Well, what to talk about this week? There’re plenty of candidates: whether rugby league is s**t, how good it is that the Denver Test is still on, the woes of Parramatta and North Queensland, the fantastic season of the Illawarra Steelers.
But I’m going to overlook all that obvious stuff and take you back a month or so, when new ARLC chairman Peter Beattie (lover of the Barcelona Knights) said that expansion was back on the table.
Beattie also commented that performances in the State Leagues would now help franchises prove they were ready for the big time.
I like it – promotion without relegation.
But are the lower tiers of competition in Australia set up in a way that can encourage the likes of Perth or a second Brisbane team or Wellington or whoever to firstly, invest, and secondly plan for a future in the NRL?
The answer, I believe, is a resounding ‘no’.
The new women’s league is an indication that the NRL is capable of thinking strategically and showing some strength when it comes to forgetting the accidental history of the game and doing what is right for the long-term.
(Image: Sean Teuma)
They didn’t want too many teams in Sydney – and nor should they. As my colleague Paul Kent is wont to say: ‘if you started the premiership from scratch today, it would look nothing like what we’ve been left with’.
Surely, then, if League Central can show some balls (not sure whether that’s the right term) with the women’s NRL, it can start applying some vision to the second tier, too.
I’ll say this again: I don’t think the NSW and Queensland Rugby Leagues should exist. NRL Victoria just did a deal with their State government which really means the NRL did a deal.
The same should apply in NSW and Queensland. Give Brad Fittler and Kevvy Walters performance units to run their teams but we don’t need all that infrastructure and duplication.
The QRL – particularly, since there’s no CRL north of the border – and NSW Rugby League each do lots of good things but it could be done in the name of the NRL just as well. They exist primarily for political and historic reasons.
Don’t talk to me about travel costs as a justification for the Intrust Super Cup and Intrust Super Premiership being separate competitions. One has a team in Auckland, the other has one in Port Moresby.
If the Hunters and Warriors switched comps, no-one would bat an eyelid.
The border and identities of the two competitions are completely arbitrary – semi-pro and amateur teams in many sports can now afford to travel nationally and internationally, as Toulouse and Toronto playing in a comp watched by three-figure crowds illustrates.
A second tier NRL could generate the sort of money the NBL does – and they manage to pay for the hotels and flights OK (most of the time).
Anyway, here are two places where our sport is missing out on money: consortia who want to enter the NRL and keep being turned away and from the IP of storied trademarks like Balmain Tigers, North Sydney Bears, etc.
(Photo: Kris Swales)
Make the teams who want into the NRL jump through hoops that generate revenue as they do the jumping – look at Toronto having to work their way up to Super League from third division. And make them earn that revenue against teams that also tap into the public’s sense of nostalgia.
An effective second tier would be aimed at fans, not at existing NRL club coaches trying to bring back injured players or suburban leagues clubs with some spare money.
It would exclusively be made up of teams representing areas not serviced by the NRL, teams with an historically significant brand, and teams preparing to enter the NRL. It would be an attractive property in its own right, not completely subjugated to feeder status.
I started by going through all the current teams in each State League and listing who should be in and out – but it got too complicated so I went back and deleted what I’d written.
Sydney is a crowded market so where would a revived Balmain or Western Suburbs play? Surely you can’t make Newtown leave Henson Park or North Sydney come back but avoid North Sydney Oval?
Likewise, Wynnum Manly, Redcliffe and the other Brisbane clubs have enormous cultural cache which should be respected. It’s not an easy balancing act.
The fact is, it’s a bridge we probably shouldn’t have to cross because we won’t get our wish-list. We won’t get every single dead club and every single regional city lining up to play in our imaginary competition.
But a millionaire-backed Wellington Orcas playing the Bears at North Sydney Oval on a sunny Sunday afternoon when there’s no NRL in Sydney?
That’s the utopia I’m talking about.
Meatpy Sausageraul
Roar Rookie
Steve - you're THE champion of taking our great game to new and forgotten places, and there are too few like you (particularly in Australia - sorry guys!) I do think a second and even third tier with promotion and relegation is a no brainer for the game in Australia. Make it happen. BUT - I read a lot of your stuff and it's not all about millionaire owners and clubs everywhere and anywhere. We need a sound strategy for expansion, and an international governing body with some commercial nouse and clout. Anything else is one step forward, two steps back, no?
McNaulty
Guest
This would be great. One thing that has weakened the evolution of the game in the last 20 years is that it is controlled from top to bottom by the NRL clubs and therefore essentially the 16 coaches who really just tend to follow the successful coach of the era (Bellamy). This makes for a very shallow pool depth in terms of "thinkers" in the game. This is why no coach has come along capable of out thinking Bellamy. All the coaches come from a pool of essentially Bellamy disciples. Cut the NRL club reach/tenticles off at the knees. Get rid of "reserve grade". The second tier should essentially be in competition with the NRL much like college football is with the NFL.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Yes, but the club is called Souths Logan. It's supporter base reaches to Logan, much further than Langlands which is just South of Davis park. The Logan merger hasn't been kind to the Logan part of course in recent years.
Don
Roar Rookie
Pretty sure Langlands Park Stones Corner (Easts) is south of the river... Further South than Davies Park (Souths)
Rock of Ages
Guest
If the ISC/QRL sign a big TV deal , i hope soon, players will be paid more and in the not too distant future, we will have an alternative RL competition next to the NRL. QRL league and the ISC has grown in the last 5 years and the NRL has remained stagnant. Time and will determain fortunes
Rellum
Roar Guru
Unless there is promotion and relegation the second tier will always be reserve grade.
Big Daddy
Guest
Just take the stand alone club's.
Big Daddy
Guest
It's not about having a reserve grade. It's about having a second tier national club not tied to NRL. Sure victoria can have one. Just got to come up with money and players.
Sammy
Guest
In 2019, the NSW Platinum League is supposed to have 14 teams, sames as Qld Cup. This is a good starting point: 1. Auckland Warriors (NZ North) 2. Bathurst Panthers (Western NSW & Blue Mountains) 3. Bidgee Bulls (Murrumbidgee & Riverina) 4. Centurions (Central Coast) 5. Fiji Bati (Pacific Islands) 6. Hunter Mariners (New England, Hunter & Mid-North Coast) 7. Illawarra Steelers (Illawarra & Shoalhaven) 8. Mounties (Southern Sydney) 9. Newtown Jets (Inner Sydney) 10. North Sydney Bears (Northern Sydney) 11. Perth or Adelaide (Interstate) 12. Wellington Orcas (NZ South) 13. Wentworthville Magpies (Cumberland) 14. WS Magpies (Macarthur & Southern Highlands) The Bathurst Panthers would initially be a Penrith Panthers Reserves team. A team West of the Blue Mountains would come at the expense of a Hawkesbury team. Also, the Far North Coast of NSW (from Grafton to Tweed Heads) would be represented by the Tweed Heads Sea Gulls who would actually play in the Qld Cup.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Penrith, NZ, Bulldogs, Knights and Saint - Illawarra are the only ones that play under the same banner. And unfortunately the Panthers and Dragons have come back under the NRL club in the last few years (Panthers were Windsor for a while and the Dragons had the Cutters)
Rellum
Roar Guru
Qld already has a perfect functioning second tier. The question is do we combine with NSW? The problem to me is doubling up NSW's teams who are in the NRL and NSW cup.
Rellum
Roar Guru
You mean apart from Easts, Norths and the Falcons?
Sammy
Guest
"It would exclusively be made up of teams representing areas NOT serviced by the NRL". Basically the State League Clubs need their own territory, separate from the over-shadowing NRL Clubs. For example, the following NRL-State League partnerships would satisfy this requirement: * Newcastle -> Hunter Valley, New England & North Coast * Canberra -> Murrumbidgee & Far South Coast NSW * Penrith -> Central West NSW & Blue Mountains * Wests Tigers -> Campbelltown & Southern Highlands * St George Illawarra -> Illawarra & Shoalhaven * Sydney Roosters -> Central Coast * Cronulla Sharks -> Perth or Adelaide But atleast 4 Sydney districts would have both an NRL and NSWRL Club: * Inner City: Souths Rabbitohs + Newtown Jets * Northern Sydney: Manly Sea Eagles + North Sydney Bears * Cumberland: Parramatta Eels + Wentworthville Magpies * Southern Sydney: Canterbury Bulldogs + Mounties
Big Daddy
Guest
Not sure where the money to include Balmain. It's like they have disappeared off the face of the earth. No leagues club no money no players. The west tigers merger has swallowed them up. Sure they have a junior league but that's it. You look at stand alone clubs in NSW with money. Norths, wenty, Mounties, Blacktown and wyong. Leave the NRL club's out of it. In Qld not sure who has money. You have fiji, hunters, Perth, nz, as independents so that leaves about 7 spots to fill. Maybe 5 Qld clubs would even up with NSW so you only need to find another 2. But it takes money, can't see NRL, NSWRL and QRL wanting to chip in unless some one like Fox does a broadcast deal. I am all for national 2nd tier but it needs more exposure same as women. Only 2 things against is geographical and money.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I am a big fan of localized promotion relegation. I think Brisbane should have three teams in the NRL and the QRL teams from Brissy/SEQ should be the ones to fill the void. The best QRL Brisbane/SEQ teams could replace or play off against the worst placed SEQ NRL team. That would include the Goldy, Sunny coast and Ipswich. A team could not make the NRL without meeting strict financial and structural requirements. Same could happen with with Sydney with a reduced representation in existing clubs in the NRL. NQ could have the same. The problems are obviously a spreading of a fan base, talent and teams potentially playing out of Lang park every time. Hopefully with rules in place teams like Redcliffe and the Sunny coast could host NRL games and a team like Souths could legitimately use lang park as they are closer to the ground than the Broncs are. Teams like Perth, Adelaide, the Hunters, Melbourne should be staples in the comp as they have little backing them up. Problem is of course franchise sport is what "fans" are used to so the idea of a current franchise team not being in a future top tier is too much to handle. In reality they will ignore all the history and tradition that would come from the old Brissy and Sydney teams and put in a meaningless Brisbane Bombers style team that will do worse that the Crushers or the old Melbourbane Heart. I would love to see Redcliffe playing from their home ground and Souths playing from QEII as future NRL franchises. Even Wynuum or Easts playing out of lang park.
Rellum
Roar Guru
So why are Wynnum, Norths, Easts and Souths in the BRL? That leaves no teams on the southside. Wynnum and Easts are wealthy clubs that are run well. Souths is a bit poorer but have history going back to 1908 and are the only team that represent from the Brissy river down to the gold coast.
Sam
Guest
Agree.ATM,in both NRL and AFL,teams that can’t make playoffs are not under any pressure to perform,simply because their teams are assured of playing in the top competition every year.But if you were to have promo/relegation,you will see teams at the bottom of the table playing out of their skin for survival in the top tier
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Riley; I am no expert on QLD geography but you do realise it is about a 3 and a half hour drive between Rockhampton and Mackay? And I don't see the connection between the Central Coast and North Sydney? Totally different demographics and locations.
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
Its an interesting concept and one which I would welcome but unless the NRL take full control of the game, the NSWRL and QRL will resist. Prospective franchises must be stand-alone. Suburban clubs can survive below the NRL B-League. Here is how I would distribute teams: Central Coast/North Sydney Bears, Mackay/Rockhampton Merger, Country NSW, Fiji, Ipswich Jets, Newtown Jets, Northern Pride, NT Blackhawks, PNG Hunters, Redcliffe Dolphins, South Island Scorpions, Sunshine Coast Falcons, Wellington Orcas, Western Mustangs, West Coast Pirates, Western Suburbs Magpies 16 teams. Burleigh, Easts, Norths, Souths Logan, Wynnum Manly continue in BRL A Grade. If there is enough talent to spread across 18 teams then Mackay/Rockhampton should de-merge and either Adelaide, Balmain or Western Division come in. B-League teams can sign fringe NRL squad members without a direct affiliate i.e. Bears could contract someone like Eloni Vunakece from the Roosters and also have Souths’ Robbie Farah.
David
Guest
Melbourne doesn’t even have a reserve grade team. When is that going to happen?