23 ways I’d love to improve the NRL

I posted this list of things I’d do to fix the National Rugby League at the Marathon Stadium forums, so I figured I’d post it here.

1. Tell one of the Sydney teams to move to the Central Coast ASAP. Preferably Manly, but if that didn’t work, I’d setup a license there.
2. Move State of Origin to the weekends and postpone club games for a week. No NRL games on a rep weekend.
3. Change the rep schedule back to City vs Country, then SOO, then test matches. That way, the City and Country game REALLY means something both to players and bush fans.
4. Reduce ticket prices across the board and encourage families to get to games. Any way how, just get them there.
5. Improve public transport to and from games. Energy Australia Stadium is a nightmare after a Knights game. (And Jets games too…)
6. Promote the game like it’s never been promoted before. Old, new, transitional media, the streets, EVERYWHERE.
7. Get regional and rural rugby league involved and fix up the game’s troubles in those areas. This is the heartland of the game and they need help badly.
8. Get more kids playing the game, reduce registration prices where possible and make it safer for kids to play.
9. Setup a proper state team qualification method. No more allegiances based on simply where you play your first senior football. My system would be based upon a combination of a player either being born in, or spent a minimum of 10 years living in that state, as well as where you played your first senior football.
10. Setup a proper national team qualification method. Islanders can only play Origin and/or for Australia if they were born in Australia or have resided in Australia for a minimum 10 years as well as the new Origin qualification rules. Islanders who want to play SOO but not Australia would be capped at four per side and subject to Origin qualification requirements.
11. Increase the salary cap by least 10% of what it is at the moment, and allow for salary cap exemptions based upon if the player was developed through the club’s ranks, and for loyalty to the club.
12. One live game on Friday night, and one double header on Sunday afternoon/night on free to air television.
13. Tell Queensland they have to give up a Origin game to Melbourne as well, but only every three years.
14. Merge all existing bodies under one ARL, have NRL has a for-profit entity as it is now. Do not let Murdoch own the game’s main administrative body at all. This works for the English Premier League.
15. All clubs to have PROPER websites and will be monitored as part of franchise requirements. No excuses, and this means you Newcastle.
16. Setup a pay website with nothing but NRL games, streamed live. This will bridge the gap between those who want NRL games, but refuse to pay for Foxtel/Optus/Austar. This will also open it up for international audiences and ex-pats.
17. Improve radio coverage, as one idiot of a radio operator (Bill Caralis, owns 2HD and New FM in Newcastle, along with several radio stations in regional NSW) will not pay 2GB to take their coverage. Offer it free of charge to community stations as a promotional and community service by the NRL.
18. Stop relying on the video referee and put a time limit on how long they can take to review a decision. Two minutes tops.
19. Change the World Cup Challenge so that the games comes out here every second year.
20. Restrict the number of jerseys teams can use to THREE - home, away, and either a historic or clash jumper. Fans are fleeced enough with the cost of jerseys, and when you have the Roosters coming out with five jerseys, you know they’re going way over the top.
21. Allow coaches to come on the field to give instructions ONLY during conversion or penalty kicks for goal, and they can only do it so many times in a game.
22. Get teams AWAY from ANZ Stadium. Only one team can use it for a home ground. Rant and rave to state and federal governments to upgrade suburban grounds. Sure, it’ll become a white elephant, but that’s not rugby league’s fault.
23. Recognise the heritage of all clubs. You cannot erase your past.