Epic News: BRL and Valleys Diehards are back!!!

[DIEHARD]

Brisbane Rugby League rebirth

In a landmark move for the game’s future, the South East Queensland Division has today announced the new Brisbane Rugby League structure for the 2015 season.

The announcement follows confirmation that the FOGS A grade competition would not continue next year. In its place is a local league premiership, which will see the re-emergence of some iconic rugby league teams made famous through the glory days of the Brisbane Rugby League.

“The emergence of this competition is a further enhancement for second-tier rugby league,” QRL Managing Director Rob Moore said today.

“This decision comes on the back of the findings from the recent National Review. Our focus is on delivering sustainable pathways from Under sixes through to the NRL; and we believe this decision is a step in the right direction for participants.”

Moore praised the FOGS for supporting this competition over many years.

“The FOGS Cup has certainly benefited the game and has at times had 10 Intrust Super Cup clubs fielding teams in a very strong competition,” Moore said.

“However as local league premierships have strengthened, many Intrust Super Cup clubs have returned to support the game in their area.”

The South East Division with its Brisbane administration staff, and assistance from the QRL, has worked towards this outcome for several months. Applications were sought from interested clubs in the regions and meetings were staged to gauge the long-term viability of these interested groups.

From 13 expressions of intent, a total of nine teams have now been accepted by the Division to form the new competition. The five Intrust Super Cup clubs, to be supported by the BRL, proposed a structure where each will link with two clubs. Intrust Super Cup players will then be dual registered and placed with the nominated BRL team throughout the season.

These teams are:-

· Easts Juniors

· Carina (subject to meeting final conditions)

· Logan Brothers

· Normanby

· Valleys

· West Brisbane Panthers

· Gaters

· Redcliffe Juniors

· Wynnum Redlands

The Jets will next year field an Ipswich team in this competition, although it is expected that the club will work closely with the Ipswich Rugby League over the next 12 months to expand their support for that local league premiership.

South East Division Chairman Brad Tallon said the new competition marked an exciting time for the game in the area.

“This decision gives the game in Brisbane a real opportunity to reconsider both the junior and senior structures and also provide more clearly defined long term pathways for all of our players,” Tallon said.

“I believe the Intrust Super Cup clubs have taken a giant step and we acknowledge their vision to get this right.”

“This has been a great experience for the Division as some strong cases were presented for inclusion under a number of models. To have a club brand like Valleys come to us with their plan for the future was a bonus, and to offer an opportunity to great community clubs such as Logan Brothers and Carina adds another feature”.

“Then we found clubs like Normanby and Gaters had strong business plans with substantial financial resources based on their entry into this format. And the model presented by West Brisbane Panthers was another eye opener with regards to confirming a bright future for our game.

“The Division has just wrapped up another very successful rugby league season, but to be honest I cannot wait to see this new revamped BRL competition kick-off in 2015.”

Initial plans are for an 18 round home and away BRL premiership with a pre-season competition for all teams to launch this new format. The League also hopes to unveil a Naming Rights sponsor in the new year.

http://www.qrl.com.au/news/2014/09/2...e_rebirth.html

[DIEHARD]

I can't tell you how overjoyed I am for this. I've been dreaming and planning for this day! Luckily I was not alone!

THE DIEHARDS ARE BACK!

[DIEHARD]

Valleys, Wests to be entered in restructured Brisbane Rugby League first grade competition

YOU can’t keep a good football team down.

So next year teams from Valleys and Wests will be entered in a restructured Brisbane Rugby League first grade competition.

QRL chairman Peter Betros said the BRL premiership would take in some teams of the 2014 FOGS first grade and Brisbane second division competitions.

Among the aims are to provide more coherent pathways for players through to Intrust Super Cup level and also to bring some famous, nostalgic names back into the Brisbane rugby league lexicon, Betros said.

The BRL competition approved by the Southeast division of the QRL in September will comprise Easts Juniors, Carina, Logan Brothers, Normanby, Valleys, West Brisbane Panthers, Gators, Redcliffe Juniors, Wynnum Redland City and Ipswich.

Betros said BRL clubs will be encouraged to forge player dual registration agreements with an ISC club.

Valleys (four) and Wests (two) won multiple BRL premierships in the 1970s before the advent of the Brisbane and Gold Coast NSWRL teams in 1988 reduced the profile and strength of the BRL competition.

Wests won the BRL grand final in 1992 and 1993, with Valleys winning their last premiership in 1990.

The BRL premiership was superseded by the Queensland Cup after the 1997 grand final, which was won by Redcliffe.

“We are trying to open up a structure which offers opportunities to players,” Betros said.

“The history of the BRL is a rich one and many, many great players have come out of the Brisbane Rugby League.

“It’s going back to the future really — we have resurrected the BRL. I don’t believe we will get to the standard we used to have, because it’s been replaced by the ISC, but we believe we will certainly to get it to a standard which is much higher than Brisbane second division premier grade.

“We will be doing everything we can to assist them.’’

Betros said the League had identified that a lot of players in the Brisbane second division had for years not had a pathway to the next level.

“We are trying to ensure all our ISC clubs buddy up with at least one NRL clubs, so that they can get an opportunity in the next tier if they catch the eye with their talent,” he said.

“There has been a roadblock for players to have an opportunity in the ISC and identify that talent that has been in the Brisbane second division clubs.”

Plans are for an 18-round home-and-away BRL premiership with a pre-season competition leading into the season.

Only six ISC clubs, including Ipswich, had placed players in the FOGS first grade or Brisbane second division competitions in 2014, Betros said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/spor