Rat Park? I thought the idea was to grow the game.
Sydney's demographic centre is west of Parramatta. If we do not start to act as though rugby is welcoming to the whole population we richly deserve to die out.
PS: I'm also not convinced that the likes of Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell etc would be prepared to give up playing in Europe to come back and play in this comp. The timing will clash so it would have to be one or the other and I'd guess it will be 10 years or more (if ever) that the proposed comp will be able to match the money on offer from European and Japanese clubs.
That's just the northern side. The resurrected Western Sydney Rams have plenty of choices starting from Concord Oval and Millner. I'd prefer they play at Parramatta, St Marys or Penrith.
For someone usually so well informed your immediate leap to the assumption, despite me categorically stating otherwise, that we try to entice Giteau et al. is misguided. Five or more levels below Aviva Premiership there is more money and opportunity than is offered by SS. There are 100's of players leaving our shores or going to league every year because there's literally nothing in Australian Rugby for them.
They don't have the connections and once overlooked for academy selection they have no opportunity to pursue a career in rugby. You ask, where would they come from? They would come back to where they always wanted to be but where they were shut out because of stubborn ignorance from the Australian Rugby establishment.
I would love to see the ARU go all out to make inroads into the islander kids who should be playing rugby, but are being snaffled by the other code (as my schoolboy days coach put it).
I was trying to make the point that money talks for many of the players you're talking about. Unless the money on offer is worthwhile they will continue to go where they've gone before. Don't forget the intro of the Rebels and Force into the Super was supposed to stop players going elsewhere as well, but it clearly didn't.
I would love to see the ARU go all out to make inroads into the islander kids who should be playing rugby, but are being snaffled by the other code (as my schoolboy days coach put it).
So would I!!!
But if they do make a fist of it, get to Super Rugby, and then get selected by their Island nation there is discussions in the Rebels thread that they then become a marquee player - the ruling is very vague.
So there for we need to have the same rule as NZ with regards to the islanders - they do not fall under the Marquee Player structure.
Perhaps clubs, be it Super clubs or old school established clubs should apply for a spot in a comp and have to show a funding plan including travel and facilities models in their applications. clubs need real drive and good admin management behind them or they will just suck the financial viability out of any third tier model and kill it. ARU can work out sponsors and top up for each team after… It will also then only attract clubs and organisations that are really committed to the comp. There was far too much moaning last time from Sydney clubs who in reality were heading into receivership anyway.
Reviewing the original poll - it looks like the we're going to get a super B and an end of season comp.
I have to say I'm a bit surprised to see that the ARC rehash is so popular. I really hope they only go with 1 Queensland team, because the ballymore tornados/east coast aces were both shithouse ideas for teams.
IMO the only place that should have two teams is sydney - an east sydney team and a west sydney team. And stuff the half baked nicknames, just call them west sydney and east sydney.
So in a 10 team comp you only want 1 team from Qld? I think there is a good argument for 3 at the moment but think it may end up at 2. They need to work on the branding though. East Coast Aces has to be one of the worst names for a team. I'd like to see a South Brisbane Bunyips team.