New amateur structure

[Mr Plow]

This was in player survey the RFL sent out. Sounds like the NCL will become regionalised with only one ‘National’ league. 
 

The survey also asked if players would like a break in the summer and when they’d like the season to start and finish as well as people thoughts on cup competitions

[Spidey]

This is being pushed by the RFL and not the NCL themselves, only recently there was a statement from the NCL advising there was no consideration for regionalisation currently 

[Damien]

The NCL has been a huge success since it inception 40 odd years ago. It has driven up standards and clubs are generally well run and managed. Many have better revenue generating facilities than some professional clubs. To change it would be madness.

Edited October 1 by Damien

[DoubleD]

There’s a thread on the NCL forum where this is discussed at length and the rationale behind it

 

Edited October 1 by DoubleD

[Mr Plow]

5 hours ago, Damien said:

The NCL has been a huge success since it inception 40 odd years ago. It has driven up standards and clubs are generally well run and managed. Many have better revenue generating facilities than some professional clubs. To change it would be madness.

I think it would make sense to regionalise it below the Premier Division. What other sport has an amateur league with four national divisions? 

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, Mr Plow said:

I think it would make sense to regionalise it below the Premier Division. What other sport has an amateur league with four national divisions? 

They arent really national though are they? Are there any teams outside the North even?

Edited October 1 by Damien

[Eddie]

10 hours ago, Mr Plow said:

I think it would make sense to regionalise it below the Premier Division. What other sport has an amateur league with four national divisions? 

Rugby league doesn’t have that either. 

[Celtic Roosters]

10 hours ago, Mr Plow said:

I think it would make sense to regionalise it below the Premier Division. What other sport has an amateur league with four national divisions? 

Then what would be the point of applying for the NCL from the regional premier leagues? The NCL is open to clubs from anywhere in the Country and that is why it's national. Without going through my records I can recall visiting London Skolars, Northampton Knights, Hemel and Nottingham City in the NCL.

Edited October 2 by Celtic Roosters

[DoubleD]

11 hours ago, Mr Plow said:

I think it would make sense to regionalise it below the Premier Division. What other sport has an amateur league with four national divisions? 

I can see the rationale in it, create local derbies which should generate more support and reduce travel costs. Some teams are struggling to put out sides even in NCL and often padding out with youth players. Certainly makes sense in Div 3 to do this, and I could be persuaded potentially for Div 1 and 2. 

The important thing is to maintain standards, without putting onerous burdens on clubs. Player commitment and travel costs are a real issue, particularly when there are lots of other activities for young people to entertain themselves on weekends now. 

[Spidey]

3 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

I can see the rationale in it, create local derbies which should generate more support and reduce travel costs. Some teams are struggling to put out sides even in NCL and often padding out with youth players. Certainly makes sense in Div 3 to do this, and I could be persuaded potentially for Div 1 and 2. 

The important thing is to maintain standards, without putting onerous burdens on clubs. Player commitment and travel costs are a real issue, particularly when there are lots of other activities for young people to entertain themselves on weekends now. 

Has anybody from the RFL engaged with the NCL clubs themselves yet?

[DoubleD]

8 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Has anybody from the RFL engaged with the NCL clubs themselves yet?

I'm not close enough to any clubs to know. I would expect they have, or certainly NCL management. I would expect some NCL clubs would be supportive of this although I'm sure they'd want to stay under the NCL umbrella in any make up, rather than RFL

[bobbruce]

16 hours ago, Damien said:

The NCL has been a huge success since it inception 40 odd years ago. It has driven up standards and clubs are generally well run and managed. Many have better revenue generating facilities than some professional clubs. To change it would be madness.

To me it looks like a bit of a power grab by the top clubs. As there will now only be one truly elite division. So this will make it even more likely that the talented players go to these top clubs. 

[Spidey]

24 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

I'm not close enough to any clubs to know. I would expect they have, or certainly NCL management. I would expect some NCL clubs would be supportive of this although I'm sure they'd want to stay under the NCL umbrella in any make up, rather than RFL

Considering the communication sent at the start of September I don't believe they are engaging with the clubs effectively.  Like @bobbruce says its more looks like RFL trying to control the league

[DoubleD]

7 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Considering the communication sent at the start of September I don't believe they are engaging with the clubs effectively.  Like @bobbruce says its more looks like RFL trying to control the league

Sure it probably looks like that but it doesn't change the fact that a number of clubs are really struggling at NCL level to field teams and a change to the lower tiers is probably required

[bobbruce]

9 minutes ago, Spidey said:

Considering the communication sent at the start of September I don't believe they are engaging with the clubs effectively.  Like @bobbruce says its more looks like RFL trying to control the league

Many many years ago I remember the an old BARLA stalwart coming down to the club pushing a RFL idea. That each pro team (probably very early SL or just before SL had started) would have an amateur team attached that would sit below the reserves. Obviously if you were the team in a certain town selected all the towns best players would naturally go to that club. I think this is still that being pushed but I do think some current top flight clubs see the opportunity to cement their place at the top. 

[Mr Plow]

12 hours ago, Damien said:

They arent really national though are they? Are there any teams outside the North even?

That’s true. It’s only National in name. Hemel and a few others from the old rugby league conference were in the NCL when it switched to summer but they didn’t last long. All the southern clubs play in the Southern conference league now. 
 

It looks like the RFL will copy the RFU structure. Below their championship they have National League 1 then National 2 North, East and West then more regional league below them

Edited October 2 by Mr Plow

[Damien]

13 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Many many years ago I remember the an old BARLA stalwart coming down to the club pushing a RFL idea. That each pro team (probably very early SL or just before SL had started) would have an amateur team attached that would sit below the reserves. Obviously if you were the team in a certain town selected all the towns best players would naturally go to that club. I think this is still that being pushed but I do think some current top flight clubs see the opportunity to cement their place at the top. 

I cant speak for all towns but for the ones I'm familiar with that would be terrible and really isn't needed.

[johnmatrix]

43 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

To me it looks like a bit of a power grab by the top clubs. As there will now only be one truly elite division. So this will make it even more likely that the talented players go to these top clubs. 

There's only 1 elite division and that's the premier, div 2 and 3 are woeful

[bobbruce]

Just now, johnmatrix said:

There's only 1 elite division and that's the premier, div 2 and 3 are woeful

As I said the top players will naturally go to the premier division sides. Regionalising the divisions below will only make that worse. 

[johnmatrix]

6 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

As I said the top players will naturally go to the premier division sides. Regionalising the divisions below will only make that worse. 

Not sure I agree with you tbh. They could do that now, but lads don't as they show loyalty to their mates and clubs. 

[Tommygilf]

How much more regional are they suggesting?

Over half of NCL2 are Yorkshire based already.

[V02]

2 hours ago, DoubleD said:

Sure it probably looks like that but it doesn't change the fact that a number of clubs are really struggling at NCL level to field teams and a change to the lower tiers is probably required

Maybe Div 3. For me one of the strengths of NCL is the amount of competitive games. You lose some of that with regionalisation. Especially including teams already in the regional leagues - who frequently fall apart after a couple of losses. 

2 hours ago, Spidey said:

Considering the communication sent at the start of September I don't believe they are engaging with the clubs effectively.  Like @bobbruce says its more looks like RFL trying to control the league

We were asked for our views on the proposal this week, but then also told "we're told this is to become reality next year", which sort of defeats the whole purpose. 

[Blind side johnny]

Semantics maybe but amateurism disappeared as a concept years ago. Community clubs is the current definition.

[Northern Eel]

What is clear time is that a huge amount of work has been done around this, and that all clubs and leagues have been part of that process. Categorically, clubs cannot keep funding some of the costs that less localised leagues will provide. 

Whether we like it or not, rugby league belongs to the RFL in this country. They are pushing this re-organisation and I am supportive of it.

[Spidey]

42 minutes ago, Northern Eel said:

What is clear time is that a huge amount of work has been done around this, and that all clubs and leagues have been part of that process. Categorically, clubs cannot keep funding some of the costs that less localised leagues will provide. 

Whether we like it or not, rugby league belongs to the RFL in this country. They are pushing this re-organisation and I am supportive of it.

The NCL are being "bullied" into it, they don't seem to have been part of the process, unless you can enlighten us on that?