Five NFL concepts the NRL should consider

While were at it, also players to come on when the team is defending and be replaced by attacking players when they get the ball back.

I agree that the sin bin/send off has a big impact about a player getting taken out and is out for the rest of the game. This has happened a number of times this year. A team has to battle on with three on the bench while the offending team gets off scot free except for a penalty, This doesn't have a big impact on the game? The problem here is that the referees don't want to dio anything that may affect the result but in doing nothing they are affecting the result. I would er a captain's challenge e it is in cricket and the Holden Cup. get one challenge and keep it if you are successful but this would then need to have the bunker totally out of the game except for challenges.

1. Meaningful information on the players' jerseys. It it really too much to ask that we might be able to read the player's NAME on his jersey? 2. A DEFINITIVE TACKLE call instead of the current uncertainty around when and whether a player is tacked and whether he's been held and for how long. This aspect of NRL is JUST too ridiculous and too subjective for words. 3. Referees giving CLEAR, PRECISE, AND AUDIBLE reasons for penalties. Having the commentators speculate about the reason for a penalty is just ridiculous. 4. Stop the stupid and childish constant real-time coaching and chastisement by referees. If referees need to open their mouths it should be done in a measured fashion and with some degree of dignity, for heaven's sake. They don't need to be constantly telling the players how to play the game. So puerile and undignified.

I guess it depends what you call 'perfected'. A junior development pathway where a concerning number of those involved end their lives at or near the conclusion of their involvement to me isn't 'perfect'. Your assessment of the source of Australian rugby's weakness being schools is incorrect. If you've ever had anything to do with any of the nurseries of Australian rugby (QLD and NSW GPS schools) you'd know that they're better resourced than most Australian Super Rugby clubs. Finally; 'If some don’t make the grade, tough luck'. It's not 'some', it's 99% of young lives that NRL clubs come in contact with and once they've realised they're not going to make the grade this utopian environment you speak of no longer applies to them and quite often what's left is some pretty damaged individuals.

All great ideas billy. As an avid watch of both NRL and the NFL I believe the biggest thing the NRL could learn from the NFL is the quality of the coverage, commentators and analysts. The NRL seems like bush league in comparison

Sure. Tell that to nearly every major professional sports club outside of America, who have refined and perfected this way of thinking, I'm sure the likes of Barcelona would be ever so interested in hearing why their world leading academies are out of date. Leaving things to Schools and Clubs is half the reason why Rugby Unions talent base in Australia is becoming weaker. Compare that to England, France and Ireland, where their Academy system under the oversight of professional clubs has been far more effective in building their professional player base than the previous amateur set up. What rugby league player is ever going to come out of Melbourne for any club if he doesn't have the Storm junior program to come through? There is no other local alternative. Academic and sporting development in key formative with significant input from professional clubs are how guarantee both a constant stream of quality players and continual investment by the club in their local grassroots community. That's why the sports clubs that aren't operated by cartel leagues actually invest huge amounts into youth academies. If some don't make the grade, tough luck. It's a professional sport with competition for spots, they can find alternative careers and educational pathways like everyone else. If training and being educated in quality focused environments with huge support networks ruins someones life, I'm hardly sympathetic to their plight.

Probably not intended (I hope) but sloppy end to your comment there. It comes across as pretty poor taste.

All solid ideas. I'd add on a game clock and conferences/divisions to the mix. I know the NFL has a unique timing set-up specific to the game but I'd like the NRL to stop the clock when the ball is out of play. A big advantage the AFL has as a product is the length of the game which makes attending more of an occasion that fans are willing to part with hard earned for. This may have an impact on player fatigue but to balance this they could look putting the interchange back up and/or introducing quarters. The greatest asset a competition that was born out of a suburban league has is the derbies and that tribal feel between clubs and their fan bases. The best way to leverage this is with conferences.

That's a very backwards and even dangerous way of thinking. The involvement of an NRL club in the life of a 17 year old (or younger) needs to start and end at simply capturing their imagination as a fan of the game. What's 'romantic' about casting the net wide to hundreds of local kids, throwing them some kit, promising them the world for only a handful at best to go on and play NRL football? There's a long history of this practice shattering families and breaking the development of young lives. There is no such place for a professional club in a school kids life. Leave the on and off field development to schools and local clubs until these boys are emotionally and physically ready to deal with it. The current 'development' pathway and the old school romantic idea of professional clubs developing juniors is out of date and in desperate need of attention. A draft is one step towards putting an end to a practice that does so much untold harm to the lives of young boys to simply give an old fan base a 'warm and fuzzy' feeling.

Is it really that relevant? What percentage of players have done it? Who has done it without having played x seasons of first grade?

Wasn't it defeated on the basis of the common law doctrine of restraint of trade? If the RLPA could reliably negotiate on behalf of players you could possibly strike an agreement but it hasnt ever had enough of the player's buy in. I think we'd really struggle to convince the court that it is needed for the commercial survival of the comp given the parity since and that several club ceos keep saying juniors are basically a curse (so no value in a draft). The advantage the AFL had was the fact pattern, a player power, when it was introduced was different

Exactly. The only good reason to cut the number of games would be to make the draw fair, oversupply is garbage when the rest of the Rugby League and Rugby Union world gets on fine with playing everyone twice + Finals + Cup games

Clubs would have no incentive to invest in their local community pathways if they knew they could just snag a bunch of kids from Brisbane. Melbourne community Rugby League would die if the storm no longer had an interest in it's growth.

The day NRL has a draft is the day i stop watching permanently. Local players for local clubs otherwise what's the point.

I agree with this. The penalty for a small infringement during a match is the same as a large one. The rules committee, or whoever it is that decides on the rules, has a lot to answer for.

Assuming you had 15 rounds. 3 extra for state of origin. Thinking of filler ideas - how about a forwards vs backs game, how would that go? Forwards would surely kill from the start, and as the game went on backs would finish strong. Has it even been tried?

should have been a penalty under current rules anyway

Sure, fatigue is a part of the game and has an impact on the goal kicker but I think the benefits of a specialist kicker out weigh loosing this aspect. I have always wondered why teams don't take more short kick offs, or attempt to find touch from the kick off or a drop out. I guess they don't practice this enough to take the risk. Specialist kickers would have to earn their keep by being reliable in making plays in these areas. But as mentioned the main advantage would be teams could coach up the minority demographics (Western Sydney teams with Chinese, Indians etc) because the skill has nothing much to do with athleticism or your size advantage.

AFL players haven't challenged it because they accept that it is good for the game and the individual. The only challenge for the NRL is convincing League player of the same and to buy into it. I would also doubt that a rookie draft is against the law as the player has the option of not entering the draft and going to play another code. The amount of code jumping in the last 20 years is relevant.

I like the idea of weighted penalties as well. The one that annoys me the most is kicking out on the full off the kick off. There is no way that the opposite team deserves a penalty kick from half way for that.