Ideas for Reserve Grade

[Mr Ryan]

So with the Under 20s getting the chop next year and current NSW Cup setup pretty much a joke, I wanna hear peoples thoughts on what the game can do to have a legitimate 2nd Tier/Reserve Grade competition.

I know some people would say lets have a 16 team Reserve Grade comp to mirror the NRL, and play the games before the NRL games - but I don't think that idea would really work.

You'd basically be killing off the likes of Norths and Newtown forever, and weakening the QLD Cup because the Cowboys, Broncos and Titans would sending their fringe players to their Reserve Grade teams rather then to the QLD Cup.

There was some Platlum League idea proposed - but what's the point of creating even more new Sydney teams?

Anyway so here's my idea - merging the current the NSW and QLD Cups and also adding some expansion teams, creating 2 14-team competions with promotion and relegation between the 2 comps.

I don't see the point of having any NRL brands in these comps. Theres enough teams already, plus I wanna preserve all the brands that we have lost from the NRL.

All NRL teams to have an association with one of the teams - like we already have with Newtown and Souths do with Norths.

Both Grand Finals to be played on NRL Grand Final Day.

So heres my teams:

QLD TEAMS
Redcliffe Dolphins
Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Townsville Blackhawks
Northern Pride
Ipswich Jets
Mackay Cutters
Norths Devils
Souths Logan Magpies
Easts Tigers
Sunshine Coast Falcons
CQ Capras
Burleigh Bears
Tweed Heads Seagulls

NSW TEAMS

Balmain Tigers
Wests Magpies
North Sydney Bears
Illawarra Steelers
Newtown Jets
Penrith
Wyong
Mounties
Wentworthville
Blacktown Workers
Newcastle

OTHER TEAMS

NZ
PNG Hunters
Fiji
Perth

I might of left somebody out, but you get the point.

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

Id rather us have an u/19s , u/23s and firsts (nrl clubs) and then a reserve grade of feeder clubs. Under 20s is a joke of a comp. none of the forwards leave it nrl ready.

 

[slide rule]

I don't know how it could work, but I'd like to see more regional teams in the NSWRL.

It would be good to see the likes of Dubbo, Port Macquarie, Orange, Tamworth or whoever involved. NSW is bigger than just Sydney/Newy/the Gong.

I think I'd like to see the NSW Cup and the QLD Cup staying as separate comps with a grandfinal between the two on NRL Grand Final day.

Not sure how it should work with NRL feeder club associations.

 

[Gil]

I like the idea of

1st
Reserve
U23's

All have like you said have 2 state cup comps (NSW & QLD) - winners of each State play in a super GF on GF Day.

 

[Mr Ryan]

I think we need to move away from the NSW and QLD Cups.

With teams from PNG, Fiji, NZ and maybe other places in not really accurate.

I love the idea Port Macquarie, Coffs and like being added.

The reason I'm against keeping the 2 state comps seperate and then have a Super Bowl on Grand Final is when do you actually celebrate? Are you premiers when you win the State comp, or only once you win the Super Bowl? Or have you won 2 trophies in 2 weeks?

 

[Gil]

I'm just thinking with the OS teams and the lower grades etc, it will be a big financial burden on clubs when it comes to travelling.

 

[CrazyMatt]

Solid idea but the clubs wont go for it. They won't want the potential for their feeder team to be relegated and play at a lower level then the other NRL club's feeder teams. Best idea in my opinion is to go back to standard Reserve grade.

 

[SharksMichael]

I like the idea of combining the two competitions and having some regional teams as Slide mentioned would vary the comp for sure. The idea of promotion and relegation interests me but I don't know how clubs from the second tier would cope in the NRL.

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

I don't know how it could work, but I'd like to see more regional teams in the NSWRL.

It would be good to see the likes of Dubbo, Port Macquarie, Orange, Tamworth or whoever involved. NSW is bigger than just Sydney/Newy/the Gong.

I think I'd like to see the NSW Cup and the QLD Cup staying as separate comps with a grandfinal between the two on NRL Grand Final day.

Not sure how it should work with NRL feeder club associations.

Using a team from a particular area like coffs or port or whatever wouldnt work as its not a high enough level of footy being played. Unless they tried to make them regional teams like mid notth coast and north coast using the best players from the regions but even then theyd be bottom feeders, as the city based teams have more nrl experienced players etc. might get a few 30 yesr old 10 nrl game blokes up here but wouldnt be much.

 

[Addy]

I'd like to see something similar to the D-League in the NBA where every team will have thier own feeder club thats situated away from the main team.

So we could have Penrith Panthers, and have a development team in Bathurst Black Cats.

Storm can have a team in Albury, Border Thunder.

And so on with each team.

Will give teams a chance to expand their identidy, and stregthen bush footy by having these teams away from the cities.

 

[CrazyMatt]

I'd like to see something similar to the D-League in the NBA where every team will have thier own feeder club thats situated away from the main team.

So we could have Penrith Panthers, and have a development team in Bathurst Black Cats.

Storm can have a team in Albury, Border Thunder.

And so on with each team.

Will give teams a chance to expand their identidy, and stregthen bush footy by having these teams away from the cities.

Would these clubs be run by the NRL clubs themselves or would they be run independently like MLB's Triple A, Double A and Class A ball.

 

[Born&bred]

Id rather us have an u/19s , u/23s and firsts (nrl clubs) and then a reserve grade of feeder clubs. Under 20s is a joke of a comp. none of the forwards leave it nrl ready.

I like the idea of

1st
Reserve
U23's

All have like you said have 2 state cup comps (NSW & QLD) - winners of each State play in a super GF on GF Day.

Under 23's is definitely the go. The standard of the junior comp was way better back then than the NYC is now.

 

[CrazyMatt]

I like the idea of combining the two competitions and having some regional teams as Slide mentioned would vary the comp for sure. The idea of promotion and relegation interests me but I don't know how clubs from the second tier would cope in the NRL.

He says promotion and relegation between two feeder leagues, not between the NRL and a second division.

 

[SharksMichael]

He says promotion and relegation between two feeder leagues, not between the NRL and a second division.

Oh right. That's actually not a bad idea.

 

[egg]

So with the Under 20s getting the chop next year and current NSW Cup setup pretty much a joke, I wanna hear peoples thoughts on what the game can do to have a legitimate 2nd Tier/Reserve Grade competition.

I know some people would say lets have a 16 team Reserve Grade comp to mirror the NRL, and play the games before the NRL games - but I don't think that idea would really work.

You'd basically be killing off the likes of Norths and Newtown forever, and weakening the QLD Cup because the Cowboys, Broncos and Titans would sending their fringe players to their Reserve Grade teams rather then to the QLD Cup.

There was some Platlum League idea proposed - but what's the point of creating even more new Sydney teams?

Anyway so here's my idea - merging the current the NSW and QLD Cups and also adding some expansion teams, creating 2 14-team competions with promotion and relegation between the 2 comps.

I don't see the point of having any NRL brands in these comps. Theres enough teams already, plus I wanna preserve all the brands that we have lost from the NRL.

All NRL teams to have an association with one of the teams - like we already have with Newtown and Souths do with Norths.

Both Grand Finals to be played on NRL Grand Final Day.

So heres my teams:

QLD TEAMS
Redcliffe Dolphins
Wynnum Manly Seagulls
Townsville Blackhawks
Northern Pride
Ipswich Jets
Mackay Cutters
Norths Devils
Souths Logan Magpies
Easts Tigers
Sunshine Coast Falcons
CQ Capras
Burleigh Bears
Tweed Heads Seagulls

NSW TEAMS

Balmain Tigers
Wests Magpies
North Sydney Bears
Illawarra Steelers
Newtown Jets
Penrith
Wyong
Mounties
Wentworthville
Blacktown Workers
Newcastle

OTHER TEAMS

NZ
PNG Hunters
Fiji
Perth

I might of left somebody out, but you get the point.

That's pretty close to how it is now isn't it
NRL backing a secondary team south of the boarder ?

 

[fancyman]

1st Grade
Reserve grade all clubs.
Two players from reserves to sit on the bench for first grade.
Under 20s to be played on a Wednesday night on fox,

 

[snowman]

good thread and good discussion

imo, the nsw cup and qld cup should stay how it is and the winners play each other on grand final day

the under 20's should go to under 23's and also have an under 19's comp, the jump from sg ball to 20's to first grade is way too steep

 

[slide rule]

Using a team from a particular area like coffs or port or whatever wouldnt work as its not a high enough level of footy being played. Unless they tried to make them regional teams like mid notth coast and north coast using the best players from the regions but even then theyd be bottom feeders, as the city based teams have more nrl experienced players etc. might get a few 30 yesr old 10 nrl game blokes up here but wouldnt be much.

Yeah, I don't know how it could work exactly but I would have thought that those areas could get enough money together to fund a NSW Cup team.

Could be a bit of a boost to Country League.

It would be a bit of a logistical problem if they were a feeder team for a Sydney team. Perhaps they could just do their own stand-alone thing.

 

[Loyal Shark]

An expansion Into regional areas especially In the Under 23s would be viable
what a lot of fans don't realise Is a lot of your current leading players are country boys .
A lot of these players find the transition from country life to city life very difficult due to their age and lack of family support.So they end up playing local park footy ,Ive seen some great players not make it to NRL level because of this factor.
If they could be developed to a higher level until they are more mature and have better life skills would be great.
The old Presidents Cup was Under 23s wasn't it.

 

[BurgoShark]

]I think we need to move away from the NSW and QLD Cups.[/B]

With teams from PNG, Fiji, NZ and maybe other places in not really accurate.

I love the idea Port Macquarie, Coffs and like being added.

The reason I'm against keeping the 2 state comps seperate and then have a Super Bowl on Grand Final is when do you actually celebrate? Are you premiers when you win the State comp, or only once you win the Super Bowl? Or have you won 2 trophies in 2 weeks?

These need to stay. Those comps are not about the NRL - especially the Qld Cup, where some teams have 0 NRL contracted players in them.

One big reason the u20's is going is because it is costing so much money and it's just not practical to maintain. In Qld I would like to see the NRL put hat money in to the Qld cup and potentially expand the existing u20/Colts comp to include some opportunities for television and big stadium exposure. This is already a state-wide comp. If anything I'd like to see the same thing developed in NSW, and a few games a year between QLD and NSW teams.