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After writing an article about a potential promotion and relegation system in the NRL, I’ve come back for a second bite.
The idea received some criticism and that was fair as it was a little vague and merely a passing thought. Now, I’ve addressed the problems to create a stronger concept.
One of the main concerns with my system was that teams in the NSW and Queensland Cups are feeders and as such promotion-relegation does not work.
To counter this, I would completely abolish feeder teams from the different tournaments and make the Holden Cup the feeder teams. Of course the major NRL teams could still recruit, it would just be a little harder.
Readers also pointed out that sponsorship impact would be another drawback of the system. However this could easily be countered by making one-year sponsorship deals the norm.
The new second division of the NRL would be dubbed the Dual State Cup – a combination of the two competitions.
The Dual State Cup would feature four pools of six teams. Two teams would advance to finals. The finals series would force the teams that get to the grand final to be the best of the Dual State Cup and the winner would be the best team in second division.
However, a previous flaw that was pointed out in my first article was the gap between second division rugby league and the NRL. Part of this gap is countered by the merger of Queensland and NSW teams.
I’m not finished there, the team that wins the Dual State Cup is not guaranteed to be promoted in the NRL unless the can beat the wooden spooner. This is a tough ask of even the winner of the Dual State Cup as the skill gap is real. I would not expect that a Dual State Cup team could play in the NRL for some time at their current level.
To counter the gap between the two leagues the NRL or Queensland and NSW federations should pay a decent sized grant for the teams of the Dual State Cup to try and bring in quality players, also a marquee signing clause.
While we are on the topic of cap room, the Dual State Cup should adopt a salary cap and this would level the playing field between clubs in the Dual State Cup and also treat the competition as a fully professional league.
I would also propose that in the pre-season of both competitions that Dual State teams should play NRL teams as this would only help them grow in quality.
This process would take time, a Dual State Cup team could take years to advance into the NRL. However, that is also the point of the system, quality control, a slow moving door into the NRL that will not degrade the quality.
Having this steady stream of Dual State Cup teams into the NRL would also reassure sponsors and broadcasters.
Having all of the measures in place takes away the potential negatives but also allows the positives of the system to take the spotlight. There would be increased tension in games as the threat of relegation hangs over NRL teams, and increased excitement in Dual State games as the opportunity for promotion awaits.
It is very exciting for the fans and really gives the players a kick up the backside to avoid slacking off.
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