The Draw

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mosto

I have a well known member
Premium Member
Given the inequalities highlighted in the current draw, I'm going to throw up an alternative. It certainly won't appeal to everyone, but here it goes:

Current draw is 192 games, stretching 27 weeks, including rep weekend, plus finals (my math may be out, but I think that's correct). So we need to get somewhere near that to satisfy TV etc.

Each team plays each other once. Obviously, there's a disadvantage in some playing teams away and others playing them at home, but you reverse the draw each year to balance that out as much as possible.
This means 15 rounds of 8 games = 120 games.

Then, I'd like to see an FA Cup style knockout comp incorporating regional teams. There's 10 representative regions in NSW and 3 in Qld. Add say a Vic rep team, WA rep team and a NZ residents team, there's 16 teams plus the 16 NRL clubs. First round would see each NRL team matched against a regional team, over two legs, home and away (so more League Cup style than FA Cup for those familiar with European football). This means total number of knockout comp games would be as follows:

Rd 1 = 16x2 = 32
Rd 2 = 8x2 = 16
QF = 4x2 = 8
SF = 2x2 = 4
Final = 1 (One off game played at neutral venue)
Total games = 61

The main comp would have a week off to play each round so we have a total of 181 games played over 24 weeks. Add in stand alone weeks for Aus v NZ / City v Country and 3 origins, playing a Pacific Islands 4 Nations series on these weekends (PNG/Fiji/Tonga/Samoa) with two games in each of the first three rep weeks and the final on the fourth week. This adds an additional 7 games taking it to 188 games plus the main rep games which are currently played already, over a total of 28 weeks, plus finals.

I think this addresses a few issues. Firstly, the main comp is fairer in teams play each other an equal amount of times. Secondly, as teams are knocked out of the Cup comp, players are rested, relieving player burnout. Thirdly, the spotlight is briefly turned to regional areas, where the game is suffering, and also on the island nations which produce a number of NRL players.

Anyway, that's my thoughts on making a fairer and more interesting season.
 
Would work IMO if NRL had a larger supporter base. If Manly were knocked out of the Cup Comp (which I think right now would happen against a regional bush team) I wouldn't watch.

I think viewership is the main factor holding this draw back. Would be interesting though!
 
I often thought about two conferences.

But two conferences of eight teams seems a bit shallow. (14 comp games are a bit too few.)

If we could get two new teams in 2017 and then another 2 teams in 2020 we could easily have two ten team conferences playing each team in your conference twice (18) games.

Top five of each conference and the two top conferences winners would play in a superbowl type games.

Each year both conferences depending where they finished would swap to the other conference for next year. For example conference positions 2,4,6,8 & 10 would change conferences each year.
 
What about something similar to American sports draws. Link similar teams in divisions and have them play each other multiple times. Then have out of division games based on previous years performance.

Possible divisions could look like this based on a truely national comp with 4 divisions each of 5 teams:

NORTH DIVISION:
North Queensland
Brisbane
West Brisbane
Gold Coast
Darwin

INNER SYD DIVISION:
Souths
Easts
Manly
St George
Central Coast

NSW DIVISION
Newcastle
Canterbury
Parramatta
Penrith
Wests

NATIONAL DIVISION:
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
New Zealand (North)
New Zealand (South)

Play each division rival 4 times per year (16 games) then two teams from each other division (6 games) and two teams from a lottery home and away (4 games) for a total season of 26 games.

Finals is made up from division winners seeded 1-4 based on win/loss record. Six wild cards based on win/loss record and seeded 5-10. Finals then play out at 1 and 2 week off. 3 plays 10, 4 plays 9, 5 plays 8, 6 plays 7. Second week 1 plays lowest winner, 2 plays second lowest and remaining two play with home advantage given to team with best record. Highest winner goes straight to Grand Final with remaining two winning teams fighting for spot in finals.

Thoughts??
 
What about something similar to American sports draws. Link similar teams in divisions and have them play each other multiple times. Then have out of division games based on previous years performance.

Possible divisions could look like this based on a truely national comp with 4 divisions each of 5 teams:

NORTH DIVISION:
North Queensland
Brisbane
West Brisbane
Gold Coast
Darwin

INNER SYD DIVISION:
Souths
Easts
Manly
St George
Central Coast

NSW DIVISION
Newcastle
Canterbury
Parramatta
Penrith
Wests

NATIONAL DIVISION:
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
New Zealand (North)
New Zealand (South)

Play each division rival 4 times per year (16 games) then two teams from each other division (6 games) and two teams from a lottery home and away (4 games) for a total season of 26 games.

Finals is made up from division winners seeded 1-4 based on win/loss record. Six wild cards based on win/loss record and seeded 5-10. Finals then play out at 1 and 2 week off. 3 plays 10, 4 plays 9, 5 plays 8, 6 plays 7. Second week 1 plays lowest winner, 2 plays second lowest and remaining two play with home advantage given to team with best record. Highest winner goes straight to Grand Final with remaining two winning teams fighting for spot in finals.

Thoughts??
Sounds interesting mate.
 
What about something similar to American sports draws. Link similar teams in divisions and have them play each other multiple times. Then have out of division games based on previous years performance.

Possible divisions could look like this based on a truely national comp with 4 divisions each of 5 teams:

NORTH DIVISION:
North Queensland
Brisbane
West Brisbane
Gold Coast
Darwin

INNER SYD DIVISION:
Souths
Easts
Manly
St George
Central Coast

NSW DIVISION
Newcastle
Canterbury
Parramatta
Penrith
Wests

NATIONAL DIVISION:
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
New Zealand (North)
New Zealand (South)

Play each division rival 4 times per year (16 games) then two teams from each other division (6 games) and two teams from a lottery home and away (4 games) for a total season of 26 games.

Finals is made up from division winners seeded 1-4 based on win/loss record. Six wild cards based on win/loss record and seeded 5-10. Finals then play out at 1 and 2 week off. 3 plays 10, 4 plays 9, 5 plays 8, 6 plays 7. Second week 1 plays lowest winner, 2 plays second lowest and remaining two play with home advantage given to team with best record. Highest winner goes straight to Grand Final with remaining two winning teams fighting for spot in finals.

Thoughts??
That was going to be my suggestion except I think it should be conferences not divisions. 2 conferences made up of 8 teams in each. It'd be easier when it goes to 18. All the Sydney teams in one conference. Outside Sydney in the other. You play all your conference teams twice and the other conference once. You'd play exactly 24 games the same as they currently do. TV would get its queensland derbys more and Sydney clubs could maximise crowds. It doesn't affect the outside Sydney teams because they already have to travel for all their games.

If there were 18 teams it'd be 9 Sydney teams and 9 outside Sydney.
 
Do you notice we are all thinking about getting 20 teams into the NRL.

The NRL won't want to do that. They like the 16 teams for some reason, they don't want to expand.

I mean you could fund it by allowing teams to have only 20 rather than 25 top players the rest would come from the Youth League with a subsequent progressive rise from 20 to 23.

Sorry NRL I just swore I said progressive not retarded. Oops, sorry.
 
Do you notice we are all thinking about getting 20 teams into the NRL.

The NRL won't want to do that. They like the 16 teams for some reason, they don't want to expand.

I mean you could fund it by allowing teams to have only 20 rather than 25 top players the rest would come from the Youth League with a subsequent progressive rise from 20 to 23.

Sorry NRL I just swore I said progressive not retarded. Oops, sorry.
i said 18? that's always been the talk that there would be 2 expansion licenses
 
How about we have a full home and away comp, do away with City v Country, do away with the trials etc.
This will extend the competition by six weeks, players will complain of burnout, but perhaps they could limit the amount of games a player plays at 24, and with perhaps added revenue to each club from TV and gate, every club could have a squad of 30 rather than the 25 we have now.
 
I am sure that's what Super League wanted, a 10 (or 12) team comp, home and away topped up with rep games or WCC. The only way you will get it is by getting rid of teams. Any volunteers?
 
I am sure that's what Super League wanted, a 10 (or 12) team comp, home and away topped up with rep games or WCC. The only way you will get it is by getting rid of teams. Any volunteers?
I volunteer Bulldogs, Souths to start with
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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