How many games do they need to play? At this point it seems 16 games. So you can still do exactly what you have said, and then use last seasons finishing positions to work out how to play 3 games against each of the other 2 conferences for a total of 16. So you still get a bit of international flair, but the bread and butter are local derbies.

The conference system should have always been a NFL style one. Where you play everybody in your conference twice. Maybe have 2-3 games vs the other conferences each year eg last years finishing spots 1,3,5 play the other 2 conferences 1,3,5, and reversed for the 2,4,6 teams. This would provide a nice 16 game season. But most importantly, it would mean 10 of the games each team plays would be relevant to the local audiences due to them being local derbies. And those long trips away would be minimised. But a nice mix of overseas teams to add some variety and be a good test to see how each conference is doing standard wise against others. It should also mean that all conference winners will have a winning record.

What I can’t believe they stuffed the conference system up as much as they have, and even removing teams going forward, I don’t believe it fixes what needs to be fixed, which is more local derbies to re-engage the support in each country.

I think another problem for Newcastle is that the smarter people tend to move to Sydney for work. Thus losing there connection to Newcastle. These are the sorts of people who would be great on the Newcastle board. People with the right connections, understand business etc. Successful boards have this, and are able to direct the club well.

Not to mention that Newcastle needs to encourage similar things to the Broncos and have supporter groups like the thoroughbreds who will help the club with 3rd party agreements. Thats much easier with a strong board.

Peter Fitzsimmons wrote something similar in regards to drinking. Its hard cause the guys are young and want to enjoy life like mates who don’t play NRL. But with limited opportunities and no lack of people willing to enjoy there company when on the drink and the cocoon a lot of players can live in especially if they are a star player throughout there journey to becoming a NRL player, it can be a quick trip from a social drink to a lot of trouble.

There is no answer other than more education, and lots of resources and support systems to give players options. Like the NFL who has these problems on a weekly basis, some players will just continue to do whatever they feel. And given the backgrounds of a lot of these players there may be more to what is happening than just bad decision making which the outsider sees at face value.

The whole spine needs a revamp. Starting with a good hooker, and a halfback who can kick well.

I don’t get why everybody is attacking the messenger. Really it comes down to the NRL being responsible for players welfare. I don’t agree with the premise that is being proposed. But there are ways to combat this like Rugby Union is doing by penalising players properly for high tackles by sending them to the bin. Not putting them on report so they get a punishment later.

Other things to consider is that players who are concussed should have the ability to be replaced by an 18th man. But by electing to do this, then you must consider the player who goes off should automatically sit out the next week. It would stop a lot of the abuse of this sort of system.

Des needs to bite the bullet and try new things. The cattle he has isn’t able to play the style of footy that wins games this year. That or the players have been programmed to play within themselves too much, which can be hard to get out of when it’s ingrained in you.

So new blood and a little old Steve Folkes let the backs do their thing and just ensure the forwards set the platform is the best way to go.

I think at least Des should see out the year. Let him reassess how this team can go forward, and maybe the team can get to playing a style looking towards next year.

The easiest way is just to go the Union route of 10mins in the sin bin for the first offense. Sent off for the second offense in a match. You watch how quickly tackling styles change when you are likely to put your team at a disadvantage if you go too high and stuff it up.

As a more casual watcher of the sport, I’d like to see the game move to conferences more like the NFL experience.

Australian conference with all 5 Aussie teams
NZ conference with 5 teams
2xSA conferences with 4 teams each all up (3 SA teams and 1 each of the Argies/Japs.)

So not changing a lot.

But the home conference would play each other twice, and then play another on a rotating basis each year. The two SA conferences would make up the extra “conference” games by playing the team who finished last season in that position again twice. This would then make for a short season of 13 games. Conference winners qualify automatically like they do now, with the next best 4 records qualifying for the finals. 4 week finals. Similar to now the team with the best record hosts the game.

It also allows for some expansion in future by adding to the SA conferences. But even better it means a lot of variation in opponents each season. But drawing on the local derby aspect to underpin the game. It will also mean each week there is at least one local derby to put on TV thus ensuring the local audiences always have that game they have to watch. Maybe that can always be played on a Sunday afternoon to give families the best opportunity to attend the game in favourable conditions.

It’s a sort of win/win situation for the game. More relevant matches for local audiences. Less travel costs reducing money required to fly teams around.

It doesn’t seem like a big change, but does it really need to be a big change? It just requires tweaking to get what each country needs.

Yeah, it really works for Super Rugby clubs. less games doesn’t mean more demand for the matches. In reality it just comes down to a lot of factors in why people don’t go to a game. Weather, match up, form.

It may improve when the stadium is rebuilt.

We can chuck in Eastwood as well.

And the Rugby League world cup allows for the same heritage players that this competition does. It might just be that there is a better/bigger pool of players to pick from so the drop off in quality isn’t as large, so it’s much easier to play your best and get that win.

With an automatic week of rest if they don’t return. It’s not that easy.

I like that. It would stop the abuse as well as show the NRL is looking after a players welfare. Geez if you get knocked out in boxing you have to sit out a month. So 1 week is nothing.

That would be perfect for the NRL. It would mean that players wouldn’t be going so high in the tackle to wrap up the ball. Meaning more attacking footy. They would be too scared to go high if they are going to get 10 in the bin. Though 10mins seems a bit long. I like the ice hockey way of until that team scores or 10mins. Whichever comes first.

The problem is that the independent commission as the game wants it setup, will be elected by clubs. This can have the effect of clubs dictating certain conditions, which may not be good to for the game at these levels, and make players look at other options like playing overseas for more coin, as that extra money for the top players (via Tests and Origins) is just not available, not to mention the removing of the challenge of testing yourself in representative sides. Similar things happen in AFL that made the AFL version of SoO dissapear, and I could see the same thing happening in Rugby League (not so bad in the Test arena, but still quite possible).

As for Michael C, mate I haven’t see so many AFL reporters who are clueless about Rugby League, write articles about the sport that project a very negative imagine of it in such a sport period of time. If you can’t see that as an AFL loving media, then heaven help you.

The NRL can have an independent commission, and it is in the works but just having some resistance from guys who have been riding the gravy train for way too long. But the big problem is, that unlike AFL, we have multiple levels to our code, so you don’t want the independent commission elected by clubs, to run the Australian team or the SoO series, so there still will be a difference in how incidents at a representative level are treated, compared to normal week to week NRL games.

These sorts of incidents are rare in the game, but the AFL loving media are trying to use it as an example of how this must occur every week in League, and getting on there high horses saying it doesn’t happen in AFL, when it does, just in a different manner, and not as easy to see as most are off the ball incidents which are not captured on the TV screens, while in League, the TV shows all the play very well, so it is much harder to miss.

The difference is spiro, that Tahu actually had a clause in his contract which allowed him to do what he did. SBW didn’t and also just walked out mid season. I am sure the reaction in Union would have been much different if Tahu walked about halfway through the Super 14 season.

I think they need to look to the USA for ideas.

Luxury taxes may be a better model, where if you go over the cap, then you have to pay an amount equivalent ot the amount you went over the cap to the league, which is then divided up amongst the teams less well off.

I could see many of the bigger teams spending over the cap, and thus keeping the Nth Qld, Newcastle and CC boys afloat.

Though you also need to have a trigger that allows the salary cap to go up as well, a percentage of total revenue could be the key to this.

Glad that Parra is in form at the moment, as the Dogs have a pretty easy run into the semi’s, and need some of those teams to lift there game so the Dogs can be tested properly, and come into the Semi’s with the right attitude.

Love the title of the article…

Yep, agree. Build decent rectangular stadiums, and not only will you pull International Fixtures for football (soccer), I would think there is a much higher likelihood of League and Union bringing big matches that way as well.

Geez you would think the Knights would have a look at clubs like the Roosters who appointed Fittler when he hadn’t done the hard yards in the lower grades coaching a team. I think if the Knights appoint Matt Johns, they are doomed to failure.

Yeah, and how was it dealt with? The players where sent to the sin bin.

How does it work in AFL? They remain on the field.

Way to punish the players. NRL has it right.

I think this article sums up my thoughts better than any article I have seen so far…

AFL know-nothings take free shot at league
Article from: The Sunday Mail (Qld)

By Mike Colman

July 19, 2009 12:00am

IT was four years ago. Round 3 of the AFL season and the Lions were playing a televised match against St Kilda.

The Saints’ golden boy Nick Riewoldt fell awkwardly and broke his collarbone. As he tried to recover a long way from the ball, Lions players Chris Scott and Mal Michael took turns to shoulder-charge him until the 22-year-old collapsed in agony. He was helped from the field and sat weeping on the sideline.

I wrote a column at the time saying it was a bad look for the AFL. That it was brutal and bullying and thuggery. Those who know a lot more about Australian football than I do — and that is pretty much everyone who follows it — suggested I shut up and get back into my tree.

“It’s just part of the game,” I was told.

Fair enough. If that’s what they reckon, I have to believe them. But it was still a bad look for the game.

Just as the closing minutes of Origin III were a bad look for rugby league. If you don’t know anything about the game.

I reckon the worst thing to come out of Origin wasn’t the sight of Brett White landing one on Steve Price’s chin. It wasn’t Justin Hodges calling out Trent Barrett or Mick Crocker trying to get his hands on Michael Ennis.

It was the free shot it gave to every know-nothing supporter of other codes who have taken great delight in sinking the boot into rugby league.

At the risk of being labelled a copy-cat, it’s just part of the game.

It’s not a part that happens every week or even every season. There hasn’t been a scene like that for the best part of a decade. But occasionally it happens.

Like in 2005 when Mal Michael and Chris Scott cruelly targeted — or as Michael put it “tested out” — Riewoldt’s shattered collar-bone.

I read two columns by AFL writers on Friday in which they said incidents such as the toe-to-toe fight between White and Price didn’t happen in their game.

They’re probably right. When Barry Hall smashed Brent Staker and Ben Rutten he wasn’t standing in front of them. They weren’t able to protect themselves. They never saw it coming.

Both writers boasted of the way Hall had been forced out of their game earlier this month. Congratulations and welcome to the real world. Rugby league got rid of Les Boyd and Bob Cooper 25 years ago.

One writer said the two minutes at the end of Origin III illustrated why rugby league would never spread outside Queensland and NSW and take root in that civilised haven of brotherly love, Victoria.

That’s the same Victoria which was sickened this week by vision of an innocent young man being beaten senseless in a Melbourne fast food outlet.

The other columnist went so far as to use that shocking incident as a means to ask: “Is what we saw in Brisbane on Wednesday night linked to some of the stuff that goes on in our streets?”

It’s a fair question, but it would be a lot fairer if he included one-off outbreaks of emotion-charged violence that pop up in other codes, including AFL, as well.

Price and White aren’t serial on-field thugs who can’t control themselves like Hall, Boyd or Cooper. Price said on Friday it was the first fight he’d had in his 14-year career and, after losing in a KO, his last.

Same with Johnathan Thurston, Sam Thaiday, Trent Waterhouse and Ben Creagh, the players who were sent-off, sin-binned or placed on report during the match. They’re not dirty. Just passionate.

It was one of those games where the players wanted to win so much and were so swept away in the emotion and intensity of a brilliant night of football that they reacted like . . . well, like footballers.

Despite what those who are death-riding league might say, what we saw on Wednesday night wasn’t a cancer eating away at the code’s soul. It wasn’t even a pimple.

It was just part of the game.

It’s only on in NSW ABC.