Suburban Rugby

[QLD]

We all here how rugby league is the surbunan game played at suburban grounds, but anyone sorta miss Union played at suburban grounds.

Like Ballymore and Concord Oval in Sydney.

Brings to the point I will make now : how can we improve Super 14 crowds.

- Get rid of the South African teams in the super 14. Make it a truly Australia and New Zealand national compitition. South Africa is too far away and no one cares about played the South African teams when they come here. Make it Super 10 and bring in a Victoria team to make it 5 NZ and 5 Aus.

- Victoria desperately needs a Rugby Union team before the Storm get a grip on Melbourne, with the new rectangle stadium to be finished in 2010 thats the perfect timing, plus one player that would definetly join is Rocky Elsom, hes definetly a player the team can work around and would be a great captain. Also would get Digby Ioane and possibly Tahu, all Victorians. There will be another poaching raid by the Vics, similar to what the Force are still doing, but difference is theres a fair few Vics in the S14 ranks.

- Privitise teams so we get more money and pay the players more, which would stop the player exodus and possibly even attract a few players from the North, like a Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll or Chabal. People will come to see these guys play.

- Introduce a salary cap of some kind because I'm sure everyone to sick of watching the Crusaders winning every 2nd year, its actually a bit of a joke and in seeing that you can see why the salary cap is a good idea in NRL/AFL but make it a huge salary cap.

 

[BLR]

1. South Africa is the cash cow of Super rugby, huge crowds keep it afloat, a Trans-Tasman comp would struggle to survive.
2. Elsom has signed a contract with some Irish side, so even if the new side is in Melbourne he would be tied up with a contract.
3. A salary cap would increase the flow up North.
4. Crusaders aren't rich, they just have very good development teams, if Super 14 was based on money Auckland and Tahs would be destroying the opposition.

 

[Charles]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (QLD @ Sep 6 2008, 02:46 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

- Privitise teams so we get more money and pay the players more, which would stop the player exodus and possibly even attract a few players from the North, like a Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll or Chabal. People will come to see these guys play.[/b]

Do you know why Michalak played in SA ? Because no foreign player can actually be hired by an Australian franchise now...

 

[Steve-o]

I read an interview with Michalak when he first came to the Sharks, and he said he came to SA because nobody else asked..

 

[Charles]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Steve-o @ Sep 6 2008, 10:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

I read an interview with Michalak when he first came to the Sharks, and he said he came to SA because nobody else asked..[/b]

Yeah, because all the players in Australian franchise have to be eligible for the Wallabies, and it's more or less the same in NZ. There's only SA left.

 

[InsaneAsylum]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Charles @ Sep 6 2008, 07:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Steve-o @ Sep 6 2008, 10:54 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I read an interview with Michalak when he first came to the Sharks, and he said he came to SA because nobody else asked..[/b]

Yeah, because all the players in Australian franchise have to be eligible for the Wallabies, and it's more or less the same in NZ. There's only SA left.
[/b][/quote]

this has recently changed and now the ARU are allowing 1 or 2 foreign players in each of the super 14 teams

 

[Charles]

Yeah I had just forgotten that...
Who would you try to snatch for your team IA ?

 

[BLR]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Charles @ Sep 7 2008, 06:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Yeah I had just forgotten that...
Who would you try to snatch for your team IA ?[/b]

He's a Chiefs fan so doesn't count.

The Force are looking at front rowers apparently. Du Plessis has been thrown around by the media, the one who is a hooker. The 2nd slot has to be taken up by players who are able to be 'naturalised', basically those who have never played in the international team, so expect to see a large Georgia, Romanian or Argentinian props coming to Australia.

 

[QLD]

We shouldnt be using our foreign policy rule to grab no namers in the front row, we should definetly be going for player appeal, a flyhalf or a speedstar like Wilko or O Driscoll or someone who will definetly attrack better rugby and better crowds. Maybe for the development one, sign up the big Georgian Props, then they can play for the Wallabies, front row crisis solved.

Read in the paper Reds were after the South African flanker Joubert, I think we need a flyhalf instead (dan carter anyone?) or we gotta sign someone like Chabal lol.

 

[BLR]

It depends if you want to go with development or potential revenue. Some of the no name props(in the SH anyway) would be good to help our own props develop, even if they are 30-ish or so they could put in a few years and by that time their experience and most importantly technique that is lacking in Aussie props will rub off and we could have a whole generation of strong technical props....