2023 NRL General Discussion

[Gards]

I like how the NRL brains will say "oh but Cronulla get 18 games in NSW so Brisbane draw is ok" as if us playing at Brookvale or Penrith is the same as the Broncos playing at Suncorp every week.

This is Broncos fans rationale - they think they have a rough draw cause Sydney teams get to play in Sydney most weeks - well no ****

 

[Shortfin Mako]

I think the best thing to do is for each team play one away and one home game. I know the season will be long but that would be better than the system now.

 

[HaroldBishop]

I think the best thing to do is for each team play one away and one home game. I know the season will be long but that would be better than the system now.

Not possible mate. With another team to come in do you really think there could be 34 rounds? We're not talking about soccer here.

 

[Thresher]

I'd like to see a multiball feature

 

[Shortfin Mako]

Not possible mate. With another team to come in do you really think there could be 34 rounds? We're not talking about soccer here.

May be 17 rounds - break and then another 17 rounds. I did not say it's the best and I know it's not soccer, but you will not get the fairness without a system like that.

May be divide the comp in two, then 18 teams play only 18 games away and home, and then have a playoff system with the top 4 of each. I feel like it can work with a bit of creativity.

 

[Western Sharkie]

I think the best thing to do is for each team play one away and one home game. I know the season will be long but that would be better than the system now.

Not possible mate. With another team to come in do you really think there could be 34 rounds? We're not talking about soccer here.

If they did this, it will be “first past the post”, no finals series (which means $$$$$ will take a hit) and the minor premiers will be premiers!

 

[Western Sharkie]

May be 17 rounds - break and then another 17 rounds. I did not say it's the best and I know it's not soccer, but you will not get the fairness without a system like that.

May be divide the comp in two, then 18 teams play only 18 games away and home, and then have a playoff system with the top 4 of each. I feel like it can work with a bit of creativity.

You need more than 18 teams for this scenario.

Home and away:
Maybe 24 might work better with 2 x 12 team conferences (A and B)
11 Home and 11 away games each = 22 rounds in total (each conference)

Finals:
4 teams from each conference play finals.
1A plays 4B - 1B plays 4A
2A plays 3B - 2B plays 3A

Highest 2 placed winning sides move to finals week 3 (prelim) with highest 2 placed loosing teams getting a chance and move to week 2 to play the lowest 2 winning teams
Lowest 2 placed winners get eliminated

etc, etc, etc

next season conferences determined by finishing order of previous years to mix the conferences up a little.

Advantages:
More games per season
Play each team within conference home and away - A fairer draw within each conference (but also see disadvantages)

Disadvantages:
You WILL miss some derby and traditional rivalry matches.
Brisbane will still get every Friday night home game

 

[Shortfin Mako]

You need more than 18 teams for this scenario.

Home and away:
Maybe 24 might work better with 2 x 12 team conferences (A and B)
11 Home and 11 away games each = 22 rounds in total (each conference)

Finals:
4 teams from each conference play finals.
1A plays 4B - 1B plays 4A
2A plays 3B - 2B plays 3A

Highest 2 placed winning sides move to finals week 3 (prelim) with highest 2 placed loosing teams getting a chance and move to week 2 to play the lowest 2 winning teams
Lowest 2 placed winners get eliminated

etc, etc, etc

next season conferences determined by finishing order of previous years to mix the conferences up a little.

Advantages:
More games per season
Play each team within conference home and away - A fairer draw within each conference (but also see disadvantages)

Disadvantages:
You WILL miss some derby and traditional rivalry matches.
Brisbane will still get every Friday night home game

I like it but how about this?

9 teams = 18 in season games

4 teams having a play-off for each conference. That is another 4 games for each connference = 8 games

grand final between the winners of each conference. A total of 27 games. This can be implemented pretty quickly, no need to wait until we have 24 teams.

next season can be determined as you suggested and rivalries etc. can be worked into conferences or maybe last 4 finishers switch conferences etc.

 

[CrazyMatt]

If they did this, it will be “first past the post”, no finals series (which means $$$$$ will take a hit) and the minor premiers will be premiers!

Honestly a big part of me would not be opposed to that strangely enough.

 

[Western Sharkie]

I like it but how about this?

9 teams = 18 in season games

4 teams having a play-off for each conference. That is another 4 games for each connference = 8 games

grand final between the winners of each conference. A total of 27 games. This can be implemented pretty quickly, no need to wait until we have 24 teams.

next season can be determined as you suggested and rivalries etc. can be worked into conferences or maybe last 4 finishers switch conferences etc.

definitely a good option.

9 teams actually means 16 H&A games (you don’t play yourself and each team would have 2 byes)

Would be easier to find 1 more team roster (rather than my initially suggested 7) so wouldn’t dilute the player pool as much as my suggestion but the season would be shorter overall.

If you are going to restructure the comp thou, I think you want to avoid a bye each week.
So maybe meet in the middle with 10 teams each conference (3 new teams).

Each team plays a total of 18 Home and away games,

Finals series and “SuperBowl” GF.

Stand alone weekends for origin

NRL origin
NRLW origin
QLD cup v NSW Cup origin games - set certain eligibility criteria
Jnr NSW v Jnr QLD
Jnr NSWW v Jnr QLDW

 

[Western Sharkie]

Honestly a big part of me would not be opposed to that strangely enough.

We would have 2 premierships

 

[CrazyMatt]

You need more than 18 teams for this scenario.

Home and away:
Maybe 24 might work better with 2 x 12 team conferences (A and B)
11 Home and 11 away games each = 22 rounds in total (each conference)

Finals:
4 teams from each conference play finals.
1A plays 4B - 1B plays 4A
2A plays 3B - 2B plays 3A

Highest 2 placed winning sides move to finals week 3 (prelim) with highest 2 placed loosing teams getting a chance and move to week 2 to play the lowest 2 winning teams
Lowest 2 placed winners get eliminated

etc, etc, etc

next season conferences determined by finishing order of previous years to mix the conferences up a little.

Advantages:
More games per season
Play each team within conference home and away - A fairer draw within each conference (but also see disadvantages)

Disadvantages:
You WILL miss some derby and traditional rivalry matches.
Brisbane will still get every Friday night home game

If we want 24 games for 20 teams, you could do it Major League Baseball style and do 4 x 5 team divisions. You play the teams in your division twice and everyone else once.

Finals could get tricky because potentially a team with a poorer win-loss record could play finals football ahead of a team with a better one, but that can be slightly offset with the four wildcard spots, which would go to the next four teams with the best records, to go along with the four division winners in the finals. Doesn’t completely eliminate the problem, would make it much rarer though.

 

[Shortfin Mako]

definitely a good option.

9 teams actually means 16 H&A games (you don’t play yourself and each team would have 2 byes)

Would be easier to find 1 more team roster (rather than my initially suggested 7) so wouldn’t dilute the player pool as much as my suggestion but the season would be shorter overall.

If you are going to restructure the comp thou, I think you want to avoid a bye each week.
So maybe meet in the middle with 10 teams each conference (3 new teams).

Each team plays a total of 18 Home and away games,

Finals series and “SuperBowl” GF.

Stand alone weekends for origin

NRL origin
NRLW origin
QLD cup v NSW Cup origin games - set certain eligibility criteria
Jnr NSW v Jnr QLD
Jnr NSWW v Jnr QLDW

I like this. Sorry about the math mistake, you are right. That’s what happens when you try to organise a competition when doing other stuff

 

[The Punisher]

9 teams actually means 16 H&A games (you don’t play yourself and each team would have 2 byes)

Wheres the fun in that?

 

[Western Sharkie]

Wheres the fun in that?

To each their own Punisher.

Just don’t be too brutal on yourself….

 

[BurgoShark]

The “conference” idea they use in the US is based partly on geography, but moreso on there being different TV deals for different cities/states - owned by competing companies with different interests.

There are mathematical ways to build the draw around these combinations, but ultimately this is a league where 11 of the teams are within a 450km radius, and two companies collude on the TV rights for every game.

 

[Gumby]

On the warriors bandwagon! Up the Wah Wahs!

 

[Vichyssoise]

It's official, with Manly in eighth position, we've officially beaten a top 8 team this year. Wonder if it will receive the attention it deserves.

 

[Western Sharkie]

It's official, with Manly in eighth position, we've officially beaten a top 8 team this year. Wonder if it will receive the attention it deserves.

Soft comp

 

[Vichyssoise]

Soft comp

Bound to win this year, then.