Super League 9s

[Man of Kent]

It’s happening, apparently

 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Just now, Man of Kent said:

It’s happening, apparently

 

That’s answered my question on the other thread in rapid time then! Haha

[Man of Kent]

Would prefer a Magic 9s weekend with a minimum three games per club spread over a Saturday and Sunday. 

Understandable if Super League wants to test the water with a one-dayer, however.

[Gerrumonside ref]

I can see the logic and perhaps mitigation of large financial risk by starting small.

The devil is in the detail of course.

I think a two day combined 8 hours of rugby with an actual final working better from an attendee perspective, but the key would be your broadcasting partner for such an approach.

On the whole though glad at least something positive is happening.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

How many years do we give this then before it’s in Rugby League’s Room 101 with PSG, the Super 8’s and licensing? Three?

Teams are going to, naturally, play their strongest sides on Good Friday due to those games actually having a meaning, a purpose and being local derbies. You’re not going to get Saints or Wigan resting James Roby or Zak Hardaker with Monday’s 9’s competition in mind, are you? It seems a poor time to place it into the calendar, especially when people have moaned and campaigned for years about getting rid of the Easter Monday games from the calendar, only to see it replaced by something straight away. 

Also, how are we going to sell tickets? I’m not going to go on about trying to attract “new fans” and the other pie in the sky nonsense you see on here but how exactly do Super League expect to sell tickets when it’s likely to be players on the fringes of the first team and Academy players, who are likely to be taking part in this due to the scheduling?

As I’ve said on another thread, there’s a general consensus, that I agree with, that we have too many regular rounds of league games, so to presumably drop zero and to add another event, is not a solution to this problem, it’s an addition to it. 

Also, events aren’t well attended in Rugby League. The Challenge Cup and play-offs are attended poorly, as are most non-Season Ticketed events, so I’m not sure this is going to be any better. 

[Shaggy]

6 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

How many years do we give this then before it’s in Rugby League’s Room 101 with PSG, the Super 8’s and licensing? Three?

One.

[Gerrumonside ref]

5 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

How many years do we give this then before it’s in Rugby League’s Room 101 with PSG, the Super 8’s and licensing? Three?

Teams are going to, naturally, play their strongest sides on Good Friday due to those games actually having a meaning, a purpose and being local derbies. You’re not going to get Saints or Wigan resting James Roby or Zak Hardaker with Monday’s 9’s competition in mind, are you? It seems a poor time to place it into the calendar, especially when people have moaned and campaigned for years about getting rid of the Easter Monday games from the calendar, only to see it replaced by something straight away. 

Also, how are we going to sell tickets? I’m not going to go on about trying to attract “new fans” and the other pie in the sky nonsense you see on here but how exactly do Super League expect to sell tickets when it’s likely to be players on the fringes of the first team and Academy players, who are likely to be taking part in this due to the scheduling?

As I’ve said on another thread, there’s a general consensus, that I agree with, that we have too many regular rounds of league games, so to presumably drop zero and to add another event, is not a solution to this problem, it’s an addition to it. 

Also, events aren’t well attended in Rugby League. The Challenge Cup and play-offs are attended poorly, as are most non-Season Ticketed events, so I’m not sure this is going to be any better. 

Sounds like we should just fold the sport then, haha.

Maybe you have to accept that as a hardcore fanatic of rugby league - you might only be part of the target audience for a concept like the 9s.

Yes, there’s a risk it might not work, but there’s a big potential upside if it does.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

Just now, Gerrumonside ref said:

Sounds like we should just fold the sport then, haha.

Maybe you have to accept that as a hardcore fanatic of rugby league - you might only be part of the target audience for a concept like the 9s.

Yes, there’s a risk it might not work, but there’s a big potential upside if it does.

I totally understand that, however, I am not convinced on purely because of its scheduling.

Our top players won’t play in it. I know that players have “backed up” Friday to Easter Monday for years, it doesn’t mean it’s right and I can’t see any coach allowing too many of their top names to do so for a 9s competition. If your big names aren’t likely to play, how do you market that? 

We have a prime time for an event of this nature. I’m as big a fan of Magic as you could get, I love everything about the weekend, St James’ and Newcastle as a city but replacing the Magic Weekend, which has potential to uneven a table as it’s an “extra” fixture, with a 9s weekend makes more sense than hosting it on Easter Monday, IMO. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Just now, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I totally understand that, however, I am not convinced on purely because of its scheduling.

Our top players won’t play in it. I know that players have “backed up” Friday to Easter Monday for years, it doesn’t mean it’s right and I can’t see any coach allowing too many of their top names to do so for a 9s competition. If your big names aren’t likely to play, how do you market that? 

We have a prime time for an event of this nature. I’m as big a fan of Magic as you could get, I love everything about the weekend, St James’ and Newcastle as a city but replacing the Magic Weekend, which has potential to uneven a table as it’s an “extra” fixture, with a 9s weekend makes more sense than hosting it on Easter Monday, IMO. 

I think you make good points about the scheduling and the risk that the players available aren’t the stars of the game as that could strangle it at birth for the hardcore regular fans whose feelings do have to be taken into consideration.

 

 

[Rob Nash]

I'd like to see a championship and league one 9s as 2 separate competitions. Sure we'd make Keepmoat available for league one and maybe Post Office Road for Championship?

[Just Browny]

17 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

One.

Three is the usual number.

First year usually goes ok. Few lessons to be learned, but we will improve for next time.

Second year it flatlines and no serious improvements are made.

Third year it is announced, but met with such apathy from the RL public that the authorities make no effort to promote or improve it, and by the time the event comes around it is largely accepted as dead.

[Gerrumonside ref]

I genuinely think if we can get Sky to support it, which they have so far with the World Cup 9s, and get people to tune in then there’s an opportunity for the sport to promote itself.

[Shaggy]

Just now, Just Browny said:

Three is the usual number.

First year usually goes ok. Few lessons to be learned, but we will improve for next time.

Second year it flatlines and no serious improvements are made.

Third year it is announced, but met with such apathy from the RL public that the authorities make no effort to promote or improve it, and by the time the event comes around it is largely accepted as dead.

Yeah, but this would be such a failure the first year that it will never be tried again. 

If they're going to do it then they have to go hard at it. And there has to be a point to it. SL points for the champion or £1,000,000. Something to make the teams commit to it. 

It then has to be held at a medium size, modern stadium in a place that's easy to get to.

It then has to be promoted to high heaven with people on every TV show going for months in advance, YouTube stars bigging it up, etc.

It has to be priced right to fill the ground. The side entertainment has to be professional quality. Reasonable merchandise line attached to it. 

What's the draw for new fans to come and see it? Cricket 20/20 gave people the chance to see a full game of cricket after work and school. We already offer that. What's the point of it? Why are we doing it?

Are SL willing to put the work in to make it a decent event rather than a gimmicky sideshow?

 

So, I give it one year.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

I’m presuming it’s at a neutral venue, I know it’s only one day but it’s likely to be 6-9 hours of continual use and what Football Club in their right mind, at the most important stage of their season, are going to allow that much of a battering on their pitch? 

[Gerrumonside ref]

2 minutes ago, Shaggy said:

Yeah, but this would be such a failure the first year that it will never be tried again. 

If they're going to do it then they have to go hard at it. And there has to be a point to it. SL points for the champion or £1,000,000. Something to make the teams commit to it. 

It then has to be held at a medium size, modern stadium in a place that's easy to get to.

It then has to be promoted to high heaven with people on every TV show going for months in advance, YouTube stars bigging it up, etc.

It has to be priced right to fill the ground. The side entertainment has to be professional quality. Reasonable merchandise line attached to it. 

What's the draw for new fans to come and see it? Cricket 20/20 gave people the chance to see a full game of cricket after work and school. We already offer that. What's the point of it? Why are we doing it?

Are SL willing to put the work in to make it a decent event rather than a gimmicky sideshow?

 

So, I give it one year.

I’ve read your post and you make some good points, but I don’t agree with your conclusion.

Watching this morning it was clear to me that it was ‘more of the juice and less of the pips’ in terms of the action.

Now that might not satisfy some hardcore fans who mainly want to see the packs battle it out, but it might convert some new fans.  I don’t think you can argue it’s the exact same package as a 13 a side game.

[jim_57]

A big reason why the NRL 9's got a bit stale for me was that there were always the same teams and the same venue.

For a SL nines you'd have to throw a few "wildcard" teams in there I think and rotate the venue every year.

For the extra teams you could just add a few Championship teams and the French Elite champion then maybe an "invited" or local team depending on venue.

[Oliver Clothesoff]

1 minute ago, jim_57 said:

A big reason why the NRL 9's got a bit stale for me was that there were always the same teams and the same venue.

For a SL nines you'd have to throw a few "wildcard" teams in there I think and rotate the venue every year.

For the extra teams you could just add a few Championship teams and the French Elite champion then maybe an "invited" or local team depending on venue.

This is a good point. I get that this may be to attract some new fans to the game but you still need to keep your existing fans happy and watching the same sides, albeit with four less men, is going lose its novelty, if it holds any, pretty soon. 
 

A World 9’s of clubs the world over would certainly be more attractive, IMO. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

2 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

A big reason why the NRL 9's got a bit stale for me was that there were always the same teams and the same venue.

For a SL nines you'd have to throw a few "wildcard" teams in there I think and rotate the venue every year.

For the extra teams you could just add a few Championship teams and the French Elite champion then maybe an "invited" or local team depending on venue.

I read you making the same point on the match thread this morning and I agree that different teams and venues will keep it fresh.

 

[barnyia]

If they did a super league nines instead of magic at least the fans will stick around all weekend and go to both days 

[Gerrumonside ref]

2 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

This is a good point. I get that this may be to attract some new fans to the game but you still need to keep your existing fans happy and watching the same sides, albeit with four less men, is going lose its novelty, if it holds any, pretty soon. 
 

A World 9’s of clubs the world over would certainly be more attractive, IMO. 

Yes, a World 9s of the best players and most popular clubs should be trialed at some point in the U.K.

That would be fantastic.

[TIWIT]

1 hour ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I’m presuming it’s at a neutral venue, I know it’s only one day but it’s likely to be 6-9 hours of continual use and what Football Club in their right mind, at the most important stage of their season, are going to allow that much of a battering on their pitch? 

Not much going on at Odsal next year.

[FearTheVee]

2 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

Yes, a World 9s of the best players and most popular clubs should be trialed at some point in the U.K.

That would be fantastic.

It's hard enough to get NRL clubs to play in the WCC let alone a 9s competition in the UK

[Gerrumonside ref]

1 minute ago, FearTheVee said:

It's hard enough to get NRL clubs to play in the WCC let alone a 9s competition in the UK

Yes, I understand that and there would have to be a ton of money on offer that doesn’t exist in present conditions.

Its more of an aspirational thing rather than a ‘this is going to happen next year’ thing.

The 9s would really have to take off.

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

I’m presuming it’s at a neutral venue, I know it’s only one day but it’s likely to be 6-9 hours of continual use and what Football Club in their right mind, at the most important stage of their season, are going to allow that much of a battering on their pitch? 

 

1 hour ago, TIWIT said:

Not much going on at Odsal next year.

Given their financial position Bolton  would host a world tractor pulling championship on their pitch so a 9s day should be no problem.

[whatmichaelsays]

3 hours ago, Gerrumonside ref said:

I’ve read your post and you make some good points, but I don’t agree with your conclusion.

Watching this morning it was clear to me that it was ‘more of the juice and less of the pips’ in terms of the action.

Now that might not satisfy some hardcore fans who mainly want to see the packs battle it out, but it might convert some new fans.  I don’t think you can argue it’s the exact same package as a 13 a side game.

That's how I see it too. I mentioned it on the other thread, but this strikes me as 'Rugby League for the Instagram and YouTube generation'. 

80 mins of two packs going at it might appeal to the purists, but they're a dying breed. There's a reason why football fans ger 'Messi' or 'Ronaldo' on their shirts and it's becasue those players dominate the highlight reels.