best in the Tarsha Gale.

 

[Brick Tamland]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ab...-in-next-tv-rights-talks-20220616-p5aucx.html

Abdo eyes NRLW as standalone product in next TV rights talks​

By Dan Walsh​

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has flagged potential for an expanded NRLW competition to be sold as a separate entity in the next broadcast rights cycle in the hope the women’s game can stand on its own feet financially by 2028.
Wednesday’s announcement of fast-tracked expansion to a 10-team NRLW competition next year was doubled down with Abdo “pretty confident we’re going to be announcing a further expanded competition in 2024.”

​

The eventual end goal is for every NRL team to boast an NRLW counterpart.
Industry sources have indicated that running an NRLW program, including feeder sides and pathways programs, can cost a club upwards of $1 million a year.

Where once the NRL charge $50,000 licence fees to participate in the NRLW, separate grants for women’s teams will be provided from next season, matching a salary cap that is yet to be locked in, but expected to all but double this year’s $350,000 figure.
One NRLW CEO indicated that overall costs would see clubs emerge with “not much change from half a million” after the NRL grant.
However, multiple rival bosses are optimistic that revenue from sponsors, corporate and government partnerships would offset those costs and see their women’s operations all but break even.

The Raiders, Wests Tigers, Sharks and Cowboys will all field maiden NRLW teams in 2023.CREDIT:NRL IMAGERY
Negotiations around the next free-to-air and subscription television deals are likely to be broached in the next few years given both Nine, publishers of this masthead, and Foxtel are locked in as broadcasters until 2027.



While several players and coaches have expressed concerns over talent depth as the women’s game rapidly expands, Abdo is hopeful the NRLW is a significant bargaining chip in its own right in five years’ time.
“Our job is to build this competition in terms of teams and depth so that when we’re having the rights negotiations for 2028, we’re putting forward something that’s really compelling, that will be valued and bought potentially as a standalone (product) in its own right,” Abdo told the Herald.

negotiations midway through the current deal – so in two or three years we’ll be having the conversation.
“In the meantime, outside of TV deals and those cycles, we’ll work with corporates and sponsors to increase those streams and the clubs are the same.

“The more money we can bring in, the more we can invest out. Having the women’s game able to re-invest back into the athletes and into the grass roots of the game, that’s what we’re aspiring for.”

​

 

[10$ Ferret]

Well that was a decent U19s SOO. I knew Jada Taylor was a footballer, she can be freakish. The Wilson sisters were good as were all the NSW forwards and the backs too.

@ALX25 our friend was pretty quiet

 

[ALX25]

Well that was a decent U19s SOO. I knew Jada Taylor was a footballer, she can be freakish. The Wilson sisters were good as were all the NSW forwards and the backs too.

@ALX25 our friend was pretty quiet

Both QLD teams were MIA last night but yes other then the one barge over run for the no try was a quiet night for her. Still scratching my head around the decision to drop Peters to the bench which was exploited by NSW straight away.

 

[10$ Ferret]

What was interesting was talking to some people who mentioned that the right centre for QLD approached at least one TG cup club to come down and play and they said thanks but not thanks. Sort of showed they were right. It wasn't all doom and gloom though there were some good players for QLD last night.
The 14 had some very good carries

 

[ALX25]

QRL has got to fix their competitions. More games has to be on the agenda.

 

[10$ Ferret]

Their school female RL systems are better than ours I think but not the club rep stuff

 

[10$ Ferret]

Well done NSW, defended tremendously. Although I think their attack was pretty ordinary.
The QLD women's side can be quite objectionable, really non stop whinging and then they tried the filth as well. It was interesting to see the Rapana come out in Tazmin Grey. She isn't normally dirty like that. I think its time for Briggenshaw to retire. She gets upset just getting tackled

 

[Twizzle]

After watching the U/19s and last night's SOO game, it really does show how far the women's game has developed

a lot of skill on show over the last couple of nights

 

[TheRam]

I originally posted this in the Stadiums Thread, but seeing that it covers both Stadium and the future of the NRLW competition topics I though I may as well post it here too.

In regards to stadiums and where the NRLW competition should be played and when.

My ultimate grand plan for the women's comp would be something like this. I would lobby all State governments to fund and build new all seater and under cover stadiums around the 10K-12K capacity mark.

So in other words I would try and get Sydney at least 4(North, South, East and West) stadiums and next to train stations and amenities of course. Two in Brisbane, one on the Gold Coast and one in NQLD. One in Canberra, One in New Castle, One in Melbourne and finally one in Auckland to cover all the teams. Obviously this will take some time and effort but the end result would be awesome.

Also being so small the land necessary would be much smaller and therefore easier to come by in great strategically advantageous locations that are impossible for us to get for the larger stadiums. Locations like Chatswood Park and if we got really, really lucky Prince Alfred Park next to Central Station in Sydney.

Imagine if we had strategically placed small and intimate boutique quality stadiums that represented the girls game in a very classy and professional way that they could sell and promote to the fans and media networks alike that just does not exist currently in this country like the images I show below?

We aren't talking about hundreds of millions of dollars for each of these types of small stadiums. Remember they are all around 10K-12K capacity. These sorts of Stadiums are priced at under $50m-$60m each at the higher end with all the bells and whistles. So they are very affordable. We just need the right type of business plan to justify them to state Governments. Which should not be all that hard to do considering that so many other tiers of the sport like State Cups and other codes like Soccer and Rugby lower comps could and would love to use them too or even for some of their 1st tier games as well.

In fact they would by shear quality, size and location be the most in demand stadiums in the country. Sounds to ambitious? Sure to most small minded and limited aspirational Australians it may well be, but to people that have vision and dare to dream it is the very least we should be aiming for.

Some may say that these stadiums are to small and are putting a cap on the NRLW of ever getting larger crowds, but I say realistically over the next 30 odd years at least, the women's game would be doing really, really well if it was consistently selling out 10K-12K stadiums. Remember for the odd blockbuster game or Final, they could move it to the larger Stadiums anyway if they though it would be needed.

But by having these types of classy and stylish mini stadiums it makes the women's game cool and sexy for all the fans that go and allows them to be so much closer and personal to the action and the players will only thrive in such and environment.

What I would do then is start their season during the mens NRL Semi Final time and continuing after the Mens Grand Final all the way into late November if not December. I would have all the teams play one round against each other then the Semis and finally the GF. Also somewhere in between that or after the GF, I would add the WSOO 3 game series to be played at Parra Stadium or NQLD stadiums and any internationals that are planed in any given year, which could also be scheduled in the most appropriate sized stadium deemed necessary.

This way the NRLW doesn't over saturate the already busy NRL schedule and those first few rounds are during the NRL's semi finals when there are way less games to watch so there will be no major issue with time slots scheduling or over saturation. Then we can also sell the rights to the NRLW on its own merits in a great and positive light, one that the broadcasters like more then anything and that is, great small stadiums that are full of colour and happily screaming fans that present brilliantly on TV and are an easy sell.

Obviously this is a proposal that can be adjusted where necessary to fine tune it or adjust it for any changing season's scheduling that may create new obstacles that maybe necessary to work around for. But overall this is the type of long term planning that our leaders should be thinking about and working towards.

But I bet none have this type of vision or ambition and will somehow try to shoehorn the NRLW as is into the scheduling really badly and keep stuffing it up telling us all it is oh so vey hard.

 

[ALX25]

Around 35 of the NRLW's next crop of signed stars from all six clubs gathered near Newcastle for the two-day event hosted by the NRL's well-being and education department and the RLPA.

The first-ever rookie camp for emerging female stars had a high focus on well-being and education around life and social skills that can help shape a player both on and off the field.

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/07/05/history-made-with-inaugural-nrlw-rookie-camp/
Gallery: https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/07/05/gallery-nrlw-rookie-camp-2022/

 

[10$ Ferret]

I went out to Kogarah oval on the weekend to watch the woman's semis. What terrific games.. The defence from all teams was very good.
Maddie Studdon was on fire as was Sam Bremner some very classy touches to get over Mounties.

The Togers were 10x better than I thought they would be and it wasn't just the Sergis and Apps show. They played as a real team. Looks like Kimmorley really left his mark there. The Bears certainly have been better but there was still some great efforts .

What impressed me was how well some of the younger, lesser known players stood up and were very consistent. Shows the game is really heading in the right direction

 

[ALX25]

NSW and Queensland will clash for Origin glory on Wednesday night but history will be made hours earlier when the inaugural Australian Schoolgirls curtain-raiser kicks off proceedings.

A combined NSW and ACT invitational team will take on Queensland in the first-ever Schoolgirls clash at Suncorp Stadium with an Australian side to be picked from the fixture.

Queensland Schoolgirls
Luca Howarth [Emmaus College Rockhampton], Relna Hosea [Ipswich Girls Grammar], Mariah Brown [St Saviours College Toowoomba], Fleur Ginn [Canterbury College], Ebony Raftstrand-Smith [Keebra Park SHS], Sienna Lofipo [Marsden SHS], Skyla Adams [Keebra Park SHS], Lillian Yarrow [Emmaus College Rockhampton], Marissa Nicholson [Gympie SHS], Eliza Lopamaua [Woodridge SHS], Shaylee Joseph [Mabel Park SHS], Tavarna Papalii [Keebra Park SHS], Tiresa Elika [Ipswich SHS], Aerielle Hobbler [Mareeba SHS], Theophelia Mosby-Nona [Kirwan SHS], India Seeto [Marsden SHS], Malaela Su'a [Mabel Park SHS], Nancy Sullivan [Nambour State College], Montaya Hudson [Marsden SHS]

NSW/ACT Schoolgirls
Georgia Willey [Erindale College, Wanniassa], Alysha Bell [Glenwood High School], Piper Simons [Stella Maris College, Manly], Litia Fusi [Westfield Sports High, Fairfield], Tyanna Kerr [McCarthy Catholic College, Tamworth], Tallara Bamblett [The Hills Sports High, Seven Hills], Lailani Montgomery [St Peter's Catholic College, Tuggerah], Joiful Fotu-Moala [Brigidine College, Randwick], Kasey Quye [St Mary's Senior High], Phoenix Lamese [Westfield Sports High, Caringbah], Latisha Smythe [Endeavour Sports High School, Fairfield], Claire Kennedy [Springwood High School, Faulconbridge], Ally Bullman [Narrabeen Sports High, Narrabeen], Hope Millard [Holy Spirit College, Bellambi], Monica Fasavalu-Faamausili [Bass High School], Maya Harris [SEDA College, Glebe], Tia-Jordyn Vasilovski [Caroline Chisholm College, Glenmore Park], Madison Mulhall [St Patrick's College, Campbelltown]

Read more: https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/07/12/inaugural-schoolgirls-clash-to-launch-new-era/ & https://www.qrl.com.au/news/2022/07/12/inaugural-schoolgirls-team-ready-to-make-history/