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*Official* NRL 2011 Season thread
- Thread starter morgieb
- Start date
Ausage
Cricketer Of The Year
Didn't even know it was on until I saw the queues for the bus at Parramatta station going back a mile. Hopefully they replay it sometime.
What does everyone think of this?
New Brisbane NRL Team Would Target Wayne Bennett As Coach | NRL
What does everyone think of this?
New Brisbane NRL Team Would Target Wayne Bennett As Coach | NRL
howardj
International Coach
Mixed feeling on this:
- We definitely could sustain another team given the love of rugby league in this City. It's madness that we're the 2nd home to rugby league but only have one team.
- The NRL already lacks depth, and doesn't have another 25 qaulity players to fill a team, therefore you'd need rationalisation in Sydney which simply won't happen in the short term
- As you say Craigos, we really need to grow the game into other cities - that's the only way the pie will get bigger
- We definitely could sustain another team given the love of rugby league in this City. It's madness that we're the 2nd home to rugby league but only have one team.
- The NRL already lacks depth, and doesn't have another 25 qaulity players to fill a team, therefore you'd need rationalisation in Sydney which simply won't happen in the short term
- As you say Craigos, we really need to grow the game into other cities - that's the only way the pie will get bigger
BoyBrumby
Englishman
It's the old "heartlands v expansion" debate, isn't it?
I think expansion is a noble ambition, but to take the obvious example of Melbourne, financial "issues" notwithstanding they've been the most successful team over the last five years beyond question and have qualified for finals series pretty consistently since their formation, but Victorians in the team are still noticeable by their absence.
An NRL team in PNG has always been an idea that intrigues me, given they go divvy for the game up there, but I suppose financial constraints mitigate against it. Shame tho.
I think expansion is a noble ambition, but to take the obvious example of Melbourne, financial "issues" notwithstanding they've been the most successful team over the last five years beyond question and have qualified for finals series pretty consistently since their formation, but Victorians in the team are still noticeable by their absence.
An NRL team in PNG has always been an idea that intrigues me, given they go divvy for the game up there, but I suppose financial constraints mitigate against it. Shame tho.
Craig
World Traveller
The only way a PNG team could work if we had some sort of draft in place, or had massive salary cap concessions, because aside from having local players (who if they are half decent, would run at the first chance to move to for an NRL club in either Australia or New Zealand), you will struggle to attract players, because who the **** wants to live in Port Moresby?
Ausage
Cricketer Of The Year
Thing with Brisbane 2 is that it means there's likely 2 prime time Friday night slots containing QLD teams, and a game at Suncorp most weekends. QLD loves its League, and in a way the NRL is failing to cash in on this by not putting enough of the sport on in the state. Throw in 2 derby games every year which will end up being showpiece events and you have a pretty good deal. Certainly better than just throwing a team at an AFL heartland like Adelaide just for the sake of it.
Never understood the lack of playing talent argument either. Assuming any expansion allows for new money to flow into the sport it's not like that new money would be used to cannibalize the existing playerbase. There's plenty of players in England, European Rugby who could play in the NRL right now. Throw in some second grades able to make the step up, a smattering of talented youngsters and I reckon you'd have competitive lineups. It would take time, but the onus would be on these clubs to produce juniors too, so in time this would bring more quality players in to the game. Then again I'm someone who really doesn't buy the whole "standard of today's league is rubbish" argument either.
An NRL team in PNG would just be amazing. I really don't know enough about the place to say whether or not it's even remotely feasible, but my understanding is that it's a place so different from where we live that the challenges would be enormous. The potential is mind blowing however.
Just on Melbourne, I remember hearing/reading that the majority of their Toyota Cup winning squad of a couple of years back were Victorian juniors. Is that correct or just someone blowing smoke up the proverbial?
Never understood the lack of playing talent argument either. Assuming any expansion allows for new money to flow into the sport it's not like that new money would be used to cannibalize the existing playerbase. There's plenty of players in England, European Rugby who could play in the NRL right now. Throw in some second grades able to make the step up, a smattering of talented youngsters and I reckon you'd have competitive lineups. It would take time, but the onus would be on these clubs to produce juniors too, so in time this would bring more quality players in to the game. Then again I'm someone who really doesn't buy the whole "standard of today's league is rubbish" argument either.
An NRL team in PNG would just be amazing. I really don't know enough about the place to say whether or not it's even remotely feasible, but my understanding is that it's a place so different from where we live that the challenges would be enormous. The potential is mind blowing however.
Just on Melbourne, I remember hearing/reading that the majority of their Toyota Cup winning squad of a couple of years back were Victorian juniors. Is that correct or just someone blowing smoke up the proverbial?
BoyBrumby
Englishman
As I understood it there are visa issues for PNG citizens wishing to enter Oz?
Can't believe a nation that has league as its national sport couldn't produce at least one first grade player. I know Costigan used to play for PNG, but (as I understand) he moved to QLD at an early age so is effectively an Aussie anyway.
Actually, looking at their squad for the 2010 4-Nations Paul Aiton played for them and he's the rake at the Sharks, so maybe there's more than one.
Ausage
Cricketer Of The Year
Handy player Aiton. Was disappointed when he left Penrith tbh.
howardj
International Coach
Very much so. Suncrop should have a game every weekend. Queensland is league-mad, and the people here deserve to have the option of going into the City every weekend to watch an NRL game.
If you could get players back from the Old Dart, I agree that we could sustain a 17th team. However, with that unlikely, I don't want to see more Toyota Cup players in 1st grade. It's a very small nursery here in Australia. Moreover, a national sport like the AFL only has 16 teams (soon to be 17).
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
The Titans winger David Mead also plays for PNG, but was injured when the 4 Nations were on.
I'm not sure really which bid I like the most, although I would be leaning towards the expansion bids from Australia first. None of the bids appear perfect though.
The issue I have with the Ipswich bid is that they want to play all their matches at Suncorp. Yeah it's a great stadium and all and not THAT far to get to, but it just seems odd to have the home ground in a completely different city.
The Perth bid would be ideal for Foxtel if they played most home matches on Saturday night as the Super Saturday would be 3 live matches. I wonder how big the crowds would be though and have the Western Force turned League fans into Union?
Ausage
Cricketer Of The Year
Why couldn't we get players from England? Aussies are willing to go there for money, there's no reason English players wouldn't be the same.
Also the AFLites on CW can correct me if need be but I doubt the AFL is any more a national nursery than League is. Far more NRL players will be developed in NSW and QLD than the AFL, just like the reverse is true of the southern states. Throw in NZ, PNG and England as three more nurseries and I think the best RL comp in the world should be able to sustain 18 full time squads.
Ausage
Cricketer Of The Year
Agreed on Ipswich. Thing is if they play at a stadium in Ipswich they're underutilising Suncorp massively. Best stadium for League in the country and it deserves more games.
Perth have a very organized bid as I understand it so that would work in their favor. If the NRL bring 2 teams in, Perth and second Brisbane would bring in an enormous windfall from TV rights. I think over time they'd go ok in a city the size of Perth.
Then there's always the Bears. They were always my second team growing up so it'd be nice to see them included, but I think both the other bids have more going for them financially in particular.
Craig
World Traveller
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
He also played for Ireland in the World Cup. Not the sharpest tool in the shed.
Craig
World Traveller
I found it funny how the articles I've read have described Tandy as a 'Bulldogs star'. He is a journeyman, and before 2009, a fringe first grader. If you were a casual league fan, you would have NFI who he is.