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I’d love to see the NRL one day introduce a promotion-relegation system. If all players knew that a couple of teams a year would be relegated to the second division – or to the New South Wales or Queensland cup – every match over every weekend would be tougher.
No players would slacken off, going into cruise control or having mid-season lulls. No one would be getting lazy or complacent.
They would want to stay in the big-money premier league, the or first division that is the NRL.
Higher TV ratings and higher crowds would mean that the players get more money. This would keep most of the players in rugby league, rather than being tempted by offers in other codes.
Teams would likely have more one-year deals for players rather than three, once again making contracts almost commission or performance based. This means that you’re only as good as your last game or last season.
It would eliminate the likelihood of players going into cruise control after signing big multi-year deals. Players would always have the knowledge of promotion or relegation at the back of their mind.
TV rights for the NSW and Queensland Cups would be higher as there would be more interest. It would also promote expansion and promise for these regions, which could include Ipswich, Central Coast, Rockhampton, Southeast Queensland, Perth, and Adelaide. Furthermore, it would generate interest and sponsorship dollars.
All those things build crowds, build sponsorship, and are good for TV.
It would also encourage more juniors to know if they have the talent. There is good money to be made from being a professional rugby league player.
It would make the competition more exciting. The system promises tension, with everyone knowing that a promotion or relegation is at stake. It would fire up all teams to play well week in, week out.
Moreover, it would grow the game at all levels as more money means you can fund junior development, help country and regional rugby league development. This would provide greater support to teams and more feeder development grounds.
A promotion-relegation system would be great for clubs like Newtown Jets. All NSW and Queensland Cup teams could get some rich owners wanting to buy in as a way to promote their other business interests. With fans knowing that there was a chance for promotion, it would attract more fans and locals to watch matches, as promises of a top-division NRL spot potentially awaited.
We could have a thing like the NSW Cup and Queensland Cup side playing off for one relegation spot in the top-flight NRL.
The two losers could go into two or three relegation spots. Then the two losers could play a week later for the second spot.
A sudden-death system like this would be great for TV. It would also boost radio ratings and create greater attendances.
Perth and Adelaide have populations of over a million, yet have no NRL teams. Western Australia has only one rugby union team.
This would be a good way to get these places teams involved in rugby league, as well as reward heartlands like Central Coast, Ipswich, Rockhampton and the Gold Coast. Tasmania and New Zealand teams may also get opportunities, as would a team from Papua New Guinea.
Systems like this work well in English Super League, English Premier League and French rugby. They have also seen success in New Zealand’s NPC rugby.
In English Premier League football, the second division, third division and fourth division all basically have a knockout semi-final system. They play it at Wembley.
Many in the north of England – even small clubs – gravitate and get sold-out games at Wembley. They also get great TV ratings and generate national interest in football, as the nationwide fight for promotion and relegation happens.
This system is also great for making money of the lower divisions, which are the feeder places for developing players. This is good for expansion.
When a team gets relegated their salary cap would also go down. But this wouldn’t leave them broke.
As seen in English football, when they get promoted again they can buy the better players who are coming out of contract and into the open market. Other teams, meanwhile, can pick up the star players of the relegated clubs.
This system also attracts rich private investors who want to own private clubs. Like Nathan Tinkler at Newcastle Knights and the Newcastle Jets football team, getting more of these private owners in rugby league can only be a good thing. Tony Sage, a mining man in Perth, wants a Perth team in the NRL.
It would be great for the expansion of the NRL and the development of rugby league at national and grassroots level in Australia. The NRL should definitely give it a shot.
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