The 'Instant' Squad

[Raw Boned Youngster]

Loyalty is gone because it is not rewarded or acknowledged through concessions.
Producing and blooding juniors doesn't work because rival clubs swoop when they are ready and the breeding club has to play the waiting game with underperforming / not quite ready talent.

The Bulldogs are actually onto something with their buying policy.
I believe they recognise that successful clubs are about the moment, not what will happen in a year or two.
They have proven that new players to the club can be embraced as one of their own almost instantly.

For the Bulldogs to do this, especially with their reputation as the family club etc, clearly paints a picture of the modern game and the associated fans.

More than any club, the Broncos produce very young players who are groomed and then snapped up. I can't see any reason why this trend would not continue.

Sad but true.

 

[mrslong]

thus enters the hilarious, yet apt Jerry Seinfeld quote
"You are standing and cheering and yelling for your clothes to beat the clothes from another city. Fans will be so in love with a player, but if he goes to another team, they boo him. This is the same human being in a different shirt! They hate him now! Boo! Different shirt!! Boo!"

 

[Flutterby]

Yeah, but someone has to always develop the juniors. If everyone just waiting around to buy the players others had developed, there would be no players for them to buy.

 

[Coxy]

Yeah, but someone has to always develop the juniors. If everyone just waiting around to buy the players others had developed, there would be no players for them to buy.

Which is sort of happening. It's not overly noticeable yet, but this is what I think will happen.

1. Young players will come through seeing the amazing money on offer in rugby union, Aussie Rules, cricket, soccer and to a lesser extent, rugby league
2. Many will have a real passion for a rugby league or aussie rules team, but maybe not so much with union or soccer
3. Given the salary cap in rugby league, they will potentially realise their dream of playing for their favourite club, only to be forced out when they realise they can get more at another club. Meanwhile, Aussie Rules supporting kids will realise even if they do make it, their future is pot luck that they might end up at some crappy club they hate because they get picked first in the draft or whatever.
4. Seeing these outcomes, kids will either drop out of League and Aussie Rules earlier and pursue one of the other sports instead

Soccer in particular is a MASSIVE MASSIVE sleeping giant that is starting to stir IMO. It's already got more junior participation across Australia than either rules or league IIRC, and it's only so long before the conversion from soccer to league/rules dries up and they stay in that sport given the opportunities available in the A-league, then socceroos and then Europe.

 

[Flutterby]

Yep - I really do fear for the future of Rugby League, but the powers that be just seem to want to live in the now as RBY said - and bury their heads in the sand about the sport dying completely

 

[Coxy]

"Our sport's lived for 100 years, and it's stronger now than it's ever been, it will never die"....yes, I've heard that 1000 times. Thing is "dying" is relative. It could, and most likely will, become a minor sport by comparison to soccer and AFL in the next 20-30 years.

5 or so years ago soccer got Frank Lowy in, did a massive bit of soul searching, completely ripped apart the fabric of the sport in Australia and reinvented itself. Since then they have developed a growing national league, and back to back world cup appearances for the national team and growing international respect.

What's league done?

Implemented a strict salary cap ensuring an even competition...not a BETTER competition, an even one...and added a 16th team to an already financially stretched competition.

Meanwhile done little to improve the international game (Tri Nations and World Cup has had some effect I admit), and continue to bask in the success and popularity of State of Origin.

If what I've predicted above happens, Origin becomes less star studded, therefore less popular (it's already far less intense than it was even a decade ago).

Rugby League tried to shake itself up post-Super League with the commitment to reduce to 14 teams etc, but they did it all wrong. They did it trying to just cut a couple of teams.

They need to start from scratch. Cancel all licenses. Reinvent the board of control - a SINGLE body of control to govern the sport nationally. Instigate a 12-team national competition and invite applications to licenses. Play it as a 22-round competition, starting in February and finishing in August. Have Origin immediately after along with a Pacific Cup. And then Tri-Nations in October.

That's my view. but I would hope a Frank Lowy or similar could come in and provide a completely impartial view and restructure things accordingly.

It has to happen and it has to happen in the next 5 years. It will cause pain. But it will also reinvigorate a sport that is slowly dying from the inside out.

 

[Foordy]

The Salary cap can't be eliminated completely because if it is one or two clubs will completely dominated every year due to the bankroll. but there also needs to be concessions given to clubs who develop their players. I think the best options would be either :

1. have a salary cap for bought players only (developed players are exempt).

2. if a club develops a player through their system they get part of his salary exempt from the cap. (somewhere in the range of 25% - 50%)

that will once again instill loyalty in to the clubs but it will also entice clubs to spend the money developing their juniors, so they get the benefit of them in the years to come rather than developing a player for other clubs to take advantage of (the Broncos have had this problem for years)

 

[Coxy]

Finances are only a problem because we allow too many shit house, useless old clubs with no money to stay in the game for tradition's sake.

Manly and Cronulla - gone.
In fact, any club dependent on handouts from individual benefactors (oh, hi Souths)....gone!

 

[Hamm.0]

Yawn.

Coxy, I hope you're not suggesting that Rugby League decides to get professional.....

 

[Professor47]

It's tough this stuff. Rugby league is a traditional game but the world demands privatisation. (In a nutshell) Hmmm...

Personally, I think there is still a lot of tradition that CAN be held on to and that is important. I'm not CEO or expert but League needs to and CAN generate more revenue, but a lot of factors to this. Plenty of ideas floating around though and plenty of ideas with that to do with it.

On the Salary cap issue - I still cant believe there are hardly (if at all) any real and proper salary cap concessions and exceptions. It's a disgrace someone like Price can't stay at the dogs etc etc. Foordy's point of:

2. if a club develops a player through their system they get part of his salary exempt from the cap. (somewhere in the range of 25% - 50%)

That is near the mark. Some tweaking involved but there MUST be salary cap exemptions. FAIR exemptions. I really think it is a step in the right direction IMO. The comp is rubbish.

 

[Coxy]

Tradition can survive, but not at the expense of progress. If we want a traditional game, then let's accept that we won't be an elite sport for very long.

If we want to compete with soccer and AFL as football codes in this country, we need to get real and be prepared to make hard sacrifices, sacrifices that may well cause short term pain....for long term gain.

 

[Raw Boned Youngster]

Coxy makes some very valid points about the sleeping / awakening giant that is soccer ( football ). The hard decisions were certainly made with the bigger picture in mind. No decision in any professional sport in Australia was bigger or more emotional than the removal ( to a significant degree ) of the ethnic control / fan base of clubs.
It happened and the game has prospered.

While ever we have the chook raffle mentality in League, we won't move forward.
Tradition is a part of that mentality.
New franchises, with new identities maybe a starting point.

 

[Coxy]

In saying that I have no problems with "old" franchises still being involved - if they can show they have the professional mentality required to succeed in the 21st century.

Perth Glory managed it.

In league, I think the Broncos, Cowboys, Titans, Bulldogs, Storm, Warriors, Dragons (with some changes), Penrith, Wests Tigers, Roosters and Parramatta are all capable too. Someone would have to be in Newcastle too, but I think getting rid of the current Knights setup would be a good move...absolutely amateurish organisation.

There's 12 teams (11 old, 1 new), and that'd be plenty for the dawn of a new age. Sorry you missed out Souths, Canberra, Cronulla and Manly.

 

[Jargernaut]

i said it in another thread but i believe that the setup of 4 sydney clubs is the answer, with that all clubs in nsw could exist on their own in the nsw state league and more interest would be created in the second tier. what they should also create is a ticketing system where state games are capped at say $20 and if you pay for a state game you get that much off an nrl ticket. as you can see from my sig. i am a football supporter as well and i am really excited by the a-league and its development, but when i think of the nrl i feel frustrated. people keep talking about less teams but i think there is enough talent when you take into consideration the players we have lost overseas to supply 16-18 quality teams. if you trim the sydney team in the nrl to four the draw can make sure there is at least 2 games per weekend in sydney and get more people out to the state league games as well.

 

[Jargernaut]

when u consider Nth QLD, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Sydney North (manly, norths, and other northern teams as feeders), Sydney East, Sydney West, Sydney South, Melbourne, Canberra, New Zealand thats leaves a gradual expansion for another 5-7 teams. i think if something like this was done initially it should be with 12 teams and everyone playes everyone twice with only 4 in the finals. As teams are added keep the two round system going and gradually have the cap fading away or much larger. we have to be prepared to start teams around the country too and perservere with them. give perth another go and leave them there so year one under the new system they have a team. anyway its late an i am starting to ramble, food for thought :)