Here are a few things I think about Round 2 of the NRL season.
What would the NRL look like if we hit the reset button?
This time next year the NRL as we know it may cease to exist. It’s an unlikely scenario, but if the season is postponed or abandoned due to the impact of COVID-19, it’s a distinct possibility.
It’s common knowledge that rugby league clubs survive year to year. They’re dependent on their $13 million annual allowance from the NRL to keep their doors open. This means if games stop being played and the money stops flowing, most clubs will face financial ruin within a matter of months.
What if the worst-case scenario plays out – if the season is suspended indefinitely and all 16 clubs are forced to fold? If we were faced with the unique opportunity of starting over, what would a new NRL competition look like?
Let’s start with an easy fix: more teams in Queensland. As much as it stings my proud Blue heart to admit it, Queensland is rugby league heartland. Having only three teams supporting a population of five million rabid fans is borderline negligent.
I’d have two clubs based in Brisbane. This would allow the utilisation of Suncorp Stadium every weekend and would create a fierce local rivalry, which is the lifeblood of rugby league. It would also have the added benefit of stifling the AFL’s gradual encroachment in the region.
One of the Brisbane sides could be based south-west of the CBD and incorporate fans from Ipswich and Toowoomba, while the other could be based in the north and target fans all the way up to the Sunshine Coast.
(Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
North Queensland has a sparkling new stadium and a track record of drawing good crowds, earning them the right to keep a team. Adding in a Central Queensland club based out of Rockhampton and drawing a fan-base from Mackay to Hervey Bay would further cement the game in that region and provide another local derby.
And let’s not forget the Gold Coast. Rugby league may have tried and failed to establish a successful team in this region, but the stakes are too high not to keep trying. The missing ingredient to making rugby league work on the glitter strip is on-field success. And as the Cowboys proved a decade ago, it only takes one player.
Across the ditch the addition of another team would be an enormous step to growing the game outside of Australia. Staging a game of rugby league in New Zealand every weekend would significantly boost interest in a code normally stuck playing second fiddle to rugby.
I would also look at basing a team in the Pacific Islands. While the logistics would be daunting, the Toronto Wolfpack proved that anything is possible with enough planning. And you only have to look at the atmosphere generated in the recent Tongan and Samoan Tests to imagine the level of support this team would receive.
Teams in Melbourne, Newcastle and Canberra are no-brainers, but I would also add a club based out of the Central Coast. As the eighth-most populated city in Australia and boasting a fanatical supporter base that makes Novocastrians look like fair-weather fans, these people deserve a team to call their own.
Similarly deserving of an NRL franchise are the people of country New South Wales. Rugby league has a proud history of bush footy and have supplied some of the game’s most celebrated players. The team could be based in Tamworth and play home games in country towns like Coffs Harbour, Orange, Wagga Wagga, Bega and Mudgee.
(Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
And now it gets interesting: what to do with the Sydney teams? Setting aside loyalties, allegiances and good old-fashion rugby league biases, it’s not too hard to put a plan together.
I’d keep a side on Northern Beaches, but I would also reinstate a club in Northern Sydney. There is a massive catchment from Milson’s Point to Hornsby and out into the Hills district that currently isn’t represented by a rugby league team, and that needs to change.
A Western Sydney club is a must, spanning from Penrith to Parramatta. Likewise, a team representing the people of Southern Sydney is not negotiable, which would include supporters from Cronulla to Campbelltown and down to Wollongong.
That leaves a final team in the heart of Sydney. And while it may be easier to buy a sixpack of Sorbent than to convince fans of the Rabbitohs and Roosters to join forces, it makes sense from a geographical perspective. They’ll just need to learn to play nice.
To recap, here is my post-coronavirus rugby league new world order:
- North Queensland
- Central Queensland
- Brisbane North
- Brisbane South
- Gold Coast
- Newcastle
- Central Coast
- Northern Beaches
- Northern Sydney
- Western Sydney
- Central Sydney
- Southern Sydney
- Canberra
- Pacific Islands
- New Zealand North
- New Zealand South
- Melbourne
- Country NSW
Face of the franchise
If you were in charge of one of the 18 new abovementioned clubs in the NRL, who would you select to be the centrepiece of your new team?
Conventional wisdom would suggest a young halfback or maybe a hooker. The Andrew Johns or Cameron Smith type that you can build your team around for the next decade. But when I look through the current NRL rosters I’m not sure that player exists.
A superstar fullback is another possible option. You only had to watch the Roosters take on the Sea Eagles over the weekend to see how valuable a crafty custodian can be. But with plenty of wear on James Tedesco’s tyres, Kalyn Ponga’s commitment to the game uncertain and Tom Trbojevic’s injury history, I’m nervous about making them the face of my franchise.
Instead I’m going with Payne Haas. The Brisbane prop, who is still just 20 years of age, is already one of the most dominant forwards in the competition. His remarkable stamina and ability to change the course of a game are unrivalled at his position, and you get the feeling he has only just scratched the surface of his potential.
Haas has a similar impact on the game as James Taumalolo or Sam Burgess, where his presence alone lifts the confidence of those around him. This is the man I want as the foundation of my club.
(Matt King/Getty Images)
Fullback fiesta
Brad Fittler must have been drooling all over his television screen after watching the Roosters take on Manly. The performances of opposing fullbacks James Tedesco and Tom Trbojevic were as good as I have seen in years.
Tedesco was a force in attack. Running for over 270 metres and busting eight tackles, he popped up all over the field with the unpredictability of a whack-a-mole. His double chip and chase was shades of Brett Mullins two decades ago. And yet he wasn’t even the best fullback in the game.
On the other side of the field Tom Trbojevic was unstoppable. He mixed his usual dominant attacking game with a sort of desperate brutality in defence that he hasn’t previously shown. The try-saving efforts against Brett Morris and especially Luke Keary were phenomenal. He was the difference between the two sides.
At this point in time there is nothing between the two players. Both are at the top of their game, and I look forward to watching them battle it out for the New South Wales No. 1 jumper. So good was their display that for the first time in living memory I actually wished Kevin Walters had been commentating the game.
Do bums on seats really matter?
I thought I’d hate watching games without the roar of the crowd. I was expecting that the lack of atmosphere would impact the viewing experience, but to be honest, after the initial novelty wore off, I didn’t notice it.
The only time I found it a bit awkward was after a try was scored. More than once a player crossed the stripe, jumped to his feet and started making a few celebratory gestures to the crowd, only to remember that the stadium was empty.
I figured the intensity of some games would wane without the involvement of the crowd, but that certainly wasn’t the case. The Sea Eagles and Roosters tore one another apart with the ferocity of a finals game.
And maybe it’s just me, but I have definitely noticed an improvement in the quality of the officiating. Without the pressure of a raucous home crowd baying for their blood as they make hundreds of split-second decisions under heavy fatigue, the referees are getting it right more often than not.
The irony of the situation is surely not lost on the NRL. They spent countless hours trying to find ways to boost crowd attendance only to discover that the product is just as strong, if not stronger, with empty stadiums. Perhaps the focus moving forward should be on enhancing the televised product rather than trying to enhance the game-day experience.
Total Reality
Guest
What would the NRL look like if we hit the reset button? Catchy title. You start out strong with obvious additions to Queensland. Then you falter in reducing Sydney teams to regions rather than possible clubs based on existing teams. The NRL is looking at a second N.Z. team but in a total reset why would you add a second team and adding a Pacific team is a sure recipe for financial disaster. The same for any country team - financial mill stone. Take the opportunity to get rid of Melbourne it doesn't add to the equation. In a total rest you want to stick to what's strong and discard the rest - the OPPOSITE to fairytale expansion ideas of yours. If you want to go down that path think about the recent two tier promotion and relegation system. That will give you more big games whilst containing small clubs to boutique arenas.
Ralph
Guest
I like it. I was only thinking the other day what made origin so special back in the day, it was that we only seen most of the qlders for those three games lewis,dowling ect
Bingo
Roar Rookie
I’d have a 14 team comp. Sorry Titans and Warriors, but you don’t survive. 2 conferences of 7 12 home and away rounds within conference followed by Bye round which would feature: Women’s State of Origin U18 Australia v NZ U23 City v Country Then 7 rounds of cross conference rounds Conference finals over 3 weeks with Top 4 system for each conference Then the winners of each conference play the Grand Final 2 weeks later. No home semi finals. All finals rounds to be played at one venue each weekend - Suncorp, Bankwest, Townsville or ANZ. No NRL expansion until 2025. State of Origin still Wednesday nights. One additional Bye round for player welfare.
Steve
Guest
Yeah because 4 of the 5 million New Zealanders don't pack them because they are in Auckland
Steve
Guest
AFL will be the true Australian national sport in 5-10 years with that plan
Steve
Guest
Can we pull all the Kiwis out to and send them to the UK and watch Super League crush your new competition.
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
The Gold Coast is death valley for all sporting codes, which is why someone suggested erecting a giant wooden spoon.
Kurt S
Roar Pro
Tom, this is good for us to mull over with nothing else going on. Thanks. I'd like to see 10 or 11 clubs in a comp. Could tolerate a 12 or 13 team comp but that would affect the reserves mentioned below. Play each other in a home and away comp with finals at the end. The idea of the odd number of team is to give these guys a breather through the year in the way of a bye. With less teams, there is a little excess talent. That is where the reserve grade comes in as a curtain raiser for the main draw. Having former top flight players vying for a first grade spot will keep players keen and effectively make the undercard a higher quality game than a reserves game might usually be. The issue with the undercard reserve game is that if you wanted to play a game on Thursday night or Monday night, the reserves would need to kick off early and may not get the support from the crowd. This is where the next point comes in. Lower the price of the tickets for supporters. Instead of getting 6000-8000 to a game, drop the price substantially and get back to the 20,000+ crowds. Get the clubs to stand on their own two feet. Less reliance on the booze clubs and pokies. Lower the salary cap and put the TV rights out to tender in the new governing body's favour. Send the game to the regional areas a couple of games a season - or at least have rounds where the reserve grades play in regional areas as a split from the undercard system. Teams in Townsville, Northside Brisbane, Southwest Brisbane, Sydney North, Sydney South, Sydney East, Syndey West, Newcastle, Wolloongong region, Melbourne. As an 11th team, Perth could be trialed because Central Queensland really don't have the population. If it were to be trialled, then have it at Rockhampton or possibly Mackay. Have a pacific nation / NZ comp to get those teams strong for International league.
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
2 teams for Sydney north, which has only a passing interest in league, and only 1 for the heartland west? Swap that around and you might at least have the geographic distribution sorted.
Mango Jack
Roar Guru
South Africans are rugby fans, and rugby couldn't keep the Western Force alive so what chance a league team?
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Tom, If we learnt anything from SuperLeague it was emotion is greater than logic. Sydney has grown enormously in 100 years and clearly having the Roosters and the Rabbitohs so close is strategically dumb but despite John Ribot's vision it was never going to fly. Your vision of having just one team to cover the Bulldogs, Wests Tigers, the Eels and the Panthers is crazy. Good banter though.
BeastieBoy
Roar Rookie
Australians are not interested in New Zealand or the Pacific Islands. We want to see Australian Teams. So if you excluded those foreign ones .. we could have another 3 Australian Teams.. Perth.. where there is a strong South African fraternity.. plus 2 more.
Rellum
Roar Guru
If the bottom falls out of the franchise model then the remaining NRL clubs should be combined with the NSWRL clubs and QRL clubs and create a comp based on sporting priorities and not corporate ones. Start again with two divisions and let if grow organically.
James
Roar Rookie
I have always liked the idea of 12 teams where each plays the other team twice, home and away. (the only fair way) With a reset and the NRL opting not to support failing clubs with loans, I would like to see which clubs rise from the ashes. My ideal competition would be Cowboys, Broncos, Manly (for the hate value), Canberra, Newcastle, Parramatta, Penrith. Western Suburbs MAGPIES, Souths (need Russell), Cronulla, St George and Easts (need Nick) It would be sad to lose Canterbury but Gold Coast (waste of money) Melbourne (transplanted team kept in place by greedy people) and NZ Warriors should go. The loss of these teams will reduce travel costs too.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Curious to know where you would play Northern Sydney? Chatswood oval? The population of Turramurra, Northbridge, Chatswood, St Ives & Wahroonga have no interest in Rugby League & often don't travel further west than Macquarie Park. You failed to include the Canterbury. The last couple of years have been tough but over the last 45 years they have played in 13 grand finals & won 6 of them. Would a bit of a tweak be out of the question probably not but if you start taking long term club loyalty out of the game like Dragons, Parra, Penrith etc you are taking an awfully big risk in setting the code back a long way.
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Multiple Super Rugby franchises can survive in NZ due to the fact that Rugby is their national sport. It is a religion there & they have virtually dominated the rest of the world for over fifty years. That is an advantage that no other sport is going to receive.
WallabyJ
Roar Rookie
Very interesting concept - I wonder if this will actually happen! Imagine if most games were played in 15-20,000 seat stadiums and all tickets not paid for as part of membership packages were made fair dinkem available to the average public punter. It may introduce an element of competition for tickets that improves ticket sales and so increased revenue, the atmosphere would be amazing and presumably the cost of putting on each game would be less. Instead of trying to fill as big a stadium as possible each week, imagine if the game just accepted and worked with the fact that with the quality of the televised product being so high, most people a watch it in the comfort of their own home and not a lot is going to change that.
Don
Roar Rookie
Yet you somehow include Central QLD which from Rocky to Mackay is 330km and has fewer people in those regions combined than the Blacktown City population? CQ has mediocre stadiums, will struggle against 2 Brisbane sides plus GC and NQ side for sponsorship $. Whilst there may be support from fans to see a side there, commercially it would be behind adding a 3rd Brisbane side and Perth. And if the Broncos are Brisbane South, you don't realise there's a river dividing the north and south of Brisbane and the Broncos are on the Northside... If you are starting again then give the Brisbane region 3 sides North, South and West (Ippy out to Toowomba). Forget CQ. And they all still play out of Suncorp.
Big Daddy
Guest
Well now we can set the reset button. Now it's time to look into the crystal ball to look at all the ifs, buts and may be's. I'm waiting with baited breath.
Greg
Roar Pro
the problem with points salary cap is that it can severely limit a players earning potential. No matter what metric you use to allocate points some players will be over valued and some undervalued. For example (and i am aware this is very rough guidelines) if all current tier one internationals are worth 5 points, current origin players or former tier one players are worth 4 points, former origin players 3, other representative players (eg city/country, Indigenous, tier 2 internationals) 2 and non rep players 1. Players like Sione Matautia (a 4) and Josh Reynalds (a 3) would never get a contract as their over inflated rating means they take up to much of the points cap to ever be worth giving a contract too. As much as i like the theory of giving all clubs, rich or poor, an even playing field it simply cannot work.