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Eric Grothe in action during the NRL round 5, Parramatta Eels v Canberra Raiders. AAP Image/Action Photographics, Grant Trouville
An idea that deserves serious consideration by the proposed Independent Commission is that of splitting the NRL into two divisions of twelve clubs each. So how would a two division NRL work and how would it be come about?
Of the sixteen current NRL clubs, the four least popular Sydney clubs would be relegated to the second division.
If 2010 crowd statistics were used to determine popularity, Cronulla, Sydney Roosters, Penrith and Manly would be facing demotion. To these four, add the expansion hopefuls, North Sydney/Central Coast Bears and Perth Reds.
The final six sides of the second division would come from the Queensland Cup or NSW Cup.
The divisions might look something like this:
Division 1 Division 2
Brisbane Cronulla
Canterbury Sydney Roosters
Wests Tigers Penrith
Parramatta Manly
St George Illawarra Perth
Melbourne North Sydney/Central Coast
South Sydney Redcliffe
Gold Coast Ipswich
North Queensland Sunshine Coast
Canberra Logan
Newcastle Central Queensland
New Zealand Newtown
The second division would be funded partly by using the existing club grants of the four demoted Sydney teams (around $14million per year) and allocating them equally to the twelve second-division teams.
There would be many advantages to a structure such as this:
* The twelve-team divisions would allow for a true home-and-away season to be played over 22 rounds.
* It would allow for expansion of professional rugby league in a lower risk fashion. Bringing in expansion sides straight into the top tier is an expensive and risky strategy, as the AFL are finding. A second division team could be a way to build grassroots support for the code in foreign territories such as Perth without a huge drain on resources.
* It would improve the quality of the first division as all the elite players gravitate to Division 1 sides.
* It would provide a future other than relocation or mergers for a number of Sydney clubs whose viability in the top division is questionable.
* It would bolster professional rugby league in Queensland, which is currently under-represented in the NRL (particularly the south-east corner).
* In time, some method of promotion/relegation between the divisions might be introduced to allow ambitious and successful clubs from the second tier to make their way into the top tier.
The proposal is not without disadvantages or uncertainties, however:
* The relegation of the four Sydney clubs is contentious and certain to cause anguish
* How would this new structure affect the broadcasting contract? Would the pay-TV operator be willing to forego the right to broadcast the worst two games from each round in the current format in exchange for all or most games of the second division?
The main unknown, of course, is whether the public will have significant interest in the second Division to keep it viable. We will never know unless it happens.
However, there are some indications that they would – both the Toyota Cup under-20 competition (Foxsports) and Queensland Cup (ABC Queensland) rate reasonably well given both competitions receive only modest media exposure and promotion.
The path of least resistance for the Independent Commission would be to put the problem of the game’s expansion into the too-hard basket.
But they should have a duty to consider this important problem, and make a decision that will serve rugby league best over the next ten, twenty, and fifty years.
Simply tacking on two new teams to the NRL every five or so years may not be the best way to do it. A second division must be worth considering.
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