rhugh89
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Buzz Rothfield’s 50 ways to improve the NRL as the countdown to the 2014 Grand Final begins
AS the countdown to finals begins, it’s time to confront the issues in rugby league; here Buzz lists 50 ways to improve the sport.
1. Scrap the 4pm Channel Nine replay for live free-to-air games on Sunday afternoons
2. Set up a video referees bunker to get consistency into their decision making
3. Schedule blockbuster games to combat soccer’s A-League Sydney derbies
4. Get rid of Thursday night football except for the week leading into Easter
5. Ensure there is a Sunday afternoon game in Sydney every weekend
6. Reduce State of Origin schedule so it doesn’t stuff the competition for two months
7. Use the sin-bin for lifting tackles to get them out of the game once and for all
8. Get rid of the totally meaningless City-Country game
9. Insist that every club take a trial or premiership game to NSW or QLD country towns
10. Give every NRL club a bush region which is their responsibility to develop
11. Introduce 30-second time limits for video refs with a scoreboard countdown
12. Make referees more accountable and drop them for bad mistakes
13. Introduce a two-week mid-year draft for player negotiations and transfers
14. Restrict clubs to using three jerseys – home, away and Women in League round
15. Turn Round 20 into an annual fundraiser for all seriously injured players
16. Introduce a $50 family ticket for every game, every round
17. Negotiate with venues for membership discounts and cheaper food and drink prices
18. Don’t force us to watch the Broncos every Friday night
19. Move the second Friday night game to another weekend time slot
20. Drop the Anzac Test in April and play Test football at the end of the season
21. Lobby the government to save traditional old suburban grounds like Leichhardt Oval
22. No Monday night football at ANZ Stadium with 70,000 empty seats
23. Don’t sit back and allow superstars like Sonny Bill and Sam Burgess to switch codes
24. Reduce the interchange to eight to allow brilliant players to dominate more
25. Change golden point to golden try so games aren’t decided by hit-ups and field goals
26. Do more to get Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt back to the NRL
27. Introduce more loyalty salary cap concessions to allow for more one-club players
28. Sign up Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello to a mentoring role for youngsters
29. Get junior passes out to kids by round one, not round 10 like this year
30. Send in independent directors and fix the fractured Wests Tigers board
31. Demand ASADA finalises its investigation into the Cronulla Sharks
32. More day games because the standard of football is better
33. Increase the second-tier salary cap so good young players aren’t held back
34. Change the under-20s to under-21s so good young players don’t fall off the grid
35. Give the State of Origin shield to the team when they win it, not after a dead rubber
36. Have a five-minute sin bin for professional fouls
37. Allow teams to carry 18th man as a reserve for concussed players who can’t come back
38. Make a decision and stick with 16 teams, The game doesn’t have the player depth for 18
39. Connect Wi-Fi at every ground. NFL has asked all stadiums to provide free Wi-Fi by 2016
40. Allow every team to carry one marquee player outside of the salary cap
41. NRL to take over all pre-match entertainment to improve the game day experience
42. Let the video refs adjudicate on obvious forward passes
43. Lower Origin ticket prices to make it more affordable for bread and butter fans
44. Give us back our Sunday afternoon grand final with a 3pm kick-off
45. Create two conferences with Sydney teams playing each other twice
46. Make Jarryd Hayne the face of the game for the next TV commercial
47. Ensure every game is live on TV, like the AFL
48. Hire more NRL staff with stronger football knowledge and fewer bean counters
49. Play one super weekend of football with double headers at Suncorp, ANZ, Allianz and Newcastle
50. Time off for all scrum and penalty stoppages
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...and-final-begins/story-fnj45km6-1227023309794
- PHIL ROTHFIELD
- THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
- AUGUST 13, 2014 9:58PM
AS the countdown to finals begins, it’s time to confront the issues in rugby league; here Buzz lists 50 ways to improve the sport.
1. Scrap the 4pm Channel Nine replay for live free-to-air games on Sunday afternoons
2. Set up a video referees bunker to get consistency into their decision making
3. Schedule blockbuster games to combat soccer’s A-League Sydney derbies
4. Get rid of Thursday night football except for the week leading into Easter
5. Ensure there is a Sunday afternoon game in Sydney every weekend
6. Reduce State of Origin schedule so it doesn’t stuff the competition for two months
7. Use the sin-bin for lifting tackles to get them out of the game once and for all
8. Get rid of the totally meaningless City-Country game
9. Insist that every club take a trial or premiership game to NSW or QLD country towns
10. Give every NRL club a bush region which is their responsibility to develop
11. Introduce 30-second time limits for video refs with a scoreboard countdown
12. Make referees more accountable and drop them for bad mistakes
13. Introduce a two-week mid-year draft for player negotiations and transfers
14. Restrict clubs to using three jerseys – home, away and Women in League round
15. Turn Round 20 into an annual fundraiser for all seriously injured players
16. Introduce a $50 family ticket for every game, every round
17. Negotiate with venues for membership discounts and cheaper food and drink prices
18. Don’t force us to watch the Broncos every Friday night
19. Move the second Friday night game to another weekend time slot
20. Drop the Anzac Test in April and play Test football at the end of the season
21. Lobby the government to save traditional old suburban grounds like Leichhardt Oval
22. No Monday night football at ANZ Stadium with 70,000 empty seats
23. Don’t sit back and allow superstars like Sonny Bill and Sam Burgess to switch codes
24. Reduce the interchange to eight to allow brilliant players to dominate more
25. Change golden point to golden try so games aren’t decided by hit-ups and field goals
26. Do more to get Israel Folau and Karmichael Hunt back to the NRL
27. Introduce more loyalty salary cap concessions to allow for more one-club players
28. Sign up Roosters legend Anthony Minichiello to a mentoring role for youngsters
29. Get junior passes out to kids by round one, not round 10 like this year
30. Send in independent directors and fix the fractured Wests Tigers board
31. Demand ASADA finalises its investigation into the Cronulla Sharks
32. More day games because the standard of football is better
33. Increase the second-tier salary cap so good young players aren’t held back
34. Change the under-20s to under-21s so good young players don’t fall off the grid
35. Give the State of Origin shield to the team when they win it, not after a dead rubber
36. Have a five-minute sin bin for professional fouls
37. Allow teams to carry 18th man as a reserve for concussed players who can’t come back
38. Make a decision and stick with 16 teams, The game doesn’t have the player depth for 18
39. Connect Wi-Fi at every ground. NFL has asked all stadiums to provide free Wi-Fi by 2016
40. Allow every team to carry one marquee player outside of the salary cap
41. NRL to take over all pre-match entertainment to improve the game day experience
42. Let the video refs adjudicate on obvious forward passes
43. Lower Origin ticket prices to make it more affordable for bread and butter fans
44. Give us back our Sunday afternoon grand final with a 3pm kick-off
45. Create two conferences with Sydney teams playing each other twice
46. Make Jarryd Hayne the face of the game for the next TV commercial
47. Ensure every game is live on TV, like the AFL
48. Hire more NRL staff with stronger football knowledge and fewer bean counters
49. Play one super weekend of football with double headers at Suncorp, ANZ, Allianz and Newcastle
50. Time off for all scrum and penalty stoppages
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...and-final-begins/story-fnj45km6-1227023309794
