Ideas for NRC

[Dave Beat]

The NSW team's will be stronger if the one team states are encouraged to develop their own - but that thought always creates hit debate.

 

[Highlander35]

Creates debate is a misnomer.

There wouldn't be many who'd disagree that the allocation of Super Rugby players favours the Rising, the Spirit, the Vikings, City and to a lesser extent Queensland Country, and could/should be readjusted.

But at the end of the day, the Super teams pay the wages. If the Rebels want Luke Jones and Jordy Reid playing with their teammates in their home city, rather than spending 10 weeks in Sydney with the Rays, why is that an issue? With the Rebels having run full time training for all the Super players both seasons throughout the NRC, there's an inherent advantage for a players development, both individually and teamwise, to remain at home for that period.

It always devolves into a shitshow, with club loyalist refusing to concede that second point.

 

[Teh Other Dave]

The NSW team's will be stronger if the one team states are encouraged to develop their own - but that thought always creates hit debate.

More to the point, they would have been much stronger if the Sydney clubs could get on the same page.

It's also not as if Queensland haven't been providing players to the other super rugby franchises either, I spent a good five minutes surfing teh wikipaedia (most would say five minutes too long) and went through the 2015 RWC squad, and it confirmed my hunch: more of non-Reds, non-Tahs, and non-Toulons were developed in Queensland (i.e. played colts or went to high school there; I also included Kane Douglas as a Yamba boy who is now helping out the Reds, and left Folau off, even though he went to Marsden High from the age of 14). I'm sure the pure numbers might be different throughout the entire squads of the Force, Rebels, and Horseys, but the Wallaby sample gives weighting for player quality (and I seriously CBF going through three squads).

 

[Dave Beat]

More to the point, they would have been much stronger if the Sydney clubs could get on the same page.

It's also not as if Queensland haven't been providing players to the other super rugby franchises either, I spent a good five minutes surfing teh wikipaedia (most would say five minutes too long) and went through the 2015 RWC squad, and it confirmed my hunch: more of non-Reds, non-Tahs, and non-Toulons were developed in Queensland (i.e. played colts or went to high school there; I also included Kane Douglas as a Yamba boy who is now helping out the Reds, and left Folau off, even though he went to Marsden High from the age of 14). I'm sure the pure numbers might be different throughout the entire squads of the Force, Rebels, and Horseys, but the Wallaby sample gives weighting for player quality (and I seriously CBF going through three squads).

I reckon this Rays side would do okay to
1. Peck Cowan
2. Elvis Taione / Josh Manrae
3. Scott Sio
4. Caderyn Neville / Matt Philip / Ed Gower
5. Hugh Pyle / Greg Petersen
6. Luke Jones
7. Michael Hooper
8. Cliffy Palu
9. Matt Lucas
10. Lane / Hodge – depending on game plan
11. Alex Northam
12. Hingano / Hodge – depending on game plan
13. Dennis Pili-Gaitau
14. Harry Jones
15. BJ Hartman


Rome Vaai,
Dave Poreki / Luke Holmes.
Mitch Lewis,
Scott Fardy / Jack Dempsey Harry Bergelin
Jordy Reid / Kotoni Ali
Josh Holmes / Tim Donlan,
Brian Sefiana,

 

[AussieDominance]

Creates debate is a misnomer.

There wouldn't be many who'd disagree that the allocation of Super Rugby players favours the Rising, the Spirit, the Vikings, City and to a lesser extent Queensland Country, and could/should be readjusted.

But at the end of the day, the Super teams pay the wages. If the Rebels want Luke Jones and Jordy Reid playing with their teammates in their home city, rather than spending 10 weeks in Sydney with the Rays, why is that an issue? With the Rebels having run full time training for all the Super players both seasons throughout the NRC, there's an inherent advantage for a players development, both individually and teamwise, to remain at home for that period.

It always devolves into a shitshow, with club loyalist refusing to concede that second point.

Let's just remember that the NRC sides with Super Rugby teams behind them don't provide any compensation for that 8 - 10 week period. At the moment it is quite a small matter but hopefully in the future as teams get income streams the contracts the other sides are giving increases.

 

[Dave Beat]

I like seeing the players who have slogged it out all year in the Shute performing to a high standard - the fringe super players then getting a crack at a higher level against NRC teams that may be as good as a Super 15 side. So;
Do I want to see the super players back at the Rays so the fringe players don't get a crack at a higher level
or.
Do I want to see the best Shute players being selected and given a crack without club politics coming into play.

Unfortunately the NRC doesn't compete with the money in France and the UK and i don't have a solution.

 

[Intruder]

Although not yet confirmed, it looks as though next season the NSW Waratahs will head the NRC program in its own state and at this point will only register 2 NSW teams to compete in the 2016 NRC Competition.

 

[TOCC]

Only 2 teams in NSW?
Jeez, surely the Waratahs and Shute Shield can support 3 teams, and that allows for a rounded tournament of 8 teams.

I hope the Waratahs work in partnership with the current NSW NRC teams and build on the foundations that those teams have laid rather then starting from scratch.

 

[AussieDominance]

I can assure you no matter how much you might not enjoy it if the clubs that threw there money in the deep end in the Shute Shield get abandoned here the NRC will have a massive struggle to survive.

 

[qwerty51]

Ha reducing the teams. This comp is as good as done then.

 

[Bring Back The Ruck]

Any chance its

Sydney City Stars - playing out of new Uni ground
NSW Country Eagles - taking the game round rural NSW

 

[TOCC]

Ha reducing the teams. This comp is as good as done then.

Sydney Stars could be cut from the NRC and 99% of the rugby supporting public wouldn't bat an eyelid, its just unfortunate that the Sydney Stars were the least supported team despite having the best record.

Having the Waratahs cut two teams makes no sense, if the Waratahs wanted to be central to the competition they should have done so from day 1 and not wondered in after 2 years and decide to undermine the hard work that plenty of people have done.

 

[qwerty51]

The Currie Cup is an awful comp because it has 8 teams which 6 are the same as the Super Rugby teams. It's boring, there's only 4 games a week; you play the same teams every so often and it's the same players in the same teams as Super Rugby.

This is not a model we want to follow. Increase the teams, spread the talent around - even up the comp.

 

[AussieDominance]

I would think that sticking with a nine team competition and getting those teams established would be very important.

People mention the Uni side but in terms of the ARU's intention to make each side self funded I think it more than fills the criteria in that it can be funded by a University even without much of a fan base (which would hopefully build up over time).

It's unfortunate that the Stars could not be supported by Sydney Uni and have Randwick & Easts involved. Perhaps also Souths switching to this side. (Who knows maybe UNSW can support a similar arrangement for this Stars side).

Obviously a 9 team competition is not ideal but once all teams can become established supporting South Australian Rugby would be important in my opinion and I would hope they would be the next team.

That is a long way off though as this is a budget competition just trying to exist till it builds up enough of a supporter base.

 

[TOCC]

Expanding any competition spreads the talent pool even thinner, and dilution of the talent pool leads to a decrease in the overall skill level on display, skill and talent directly correlates to the entertainment value and thus you cant keep expanding for the sake of expansion. There is a equilibrium between available talent and demand for expansion, as it stands today the NRC is barely coping with 9 teams let alone 10, 12 or 14.

Entertainment value isn't the only factor, the NRC is purposely designed to have players playing in a competition which is closer to the demands of Super Rugby to improve the depth and performance of Australian Super Rugby teams.. Diluting the player pool again decreases the competitiveness of these teams and erodes the standard at which the players are playing at.

8 teams is suitable for the next few years, in the longer term as the competition and existing teams mature there may be opportunities to expand. But expanding the competition too quick too early risks lowering the standard of the comp and places unnecessary financial/player and coaching resource strain on existing teams.

 

[kiap]

Although not yet confirmed, it looks as though next season the NSW Waratahs will head the NRC program in its own state and at this point will only register 2 NSW teams to compete in the 2016 NRC Competition.

If this happened, it *could* be a positive. Wouldn't be pain free but hear me out, people.

I'd like to see the identities of existing clubs retained to the extent possible, — but the Tahs need to be on board as priority one, for all the reasons we have been discussing for two years.

We'll get NRC teams aligned with the Supe, where: (i) the pro players are; and (ii) some actual money is generated. It would be sustainable:

Reds (2), Tahs (2), Rebs (1), Force (1) — so 6 teams — and the Brums (1) makes it 7.

BUT, I think there could be another piece to the puzzle, and that is to have a second team aligned with the Brumbies. The Brumbies winning the Aus conference next year is very likely IMO. The strongest Australian franchise should be providing players and support to a 2nd NRC side. Let's call them the Eagles. It'll give the anti-Viking brigade a vehicle as well.

Then we can have the Sydney Rays (in blue and gold socks) with games north and south of the bridge plus the Greater Sydney Rams to the west.

 

[TOCC]

I like the concept that someone else put forward previously of NSW Country aligning themselves with the Brumbies, I'm sure thats probably like fingernails down a chalkboard to most diehards NSW fans, but it would allow the Brumbies to better spread their players around whilst still providing direct input as to how they are used and what style they should play. Which I'm sure is a major cause of reluctance in releasing players to other NRC teams currently:

City (Reds)
QCountry (Reds)
Rays (Waratahs)
Rams (Waratahs)
Country Eagles (Brumbies)
Canberra (Brumbies)
Rising (Rebels)
Spirit (Force.

 

[kiap]

someone else put forward previously

Oi.

I'm like right here, man.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Oi.

I'm like right here, man.

I believe I might have beaten you to the punch @Kiap. First suggested in 2014 in response to complaints about too many Super players in the one team NRC franchises, and again raised this year. But at the time, it didn't seem to get much of a run with other posters.

 

[kiap]

I believe I might have beaten you to the punch @Kiap.

The more the merrier, BR. A good a idea has a thousand fathers, a dud one is an orphan.

However I'm still claiming it (at least on this site ... for now). See my Player Allocation article from even before the NRC kicked off:

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/national-rugby-championship-distribution-of-players/2/

And was I talking about it even before writing that. But ... others could have also been on the same wavelength.

Be good if it happens.