BlackWhiteBlue
Jaws
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.
As i said under 18s becomes under 19s, under 20s becomes under 23s. Reserve grade goes to feeder clubs, with some contracted players to NRL teams etc.
While the mid north and northern NSW dont get much of a look in for NRL, its not really a place the NRL can afford to place any sort of NRL reserve grade team. Players in reserve grade that arent sorta first grade material generally work part or full time jobs to live off. There simply just isnt the employment opportunities to get these guys out of sydney etc as well as then being a part of a football competition. A port or coffs based reserve grade team would be the place that players go to kill their careers. Its a shame, but thats the problem with distance.