mozgrame
Engorged member
Would this work? I like the idea.
Denis Keeffe – CEO | Central Queensland NRL Bid
There is talk from a few NRL commentators that a “conference” system may be considered for an EXPANDED NRL. I think the idea has real merit. So let’s examine a few facts about such a format for a future NRL competition.
The most obvious format is two conferences – all Sydney clubs in one conference, pool A, and all other clubs in the second conference, pool B.
There are nine clubs in Sydney and seven from outside of Sydney. Conference B, the non-Sydney pool would have to be expanded to nine with two expansion clubs bringing the total number of participating clubs to eighteen – i.e. nine per conference.
The conferences would be:
Pool A – Roosters, Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Tigers, Panthers, Sharks, and Eels.
Pool B – Broncos, Titans, Cowboys, Warriors, Raiders, Storm, Knights + two expansion teams e.g. Central Queensland and Ipswich (Western Brisbane)
Each club plays clubs in the same pool twice per season on a home and away basis, thereby totalling sixteen games in their own pool for each season. During the season each club play clubs in the other pool clubs once on a home OR away basis resulting in eight games from outside of the pool. Games played outside the pool are alternated on a home or away basis every second year. I.e. If, say, the Roosters played the Broncos at home in year one they would play them away the following year. Each club will play twenty-four games in total per year.
Why is this radical new system attractive and workable?
With every national competition we find that at times the visiting teams, especially those who travel interstate, often don’t attract large crowds in a different city, state or even country. This is very apparent in large stadia where vast numbers of vacant seats do not look good on television and these vacant seats are not good for the financial condition of the hosting club. This is especially obvious in Sydney when a so-called traditional Sydney club plays a club from outside Sydney. We can’t expect the Cowboys and Titans, for example to have a vast number of supporters in Sydney who will attend away games. Conversely the Dragons fans will be at the Sharks game in numbers and the Roosters fans will pack into a Rabbitohs game, when the two teams clash. Larger attendances result in a much more attractive television product which in turn is good for the game and its revenues.
The vacant seat situation is no so apparent in regional cites where support for visiting Sydney teams, for example, have always been problematical. The support however is more intense for games where “rivalry” has been developed for many years. E.g. for many years now, a Broncos versus Cowboys game in Brisbane or Townsville has always been an attractive event, often selling out. With the exception of the Melbourne Storm, the regional or country clubs are more supported on a per capita basis that their Sydney counterparts because of the genuine “heartland” sentiments and the limit of national sporting activity in these regions.
I think a conference configuration for an expanded NRL competition is workable so I am supportive.
http://www.cqnrlbid.com.au/2014/04/conferences-for-nrl-worth-considering/
Denis Keeffe – CEO | Central Queensland NRL Bid
There is talk from a few NRL commentators that a “conference” system may be considered for an EXPANDED NRL. I think the idea has real merit. So let’s examine a few facts about such a format for a future NRL competition.
The most obvious format is two conferences – all Sydney clubs in one conference, pool A, and all other clubs in the second conference, pool B.
There are nine clubs in Sydney and seven from outside of Sydney. Conference B, the non-Sydney pool would have to be expanded to nine with two expansion clubs bringing the total number of participating clubs to eighteen – i.e. nine per conference.
The conferences would be:
Pool A – Roosters, Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Dragons, Sea Eagles, Tigers, Panthers, Sharks, and Eels.
Pool B – Broncos, Titans, Cowboys, Warriors, Raiders, Storm, Knights + two expansion teams e.g. Central Queensland and Ipswich (Western Brisbane)
Each club plays clubs in the same pool twice per season on a home and away basis, thereby totalling sixteen games in their own pool for each season. During the season each club play clubs in the other pool clubs once on a home OR away basis resulting in eight games from outside of the pool. Games played outside the pool are alternated on a home or away basis every second year. I.e. If, say, the Roosters played the Broncos at home in year one they would play them away the following year. Each club will play twenty-four games in total per year.
Why is this radical new system attractive and workable?
With every national competition we find that at times the visiting teams, especially those who travel interstate, often don’t attract large crowds in a different city, state or even country. This is very apparent in large stadia where vast numbers of vacant seats do not look good on television and these vacant seats are not good for the financial condition of the hosting club. This is especially obvious in Sydney when a so-called traditional Sydney club plays a club from outside Sydney. We can’t expect the Cowboys and Titans, for example to have a vast number of supporters in Sydney who will attend away games. Conversely the Dragons fans will be at the Sharks game in numbers and the Roosters fans will pack into a Rabbitohs game, when the two teams clash. Larger attendances result in a much more attractive television product which in turn is good for the game and its revenues.
The vacant seat situation is no so apparent in regional cites where support for visiting Sydney teams, for example, have always been problematical. The support however is more intense for games where “rivalry” has been developed for many years. E.g. for many years now, a Broncos versus Cowboys game in Brisbane or Townsville has always been an attractive event, often selling out. With the exception of the Melbourne Storm, the regional or country clubs are more supported on a per capita basis that their Sydney counterparts because of the genuine “heartland” sentiments and the limit of national sporting activity in these regions.
I think a conference configuration for an expanded NRL competition is workable so I am supportive.
http://www.cqnrlbid.com.au/2014/04/conferences-for-nrl-worth-considering/