7 replies to this topic

[R L Winger]

Clubs lead push to return reserve grade rugby league to game days

A POWERFUL lobby of NRL club chairmen want Toyota Cup games re-scheduled midweek to save reserve grade from its continued decline into park football obscurity.

As former Test coach Chris Anderson labelled this season's fare "dumbed-down" and "boring", The Daily Telegraph last night learned of the radical proposal to preserve open-age depth.

The idea of returning NSW Cup games to their traditional curtain-raiser status has been steadily gaining favour among the 16 club chairmen, who this year incorporated as an official body to advocate their views.

Because NRL venues refuse to host three matches, NSW Cup games were sacrificed to suburban backblocks when the national under 20s competition began five years ago.

The crumbling profile and exposure has forced over-age players to quit in droves, and many club bosses believe the NRL's standard is now beginning to suffer because of insufficient depth.

Led by Sydney Roosters supremo Nick Politis, several chairmen believe the best fix is for the NSW Cup to be restored as the code's premier feeder competition and once again staged at the most prestigious venues.

The trade-off would see Toyota Cup games moved to Wednesday night stand-alone fixtures, which would still be promoted and televised nationally.

"You could compare it to college football in the USA - it would become its own competition played on a separate day," one club chairman said. "The idea has been raised at our last few meetings and there's quite a lot of support because too many kids are being rushed into first grade before their time."

There is also a chance the idea could be raised at tomorrow's NRL CEOs conference. Unimpressed at the standard of football over the first six weeks, Anderson said the lack of proper depth was a concern. "We're starting to see it now," he said. "A lot of kids are coming straight from the under 20s and they're not ready.

"Look at the front rowers - there's hardly any left because they don't mature until later on.

"But if you don't make it in the under 20s, you're put out to pasture.

"The under 20s will tell a coach if kids have ability, but you can't tell how tough they are until you throw them in against men.

"That's why the NSW Cup needs to be strong again."

Following a weekend where two teams were shut-out, Fox Sports Stats revealed that 16 fewer tries have been scored this season than at the same stage 12 months ago (327 to 311).

Anderson accused coaches - with the exception of Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett - of producing game plans that lacked structure and strategy, hence making it easier for well-drilled defences to handle. "I've seen some pretty ordinary games - the good ones are few and far between," Anderson said.

"With the exception of Bellamy and Bennett, the new regime of coaches just don't seem to build a platform and structure to win games.

"It's been coming for about two or three years - there's been a real dumbing-down of the game and it can be quite boring to watch.

"Reserve grade has become irrelevant and I think that's wrong."

[Bourbon Rat]

The down side being that the Toyota Cup sides mirror the NRL clubs & in most cases train with their first grade squads.NSW Cup sides / QLD Cup sides are an eclectic group with,(in most cases),a mix of players from various clubs as well as their own players.

[R L Winger]

Reserve grade needs to be brought back with all NRL sides competing in the competition, as well as the Toyota cup being retained too. Three grades worked well in the Sydney Premiership for well over 90 years. There is no reason why it can't work perfectly again.

Edited by R L Winger, 17 April 2012 - 02:16 AM.

[Bourbon Rat]

Three grades worked well in the Sydney Premiership

It's no longer a one state comp & since the former ARL didn't support non NSW teams when they formed a couple of years back

[The Future is League]

In my dim and distant past i remember watching 3 games in a day at the same venue. I would for one would love it to come back.

[Bourbon Rat]

Looks like the ARLC considers NSW Cup & QLD Cup as the senior 2nd tier rather than a reserve grade & the NYC as the development bridge
CEO's united in keeping NYC part of Game Day

[G Las D]

“The result is that clubs will workshop a number of ideas between now and the next meeting,” Australian Rugby League Chief Executive, Mr David Gallop, said today.

I've been to a few 'workshops' in my time. What that usually means is that the people charged with giving a lead don't have much of an idea and want to pick the brains of those in the field.


Most of the quotes there are media-speak - strategic approach to stadium usage, best ways of extending membership and fan interaction etc etc.
They must train at the same place as politicians!

Edited by G Las D, 04 May 2012 - 09:05 AM.

[Bourbon Rat]

Just updating the latest bit of 'Gallop speak'

Today’s Chief Executives meeting also discussed the need for a wider discussion on NRL pathways and in particular the open age second tier competitions.
While there remained a strong commitment to the Toyota Cup Under 20’s being linked to the Telstra Premiership draw, the importance of the VB NSW and Intrust Super Cups needed to remain a key focus.
The issue will form a key agenda item at the next Chief Executive Meeting on June 13.