RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
If there is a push to go back to the S12 (which I loved originally) then surely that would be the signal for us to pull the ripcord and escape. If we're fair dinkum about wanting to grow the game in this country we can't go back to three teams. Four is already bad enough.
IMO what matters the most and what will prove most critical and decisive is not 'we just must have X Super Teams', but rather:
- what competencies are absolutely essential within each State RU and the ARU in order to attain consistent standards of playing and coaching excellence within X number of teams and where X is defined as a realistic reflection of this need, and
- aligned to the above, the essential need to have those X teams reasonably consistently winning lots of competitive games, playing entertaining, dynamic rugby, getting fans really engaged, getting into Finals and occasionally winning a Final and thus attain financial viability (with that latter variable defined in part by the level of RU grant money the ARU can realistically afford to fund its Super teams)
What we must do as a matter of policy priority of the highest order is address the above dimensions with superior standards of objectivity and honesty.
My own view is that the hard-headed answer to that question is (given where Australian rugby realistically is today) probably 3 teams, with 2 in Sydney (one in Western Sydney).
There is zero, just zero, justification for having any number of teams that is not based strictly upon the above criteria and the required dimensions of overall managerial and, crucially, coaching, excellence essential to create and sustain successful Super teams.