The nostalgic idea of bringing back three matches in a day for the NRL should remain in the distant past.
Nostalgia is not all that it’s cracked up to be – the main reason a lot of footy fans, and unfortunately administrators, ramble on about the “good old days” is because they’ve got a bad memory.
Three grades on the same day was popular with less than 10% of rugby league fans a generation ago. And that’s being charitable.
Ask anyone who played in the older under 23s or Jersey Flegg or straight up third grade and they will tell you that very few fans bothered to turn up early to watch their game.
Reserve-grade fixtures rarely have anything more than half the crowd for the main game until the closing stages of their match. Fans pay to watch the premium content – the main game.
Very few of them were ever bothered to turn up for three matches in a day and don’t let the old fans tell you otherwise as they stare it you through rose-coloured glasses before telling you to get off their lawn.
Nostalgia is great when it comes in the form of teams wearing old-school jerseys, watching old clips on YouTube or looking at old footy cards, but it has its limits.
City pose after winning the final match of City vs Country Origin in 2017 (NRL Photos/Grant Trouville)
Some administrators want to take you back to the era prior to full-time professionalism which came in the 1990s that seems to get better with old footy fans the further it disappears into the rear-view mirror.
What’s next? Reviving the City-County Origin clash, which more often than not meant little apart from another match for players to risk getting injured.
There is also the matter of accommodating the NRLW program into the schedule – with the women’s game expanding to 10 teams and five games a round over the course of a longer season next year, that competition is the one that needs greater prominence, not the lower-grade men’s fixtures.
Josh Jackson. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Resuscitating the three grades in a day concept also means a poorer playing surface for the elite competition.
Back in the supposed “glory days”, the suburban grounds would be a mudheap by the time first grade kicked off.
Playing surfaces a much better these days but when you have wet weather like we’ve had recently in NSW, the lower grades should “get off the lawn” and play at other venues.
It was a surprise to see the NSW Cup fixtures go ahead at CommBank and Accor stadiums on Saturday before the NRL fixtures. St George Illawarra wisely cancelled the curtain-raiser at WIN Stadium on Sunday.
Xavier Savage. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
Extending game day out to three grades would also have a financial effect on clubs in terms of covering extra costs for venue hire – longer shifts for the many stadium staff required to put on a match.
There is a renewed push for a national reserve grade competition from clubs to be played as a curtain-raiser to NRL games, according to Roy Masters in the Sydney Morning Herald, which would relegate the NSW and Queensland state cups to third-tier irrelevance.
You get the sense that there is political football behind this with the ARL Commission at loggerheads with the NSWRL.
After the ARLC already threatening to slash its $21 million grant to the state body over its controversial boardroom elections, it could further weaken the NSWRL’s standing within the sport by downgrading its main competition.
It’s almost like the ARLC wants to take total control of the cash cow that is State of Origin and the rivers of gold that flow from it. The NSWRL is in danger of going from the most powerful rugby league association in the land to a white elephant within the space of a few decades.
For Queensland, its main competition, the Hostplus Cup, has a much bigger following and attracts a decent level of mainstream media coverage compared to its NSW counterpart.
Traditional clubs such as Redcliffe Dolphins and Wynnum Manly Seagulls, have retained their diehard fans and newer sides like the PNG Hunters and Central Queensland Capras have developed their own followings.
Basically, there is little wrong with the current set-up where NRL clubs use state cup teams, whether playing in the same colours or an affiliated side like the once-mighty Bears of North Sydney or the Sunshine Coast Falcons in Queensland.
Like the idea of going back to three grades in one day, the plan for the national second-tier competition might appear to look good on paper but would look even better after being put through the shredder.
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Mark.payne
Guest
I,now have lived in SA for a long time. I watch pay T V by my choosing. But am still unable,to watch,origan,&grand final day without ads So great with the modern times.
Nick
Roar Guru
I reckon there would be enough, 2000 or so who have had a few, that are looking for a way to cover the gap between the first grade ending, and moving to the bar at 10pm that would happily stick around. If the ground organisers were smart, they'd let everyone move into the good wings of the grounds for free when the under 23's start.
Adam
Roar Guru
I'd hazard a guess and say it doesn't help in NSW either. The problem with adding a reserve grade is all these clubs are now franchises. The franchise model doesn't have reserve grades so the whole idea is a little silly and should have been thought about 25 years ago. There's just something so plastic about the way the clubs are now that creating a reserve grade out of thin air just seems, wrong.
Adam
Roar Guru
Absolutely. The 5pm slot when it's an NRL game could very easily be followed by the reserves at 730. Sure plenty won't stay but is that any different from now?
Robert
Guest
Three games on the same day was great. Sometimes the "lower" games were better than the first grade. As for crowds. We'll they put 1st grade on at 6pm on a Friday. HELLOOOO. WAKE UP. A lot of people work to 5.30 and can't make that game - especially with Sydney traffic. So of course they can't make the game during work hours. They need to make the "entertainment package" as good as it possibly can be for the exorbitant costs they charge. That means 3 games.
Panthers
Guest
Some clubs run 2 NSW Cup teams , plus their Jersey Flegg team , with their first grade side as well obviously. Should they have 4 games on the program, when playing from a home ground? Some clubs still do try to play the Jersey Flegg, then their NSW Cup , followed by the First Grade game . When playing home games & where possible. I think it’s called trying to give some value for money. I enjoy watching the other grades & it can give a bit of insight into what talented players your club may have coming through the ranks.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Then why did the NRL clubs move their lower grade games to other venues? They wouldn't have done that unless they had concerns about ground conditions, and they certainly wouldn't have done that if it was going to cost them more money.
matth
Roar Guru
After reading the generally favourable comments towards the old reserve grade curtain raiser, I guess I'm ok with it in NSW. As long as the existing clubs like Newtown and Norths are accommodated rather than the Sharks and Roosters bringing in their own branded teams, you could pretty much run it now at the first grade grounds, with a little bit of imagination, without having to drop the current 2nd tier to third tier. Keep the QLD teams out of it (and NZ - too expensive). QLD is a different beast. The Intrust Super Cup is 14 teams, none of which are the Broncos, Cowboys or Titans. Unlike NSW, where the rosters could remain pretty much the same, in QLD if we created reserved grades for these three teams, the others would definitely be sent to the third tier and possibly financial oblivion, with the best players obviously heading for one of the three new reserve grade teams (4 with the Dolphins) or down to the NSW reserve grade competition. How that helps rugby league in QLD is beyond me. The QCup is state wide and the QRL should not allow the regional teams, plus PNG to be dropped down just so 10% of the NRL crowd each day can see an extra game. there are teams based in Mackay, Rockhampton, Port Moresby, Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and the Tweed with no obvious link to an NRL team. There are also a lot more than 2 Brisbane based teams to be mashed into the Broncos and Dolphins.
matth
Roar Guru
Watch how Suncorp gets bashed around after Magic Round to see what could happen, particularly with the less well appointed suburban grounds.
matth
Roar Guru
There is still a reserve grade comp. All they need to do is play them as curtain raisers. But that would not be great for the Newtowns and North Sydney Bears of this world. I would rather see the traditional clubs have their places in our 2nd tier competition than have them set even further adrift. And don't touch the QCup. It is a decent standard competition in its own right.
Nick
Roar Guru
Unless there is torrential, once in a century rain (or once in a month rain in Sydney!) they won't. Again, there's simply no grounds for this statement anymore. The SFS - before it was demolished - was designed to, and did, run upwards of 6 matches over any weekend when the A-league, NRL, and Super rugby seasons coincided, and if Sydney were in the FFA cup or the Champions league, there were mid week matches as well. And these were not one off weekends. These occurrences could happen 2-3 times a month. All NRL hosting suburban stadia have had their turf and water management systems replaced. Different grasses are now used to what were used in the 80's and 90's. And, as Nat correctly pointed out - magic round is played on one ground over 2.5 days and the pitch holds up on Sunday afternoon as well as it did on Friday night.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
Yes, but the grand final is one day. Do that every second week (and more often at venues multiple teams use), and even the modern fields will suffer.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Or one of the teams outside the top 5 in Group 14. Take the game to the country, Vlandys.
Tony
Roar Guru
Brilliantly argued.. :laughing:
Tony
Roar Guru
The Knights could have a run against one of the RLW teams
Seymour Richards
Guest
It's not often I agree with you sheepy , but on this occasion I've been reminded that all people still posses an amount of soul and humility, regardless of how well they've been conditioned. Play it again Sam !
Contego
Guest
Be interesting to see how the clubs in the QLD Cup with money accept any relegation to the third level due to a power play by the NRL
Rosie
Roar Rookie
Absolutely nothing wrong with the current reserve grade set up using state based competitions.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
I used to go to Bear Park and take in the three games. It won't happen again with costs being probitive. Back in the old days there were 10 then 12 teams in the comp. all from Sydney. Just too expensive to transport and accommodate three teams for away games out of Sydney. What could be looked at is the NSW Cup mor Qld Cup games as openners. But as was pointed out here pretty ordinary to have only obne game at the ground.
Victoire
Guest
The article is spot on and some of the comments here are preposterous. 3 grades in a day is a stupid idea that helps no-one.