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With the end of the NRL season fast approaching, rugby league fans are dreading the arduous wait for 2018 kick-off over the summer break.
Sure there’s tennis, cricket, NFL and the A-League but those who couldn’t care for anything except the 13-man code are left in the dark for months on end.
What if there was something to whet the appetite of rugby league fans over the summer? Could an NRL Summer League work?
Imagine this: eight teams representing rugby league starved cities go head-to-head over a nine-week period, giving burgeoning rugby league stars an opportunity to trial for an NRL contract.
But no one wants to watch in the 40 degree heat? A Sunday afternoon is nice in July but in January, no thank you.
To combat the harsh Australian sun, every game will be played under lights with kick-off at 8pm local four nights a week. Each match will be split into four 15-minute quarters.
Yes, all the NRL stars like Johnathan Thurston, Cameron Smith and Shaun Johnson will be on much deserved breaks but rugby league fans will be introduced to the next batch of stars coming up through the lower grades.
To make this concept as exciting as possible, the game will be nine-a-side to encourage fast, expansive, attacking football. Essentially it will be a glorified version of the Auckland Nines.
Where is the talent going to come from and what will the teams look like?
Brisbane are currently only represented by one team in the NRL and with a population of over two million in a die-hard rugby league town, they deserve more rugby league. For this example we will use the working title of Brisbane Bombers (please don’t slaughter me). The Bombers will draw talent from the Ipswich Jets, Norths Devils, Souths Logan Magpies and Wynnum Manly Seagulls playing home games at Suncorp Stadium.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
How about this for a line-up: 1. Jamayne Isaako (Souths Logan Magpies), 2. Michael Purcell (Ipswich Jets), 3. Matiu Love-Henry (Wynnum Manly Seagulls), 4. Jaydn Su’A (Souths Logan Magpies), 5. Marion Seve (Ipswich Jets), 6. Shaun Nona (Wynnum Manly Seagulls), 7. Travis Waddell (Souths Logan Magpies), 8. Nathaniel Neale (Ipswich Jets), 9. Mitchell Dodds (Wynnum Manly Seagulls)
Reserves: Stephen Coombe (Norths Devils), Mitchell Frei (Wynnum Manly Seagulls), Delouise Hoeter (Norths Devils), Sam Lavea (Souths Logan Magpies), Todd Murphy (Norths Devils), Daniel Ogden (Wynnum Manly Seagulls), Richard Pandia (Ipswich Jets), Sebastian Pandia (Ipswich Jets), Sam Scarlett (Souths Logan Magpies)
Also from the sunshine state are the Rockhampton Bulls comprised the CQ Capras, Mackay Cutters and Papua New Guinea Hunters. They will play all games out of Browne Park giving the rugby league heartland of Central Queensland someone other than the abysmal Capras to cheer for.
1. Stargroth Amean (Papua New Guinea Hunters), 2. Ken Tofilau (CQ Capras), 3. Luke George (CQ Capras), 4. Nixon Putt (Papua New Guinea Hunters), 5. Adex Wera (Papua New Guinea Hunters), 6. Ase Boas (Papua New Guinea Hunters), 7. Wartovo Puara (Papua New Guinea Hunters), 8. Braden Uele (Mackay Cutters), 9. Jack Kavanagh (CQ Capras)
Reserves: Bland Abavu (Papua New Guinea Hunters), Wellington Albert (Papua New Guinea Hunters), Yamba Bowie (Mackay Cutters), Nicho Hynes (Mackay Cutters), Krys Freeman (CQ Capras), Enoch Maki (Papua New Guinea Hunters), Willie Minoga (Papua New Guinea Hunters), Setaimata Sa (Mackay Cutters), Tony Tumusa (CQ Capras)
Joining them will be the Sunshine Coast Dolphins, playing out of Sunshine Coast Stadium. With representatives from the Easts Tigers, Redcliffe Dolphins and Sunshine Coast Falcons they will field a strong team.
1. Jahrome Hughes (Sunshine Coast Falcons), 2. Matthew Soper-Lawler (Sunshine Coast Falcons), 3. Joe Stimson (Sunshine Coast Falcons), 4. Aaron Whitchurch (Redcliffe Dolphins), 5. Justin Olam (Sunshine Coast Falcons), 6. Billy Walters (Easts Tigers), 7. Tom Butterfield (Easts Tigers), 8. Tui Kamikamica (Sunshine Coast Falcons), 9. Mark Nicholls (Easts Tigers)
Reserves: Jack Ahearn (Redcliffe Dolphins), Sam Anderson (Redcliffe Dolphins), Jake Foster (Easts Tigers), Charlie Galo (Easts Tigers), Guy Hamilton (Sunshine Coast Falcons), Matthew Lodge (Redcliffe Dolphins), Jarrod McInally (Easts Tigers), Brandon Smith (Sunshine Coast Falcons), Thompson Teteh (Redcliffe Dolphins)
For those lying south of the Tweed, the perfect storm will emerge with the return of the Bears giving Central Coast rugby league fans something to watch through the Central Coast Bears. Their line-up consists of Newcastle Knights, North Sydney Bears and Wyong Roos players. The Bears will out of Central Coast Stadium taking a fourth home game to Allianz Stadium in Sydney.
1. Luke Sharpe (Wyong Roos), 2. Tom Hughes (Newcastle Knights), 3. Matt Ikuvalu (Wyong Roos), 4. Nat Butcher (Wyong Roos), 5. Abbas Miski (North Sydney Bears), 6. Mitch Cornish (Wyong Roos), 7. Mitch Williams (Wyong Roos), 8. Eloni Vunakece (Wyong Roos), 9. Clayton Williams (North Sydney Bears)
Reserves: Adam Doueihi (North Sydney Bears), Fred Mauala (North Sydney Bears), Nick Meaney (Newcastle Knights), Sitiveni Moceidreke (North Sydney Bears), Piki Rogers (North Sydney Bears), Toby Rudolf (North Sydney Bears), Tom Starling (Newcastle Knights), Justin Toomey-White (Wyong Roos), Johnny Tuivasa-Sheck (Wyong Roos)
Up next are the Northern Territory Rangers formed of the Northern Pride, Townsville Blackhawks, Tweed Heads Seagulls and Wentworthville Magpies. Matches will be played out of Anzac Oval in Alice Springs as TIO Stadium and TIO Traeger Oval are unavailable due to the cricket season.
1. Scott Schulte (Wentworthville Magpies), 2. Gideon Gela-Mosby (Northern Pride), 3. Jack Morris (Wentworthville Magpies), 4. Blake Leary (Townsville Blackhawks), 5. Jonathon Reuben (Townsville Blackhawks), 6. Kyle Laybutt (Townsville Blackhawks), 7. Kierran Moseley (Townsville Blackhawks), 8. Ben Nakubuwai (Tweed Heads Seagulls), 9. Francis Molo (Townsville Blackhawks)
Reserves: Carlin Anderson (Townsville Blackhawks), Jordan Biondi-Odo (Northern Pride), Carne Doyle-Manga (Tweed Heads Seagulls), John Folau (Wentworthville Magpies), Marcus Jensen (Northern Pride), Lamar Liolevave (Tweed Heads Seagulls), Lindon McGrady (Tweed Heads Seagulls), Cody Nelson (Wentworthville Magpies), Sheldon Powe-Hobbs (Northern Pride)
New Zealand will receive two teams. The first of which being the South Island Scorpions represented by the Burleigh Bears, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles. The Scorpions are based out of AMI Stadium in Christchurch.
1. Brad Abbey (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 2. Reimis Smith (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 3. Rhyse Martin (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 4. Renouf To’omaga (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 5. Peter Schuster (Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles), 6. Josh Cleeland (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 7. Zac Woolford (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 8. Andy Saunders (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 9. Luke Page (Burleigh Bears)
Reserves: Tom Amone (Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles), Connor Broadhurst (Burleigh Bears), Jamal Fogarty (Burleigh Bears), Rod Griffin (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Jackson Hastings (Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles), Richard Kennar (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), Kurtis Rowe (Burleigh Bears), Hayden Schwass (Burleigh Bears), Matt White (Burleigh Bears)
They will have a rival in the Wellington Orcas made up of the Mt Pritchard Mounties, Newtown Jets and the Warriors. Home games will be held at Westpac Stadium although if unavailable due to cricket, the franchise may have to be relocated to New Plymouth in Taranaki. A rivalry match between the Scorpions and Orcas will be played in Dunedin each year.
1. Zac Santo (Warriors), 2. Leigh Higgins (Newtown Jets), 3. Scott Sorensen (Mounties), 4. Jack Murchie (Mounties), 5. Edrick Lee (Newtown Jets), 6. Mason Lino (Warriors), 7. Erin Clark (Mounties), 8. Makahesi Makatoa (Mounties), 9. Charlie Gubb (Warriors)
Reserves: Kurt Dillon (Newtown Jets), Sam Duggan (Mounties), Royce Hunt (Mounties), Jaimin Jolliffe (Newtown Jets), Alofi Mataele (Mounties), Junior Pauga (Warriors), Reubenn Rennie (Newtown Jets), Jason Schirnack (Newtown Jets), Jazz Tevaga (Warriors)
Finally, the golden west will be represented through the West Coast Pirates. Home games are at nib Stadium with players drawn from Illawarra, Penrith Panthers and Wests Tigers as well as representatives from the WARL.
1. Jai Field (Illawarra), 2. Maika Sivo (Penrith Panthers), 3. Josh Kerr (Illawarra), 4. Jake Marketo (Illawarra), 5. Patrick Herbert (Illawarra), 6. Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers), 7. Mitch Rein (Penrith Panthers), 8. Oliver Clark (Penrith Panthers), 9. Junior Tatola (Wests Tigers)
Reserves: Mason Cerruto (Penrith Panthers), Delane Edwards (Fremantle Roosters), JJ Felise (Wests Tigers), Siliva Havili (Illawarra), Watson Heleta (Wests Tigers), Jordan Jacob (South Perth Lions), Luciano Leilua (Illawarra), Darren Nicholls (Penrith Panthers), Jarrod Thompson (Fremantle Roosters)
Potential expansion could come in the future with areas such as Adelaide, Cairns, Papua New Guinea and Tasmania all deserving NRL representation while cities such as Melbourne, Newcastle, Western Sydney and Wollongong could also receive a summer franchise.
(AAP/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)
The NRL Summer League will be a broadcasters dream. Cricket’s Big Bash League has become a behemoth both in terms of TV ratings and attendance. Fox League and Nine Network would jump at the chance to broadcast live rugby league during the summer period and the Summer League could add another dimension to broadcasts of the NRL.
With seven regular season rounds, the top four will compete in the semi-finals before the grand final is to be held at Suncorp Stadium on Australia Day.
There are opportunities for big games to be scheduled on holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s or if the competition was extended into February, possibly Waitangi Day.
An NRL Summer League is a new way to grow the game of rugby league and increase it’s footprint and commercial value. Is it such a bad idea?
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