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I culled this from an article that Wayne Smith wrote for The Australian in March regarding discussions about a possible national club competition, or "national division competition". The information apparently comes from various emails and documents that have been leaked to the media. I don't know what additional assumptions Smith's made though, so keep a pile of salt within pinching distance...
* The addresses on top of the emails list Sydney University, Randwick, a senior Rugby WA official, Vikings and Sunnybank as being involved.
* Most people would have already heard about the 10 team model: 5 teams from Sydney, 3 from Brisbane, one from Canberra and one from Perth.
* 18 rounds with 3 weeks of finals.
* $75 000 buy-in.
* Participation was discussed as being based on finishing positions from the "penultimate season", although "other participation criteria may also have to be met". This is gobbledygook to me but a proposed 2009 draw was apparently based on 2007 finishing positions, which would logically mean Sydney University, Eastern Suburbs, Warringah, Randwick, Northern Suburbs (Sydney), Sunnybank, Gold Coast, GPS (Brisbane), Vikings (Canberra) and Perth.
* Each year, the bottom team from Sydney and Brisbane would drop out to be replaced by the top team from their respective state competitions. An official from Sydney University also suggested that the Vikings and Perth teams should be subject to relegation if they finish last (the article doesn't say where to).
or who will replace them??
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a new ARC?
Be There. Be Heard. Be The Force Behind The Force
those Sydney sides are the best i assume, i've heard it's daylight after the top sides in the Sydney comp so who will replace the bottom sides and will they have a chance of being competitive?
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Actually, Gordon and West Harbour are in the top 5 right now. Trouble is, would players hang around if they weren't in the national comp?
also would the crowds that follow club rugby be able to keep a comp like this going?
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I'd assume you'd see a situation like in the EPL, a few rich teams who are always up there, a few middle teams who fluctuate in form and then you have the constant relegation targets. Once they are relegated maybe make the teams below have a harsher salary cap or whatever so that when they are relegated they have to put thier stars up for sale so that they are equal to the teams in the division below. However the stars if they feel loyal can take a pay cut to stay in the same team. When a team gets promoted they should get a large cash amount so that they are able to compete when buying players. It would be interesting and as WA's club scene develops perhaps we could have our own club sides joining the comp in a decade or so.
However considering there is 3 QLD and 5 NSW teams the competition promises to be a little weak if we and ACT have only one team. Let's just hope if it comes into place they don't put a harsh salary cap in place so we lose alot of our 'Force' players to Eastern sides...
You would assume that the Force would provide ten players to the Wallaby and Australia A Squads on average each year plus S14 injuries being taken care of, so there probably wouldn't be too many in WA looking to head East.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.