Here’s an article that I wrote 4 years ago on promotion and relegation.
It makes for some interesting reading.

Could relegation work in an expanded NRL competition?

Speaking of International fixtures, how’s the biff in the UK – French Rugby Union Navy game.
People often inform me that it’s a game played by gentlemen, and in heaven.

http://metro.co.uk/2016/03/24/royal-navy-and-french-navy-involved-in-furious-rugby-brawl-5773064/

I think Flanagan was on a high after his local derby victory – and it was he who came crashing back to earth.

Good read Stew. I’m sorry I didn’t take the opportunity earlier in the day.
Penrith will be in the 8 this year – they have both the caliber and depth of player to go all the way.

This weeks game against a determined Dragons outfit is sure to be a grueling encounter.
Who are you tipping? – I’m still undecided.

Lucky its the dogs and they’re using sticks – in Kogarah they use pineapples.

The human species is an adaptable and ever evolving creature.
There is a distinct possibility that successive generations of contact sport might breed beings that are better equipped to handle the rigors of collision with regards to self-protection of the brain.
Head butting goats and antelope have evolved over millennia as such species.
Woodpeckers are the prime example of evolution’s ability to adapt to a schedule that others would regard as torture.
Should the human species be allowed to adapt to become tougher, or will laws make the species weaker as a whole?

Why do most sportsmen not appear to suffer from the same affects later in life, when they have been playing the same game?
Are other factors involved, like drinking, smoking, drugs, genetics, or diet?
Were any of these injuries caused off the football or ice-hockey field?
Are older players more prone to the effects of concussion, and if so, should an age limit be put in place?

There are too many unknowns at this stage, and wrapping males in cotton wool is probably not the best approach.

Binge drinkers tend go hard on weekends in the company of friends, at parties, and other social events as a general rule. They can also abstain from alcohol without withdrawals.

Alcoholics have a daily need or urge to drink, whether in the company of others or on their Pat Malone. Their cravings are similar to that of a smokers need for nicotine.

Tobacco sponsorship was finally outlawed, so is it not time to pay closer scrutiny to the possible damage that alcohol sponsorship in the game has created.

Just about every off-field incident involving NRL players that I can think of is in some way alcohol related, yet we have these blokes wearing the same sponsors ads on their jerseys and running over massive logos painted on the fields.

The kids then see it in the comfort of their own home (or at the ground where we are encouraging families to go), and a whole new generation jumps on the merry-go-round.

No impact on the cap. It’s a one off game designed to pit the best NRL players against one another – and hopefully the Captains see it that way, especially as there won’t be payment for any of the players in the losing team. Logically you would hope that the captains go on to select the elite players they believe will win the game for them, and not their buddies.
By the way, I always liked the idea of a QLD and NSW B team as a prelude to the big one – it makes much more sense than the City vs Country fixture.

What about North versus South?
NRL players from the UK, PNG, Samoa, Tonga, and Queenland to represent the North.
Victoria, New South Wales, and New Zealand players to represent the South.

Well said Eagle Jack. It is unfortunate that the Australian team does not walk onto the ground yelling “Australians” like our Queenslanders do when draped in Maroon and emblazoned with a XXXX logo. Our NZ rivals have the haka war cry to unify their players prior to battle. Something is clearly missing.

State of Origin is hardly the pinnacle. Two states combat each other to form the nucleus of an Australian team. This Australian team is then defeated three times in a row by New Zealand. Meanwhile other NRL greats from Samoa, Tonga, PNG, and the UK sit idly by twiddling their thumbs.

Why is The Players Association chasing 25% of revenue from State Of Origin then?

Seems to work OK with golf professionals – miss the cut and you’re going home without a paycheck.

True Tommy, as stated in the article I think this concept would work far better with the AFL. If someone was to conjure up a method to capture tribalism among fans, then the profits from such an event could be directed at the grass roots level.
I can see the concept as a major event with soccer fans. Imagine the worlds best 22 players on the pitch at the same time. Fans would pay huge dollars to see such an exposé of talent, and television audiences throughout the world would be massive.

I just read your article Guru – no plagiarism intended !

I thought about the suspension moving with the player to their new club as well,but then the club that originally benefited would escape any penalty – so maybe a better solution is needed in this area.

A grey area that possibly needs to be looked into is player insurance paid for by the offending club.
The money should be able to be used for filling the void left by the injured player, with no impact on the salary cap.

There’s a lot of talk on line about reversing the try and awarding the game to the Cowboys. Funnily enough I penned an article about the possibility of post-match protests almost one year ago.

Post-match protests in rugby league

In truth we see referees re-start tackle counts week in and week out in error. Teams often incorrectly receive an extra set of six tackles – not just one like the Sharks were given last night, and generally there is little to no comment when teams score in the ensuing set.

Had the Sharks been correctly notified that it was the last, then who knows how the game would have unfolded. They may have scored from a high kick or received another set of six from a dropped ball. At the end of the day poor Cowboys defense allowed The Sharks to score after they traveled 80 metres down-field. Many claim that Robert Lui dropped the ball before he kicked it and it rightly should have been zero tackle anyway.

At the end of the day the Cowboys had another ordinary season and just scraped into the eight. There are games that they won controversially this year. Should have the Titans taken their place in the top eight?

Imagine if the results of the last two State of Origin series could be reversed after the refereeing fiascoes that gifted QLD series wins in controversial circumstances. Now that would be real justice from a NSW perspective !

The Sharkies may be receiving some recompense after The Sea Eagles denied them premiership glory by advancing to the 1978 Grand Final on the back of a seven tackle try against the Eels.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo1x-nc9Yow

Karma – she’s one sweet women, and without doubt the older sister of Lady Luck !

I put forth this idea back in May last year, and I still believe it would work a treat.

Could relegation work in an expanded NRL competition?

Parra paid Sandow fractionally more than what Souths could offer him based on a salary cap system. Souths did not want him to go. He was well loved by the club, and performed week in and week out.
If you or I paid agreed to pay a builder a set amount of money to do a particular job – then you would expect that job to be completed competently, on time, and for the work to be first rate. This builder was hired in the first place by viewing some of his previous works, and with the glowing recommendations from friends and family.
I see Sandow as no different to the competent builder who has been hired.
I’d be taking the builder to court if his work was not what I’d paid for – wouldn’t you?

Cherry Evans received a giant leap in income in year two, and played well below his best. The carrot on the stick works best – hence this idea of being rewarded on merit, similar to the bulk of a salesman’s salary.

1. Voting is by both the players and coaching staff. Forwards who vote will recognise the work done by their counterparts so things should even themselves out in this regard.
2. If you were a good player you would probably be more inclined to join a lower ranked team, where there was a greater chance of being voted into the top five on a weekly basis and earning a much larger bonus salary. Strong teams are likely to have 8 or more high quality players – so whilst their season may be longer, higher earnings would be shared.
3. See point two. I personally believe with a reward system in place, players would be less likely to jump from club to club in search of the almighty dollar, and would begin to revalue true team spirit and the pride of wearing a single jersey.

I have commented previously that the salary cap imposes a restraint in trade, and that a players wage should remain private and not be subject to public knowledge. Unfortunately many clubs were bordering on bankruptcy prior to implementation of the cap so it has been a useful tool in steadying the ship whilst clubs got their finances in order. The cap isn’t going to be scrapped at any time in the near future – so this suggestion is more for an assurance that those who dish out vast sums of money get real bang for their buck at an individual level.

AFL shepherding provides cover for players who have possession of the ball. People giving chase generally have their eyes directed at play and at those around them, and not sky-wards like when a high kick takes place in RL.
NFL is similar, in that peripheral vision allows players to generally brace prior to impact from the blockers.

Great concept Fonzie – I like your idea of reward for forgoing field position. A 7th tackle would be awesome.
I think that players would learn to place more importance on ball security if a dropped ball rule was brought in.
As it currently stands, there is probably less than half a dozen knock-backs in most games where a player drops the ball directly from a pass.
The majority of knock-backs come from kicks, and a new rule might mean that teams would be far more willing to let the ball bounce, rather than attempting to catch the ball on the full. This in turn would lead to an increased amount of unpredictable moments, because you never know what’s going to happen after a ball has bounced.

My apologies for referring to you as “Mike” in my post above.
All too true regarding referees and their individual interpretations at present.
I just finished watching the Broncs and Roosters game – and there were quite a few shockers from the boys in pink.
Two refs yelling out different statements as to whom had possession of the ball, and a player who was clearly on the ground with his opponent making contact, and then being allowed to get up and run was the highlight of all things dodgy.
Is it getting worse – or is it just my over active imagination?

Blaze – its all good in theory – but unfortunately the video ref is only there for the top flight games, and not for the myriad of competitions throughout the rest of the country and OS. A rule that treats all dropped balls the same would take away any guesswork from a referee who is often not in the best position to adjudicate.

There would be around 3 to 4 decisions in most games that are contentious as to whether the ball went forward or backwards.

I have no beef with kicks on the last tackle – although it has become monotonous – the action I despise is the AFL type bat-back or tap-back. This deprives the attempted catcher of any real opportunity of taking the ball. If you were clever enough to have a team mate standing behind you and waiting for the tap-back, and the ball was caught cleanly by them without it hitting the ground – then it’s play on !