the independent commission

[adamkungl]

I was suggesting nations that are realisticly likely to be strong in the next decade or two.

Look at it this way - for a nation to be competitive at the top, it seems that they either need
a) a professional competition
or b) a team in a professional competition

France has had a team in the SL for a good few years and are getting better. It seems logical that at some point in the near future this will yield strong results on the international scene.

Wales was heading in the right direction, and will be again.

PNG want a team in the NRL but it seems unlikely - if they did however it would be a huge boost to the Kumuls at test level.

Like I said, Samoa and Tonga have potential, but they aren't going to get a professional team. They need to get more professional players without going through NZ - as it stands NZ currently has the pick of their best and they are left the scraps. MORE GAMES would help.

A strong USA is dependant on their competition(s) gaining professionalism - and even if that does happen, its a looong time before they will catch up.

Other European countries? Maybe a (pipe dream) scenario where growth of the French, Italian, Serbian, Russian domestic leagues leads to a European pro comp. More likely, pathways to the French and English comps need to be formed for young men with talent.

 

[Sam_the_man]

Rumour is the IC will be inplace tuesday. Anyone else heard this?

 

[elbusto]

Rumour is the IC will be inplace tuesday. Anyone else heard this?

yes

 

[docbrown]

PNG want a team in the NRL but it seems unlikely - if they did however it would be a huge boost to the Kumuls at test level.

Like I said, Samoa and Tonga have potential, but they aren't going to get a professional team. They need to get more professional players without going through NZ - as it stands NZ currently has the pick of their best and they are left the scraps. MORE GAMES would help.

I wouldn't mind seeing the Under 20's Toyota Cup teams be given an extra couple of byes during the season. On those weeks as a prelude to NRL matches they could play travelling New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and PNG development youth teams - plus also an England team.

You'd have to condense it so those teams play their matches over a short period but it helped increase their exposure for later on.

 

[league13]

You keep raving on about how well league is doing in Aussie ECT and I have to agree with you there.Having said that.How many clubs in the NRL own their own grounds? I reckon this could threaten their security.No use ridiculing the English game,at least the majority of the clubs there own their grounds.

 

[deluded pom?]

Unfortunately that's not the case league13. In fact it's only a minority who own their own ground.

 

[druzik]

You keep raving on about how well league is doing in Aussie ECT and I have to agree with you there.Having said that.How many clubs in the NRL own their own grounds? I reckon this could threaten their security.No use ridiculing the English game,at least the majority of the clubs there own their grounds.

I am pretty sure the Cronulla Sharks own their own ground hence why its been hard getting rid of them (woohoo). They may be cash poor, but are asset rich owning a lot of property in the area.

Anyone care to confirm this?

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

I am pretty sure the Cronulla Sharks own their own ground hence why its been hard getting rid of them (woohoo). They may be cash poor, but are asset rich owning a lot of property in the area.

Anyone care to confirm this?

Yeah they do Dru, the only club in the NRL to do so.

 

[druzik]

Yeah they do Dru, the only club in the NRL to do so.

Thanks!

 

[franklin2323]

I am pretty sure the Cronulla Sharks own their own ground hence why its been hard getting rid of them (woohoo). They may be cash poor, but are asset rich owning a lot of property in the area.

Anyone care to confirm this?

Yep. If they got desperate they could sell the that land it would be worth close to $50m. Take the ANZ Stadium offer & get $100k per game. They would be out of the local area bur be swimming in money.

 

[taipan]

Wish it were so simple,as a Cronulla shark's member,the facts are the Bankers value the assets including the ground at $8.5m.The club has a loan of $12m thereabouts.Thanks in parts to silly pay outs to sacked coaches.in effect if the devlopment flops,the Bank can take over the assets.
That is the whole reasoning behind their development proposal,to clear the debt and to be cash positive.
Expect a decision April/may from govt planning this year.Privatisation is another faint possibility.
Should the club get the go ahead,they will become one of the strongest finacnailly viable clubs in the NRL.

 

[druzik]

Wish it were so simple,as a Cronulla shark's member,the facts are the Bankers value the assets including the ground at $8.5m.The club has a loan of $12m thereabouts.Thanks in parts to silly pay outs to sacked coaches.in effect if the devlopment flops,the Bank can take over the assets.
That is the whole reasoning behind their development proposal,to clear the debt and to be cash positive.
Expect a decision April/may from govt planning this year.Privatisation is another faint possibility.
Should the club get the go ahead,they will become one of the strongest finacnailly viable clubs in the NRL.

I hope that happens! Be a shame to loose my club.

 

[Coastbloke]

Interesting comment in todays SMH re International rugby league..

Here is the link:

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-to-a-whole-new-ball-game-20120209-1rx49.html

Here is a excerpt of the paragraph I mention:

THE GRASSROOTS

As the code's single controlling body, the commission will be responsible for fostering, developing and funding the game from junior level to international football. Some of those responsibilities will be delegated to state bodies and ARL Development but the commission will liase with the Rugby League International Federation and governing bodies in other countries to grow and promote the game around the world. ''Under this structure we have independent people deciding the future of the game, for the whole game - from the under eights, who play on the Gold Coast, to international rugby league,'' Searle said. ''Even going back to the game's origins in 1908, we have never had one body that basically looked after the game from the cradle to the grave.''


​

 

[roughyedspud]

as long as they work with the RLIF and not try to take over.........lets see how it pans out

 

[RL1908]

Aust Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant...

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...to-fear-from-afl/story-e6frep5x-1226268586644

"One of the benefits we have over AFL is that we have international competition. You can talk about whether its competitive or not. We need to work to make it more competitive."

 

[roughyedspud]

very good.......

 

[roughyedspud]

well done john grant for giving gallop the boot

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...own-as-arlc-boss/story-e6frexnr-1226384809913

"The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) today announced that the Board and Mr David Gallop had come to a mutual agreement that will see Mr Gallop stepping down from his role as CEO of the Commission, effective immediately.

ARL Commission Chairman, Mr John Grant, indicated that the Commission was put in place to bring a fresh approach to the way the game can be envisioned, structured and governed. It is the single controlling body and administrator of the game and the trustee for Rugby League in Australia. Its responsibility is equally to the future as the present.

"David understands the need for a fresh approach. Taking this into account and with the interests of the game at heart, the Board and David have reached an agreement that the game needs a different style of leadership detached from the past for the next stage of its development,” Mr Grant said.

 

[geordiesaint]

It's got nothing to do with showing how limited the Ingerlish game is. It's because northerners are just whiney, miserable sods who simply can't stand that Australia has taken the game and made into something of significance, which they could never do. But if you want to go down that route, at least the game is actually big on the eastern seaboard. RL is number one in about two towns in Ingerlund. And it's not even mildly popular in the north east so claiming it's a northern game isn't even that accurate. It's an M62 game if anything. Maybe if the RFL had bought the Racecourse Ground we'd still have a Welsh SL team instead of buying Odsal so that a supposedly big Ingerlish club can survive. Just shows how committed the RFL is to anywhere outside the M62. Wrexham misses out by about 30 miles. So instead of criticising a yet to exist organisation about the game in Australia maybe you need to worry more about your own very small, dirty backyard.

Are you Gary Schofield in disguise? We've had quite a lengthy debate over here in the UK about this topic. RL is NOT an M62 based game. SL is heavily dominated by M62-based sides as is the Championship. However, Championship 1 is very different with sides based in every area of the country next season onwards. Underneath that structure, the game is taking off across the UK with participation levels increasing everywhere; in the juinior game, amateur game and significantly in the university leagues.

You quote the Northeast; I used to play up there at club and university. Yes the game doesn't compete with football but is becoming much stronger with new sides springing up every season. When I went to uni in Newcastle in 1999, there were hardly any. Now the game is being to thrive. It's great to see! League in the UK is realistically only 17 years old, apart from the traditional heartlands. Some great development work is taking place and we are getting stronger. Yes, we struggle for exposure, not surprising considering we are an unfashionable sport and have to compete against football and RU. But the game is gradually improving. It will take time, but RL in the UK is growing everywhere!

Back on topic, you could probably split the international game into three parts: Tier 1 - Big three nations, Tier 2 - Other nations, France, Pacific Island sides etc, Tier 3 - Developing nations e.g. Serbia, Denmark etc. A key area to develop would be getting the tier 2 and 3 sides to play each other more often, especially the tier 2 sides as at that standard, it is highly competitive; the 2008 RLWC was a great example fo that. The tier 1 nations should also play against the tier 2 sides at times to increase their exposure to the big time, other than just the Four Nations. However, our international game has the potential to be a real asset, if financed and utilised properly. I hope the new IC, RFL and the RLIF can make inroads into making this a reality.