Worried your side may not have enough points to make the finals? Fear not, the current conference system perhaps has little to do with who are the best sides of the season that deserve to make the finals.
Rather, as Wynn Gray of the New Zealand Herald so aptly pointed out, “Conference systems reward political and commercial partners rather than performance. Geography decides which teams get a free pass to the playoffs.”
It seems ridiculous that one side of the South African conference play no New Zealand sides, while Australian teams must endure playing five teams from the strongest nation.
Gray also argues that because the conference system is not a round-robin affair, New Zealand will still struggle to get four of their five sides in the finals, even if it is clear that they are the most deserving based on their seasons performance against tougher opposition.
The reason is simple: New Zealand franchises will play each other at the end of the competition, and the strength of their teams will cancel each other out.
In the meantime, Australia and South Africa’s top sides face weaker opposition, increasing their chances of more competition points and lessening their odds of losing at the business end.
The system means a franchise that is weaker, and one that has not performed as well against the top opposition (or not played at all), can usurp a side that has performed better, and make the finals.
As Japan and Argentina are still at the embryo stage of Super Rugby, this makes it easier for the third best South African side to usurp a better performing Australian side, not just New Zealand teams.
This entire set up is a joke, sacrificing an important past of sporting competition integrity, and the now-forgotten term ‘in the spirit of competition’, for bums on seats, and the power of TV networks and advertising dollars.
TV networks are buying the right for more local sides to make the play-offs and get home finals, regardless of competition points – in their vested financial interests of course.
To be fair to South Africa, before the 18 team mess, we here in Australia were pushing hard for the conference system as well.
Despite the reasonable consistency of the Brumbies, the performance of local franchises over the years often left Australia without a home semi-final, or perhaps without a team even good enough to make the top four.
This has only happened to once to New Zealand.
The performance of conference franchises should not mean that the best teams should be prevented from taking their rightful place in the finals. Alas, the system does not conform to this fundamental sporting ethos.
Some justice should be served by teams having to earn the right for a home final, not just receiving one because they top their conference.
This would also make it more interesting in the games before the play-offs.
By handing home semis on a platter to teams who have less points, we have a competition that has lost all sense of fair play to the players and franchises involved.
Australia should be as angry as New Zealand that the 2016 set up transparently favours the South African conference. Yet we bowed humbly to the power of the South African TV dollars, and were manipulated and pressured into playing ball.
True, by playing New Zealand sides more often, the better quality opposition may benefit the Wallabies in the long run, but not the Australian conference in the short term.
New Zealand franchises continuing to dominate the Australian conference is not good for Australian rugby.
The Brumbies may sit second on the table, with the Rebels fifth, but if the Chiefs’ demolition is anything to go by – and it must be, as it was a home game for the Brumbies – coupled with the fact that the Rebels have not beaten a New Zealand team, then the ladder flatters to deceive for these two sides in relation to the New Zealand franchises.
An out-of-condition Hurricanes took a bath in Canberra, but they have since demonstrated that this game was a lesson in pre-season fitness training, and a trial by fire for a new centre combination that left too many defensive holes for the Brumbies to capitalise on.
New Zealand sides have the ability to play the game at another level, and the conference that could suffer the most by being exposed as being substandard as a collective is Australia.
How nice for South Africa that they will largely avoid this embarrassment.
South Africa will argue that they have more depth across their six sides than Australia does across their five, and are generally far more difficult to beat at home than most Aussie sides.
Fair point, but the Kings’ involvement was an unnecessary political maneuver that was more about one of their traditional provinces crying foul for being left out of the competition than it was about their so-called depth.
Even for South Africa, six franchises stretch their player resources. The Kings, on just four points, sit at the bottom of the table in the company of newcomers the Sunwolves, and the problem-ridden Reds.
New Zealand are the only nation of the big three that could field one or perhaps even two more competitive sides, but they are smart enough to know that it is an unnecessary burden on any already stretched competition.
If the conference system is to have any sort of integrity at all then a home advantage playoff should be given to teams entering the finals with the most competition points across the entire competition.
Surely, in the interests of fairness and their fans, they have earned that right.
30 mm Tags
Guest
Cynicism is getting a good exposure on this thread. Super 18 can be viewed as being a commercial travelling circus or from a perspective that says the game is being promoted better than ever in 2 parts of Australia that are AFL strongholds,plus it's getting exposure with a developing team in the Eastern Cape based at Port Elizabeth and its speeding up the ball rolling in Japan and Argentina.To me the goal is to grow the game. The competition is not pure and some deserving teams will have a lesser chance of making the finals , albeit they have all had a pretty good crack throughout the normal season to adjust to what is an imperfect arrangement . But it is pretty good. I am loving it and the knowledge that it ten years time Rugby may be sustainable in non heartland regions or grows stronger in countries like Argentina and Japan is a worthwhile goal. Good on you SANZAR
Loup
Guest
One way the playing field in the Australasian conference could be levelled would be to increase NZ's teams to 6 and decrease Australia's to 4. Sunwolves and Jaguars could be thrown into the Australian conference. Australian super rugby sides/players benefit enormously by playing all the NZ teams. They would be significantly worse if they mostly played South African teams, for example, so Aus rugby should be eternally thankful to the cuzzies and bros on the other side of the ditch for so selflessly providing such high quality opposition.
Midfielder
Guest
Sheek & Hog & Squirrel You give me to much credit as I said in the post I copied the post from a guy on the green and gold rugby forum ... Further I was sent the link by a rusted on hard core who feels the game hhhhmmmm no running of the game has reached a point where Rugby is teetering on the edge of irrelevance to the non rugby public. Well that is me whereas until this year I have always gone to a couple of Eastwood games and paid attention to Super Rugby scores... this year I just don't care and have stopped reading Rugby articles unless the title grabs me. In part this has been because I find statements made by the ARU to be at odds with what my eyes tell me... the best example I have is my local Rugby club i.e. Epping Rugby does not use use its ovals anywhere near as much as they use to say 10 to 15 years ago and many youth teams are made up often across 2 / 3 and once 4 clubs as often there are not enough players ...Yet the ARU keeps telling me player numbers are on the increase... a client of mine a teacher at Barker says although still first Rugby is under huge pressure from Football in traditional schools and he believes within ten years Football will be in many of the schools if not most the main game. So me a person who has played, one of my sons played for years and I have lost or mostly lost interest and its not Pulver its been poor management since the early 60's. As an aside Football is so determined to get the A-League on a commercial FTA network they seem willing to take a massive cut in broadcast revenue... tis a pity back in 2000 the ARU did not take the same stance...
GWSingapore
Guest
All Super Rugby games are live throughout Asia (except China) on Setanta Sports.
wardad
Guest
What ,do you think theres a reffing conspiracy against SA teams ? Pretty sure that fans on all sides could formulate one of those and I seriously doubt that refs on our side as you put it go out of there way to put saffa teams out of the comp. Didnt Joubert apologise for gifting the win to the Tahs ? Pretty sure that affected results ,2011 the Saders lost in in another dubious reffing display so this whole reffing thing cuts all ways doesnt it ? So which is responsible for lack of saffa super wins ,the poor structures ,methodology ,coaching or conservative mindsets or a few debatable reffing decisions ? And yes we are aware that you guys think this conference bizzo sucks too.
wardad
Guest
I fully agree,and one look at the table with teams many points in advance supposedly behind ??? Bit cowardly of the wee Stormers and Bools not wanting to play the Kiwi teams ,even worse the Stormers having to face all their toufgest opponents at home .Surely our Saffa friends want to see their best play ours ? Bit shonky indeed ,still it may leave their national side unprepared for the 4N I guess .
sheek
Roar Guru
Agreed Midfielder, I've suggested it myself - tearing most things down & starting again - but of course, this is too radical a move to contemplate for the governors of the game. Basically, change will only come when the whole shebang is run into the ground. Of course, as you also point out, the trick is finding something else that also generates revenue. Always enjoy your contribution.
hog
Guest
Exactly Midfielder, And to fix Australian rugby you need to address the cancer that is killing it, Super rugby. Only then can the code in this country start growing.
Squirrel
Guest
Well said Midfielder. We need a revolution. Death to the ARU . Rugby in Oz should be flourishing but it's at deaths door.
charles in charge
Guest
To be fair to south Africa, they have had the toughest crack at the competition for the longest time. A away game for aus or NZ could either be as far as south Africa +- 33% of the time or 4 hours 33% of the time enough to go there and back HOME within a 24 hour period. South Africa has had to deal with away games that are 20 hours away 66% of the time. Any halfwit would understand that it has left the south Africans squads more tired and definitely suffering a lot more from jet lag and injuries. Although the new system is silly, something has to be done because south Africa has been getting the short end of the stick for a long time
Midfielder
Guest
A client of mine who often takes me to Rugby Test matches is in his early 70's comes from Parramatta State School were back in the day ie 60's Rugby was the winter sport played by State Schools ... He sent me a link to the green and gold rugby forum ... a particular thread on it a particular post on this thread and he said thats how I feel ... Super Rugby is not working in Australia's interest we need to find a way over the next 4 years to break from SANDZAR but maintain revenue... Here is the post and link... the thread title is Australian Rugby V ARU .... http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/community/threads/australian-rugby-aru.12818/page-44 I know many won't agree with this comment, but here goes. 6 months ago tomorrow, the Wallabies defeated England at Twickenham in the RWC. That and the subsequent performance of the Wallabies to reach the final, should have been the platform to re boot Rugby in Australia. Instead, what have we got? The Western Force ownership in disarray The Brumbies board on the point of collapse The Rebels being propped up by the ARU The Reds sacked their newly reappointed coach The Waratahs new CEO will have a huge job reuniting with NSWRU and building a working relationship with the ARU The Sydney clubs in open revolt over lack of development resourcing A decline in junior club participation in Western Sydney and other parts including traditional rugby schools A general feeling in the grass roots that the game is teetering on the edge of irrelevance to the non rugby public If ever there was a time to blow up the Australian governance model and start again it is now. The ARU should be gutted and re structured to be the governing body of the whole game, with a CEO who reports on behalf of the game in Australia to an independent board. State General Managers, reporting to the CEO, should be responsible for the performance of everything from grass roots juniors to the Super franchises and corporate structures put in place to ensure the game is supported and growing in their state. Rugby in Australia needs to reinvent itself in terms of structure and responsibilities. Old fiefdoms and structures must be changed now if the game is to survive as a tier one sport in this country.
Midfielder
Guest
Sheek agree
Tinfoil Hat
Guest
"pretty simple economic theory"... You mean that economic theory that includes an unquantifiable, magic 'invisible hand" and has questionable assumptions like utility = dollars? You are demonstrating the limitations of your own understanding by making an economic theory out to be empirical fact rather than the flawed and limited model of human behavior that it is.
Dave_S
Guest
"[SANZAAR] wants a world show rather than a true competition" TBH, that's the simple truth of it, like it or not. What actual purpose does having a SR competition serve? Are we trying to find a team of rugby soldiers to defend the earth from invading rugby aliens? The way some people here carry on you'd think we were talking about the Hunger Games. Pro sport is, in the end, in the entertainment business. It would be no use to anyone if the SR draw was 100% "fair" but failed financially and disappeared.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
One moment you say that Australia is hard done by by having to play the strongest franchises then you say Australia sides face weaker opposition. Make up your mind. Apart from that, I do agree with you and I'm a Tahs supporter. I feel it is more SA getting what they want rather than what is good for Super Rugby. That SARU didn't have the necessary ti say no to a province and took the easy way out by expanding to 6 teams then they get both new teams in their conferences. I would have preferred the Kings or whoever out altogether, include both the Japanese and Argentine sides and play a straight out everyone plays each other once and the top four play the finals (more if that is what the broadcaster wants). This would get rid of the conference system that at the moment which appears to be helping the SA sides more than others this year.
pete and paul
Roar Rookie
you got it right on the head Biltongbek
pete and paul
Roar Rookie
oh jeez KPM - just accept the fact the NZ have gone ahead, AUS and treading water, SA are going backwards...it is not only those four elements you mentioned that have allowed NZ to DOMINATE - it is the conveyor belt churning out stunning young players who are ready and willing to step up and take on the SR regime and show their wares...AUS don't have that...and never will
TB
Guest
Haha Shazam
AndyS
Guest
So, to summarise, the problem with the SR competition is that it is in a pool and knock-out format like the ERC, not a league like the Aviva (or more locally, Mitre 10 Cup, NRC, etc). Well spotted, and no doubt your problem with apples is that they should be more citrusy. SR is quite different from the Shute Shield too, so perhaps just watch that instead - they'd appreciate the support and you'd probably find it more to your taste.
Fox
Guest
Fair enough biltongbek although I think everyone can complain about inconsistent refereeing. Not that I think refs should be chastised for not being perfect - they are only human. I have a couple of South African mates who dislike the Kings being in the competition as well. They also think the way the competition is structure is unfair and they agree it does favour SA. However, they argue like you that it makes no sense for SA to give themselves a more favorable Super Competition in regard to making the finals because isolating one side of their comp from playing NZ sides will hurt the Boks. Time will tell if this correct. Either way we agree I think that the entire set up is a farce and a system that seems to help no one but TV networks and bank accounts ...and perhaps we can say the Argentinian and Japanese franchises in the sense that they have been allowed to enter the frey.