Darren Lockyers ideas to improve RL.

He's come up with some really good ideas and the article is well worth reading.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/darren-lockyer-reveals-his-suggestion-list-for-the-nrl-as-he-prepares-to-retire-from-rugby-league/story-fn2mcuj6-1226081389687

I'll let ppl read it before giving opinion on his points, don't want to spoil it!

I agree with the general idea of trying to speed up the game and the reduction of interchange players down to 8 would help that.

Not sure about eliminating the scrum but I do think at present the uncontested situation is a joke to watch. Good moves originate from these set pieces so I wouldn't want to lose that aspect of the game. The alternative is to tighten up the rules but not go as far as in union with all the time wasted setting up and resetting. Maybe they need to tidy up the scrum, enforce the contest...but have a time limit to get the ball into the tunnel correctly. Probably would lead to more penalties a la rugby which would be a pity though.

I've always thought the salary cap needs careful review at the end of each season as the game gets bigger. Maybe allow a maximum of 2 or 3 marquis players beyond the cap to avoid future controversies like the Storm and give the clubs more scope to sign big name players and give the fans more to shout about.

As for expansion - think it's about right now but wouldn't mind a second Qld team (Brisbane/Ipswich or Gladstone/Sunshine/Bundaberg or Cairns-PNG?), the Bears reinstated (Central Coast-Northern Sydney) and a second NZ side preferably from the South Island but Wellington would be fine. 18 teams by 2013/4 say and a max. of 20 a few years later.

I'm not so keen about relocating existing teams to Adelaide or Perth...unfortunately they are not RL heartland cities and the experiment has failed before. In reality, RL is mostly an east coast game here and I'd rather see more teams from Qld/regional NSW/NZ/PNG introduced before SA/WA, although it's fine to play the odd game in those states every now and then.

Read this morning. Think the crucial part of the scrums is that it frees up a lot of room for the backs, eliminate this and where do you lump 12 players? Regardless of it being a non-event technically, the scrum does actually serve a very useful purpose.

I would like to see the game become more about stamina again. Gallen’s effort in SOO II shows it is possible to go 80 at prop, however a new breed of forward will come through and you will see less of the Civinoceva’s etc and more mobile, second row types playing prop.

As for expansion, I read that Gallop isn’t really considering it until 2015. The next team will be from Brisbane. Forget about PNG, there is no money for it unless they can get one of the mining companies to pour money in (which would be unlikely), the Govt is broke and it is a third world country….it’s a non starter, they couldn’t even last in the Qld Cup 12 or so yrs ago. A second team in NZ is a possibility, although there just isn’t the population in the Sth Island to support this, and the Wellington sports market is saturated right now. Where would the owners come from anyway? Mind you, there are consortiums who have been trying for Wellington since before the Warriors and the last bid was backed by a mysterious Belgian billionaire (???), so maybe he may come riding into the picture once again…..

Interesting…..

Interesting indeed.

I was just thinking of the Cairns Qld Cup side which has been very successful (winners last 2 years) could help introduce PNG players into the NRL system. You're right about the corruption and risk of backing a team in PNG though.

I've heard people saying a team like Cronulla could be relocated to Wellington...what's that Belgian billionaire's phone number again,...?

Linebreaker, I for one don’t believe in relocation as a way for ‘expansion’. I think any expansion has to be organic otherwise we end up with the system used by the big 4 sports in the US where money and only money talks.

Sydney is the biggest hotbed of RL in the world, it saddened me when the mergers were brought in and teams were axed or boundaries moved. I used to love watching teams like North Sydney back in the day. It was sad when they were forced to merge with Manly (a marriage made in hell if ever there was!) and it was sadder when the merger died and left Nth Sydney to wallow in the lower grades only. I would hate that to happen to Cronulla, admittedly a team I have never followed or taken a liking to, just because they are a bit of a problem child

Tell me about it chewed. Born in Manly, now living a few kms from North Sydney Oval. Always supported Manly...(since Dad took me to watch games at Brookvale) but I also had a soft spot for the Bears (except for the local derby matches of course). It was awful to see them go and the merger was a disaster - for Norths players/fans but also for Sea Eagles players/fans...it just didn't feel right as a loyal one team man!

I wouldn't like to see the Sharks sent overseas either. It was something I read. I agree that expansion has to be organic and we must avoid the US style of franchises. I would prefer to see another Qld team or two - one from just outside Brisbane, probably Sunshine Coast and another further up the coast like Bundaberg or Mackay...if not then Cairns.

I’m not sure those places north of Brisbane could actually support a team Linebreaker, is the population big enough? From my memory it wouldn’t be? After having experienced a couple of seasons with Wynnum, I would suggest that a team could be based at the white elephant (known as ANZ) which could effectively harvest the population/talent pool lying in the far eastern suburbs of Brisbane down to Logan. Leave the Broncos to the North/West/Ipswich/Toowoomba areas and the Titan will have everything south of Logan

There would be 3 Qld Cup teams to act as feeders, Easts, Wynnum and Souths Logan. The population of the far eastern suburbs is always on the increase, there is so much space out in the Redlands/bayside areas with a large proportion of NZ/Maori/Islander playing numbers as well.

I think it could be a goer!

"Dump scrums in favour of a handover of possession to minimise stoppages."
I agree with this as the idea of reintroducing the contested scrum is a non starter. 9 and 7 are basically the same position these days, in the old days a proper rake was always a neccesity. Tap and game on IMO

"Further reduce the number of interchanges to eight to make attrition more of a factor."
Players are fitter and faster than ever before, 4 on 4 off for total of 8 makes sense.

"Clubs to have their salary caps paid from by the NRL out of it's new TV rights deal."
Bit like SKY do now in mandating minimum spend. If the NRL were to do this it would also mean open contracts as they wouldn't hand over the cash without seeing fine print in deals.

"Delay expansion until all of it existing 16 NRL clubs are financially secure."
Is this possible without the Sharks finding their own Tinkler? Plus If you water the beer to much it'll soon be kaliber! Think Perth/Adeleide is defintily a good idea in the future, 2nd Brisbane team has the $ behind it so that's a winner. Another NZ would be good but where and is there the want of it?

"Increase the salary cap to $5 million after TV rights deal is struck."
Get the TV deal done first!

"Establish a three-person panel to rule on off-field player misbehaviour."
Takes the sack/fine/ignore decision of the clubs, would also mean one rule for all.

"More education for young players to reduce the off-field misbehaviour which can be so damaging to the game." That's a given, read about a player taking a beer into the ice bath the other day; what's that about? Can't imagine that happening in other sports.

There's no doubt Locky will be involved in RL in a big way post playing days. Could see him as head of independent commision in 10-15 yrs time.

chewed_mintie wrote:I’m not sure those places north of Brisbane could actually support a team Linebreaker, is the population big enough? From my memory it wouldn’t be? After having experienced a couple of seasons with Wynnum, I would suggest that a team could be based at the white elephant (known as ANZ) which could effectively harvest the population/talent pool lying in the far eastern suburbs of Brisbane down to Logan. Leave the Broncos to the North/West/Ipswich/Toowoomba areas and the Titan will have everything south of Logan

There would be 3 Qld Cup teams to act as feeders, Easts, Wynnum and Souths Logan. The population of the far eastern suburbs is always on the increase, there is so much space out in the Redlands/bayside areas with a large proportion of NZ/Maori/Islander playing numbers as well.

I think it could be a goer!

Sunshine Coast has a catchment of about 250,000 comparable to Logan City 280,000, plenty of potential in both areas, chewed. Wynnum/Easts/Redland have tiny populations - part of Brisbane Broncos domain in reality. Logan would be the logical second Brisbane side based at QEII/ANZ. That would be a good move I agree but just think we need to look outside Brisbane as well - similar to having Newcastle 150 km from Syd, Illawarra 100km from Syd. Sunshine Coast fits that expansion model well, as does Logan City to a lesser extent (being more or less part of Greater Brisbane). Would be some great local derby matches if they had all 4 teams - Broncos, Titans, Sunshine Coast, (Souths) Logan all playing in an expanded NRL.

Then maybe Central Coast Bears and another team from NZ.

I was skimming through the newspaper this morning when an article caught my eye.

It basically said that Perth and Ipswich have the front-running for entry into the expanded NRL.

The article is entitled "Bears won't be NRL Necessities" and it says the Norths-Central Coast consortium is way behind the level of commercial activity in Perth - is effectively a 10th Sydney team and the WA bid provides an attractive timeslot for kick-off (7:30pm in west = 9:30pm in the east) similar to what you have in S15 with the Force.

I can't find the article online but I found this one:

Bidding War

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/central-coast-bears-likely-to-miss-out-on-nrl-expansion-perth-and-ipswich-set-to-get-the-nod/story-e6frf3ou-1226082113211

This is the article Lb.

Yep, that's the one mate. Some of those online comments...it never ends.

They may as well just add 4 teams and make it a 20 team comp!

Perth makes sense to me for the tv $ sense, guess you need equal teams so 1 more has to come in. I'm surprised that Ipswitch is the supposed 2nd as the new Brisbane consortium seems to be $ happy.

Yeah, also the quote about Logan fans will 'identify' with an Ipswich or a Darling Downs (Toowoomba) side isn't right.

It's like saying Streatham Common Fans will get behind a team from Hounslow or Slough! I don't think so...

Any idea why they'd be favouring Ipswich then?

BicesterWarrior wrote:He's come up with some really good ideas and the article is well worth reading.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/darren-lockyer-reveals-his-suggestion-list-for-the-nrl-as-he-prepares-to-retire-from-rugby-league/story-fn2mcuj6-1226081389687

I'll let ppl read it before giving opinion on his points, don't want to spoil it!

I generally agree with what he says, particularly about Super League clubs giving their young talent a chance before looking to Australia for the quick fix. Rugby League in the UK needs to plan for the long term with British talent instead of the short term with has beens and never was players from the NRL.

here here

I would have liked to see him propose something along the lines of evening out the obligatios at tackle time,at the moment it is too favoured towards the team in possession.ball carriers moving off the mark trying to milk"marker not straight"penalties,and more obligation on the ballcarrier secure the ball.......

aucklandlaurie wrote: I would have liked to see him propose something along the lines of evening out the obligatios at tackle time,at the moment it is too favoured towards the team in possession.ball carriers moving off the mark trying to milk"marker not straight"penalties,and more obligation on the ballcarrier secure the ball.......

Good points you make.