The bold conference plan that can bring fans back to the NRL
SOMETHING is stopping people attending live matches, especially in Sydney. This is why it is time to take the lead set by American sport and divide the NRL into two conferences.
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HOW do we grow NRL crowds?
I will tell you what the problem isn’t. The football in this year’s finals series has been superb.
And it comes on the back of a regular season when only two competition points separated the top eight teams, which also highlights that the salary cap is working.
For this, the NRL, clubs and players need to be congratulated.
So what is stopping people attending live matches, especially in Sydney?
While the NRL will claim regular-season crowds have gone up slightly in 2018, overall they still rank in the middle of where crowds have hovered for the past 20 years.
In fact, during the NRL era, dating back to 1998, in only five seasons has the game averaged more than 16,000 per game.
This year it is 15,233 per game, still below 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Quite clearly, the biggest problem is getting people to matches in Sydney.
But as this year’s figures also show, the 10 biggest crowds in Sydney have been for games against fellow Sydney clubs.
This is why I believe it is time to take the lead set by American sport and divide the NRL into two conferences.
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It could also open the door for expansion, with an extra team in Brisbane and in Perth, while it could deliver a boost for struggling Sydney crowds.
This idea has been spoken about previously but never acted on.
The time is now.
The way it would work is nine Sydney clubs could play each other in a home-and-away series, split in the middle with one game against each team from the out-of-Sydney conference during representative season when crowds struggle.
That would make up 25 rounds, with the top four teams from each conference playing in the finals.
You would always be guaranteed a team from Sydney and an out-of-Sydney club to play in a Super Bowl-type decider.
Some people will want to argue it would not be a fair competition but as it is we don’t have two complete rounds where every team plays each other twice.
In fact, the regular season draw is a debacle.
The other argument is that there is not enough talent in the game to sustain 18 teams. But go to the junior football on any given weekend and you will see that talent is not a problem.
NRL CONFERENCE SYSTEM: HOW IT WORKS
SYDNEY CONFERENCE
Bulldogs, Eels, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Sea Eagles, Sharks, Tigers, Dragons
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Broncos, Cowboys, Knights, Raiders, Storm, Titans, Warriors, Brisbane (TBC), Perth (TBC)
* Each conference plays home and away matches, then other conference teams once
* 25 regular season rounds
* Top four from each conference qualify for finals
* Always guarantees one Sydney team in grand final