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| There is a need to keep alert & proactive |
Professional Australian rugby league a few decades ago was adventurous. Pushed by a breakaway movement in the late 1990's, teams were added and well received. Now TV rights have given the code money and players wages are better. However, the desire to move forward isn't there anymore from what I can see.
Perhaps there is a mood of 'if it isn't broken, then don't fix it'. I prefer the idea that 'if you're not going forwards, then you are going backwards'. If the latter is true, then the NRL is not doing enough. So what should it be doing? Here's a few ideas.
Expansion. Remember when the game went from a Sydney only competition to an international one? It breathed life into the competition. I love the game but increasingly follow the professional alternative in Europe. It's so much more interesting. A team in Perth is long overdue, another one in Brisbane, likewise NZ. A side could be a club like Manly joining up with the Central Coast north of Sydney, sharing games. A fourth team could be a Pacific Island one, based in Brisbane perhaps and playing home games in PNG, Fiji and other islands.
A Cup. This could have all pro teams plus top sides from NSW, Queensland and NZ competitions. Have say 32 sides, knock out style covering five weeks spread over a period in the season. Something to add a variety, something the NRL is massively short of.
More than one Nines tournament a year. Make it three a year and not all top players need to play. It would give rep players a break and young talent a chance to shine.
These are a few ideas that could break up what I feel is an increasingly stale presentation that we currently have. The staus quo is safe and currently earns money, but unless any code continues to innovate and try things, other attractions will slowly erode the interest that is there. The lack of change reminds me of a rabbit caught in the headlights, going nowhere fast.
Picture source: NRL.com
Expansion. Remember when the game went from a Sydney only competition to an international one? It breathed life into the competition. I love the game but increasingly follow the professional alternative in Europe. It's so much more interesting. A team in Perth is long overdue, another one in Brisbane, likewise NZ. A side could be a club like Manly joining up with the Central Coast north of Sydney, sharing games. A fourth team could be a Pacific Island one, based in Brisbane perhaps and playing home games in PNG, Fiji and other islands.
A Cup. This could have all pro teams plus top sides from NSW, Queensland and NZ competitions. Have say 32 sides, knock out style covering five weeks spread over a period in the season. Something to add a variety, something the NRL is massively short of.
More than one Nines tournament a year. Make it three a year and not all top players need to play. It would give rep players a break and young talent a chance to shine.
These are a few ideas that could break up what I feel is an increasingly stale presentation that we currently have. The staus quo is safe and currently earns money, but unless any code continues to innovate and try things, other attractions will slowly erode the interest that is there. The lack of change reminds me of a rabbit caught in the headlights, going nowhere fast.
Picture source: NRL.com
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