Western Corridor NRL bid

[joshreading]

It would not be difficult to tell the new NRL Clubs they can sign half their players from NRL and Under 20's and the other players they need to source from elsewhere with incentives to sign them from Union and Super League.

 

[siv]

Interesting idea from the Western Corrider bid

3 pool of 6 teams who play 10 rounds - home and away

Then play everyone else once over 12 rounds

22 rounds 18 teams

How you break up the 3 pools will be interesting - here is a suggestion

Pool A - NQ, Broncos, GC, Brisbane 2, Melbourne, Auckland

Pool B - Newcastle, Perth, Canberra, Parramatta, Penrith, Maggers

Pool C - Easts, Souths, Canterbury, St Merge, Manly, Cronulla

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Did the WC bid really suggest conferences?? thats weird.

They didnt mention the final system (which is the entire point of a conference system) though.

 

[applesauce]

Did the WC bid really suggest conferences?? thats weird.

They didnt mention the final system (which is the entire point of a conference system) though.

Its a division system not conference. It doesn't have to affect anything.

Finals system can stay the same (based off win-loss).

Top 2 from each division get through to the finals no matter what (six of the top 8 filled).

Last 2 spots are wildcards based upon next best remaining records.

Seeding based upon either:
1) win-lose record full-stop, OR
2) ranked by winners of each division making up 1 thru 3 based off win-lose record; rank runners up of each division in positions 4 thru 6 based off best record and then last two spots again off record.

All of these options do not limit potential finals or grand final match ups like American sports do.

What these kinds fo systems do allow for is more rivalry games, more important games and more equity throughout the season as it takes longer for teams to be ruled out of finals contention .

 

[siv]

None of the US NFL conference crap

Just a simple comp table but over 22 rounds with 3 groups of 6 teams

 

[gyallop]

Interesting idea from the Western Corrider bid

3 pool of 6 teams who play 10 rounds - home and away

Then play everyone else once over 12 rounds

22 rounds 18 teams

How you break up the 3 pools will be interesting - here is a suggestion

Pool A - NQ, Broncos, GC, Brisbane 2, Melbourne, Auckland

Pool B - Newcastle, Perth, Canberra, Parramatta, Penrith, Maggers

Pool C - Easts, Souths, Canterbury, St Merge, Manly, Cronulla

That works well as it preserves rivalries.


Pool C sees the old inner Sydney rivals but heads a guaranteed twice a year and Pool B has the 3 western clubs together plus Canberra which isn't a big drive for fans.


If the Sydney clubs cant draw crowds with that we have problems!

 

[joshreading]

I actually prefer a straight 9 and 9 conference, then we get a more historic divide in general. The National City Clubs and the Traditional (ish) Sydney Clubs.

Admittedly, it does not shrink the season a great deal but I think is far more marketable as 'sub competitions' of sorts. The Sydney Clubs can play for the Messenger Shield and create a Sydney Season ticket for the first part of the season (H and A)

 

[Diesel]

Problem with a Sydney/NSW conference is it gives them an advantage over "the others", there is very little travel required. NRL needs to move out of this Sydney-centric thinking, sure the NRL was born out of a Sydney competition but it's no reason to keep giving these clubs an easier ride

 

[Perth Red]

THE timeline for NRL expansion and the chances for a Western Corridor NRL team's admission will not be adversely affected by the resignation of NRL CEO David Smith.

But expansion of the game in Queensland remains an absolute must for the game's future.

That is the view of Western Corridor bid chief Steve Johnson, who said an expanded competition would depend on the content of a 'whole of game review' to be unveiled by NRL strategy chief Shane Richardson.

Smith was on the record before his resignation as saying the NRL had allowed for the addition of an extra team or teams in the new broadcast deal which will kick in from 2018.

The whole of game review will also be looking at the second tier competitions such as the NSW Cup and Queensland's Intrust Super Cup, which is where expansion has taken place and will continue to do so.

There is a view that expansion and consolidation of the second tier is more likely in the short term than NRL expansion.

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Either way, the whole of game review to be unveiled by Richardson is likely to outline a strategy for the future which will make it clearer what the NRL's intentions are with expansion.

"Our problem is that the whole of game review that (former NRL chief operating officer) Jim Doyle started was supposed to be completed in October of 2014 was put on hold when he resigned, and it was then passed onto Shane Richardson," Johnson said.

"Shane has worked on that all of this year and it is still not completed, so we are still waiting on that to be released next year.

"That impacts upon the Intrust Super Cup clubs and how they are funded.

"It also impacts on expansion because it keeps getting put back until they understand the mechanics of the pathways.

"I have no problem with that because I think our game hasn't focussed enough on grass roots."

Johnson, also the Jets chairman, said the game in Queensland still remained under funded so long as the state had just three NRL clubs.

"It is pretty basic when you do the maths because around 40% of all senior players who play rugby league play in Queensland," he said.

"But we have three NRL clubs out of the 14 that play in NSW and the ACT. When you look at the funds allocated across the game, each club gets $7 million-odd, so Queensland clubs are getting $21 million and the other 11 clubs in NSW and the ACT are getting $77 million. That doesn't add up and it means Queensland is doing a lot of grass roots development and funding it, when a lot of the funding should be done by the game. We are getting screwed over in Queensland when it comes to money."

Expansion or relocation. It is a debate that remains ongoing when it comes to the game's future.

"David Smith was a fan of expansion but he was also looking at the relocation of teams because of the difficulties associated with the number of teams in Sydney," Johnson said.

"But (relocation) is an absolute political minefield.

"The Sydney clubs have a sense of entitlement when it comes to the competition because they are part of the showpiece that creates the funding, but at some point in time you will have to look at the whole model.

"The clubs need to be given KPIs and helped to achieve them. But if they continue to fail then their futures are in jeopardy.

"This is a $1 billion dollar business and you can't prop up those who are not sustainable and don't want to work towards being self sustainable."

http://www.qt.com.au/news/queensland-clubs-remain-under-represented-in-nrl-s/2836765/

 

[Perth Red]

Interesting idea from the Western Corrider bid

NRL expansion has been on the table for the past five years and Jets chairman Steve Johnson is adamant he has an 18-team model in a three-conference format which would work a treat.

While the NRL mulls over if and when expansion will take place, a key component of an expanded game will be providing broadcasters with the content they desire while not taxing players in what is already one of the most physically demanding sports in the world.

"There is a view inside the game that the players are playing in too many games each year and you can't compare the game now to days of old," Johnson said.

"Every NRL game is played with the intensity of an Origin game 10 years ago, so the players bodies do get tired.

"So the model we are suggesting is a three-conference competition with six teams in each conference."

In the Johnson model each team in a conference would play each other twice, making 10 games. Each side would then play the other 12 teams once for a 22-game season, two less than the current format.

Two byes could also be factored in allowing for an NRL season shortened by two weeks.

"Ideally from a Queensland point of view, being selfish about it, we would have the four Queensland clubs including the Western Corridor in our conference," he said.

"In our conference we would have the two other clubs that rate highest in Queensland. An arena like Suncorp Stadium deserves big crowds.

"You would play the NRL clubs that don't rate as highly in Queensland, such as Newcastle and Canberra, in their own patch. That would draw big crowds.

"When you are talking about maximising opportunities for the game, there is no point bringing to Suncorp Stadium sides that would get you 23,000 when you can get sides that draw 35,000 to 40,000."

The QT asked Johnson whether other clubs would accept such a model which may appear on the surface to be allowing the Queensland based teams to take all the cream.

"We are not taking all the cream because when you take the big Queensland brands to their grounds they have the chance to play us once a year and maximise their crowds," he said.

As it stands each round has eight games and broadcasters currently screen 192 NRL round games a season over 24 rounds.

Under Johnson's model broadcasters would showcase 198 games a year (with 22 rounds each year and nine games per round).

That tallies to six more games of football for the broadcasters but two less games a year for the players, which Johnson said was a win-win for both parties.

http://www.qt.com.au/news/expanded-nrl-comp-needs-three-conference-format-jo/2836417/

 

[Perth Red]

THE MYTH that there isn't enough talent in the game to sustain an expanded NRL competition has been blown out of the water.
The Western Corridor region has produced a cavalcade of rugby league stars over the decades but right now there are enough outstanding footballers with substantial links to the area to field a side that could win a title.
That is the view of Western Corridor NRL bid boss Steve Johnson, and he has given the QT a list of names to prove it.
While often tagged as an Ipswich bid, the Western Corridor NRL catchment area includes Souths-Logan territory, Ipswich, Toowoomba and west into country areas such as Roma.
Johnson provided a top 17 and a list of players who either played their junior football in the region or Intrust Super Cup for Souths-Logan or Ipswich.
Johnson's list proves you don't have to go back in history to the likes of Allan Langer, the Walters brothers and Peter Ryan to put together a team of superb players from the region.
Johnathan Thurston is a former Souths-Sunnybank junior and attended high school in Toowoomba. Dan Peled Dean Lewins Rob Williams
How does a spine of Anthony Milford, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith sound?
"Those players are all local boys whose talent was developed," Johnson said.
"People who say there is not enough talent for expansion don't understand grass roots rugby league.
"That debate over whether there is enough talent is irrelevant to the Western Corridor bid because we keep generating quality players for the NRL.
"There was an article written for ninesmsn.com about the 10 upcoming best talents in the NRL and three of them - Matt Parcell, Billy McConnachie and Carlin Anderson - were from Ipswich and one, Ash Taylor, is from Toowoomba and his father played for the Jets.
"Cooper Cronk went to school at St Laurence's in South Brisbane, which is right in Souths-Logan territory.
"The QT did yarns with him in 2011 and 2013 where he said he would be keen to come back and join the Western Corridor team
"New Broncos signing Caleb Timu is an Ipswich boy.
"Israel Folau was a Goodna boy. Anthony Milford went to school at St Peter Claver College and Joe Ofahengaue is an Ipswich boy and he still lives here in Collingwood Park.
"JT went to high school in Toowoomba and played junior football for Souths Sunnybank, which is a part of our catchment
"They are all from the Western Corridor, and when you go through the ranks of the NRL there are many others."
Season 2015 was a stellar year for the Ipswich Jets, with six players signed by NRL clubs for next year, so all of those players would be in the mix.
It is remarkable that the Jets have supplied what is a quarter of the full complement of an NRL team's top 25 squad from one premiership winning team.
Because the clubs in the region have proven so successful at developing players, Johnson is adamant that Queensland needs another team to service its young talent to prevent players being forced to relocate.
"All the life issues that are associated with that can be overcome by us getting our own team," he said.
"Of each 10 players that leave the western corridor to fulfil those dreams, eight come back with broken hearts."
The history of a player such as Manly hardman Steve Matai reveals why Johnson has him in the squad.
"We brought him to the Jets as a 17-year-old after we recruited him from New Zealand as a raw talent," Johnson said.
"He got his start here in Ipswich."
The squad Johnson has provided has one of the best backlines the game has to offer and could be a premiership winner if the forwards fired.
"You wouldn't go far off winning it," Johnson grinned. 

WESTERN CORRIDOR TOP 17
(made up of players with substantial links to region)
1. Anthony Milford
2. Antonio Winterstein
3. Kirisome Auva'a
4. Steve Matai
5. Israel Folau
6. Johnathan Thurston
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Joe Ofahengaue
9. Cameron Smith
10. Lama Tasi
11. Caleb Timu
12. Josh Papalii
13. Corey Parker
14. Matt Parcell
15. Billy McConnachie


http://www.qt.com.au/news/what-a-team/2844340/

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

"Hey guys, look at me. Pay attention to me!! guys, come on...."

 

[johnny plath]

are they seriously just taking the piss. I grew up in Logan, and its pretty strong bronco support, so I don't see how this bid suddenly claims logan, sunnybank ffs, south brisbane...seriuously. Didn't broncos just set up an academy in Logan, or in process of building it? Ultimately young players go where there is opportunity, but there is no need to draw such a long bow that that 17 named represents the Western corridor bid. Pretty sure Israel and Winterstein both went to school in Marsden as well, which is Logan central. I think the bid has a lot of work to do to win the hearts of the heartland that they are trying to claim.

 

[CC_Roosters]

The best fit for a club in SEQ would be using the South Qld title and a nickname like the scorpions (colours green and yellow). But I do think basing them primarily at Ipswich for training and admin purposes is a good fit. Tbh ideally I would like to see a third Brisbane side brought in incorporating the dolphins to give the region sufficient representation and break the broncos domination.

I agree with the western corridor bid in that the season structure should change and the main motivation to that is to reduce the number of rounds. 3 divisions or 2 divisions suits that purpose and can be manipulated to give 22 games, but I think another factor should be providing a more elite competition. If we get to 20 teams at some point I would like to see a divisional structure with promotion and relegation. I.e two leagues of 10 teams, maybe call it the NRL premiership and the NRL championship respectively. The draw would be 18x H&A in each league followed by a split based on league position into groups of 5 to play 4 more games to bring it up to 22 total.

-Premiership top 5 fight it out for finals spots which only from 1st to 4th (5th eliminated).
-Premiership finals- GF qualifier 1st v 2nd, Elimination 3rd v 4th, Semi final- loser GFQ v winner elimination.
-Premiership bottom 5 battle to avoid relegation (10th relegated) while 9th enters a playoff final with the winner of the lower division 2nd and 3rd place sides
-Championship top 5 fight for promotion positions, 1st place is league winner and automatically promoted
-Championship bottom 5, a series of cripple fights and develop the youth.

So we have survival of the fittest and teams being punished for poor performance by being relegated and vice versa for excellent years.

 

[Perth Red]

NO, No, no, no...no.

No, that is not what Phil Gould said when NRL strategy chief Shane Richardson found no room for expansion in the next three seasons while announcing his blueprint for the game.

But it was what Ipswich civic leaders had to say in response to the decision.

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale, the patron of the Western Corridor NRL bid, was furious when the NRL decision to postpone expansion was announced.

Cr Pisasale had worked closely with former NRL boss David Gallop on the Ipswich bid and was expecting the Ipswich bid to get the green light to enter the NRL in 2018.

"What is wrong with the NRL? They are behind every other sport in Australia," Cr Pisasale said

"Richo' knows that rugby league is one of the best codes in Australia, but it is now going backwards because of this deferral of expansion.

"The AFL and A-League will go forward because their administrators understand what fans want and are in tune with where their sports should be heading.

"But I am happy to sit down with Shane Richardson at any time and explain why we need a new NRL team in Ipswich and why it will be a success.

"The Ipswich Jets proved this year that we have the players. We have corporate support coming out of our ears and the best facilities in the land.

"We have two readymade coaches in Ben and Shane Walker who can take the game to a level it has never been before as NRL coaches."

Blair MP Shayne Neumann is also keen to discuss the Western Corridor NRL bid with Mr Richardson.

He said the decision to postpone expansion was "short sighted and stupid".

"Ipswich has shown in the last 12 months that it is the home of rugby league here in south-Queensland," he said.

"South-east Queensland and Queensland generally is the home of rugby league in the country.

"Ipswich and the whole western corridor needs, deserves and expects a team and the NRL is opening the doors for other codes.

"The gate is open.

"If they get a premier soccer or AFL team based here then the NRL can blames themselves.

"They have just signed a $1 billion with media outlets to telecast games. They should be looking to actually expand the competition here with the Western Corridor NRL bid, in Central Queensland, the Central Coast of NSW and in Perth."

http://www.qt.com.au/news/pisasale-wants-richardson-to-learn-more-about-city/2882902/

 

[BuffaloRules]

The only people calling for expansion are local and generally unknown politicians.

Why are there not more influential RL identities speaking for it?

Wouldn't a 4th NRL team in QLD benefit the game as a whole in QLD?

Why doesn't the QRL speak out? Wayne Bennett? Meninga? Lockyer?

Just the sounds of silence...

 

[Centralcoastdragon2]

There will be no new NRL teams for 5 years

 

[Perth Red]

The only people calling for expansion are local and generally unknown politicians.

Why are there not more influential RL identities speaking for it?

Wouldn't a 4th NRL team in QLD benefit the game as a whole in QLD?

Why doesn't the QRL speak out? Wayne Bennett? Meninga? Locvkyer?

Just the sounds of silence...

repeat

 

[Perth Red]

The only people calling for expansion are local and generally unknown politicians.

Why are there not more influential RL identities speaking for it?

Wouldn't a 4th NRL team in QLD benefit the game as a whole in QLD?

Why doesn't the QRL speak out? Wayne Bennett? Meninga? Locvkyer?

Just the sounds of silence...

Seriusly? I've been posting media inks featuring prominent RL people calling for expansion for 7 years. Bennett called for a Perth tam years ago but obviously now has a conflict re a second Brisbane due to working for Broncos.

 

[siv]

I think people are giving up on the NRL in respect to expansion

Do we need to go back to protest marches to mark.the NRL standup and take notice