Having touched on issues such as player transfers and the sin bin in Part 1, and standalone representative weekends and the match-day experience in Part 2, today we explore three final issues to improve the NRL.
Improvement 8: Expansion
The issue of expansion has been written about to death but has obviously fallen on deaf ears at NRL HQ.
I myself wrote an article about just where it should happen and when but still the big bosses remain silent.
The NRL in its current format has become stale, with predictable match ups and local derbies that fail to produce the type of excitement that the A-League produces with their Sydney and Melbourne derbies.
The addition of more teams will add excitement and unpredictability, and increase fan numbers.
The reasons for expansion are endless, so I won’t rant on about it because I could write a 100-page document on why and where and how it should all happen.
Improvement 9: NRL nines
One of the best things that the NRL has done in recent years is create the nines. The crowd numbers are good, the entertainment is great, and the interest it generates is priceless.
I was walking around Singapore for this year’s addition and although it was with great sadness, I saw the Rabbitohs win the final against my Sharks on about 12 different TV screens I walked past.
Fostering the growth of the game into international markets is one of the most important things for the game, and the nines is probably the best way to do it. Auckland has done a great job hosting it but after their contract is done, the NRL should use this tournament to turn their game into the most profitable in Australia.
The staging of this event in international markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Dubai, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Johannesburg, and New York could prove to be the most outrageous thing the NRL has ever attempted to do, but could be the shot in the arm the international community needs to realise that rugby league is the greatest game that there is.
Can you imagine a TV rights deal that includes genuine interest from some of those markets? The result would be growth of the game but also in the profitability of the competition, allowing it to increase youth programs in indigenous communities and international locations, improving every part of the game.
Improvement 10: Local venues
The best thing I’ve ever heard Dave Smith say is that, after watching an NHL game, he believes small stadiums are the way to go.
Nothing beats going out on a cold night to Brookvale Oval or Shark Park to see the die-hard fans cheering on their local team. Sure the facilities aren’t first class but we don’t need the shining toilets and 300 different food outlets of a massive stadium to support our team, we just need to be out there to give hell to the opposition and give our boys a lift to bring home those two points.
That’s not to say the experience cannot be improved, but let us stay at our local stadium and when we outgrow that, don’t ship us off to stadiums that are a two-hour round trip away. Help us invest in an upgrade of our little patch of dirt so that we don’t lose what is truly special about our game. The AFL lost that years ago, please don’t let us lose it as well!
Although changes need to be made, I wouldn’t give up on being a fan of this competition for the world. I just want to be able to share it with as many people as possible!
Justthetip
Roar Pro
Also Folau and Sonny Bill should be given what they want to go to the warriors, Folau after wc and SBW after 7's. Kiwi league has real potential with the aggression of the NRL having appeal as is more opportunity to become a pro footy player. Sydney has gotten all the love strengthening it's clubs for long enough. Travelling team assistance is now needed to ensure further expansion is given every possibility of success! NQ and NZ deserve first dibs on all travel related draw matters and possibly travel assistance. Top player recruitment has been nothing but Sydney for years now and there markets are strengthened as good as they'll get. Now sink or swim and Canberra and the Titans nurtured with promotional priority going to NZ and WA.
Justthetip
Roar Pro
Strongly disagree with Ipswich sorry. Too many broncos legends that we're local boys to ever dislodge that support. Ipswich is dominated by bronco fans more so than the rest of the city. The titans regularly play home games with more support with the away side and the cowboys had this early on. I've been told Brothers is a pipe dream but it by far makes the most sense with a view to have a game or 2 in Mackay and Cairns. Less directly competing with the Broncos and much easier for new fans to jump onboard without ties to Ipswich. The under 6's to NRL path provided would surely see all other clubs aligning more with junior clubs and offering input. The NRL should control this bid with the intention of showing and giving NRL support and assistance to junior league. Great publicity for the NRL being the code that cares about it and societies future. I'd see Brothers as being NRL owned and having NRL employees monitoring issues such as the age/weight debate, under 20's comp and so on. This junior player development could even involve skill training as people have been concerned with the type of play halves are being taught. A passing and kicking robot will not be the next JT or Johns. Tailoring rules to reward the type of play desired would help. Tries of kicks 3 points maybe?
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
A local comp is all the schools or suburbs in an area playing against each other, the best players will represent that area, a city comp is all the areas within a city competing against each other, the best players will represent their city, a national comp is when different cities or towns compete against each other. Right now we have half a national comp and half a city comp. This needs to be corrected for our code to have any credibility. There were so many good ideas in this set of articles. Its great hearing ideas intended to move our game forward instead of back to the "glory days" of some long dead city competition. I think your spot on with Perth, its by far the most important expansion prospect. I agree with Ipswich, and disagree with the comment saying Ipswich is closed off froym the rest, even though technically the broncos are based on the western side of the city, Ipswich will attract mixed support from the Karana Downs/Karalee, Mt Ommaney, Wacol/Inala/Durack, Forest Lake/Springfield, Ripley, and possibly as far as Beaudesert and Logan plus Toowoomba and everywhere within that circle, that's a hell of a lot more than 200, 000 people. If the powers that be decide Brisbane needs a third team after that, I truly hope its the Dolphins and the Redcliffe area, I would hate to see the same mistakes made in Brisbane that are currently being perpetuated in Sydney. As far as international rep games go, they need to be a part of our season at the expense of the fluff, even if its at the end of the season, awesome, just make it consistent make it annual and persist until its seen as part of the season just like we did with origin. If i try to comment on all of your suggestions it will be bigger than your article so I will stop there, cool ideas though.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
It's straightforward, right?
Birdy
Guest
Other than the game itself the 2 things that excite me most are expansion and the rebirth of the popularity of Internationals. If nsw win the next 7 series , which is not impossible , and NZ started beating us on a regular basis also possible and England keep improving would that be enough to create international interest or are we still flogging a dead horse? I love the NRL naturally, but if my team is regularly out of finals contention, andost are cover a period of time teen we still have SOO and internationals . Always someone to go for. Ask yourself , could you live with NZ beating us and England breathing down our necks ?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The Nines are a marketing tool to help generate interest and draw in new fans and sponsors and so on. It will also eventually become a tool to help the international side of the sport grow, increasing its revenue options and presence. The World Club Series is an attempt to link increase the quality of the Super League and open up revenue sources for the only two professional rugby league competitions in the world. The All-Stars game is a way of celebrating Indigenous culture and caps off a week or so of events designed to draw attention to the position of Indigenous Australia. The City v Country seems outdated, I'll grant you that but as for the rest, there are very palpable reasons for their existence.
pat malone
Guest
Nate are you his manager by chance?. he has brought up some over used simple cliches that have been proposed many times by hack journos
fiddlesticks
Guest
well said Dad
Paneer
Guest
I disagree that the Nines is a good thing. if its so good then lets drop the main game to 9 from 13 men. Im sorry, u cant add things to the NRL calendar, its already too full. Youve got fluff like Country v City and the fake All Stars game. You cant also have the World Club Challenge...and people are talking about expanding that as well! The Nines is gimmick football. its slap and tickle. If its so great then why isnt it live in Channel 9???
Jack
Guest
They also need to bring at least one game a season to Adelaide. a city of more then 1 million people, one of the capitals of this country, and hasnt hosted an NRL game since 2012. Ridiculous. However, i do hope that Manly bring one of their games down to SA as sepculated
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Nah, it was a pretty good attempt at honour. I lolled. Just because someone disagrees with an article, doesn't mean they interpreted it wrong...
Nate Hornblower
Guest
well Barry......give us your opinion on the points Aaron made instead of poor attempts at humour. He is having a crack. I think some people look at his "rookie" status and will ignore the content.
Nate Hornblower
Guest
who reads Phil Drossfield, the guy is a clown. If you don't agree with the articles, give us some reasons or some points you don't like. I thought many of Aaron's points were excellent and much needed aspects that the NRL could make improvements.
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
dont let these things stop you from enjoying the sport if your expectations are never met. Not that maybe someone of them should not be handled, or are. Just sayin and also Riley should jump over the anz stadium article and comments section if he's big on stadia. The states got some goodies coming your way seems
peeeko
Roar Guru
good stuff Barry.
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Small venues are the way to go for Sydney teams. ANZ Stadium should only be used for double headers. Stadiums with Training Ground should be: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs - Belmore Sports Ground Manly Sea Eagles - Brookvale Oval Parramatta Eels - Parramatta Stadium Penrith Panthers - Penrith Stadium Cronulla Sharks - Endeavour Field South Sydney Rabbitohs - Sydney Football Stadium (Redfern Oval) St George Illawarra Dragons - Wollongong Showground, Jubilee Oval Sydney Roosters - Sydney Football Stadium (Henson Park) Wests Tigers - Campbelltown Stadium, Leichhardt Oval (Concord Oval)
The Barry
Roar Guru
Least anticipated Part 3 since Matrix: Revolutions...
Brendan
Guest
I disagree about small stadiums. AFL gets massive membership and crowd numbers, their model obviously works. We seem content with small attendances and small membership numbers. Customers (us) need to get off our backsides and go to more games. Not sit at home and watch the game then complain when their team gets shipped off to a bigger stadium.
fiddlesticks
Guest
this series od articles could have been written by phil rothfield
fiddlesticks
Guest
thanks Dad