NRL 2021: Buzz Rothfield’s promotion, relegation system for rugby league

The future of rugby league has been the subject of much debate around conferences, expansion and bush footy. Here’s a solution, via BUZZ ROTHFIELD.

Buzz Rothfield has proposed an NRL revolution.

Bring back the North Sydney Bears and, while we’re at it, the Newtown Jets.

And do it without affecting the quality of the NRL competition.

The future of rugby league has been the subject of much debate around conferences, expansion, a lopsided competition and the survival of bush footy.

One option the NRL should consider is promotion and relegation like in UK soccer.

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Relegate two clubs to have a streamlined 14-team NRL premiership and a 10-team Championship (2nd division.)

Here’s how it would work.

Buzz Rothfield has proposed an NRL revolution.

BETTER FOOTY

The two-conference proposal first raised seven years ago in this newspaper will not improve the standard of the product each week.

It will actually make it worse in that there are not enough quality football players to fill 16 teams, let alone 18.

The gap between the top and bottom teams is too great. We see it every week.

Reducing the number of teams will create a much stronger NRL competition with fewer blowouts and more regular blockbusters.

Players that aren’t quite first graders can join a Championship team.

Melbourne Storm celebrate the 2020 premiership (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

THE DESPERATION

There would be as much interest in the bottom end of the ladder as the top.

Lower teams would be as desperate to avoid relegation as top clubs are to make the finals.

It would add huge interest at the back end of the season to games that are normally dead rubbers.

This will surely increase the quality of football, attendances and television ratings.

Imagine the interest if St George-Illawarra was playing the Wests Tigers and needed to win to avoid relegation in the final round. You’d need a big stadium.

DEMOTED NRL CLUBS

The bottom two teams on the premiership ladder would initially drop to The Championship.

Then the bottom team each year would be relegated.

It sounds harsh and there would no doubt be met with outrage by fans of underperforming NRL clubs like the Wests Tigers, the Canterbury Bulldogs or even the Cronulla Sharks.

However tough and not always fan-friendly calls need to be made.

Uncompetitive teams on the receiving end of blowouts each week are hurting the quality of the NRL competition.

Newtown Jets would return under this proposal.

Let them go back to The Championship, get their house in order, then try to make it back through better management.

This will force them to think smarter and run a business as well as clubs like the Roosters, Rabbitohs, Storm and the Parramatta Eels.

THE PLAYERS

So what happens to the star NRL players from the clubs that are demoted?

The players could be lent to clubs in the NRL competition. Like Melbourne Storm, the Wests Tigers and Harry Grant last year. It can be done.

The promoted Championship club each year would get first crack in a draft for these players.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Imagine the excitement around a fairytale return for traditional old clubs like the North Sydney Bears and the Newtown Jets.

While these clubs at the moment are nowhere near in a position to be running an NRL side, this at least leaves the door ever so slightly ajar for it to happen in the future.

Both clubs still have enormous fan bases.

The Championship 10-team competition would also put rugby league back on the Central Coast.

This is a thriving rugby league area but lacks enough corporate support to have an NRL franchise. This would change if they won The Championship.

It would also be a way help new expansion clubs like a second Brisbane or New Zealand team get their introductions into a professional environment.

Teams would have a salary cap of $4 million.

NSW COUNTRY

This would give country football the lift and revitalisation it so desperately needs.

The side could be based out of the Riverina, (population 155,000) and once a rugby league heartland before the AFL steamrolled into Wagga Wagga.

It could be a satellite team playing home games in country towns like Dubbo, Bathurst, Mudgee, Tamworth, Armidale and Coffs Harbour but the majority of games out of the Riverina.

It would mean high quality rugby league in the bush every weekend. Youngsters in country towns would dream of making the side and getting TV exposure along a pathway to the NRL.

TV COVERAGE

Having two competitions would allow the NRL to spread the coverage of the game around the TV networks, like what happens with major sport in the United States.

All Championship matches would be covered on TV as well as NRL.

The match of the round could become a regular Wednesday night game on Fox Sports.

THE REACTION

Peter V’Landys has always said he will listen to the fans. This is fantastic.

However you can’t be completely driven by the parochialism of rugby league supporters.

There will be initial pain but tough decisions need to be made in big business and in sport.