Finals at large stadiums

[DIEHARD]

What are your thoughts?

I am all for it. To increase our game's crowd numbers we must get Sydney fans to learn to travel. And I find it very weak that fans won't cross the town to support their team, even on a Premiership round basis.

I travel from Brisbane to Titans games... So by contrast I'm not impressed.

One big reason why we need these is that we need to follow the AFL's lead and try and play big games at big stadiums. We need to make big games and rivalries EVENTS.

I believe we can help train fans to travel by playing our Finals games at big stadiums and have aspirational targets. Even if we don't see immediate dividends. The benefits out weigh the cons.

Now many might say, all well and good, I'm a Queenslander and we can play at Skilled Park and Lang Park. And that it isn't fair.

But is it fair for that all these out of Sydney teams have to get on a plane to Sydney ever 2nd week or two? Sydney teams have an advantage during the year by playing so many "away" games in Sydney.

[Ryan]

It's a minimum 1200km round trip for me to watch an NRL match, 1400kms if I wanna watch the Titans. Add accomodation, assodiated costs and time off work - getting to any game is quite an event for me. I'd be ****en stoked if I only had to travel 1hr to get to any game, let alone 75% of the regular season or a finals match. Sydney fans are ****in piss weak if they won't even cross town to support their own team in a finals match. HARDEN THE **** UP!

[kwigibo]

The titans semi at suncorp last year was the worst time I've ever had at a titans game. Let every one play at their home grounds. If their home grounds are crap, that means there are too many sydney teams.

[Chaos]

I can't stand the current McKintyre system...you are suppose to gain home ground advantage for the top teams but that only helps Brisbane, Melbourne and the Warriors all the way through the finals.

I rather see the AFL style of top 8 and play all finals at ANZ and Suncorp.
No planned home game advantage.

[Coaster]

I agree with Chaos about large stadiums for semis and GF.

If we knew where the semis would be held, they could start selling tickets when the GF tickets go on sale, and sell the joint out weeks before knowing who was playing.

IMO The whole structure has to change.
2 divisions
separate finals systems
and a superbowl type final game.

also someone explain to me how the Broncos are playing Friday night?
why on earth does the team that plays last sat, have a 6 day turn around
while the team that won last friday has a 8 day turn around?

That makes no sense, the team that then finished first for the season, will play on Sat night and have one less day to prepare for the GF while the team that finished second if they win get an extra day?????

What sense does it make?

Brisbane v Manly should be on Sat
Melb v Warr on Friday night

[DIEHARD]

I dont agree with conferences, I think they are mickey mouse for many reasons including it'd mean there would be no Sydney v Sydney Grand Finals.

[Coaster]

But there would be every year, but the winner of that GF would play in a superbowl type final against the winner of the other division.

1.
Melbourne
Brisbane
Titans
Warriors
NthQld
Canberra
Brisbane Bombers NEW
Perth Reds NEW
Wellington Orcas NEW
PNG Kumals NEW



2.
Parra
Roosters
Tigers
Dogs
Manly
Stg
Penrith
Souths
NewCastle
Sharks


Both divisions have a top 5 system
week 1:
a. po1 - rest
b. po2 v po3
c. po4 v po5

week 2:
gameA. po1 v (winner game b)
gameB. (loser game b) V (winner game c)

week 3:
winner gameA rest
loser gameA v winner gameB

Division Grand Final

Winner of division v winner of other division in a superbowl.

[Chaos]

Sorry..I had spacing so you view it easy but it didn't keep it on save.

[Coaster]

why do we need 2 sydney teams in the GF?
i dont understand

[Chaos]

why do we need 2 sydney teams in the GF?
i dont understand

So you could have 2 QLD teams without looking Bias

[Coaster]

So you could have 2 QLD teams without looking Bias

haha ok that works i guess, but at a ratio of 10/3 lot more chance of them achieving it.

[Chaos]

I dont agree with conferences, I think they are mickey mouse for many reasons including it'd mean there would be no Sydney v Sydney Grand Finals.

What if you play the AFL top 8 with Coasters 2 devision comp (A and B for example) ...4 from each side.
Assuming the top team kept winning it could look something like this.

week 1________1A-2B___3A-4B___________4A-3B____2A-1B

week 2____________2B-3A____________________3B-2A

Week 3__________1A-2B_________________________2A-1B

Grand Final____________________1A-1B


This way two Sydney teams could still play in Grand Final if both win first games (1A and 2A)

[Steelers]

Not a fan of that conference system. Unless I wanted to travel to Sydney I would never get to see my team play.

The siteuation we had in week 1 of the finals was ridiculous. The Tigers vs Dragons game should have been played at the SFS. It was moved to ANZ to make sure 30000 fans weren't locked out because the ground was full, but the attendance was only a handful over the capacity of the SFS.

The whole point of the McIntyre system is to give the top 4 a home ground advantage. That is the only advantage the top 4 get. The top 2 get a guaranteed second chance, but 3 and 4 don't. If we stop allowing teams a true home ground advantage, then the random outcomes and unfairness that the McIntyre system produces is all for nothing. Manly, being a top 4 side, deserved to play at their home ground. All this talk of Brookvale oval not being up to scratch to host a week 1 final is crap. If it is good enough to host NRL matches it is good enough to host a week 1 final. I agree with finals in later weeks being moved to bigger grounds but it seems like overkill in week 1.

The McIntyre system is a joke. Some years the lower teams will be outclassed and be absolutely flogged. Other years the lower teams are in hot form and will cause teams ranked higher up to get prematurely eliminated. I envy the AFL system. The top 4 get a real advantage, they are guaranteed a second chance. The games in week 1 have a purpose, and you know your outcome as soon as you win/lose the game. The top 4 are playing for a week off, and the bottom 4 are playing for survival.

Imagine if this years final was following the AFL system.

Melbourne vs Tigers - Would have been a blockbuster. In form team vs 2011 benchmark
Manly vs Brisbane - Round 2, this time on Manly's turf. Would have been a cracker.
Dragons vs Knights - Dragons out of form against a confident Newcastle fighting for survival
Warriors vs Cowboys - Flamboyance of New Zealand against the attacking flair of Thurston in the cauldron that is sudden death football.

[Chaos]

I tell you what Coaster...the teams in your first group would have some traveling to do.
Canberra, only 4 hours from Sydney.
Melbourne...South of Sydney

[Coaster]

I tell you what Coaster...the teams in your first group would have some traveling to do.
Canberra, only 4 hours from Sydney.
Melbourne...South of Sydney

Yeah they would need a bigger salary cap im guessing.

The problem is this
Parra
Roosters
Tigers
Dogs
Manly
Stg
Penrith
Souths
NewCastle
Sharks


I dont want to cull sides, but fmd that is too many team to have in a small radius