The recent conundrum with Manly and Canberra having their SG Ball & Harold Matthews teams kicked out due to fielding senior teams playing in Queensland has caused outrage within the clubs affected and an outcry for commonsense to prevail from the rest of the rugby league community.
For a long time now the problems surrounding the second and third tier competitions in rugby league has been a hot topic with such pundits such as Phil Gould calling it a sham. I tend to agree and believe an entire overhaul of the second and third tier competitions needs to happen for the good of the game.
The league and inevitably, the Independent Commission, need to work together and in cohesion to make sure everyone in the future is well represented at all levels of the game.
Let’s acknowledge and award regional rugby league clubs. Funds and additional grants for regional clubs which achieve a quota in memberships and demonstrate sound business and football operations during a sustained period of time must be considered.
The constant chop and changing of affiliate clubs has to stop and a clear structure needs to be in place to get the best out of rugby league heartlands in both a football and business sense.
Furthermore a rationalisation of second and third tier competitions in NSW is required, and a regrouping of teams in QLD with each NRL franchise receiving considerable portions of the rugby league landscape.
The clubs are responsible for all their off-field operations but will get assistance from both the NRL and their affiliate NRL franchises for all football operations and junior development.
A model worth looking into which I am proposing is where the second tier competitions are geographically north and south based for NSW, Victorian, SA and NZ teams to limit the travelling costs and time for clubs established in these areas.
Therefore there would essentially be two competitions for the second tier but clubs would only effectively play the opposing teams placed in their leagues.
By regrouping the Q-Cup it means bringing back a Toowoomba side and inviting a PNG development side to contest. A WA development side could also join the comp for an amount of time to further strengthen the game in these areas.
There is no promotion or relegation with this system.
The premiers of each league would play each other on NRL grand final day as part of the under card.
Proposed Model:
Second Tier Southern League (11 teams):
Victoria Thunder – affiliated to Melbourne Storm
Illawarra Steelers – affiliated to St.George/Illawarra Dragons
Sutherland Sharks – affiliated to Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Wagga Wagga – affiliated to Canberra Raiders
Griffith – affiliated to Melbourne Storm
Shellharbour Dragons – affiliated to St.George/Illawarra Dragons
Orange – affiliated to Canberra Raiders
Wentworthville Magpies – affiliated to Parramatta Eels
Western Suburbs Magpies – affiliated to Wests Tigers
Bankstown Bulldogs – affiliated to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
WA Development Team – affiliated to W.A. Reds
2nd Tier Northern League (10 teams):
Hunter Valley – affiliated to Newcastle Knights
Central Coast Grizzlies– affiliated to Central Coast Bears
Port Macquarie – affiliated to Newcastle Knights
Tamworth – affiliated to South Sydney Rabbitohs
Coffs Harbour – affiliated to Sydney Roosters
Auckland Vulcans – affiliated to NZ Warriors
Windsor Wolves – affiliated to Penrith Panthers
Grafton – affiliated to South Sydney Rabbitohs
Newtown Jets – affiliated to Sydney Roosters
Ballina – affiliated to Gold Coast Titans
The 3rd tier competition would be contested between inner Sydney + Central Coast teams.
3rd Tier Intra-Sydney League (10 teams):
North Sydney Bears – affiliated to Central Coast Bears
Sydney Bulls – affiliated to Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Balmain-Ryde Eastwood Tigers – affiliated to Wests Tigers
Cabramatta Two-Blues – affiliated to Parramatta Eels
Belrose Eagles – affiliated to Manly-Warringah Sea-Eagles
The Entrance Tigers – affiliated to Central Coast Bears
Newtown Jets (2nd grade) – affiliated to Sydney Rooster
St. Mary’s – affiliated to Penrith Panthers
South Sydney Rabbitohs (ISL team) – affiliated to South Sydney Rabbitohs
Western Suburbs Magpies (2nd grade) – affiliated to Wests Tigers
The revamped 2nd tier Q-Cup:
2nd Tier QLD-Cup (15 teams)
Burleigh Bears – affiliated to Gold Coast Titans
Central Comets – affiliated Central Queensland NRL Bid + Brisbane Broncos
East Tigers – affiliated to Brisbane Broncos
Ipswich Jets – affiliated to Western Jets NRL Bid + Brisbane Broncos
PNG Development Team – affiliated to PNG NRL Bid + North Queensland Cowboys
Mackay Cutters – affiliated with North Queensland Cowboys
Northern Pride – affiliated with North Queensland Cowboys
Norths Devils – affiliated with Brisbane Broncos
Redcliffe Dolphins – affiliated with Brisbane Broncos
Souths-Logan Magpies – affiliated with Canberra Raiders
Sunshine Coast Sea-Eagles – affiliated with Manly-Warringah Sea-Eagles
Toowoomba – affiliated with Melbourne Storm
Tweed-Heads Seagulls – affiliated with Gold Coast Titans
Wynnum-Manly Seagulls – affiliated with Brisbane Broncos
WA Development Team – affiliated with WA Reds
* Inner regional comps would effectively affiliate themselves with the main NRL team of the area, eg Brisbane League would affiliate with Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast League with Gold Coast Titans and so on.
** Q-Cup: WA & PNG development teams to be funded by NRL and to be based in Queensland the majority of the season.
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