Tooheys Challenge

[Steel Saints]

A lot of lower grade players still need to work during the week, not sure playing weekdays/weeknights would be good for them

The NSW Cup has 12 teams, Qld Cup, 14. You could rotate the teams playing on Monday night. For example, after 6 rounds, all of the NSW Cup teams would've played on Monday night.

 

[Colk]

Loads of league players make a million a year and the salary cap is going up all the time

it won’t be too long before players get 2 million plus pa

They are not getting paid hundreds of millions of year and we don’t have the talent and depth of squads that the top English and European soccer clubs have.

 

[Colk]

A lot of lower grade players still need to work during the week, not sure playing weekdays/weeknights would be good for them

Agree. In a perfect world reserve grade players would be earning around $200k. You could play reserve grade games during the week and pretty much have a game on every day/night

However that scenario is not very likely

 

[Captain Apollo]

NRL puts US game on ice, Dragons to face Super League champions

The NRL remains keen to take a competition game to the United States, but ran out of time to do so for 2023.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Blues Riff]

If there's another trophy up for grabs, we're in.
Also, it's an outrage that PENRITH are ineligible for the Charity Shield.

 

[Marshall_magic]

We're going to kill these guys if we We're expected them to play February through November every year.

And before any dingbat says 'they only play 80 minutes a week for hundreds of $$, I work 96 hours a week lifting fridges for $2.50 an hour', f**k off.

Back in my day players played 80 minutes a day for 58 weeks of the year.

 

[siv]

NAB Cup in VFL is not actually a preseason trophy

Just a marketing name for 2 rounds of trials

If your smart you would do something like this

Top 8 teams have a round 1 bye, where games like Charity Shield could be played

Then Bottom 8 plus Dolphins and Top 4 Qld Cup clubs, Bears, Jets, and NZ Cup premiers play in a 8 game knockout. Matches drawn out lotto style

8 winners play last years Top 8. Matches drawn out lotto style

A 3rd week of trials for the QF round

Then during 1st SOO split round you play 2 SF games WNF, ThuNF

2nd SOO split round play the Final

 

[Smug Panther]

In fact when the NFL wanted to add an 18th regular season game to the schedule, the NFLPA only agreed to it if the NFL pre-season was reduced from 4 games a year to 2. Both the NFL and the players recognised you can't just keep adding games, not if you want your best players available for much of the season.

Also, suggesting you rotate your squad more to accommodate this pre-season competition, why would I want to watch some bog players who are not up to first grade standard play? Also when you consider injuries and the like, a 30 player squad won't be big enough or have enough quality in it to make up for resting "star" players during the regular season. Then add in the whingeing that will occur in the media about players being rested - if you think this won't happen with the likes of Channel 9 and News Ltd, then you are dreaming.

Agree with the general point but Americans are pussies

 

[T-Boon]

League might have a deep potential player pool but they are not ready to go right now.

Look at the BBL - some of the players there are absolute rubbish and it's impacted the quality of that tournament which has impacted bums on seats and eyes on screens.

No that is not the problem. T20 being a totally dog shit sport is the problem.

 

[Last Week]

I love the NRLs thinking.

Everyone - "International footy is great, and the Nines was fun too. Can we have more of that?"

NRL - "How about no, and we give you a pre season competition that no body asked for?"

 

[Smug Panther]

I love the NRLs thinking.

Everyone - "International footy is great, and the Nines was fun too. Can we have more of that?"

NRL - "How about no, and we give you a pre season competition that no body asked for?"

Losers like us on LU love nines but did the general public?

 

[Last Week]

Losers like us on LU love nines but did the general public?

Yes.

 

[The Great Dane]

I don't really see any demand for it, but I guess that a pre-season comp could be successful.

What I don't get is why you'd rush to squash it into this preseason instead of giving yourself time to plan and promote it properly by launching it in 2024/25. Throwing it together at the last minute and hoping it works just seems like a bad idea on the face of it.

I also think including a single SL side is probably a missed opportunity.

I can see the utility in having an equal number of teams, and it's smart to include the WCC as part of the preseason comp to avoid the Premiers having to play an extra game in the preseason. However, if you're going to go down that route anyway you may as well really embrace it and use the inclusion of some of the stronger SL sides as a point of difference to draw some interest in the comp.

 

[siv]

I love the NRLs thinking.

Everyone - "International footy is great, and the Nines was fun too. Can we have more of that?"

NRL - "How about no, and we give you a pre season competition that no body asked for?"

You have to wonder whats the purpose of these announcements by the NRL

Today we have 2 rounds of trials

Other than St Helens filling in as the 18th team while they play their WCC playing and a warmup game

Its exactly the same as last year

Bar they want a 2w trials sponsor

 

[Perth Red]

You have to wonder whats the purpose of these announcements by the NRL

Today we have 2 rounds of trials

Other than St Helens filling in as the 18th team while they play their WCC playing and a warmup game

Its exactly the same as last year

Bar they want a 2w trials sponsor

just more spin like we get a lot of out of NRLHQ these days.
Like I said the only reason to bother is to stop people cancelling their streaming subscriptions. So sit down with Fox and ask them what its worth to them to do something more substantial in Nov and Jan/Feb.

 

[Canard]

Did this even come from the NRL officially? I've only read one article about it.

 

[siv]

Did this even come from the NRL officially? I've only read one article about it.

I see it as a way to keep people talking NRL in the off season

Come up with a controvserial idea and leak it through the media

Been happening for last 3 to 5 years

 

[T-Boon]

I prefer a good nines comp (nines but with my rule changes) over a few weeks about 3 weeks before the NRL big prize money that goes to the players.

 

[JamesRustle]

If there's another trophy up for grabs, we're in.
Also, it's an outrage that PENRITH are ineligible for the Charity Shield.

Penrith wouldn't donate the game proceeds to charity.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Did this even come from the NRL officially? I've only read one article about it.

Nope. Only the article from the SMH about it, and it cites the St Helens website about the scheduling of the WCC.