I posted this explanation of how the player points system worked last year. If there have been no changes for this year then they will work the same with just the years changed where appropriate. On that assumption, here is what a 2015 version of the 2014 Player Points System would look like:
[Edit: I've now seen the 2015 Player Points Guidelines form and amended the post using strikeouts]
2015 Player Points guidelines (adapted from 2014 guidelines).
Categories
A (20 Points)
A player who has played a 15 a side test for a Tier 1 international Union
B (16 points)
A player who has at least five Super rugby or Heineken Cup caps
A player who has played 15 a side for a tier two Pacific Island international Union (e.g. Fiji, Samoa, Tonga)
C (10 Points)
A player who holds a current Super Rugby contract
A player who has played (i.e. taken the field) in 50 or more 1st grade games in NSW Premiership competition (in total across any clubs)
A Player who was an Australian age representative (U20) in 2014 or 2013
A player who has at least five SANZAR Union 1st division provincial championship (e.g. ITM Cup or Currie Cup) caps from the 2012 or 2013 season, Aviva (formerly Guinness) Premiership, RaboDirectPro12 (formerly Magners League), French top 14, Amlin Challenge (formerly European Challenge) Cup or LV (formerly Anglo Welsh) Cup in 2013 or 2014.
D (6 points)
A player who was an Australian schoolboy representative in 2014 or 2013
A player who has played between 35 and 49 1st grade games in the Premiership competition (in total across any Clubs)
A player who played more than 50% of the 1st grade Colts games at a different Premiership Club in 2014
E (4 points)
A player who is not an Australian Citizen, AND was not a resident in Australia during both 2014 AND 2013
A player who has played more than 50% of the 1st grade Colts games in 2014 {Edit: removed for 2015]
A player who has played Division 1 at the Australian Schoolboys championships in 2014
F (2 points)
All other players
Discounts available
Family
Up to 5 points for new players to the club (in their first year only) for siblings of existing players that played the previous season with the club or sons of past players.
Local
One point per year discount (up to a maximum of four points) for players who have previously played with the club or previously played with a local junior club between U10 - Open
Long Service
50% discount for eight years or more service with the club for Category A, B, C or D
one years service is deemed to be 8 games (or rep games)
Experience
Discount for Category A, B or C players (up to a maximum of five points) of one point per year each year they have been out of international union or Super competition representation
Guidelines
1. The points system applies to 1st & 2nd grade, and 1st & 2nd grade colts.
2. Cap applies to starting players and fresh reserves in each grade.
3. Players are categorised at the highest level at which they have played.
4. Points are not cumulative throughout a season – each player is only indexed at one level as of 1st January.
5. Discounts are not cumulative – only one type of discount may apply to a player. Where a player may be eligible for different types of discounts, Clubs should apply the highest discount available to the player.
6. Discounts cannot index players below 50% of their base player points.
1st Grade Cap = 100 points
2nd Grade Cap = 60 points
1st Grade Colts = 40 points
2nd Grade Colts = 30 points
HJ Comments:
1, Local Discount. 1 point per year. It may still be possible to sign up a boy from an AAGPS School in Year 11, who is no longer playing for their previous junior village club, play them for trials and games outside the School season, and then they arrive in Colts after they finish school with a 2 point discount, and they enter Grade with the maximum 4 point discount as a 20 year old. [Edit: With no bye (2 byes in 2014) it will get harder to rack up a 8 game "season" for the moonlighting AAGPS players.]
2. Schoolboys reps carry their 6 points for 2 years instead of dropping to 4 points in their second year out of School - Meh
3. Max of 50% discount and applicable only after 8 years or > 8 games with the club (or assume 8 games with their Rep team (assume Soup Franchise). It will be interesting how this pans out. This could potentially introduce some serious challenges into the annual "branch stacking" we see at finals time when the 5 years service veterans used to return from their professional duties at at 0 points.
That is a big change that will impact on Grade. No impact to all intents and purposes for Colts.
4. I feel sorry for a fellow who does a Shoulder in round 6 and is out for the season with Team Rehab. That season they will be deemed to have not counted as being a long serving member of that club.
5. It will become harder but not impossible to warehouse an Australian Schoolboy in 2nds Colts (and possibly run him on as a 0 points "tired" reserve in 1st Colts).
6. Fresh Reserve discount = 100%. Perhaps the fresh reserve must have had to have played for > 3/4 of the lower grade game time to qualify as a 0 point player. 50% discount to their score if the non-fresh reserve has played a full half of lower grade rugby, and they are classified as a fresh reserve if they played less than a full half of lower grade footy. Good idea but administratively difficult to monitor.
7. A player who played more than 50% of the 1st grade Colts games in 2014 = 4 points. This will probably give clubs like Gordon, and Penrith who are rebuilding and don't have a big turnover of players from Colts 1 to Grade from season to season some grief.
10 returning players at 4 points - 2 points for 2 local years (1 in junior and 2014 in colts 1) = 20 points.
2 kids non local who played NSW II at National Champs 2014 = 8 points (total - 28 so far)
12 points left for 3 players to make the 40 point cap.
[Edit: removed in the final 2015 version]
8. Non local Aust Schoolboys may become Colts points cap pariahs and as unintended consequences they may be fast tracked to 3rd Grade where they attract no points, or 2nd grade where there is more scope to warehouse a 6 pointer while their points value starts to drop for loyalty.
Team Managers have to fill out an individual points assessment declaration for each player.
Assuming that there have been no changes to the Competition Rules for 2015, then this post from @Moonball is explains the potential consequences of breaches of the Player Points Cap system.
It is spelled out pretty clearly in the rules what should happen -
7.5.1 If a Club breaches this rule by exceeding the cap permitted in 7.3.2, in any one Competition Round, the penalty will be the loss of five competition points and the respective Club Championship points for each grade or each of the grades in which the breach occurred irrespective of the result of the match or matches.
7.5.2 If a form is incorrectly completed or provides false or misleading information regarding a player‟s category or discount under rules 7.1 or 7.2 above, the Club and or player will be referred to the CEO and may be asked to appear before the Judiciary.
7.5.2.1 Clubs found guilty by the Board of exploiting the rules under rule 7 may have competition points deducted and or suffer further penalty as determined by the Board.
All we need is the people running the comp to administer the rules they set out. Please do it now not like what happened to WH 1st grade in 2004 where they had 19 comp points taken off them just prior to semis so these clubs realise your serious and the rest of the comp does not become the joke the first 2 rounds have been.
How do clubs manage their player points to stay under the cap at Colts level if they have a lot of former Schoolboys?
10 point Category C Players (2014 Aust U20 players) aren't generally found in Colts 1 or 2 the year after they represent Australia. Most are no longer Under 20, or if they are, they are in Grade, or Pro Footy.
6 Point Category D Players.
Last years Aust Schoolboys.
- Apply loyalty discounts. 2014 Aust Schoolboys, Ed Craig (Eastwood) and Andrew Vatuvei (2 Blues) will be reduced to 3 Player points because they have played in their respective districts for more than 3 years.
- Play them in 3rd Grade (0 points - Pulver at Uni), 2nd Grade (like H Jones - he got loyalty discount for the Rats as well and had a brother already with the club [5 points discount in the first year]) or 1sts (Hanigan, Deegan, Kellaway all played for Wicks in Shute shield) to make space in your Colts 1 Cap.
- The real Rock Stars who make Aust U20's will probably be away on National Duties until after Jnr RWC.
Clubs with 5 or more 2014 or 2013 Aust Schoolboys on their books could feasibly play all of them in Colts 1 simultaneously and not break the player points cap but I can't recall a Colts 1 team having 6 former schoolboys in the run on team at once happening over the last 3 years. Here's how:
The 15 players at Jarse Club Colts 1 team are:
1. 2014 Schoolboy = 6 points (makes Aust U20's in 2015 but Player Points are calculated on 1 Jan 2015 so is not a Cat C player)
2. 2013 Schoolboy, non local = 5 points (6 - 1 local point for 2014 season)
3. 2014 Schoolboy = 3 points (6 - 3 points for playing village club footy from 10's to 13's)
4. Nigel Nobody = 1 point ( local kid with no state schoolboy rep history)
5. Sione Sombodi'i = 1 point (2nd year with this club, from Colts 2 last year)
6. 2014 Schoolboy = 3 points (Joins brother or is at Dad's old club (5 point discount not available in 2016) 6-5 family discount =2 but increased to 3 due to maximum discount of 50% of base points)
7. 2014 Schoolboy = 6 points (no discount)
8. 2013 NSW II = 2 points (2 points local discount, 1 for colts 2014 and 1 for ghost player Under 16's rego to make NSW JRU State Champs)
9. 2014 NSW I = 2 points (2 points local discount - junior rego from U10 - U15)
10.2013 Combined States = 2 points (2 points discount - Under 13 and Colts 2014)
11.2013 Schoolboy = 4 point (6 points - 1 point local discount from Colts 2 2014 and ghost player U16 rego for NSW JRU State Champs)
12.Bill Battler =1 point (1 point local discount from Colts 2 2014)
13.Bryan Bolter = 2 points (Loig recruit)
14.Avei Aniplay'a = 1 point (local discount U10-U17)
15.Charles Cant-Kickaball = 1 point (1 point local discount from Colts 2 2014)
I think that is 40 player points with 6 Former Aust Schoolboys, 2 NSW Schoolboys, 1 Combined States, & 6 normal kids.
Edit: Changes made to above after being shown the 2015 Player Points Calculation Form.
