Should the NRL have a Reserve Grade? / QCUP Future

[DIEHARD]

There is a lot of talk about one of the goals being a matching Reserve Grade for each NRL side.

Reports say that this affects the Queensland Cup. And the Broncos are against it but Cowboys and Titans for it.

I want to ask your opinion.

[RavShamrock]

I'm a 100% yes please

[DIEHARD]

My view is that people's nostalgia for a Reserve Grade comes from the NSWRL days. Before the NRL evolved from being the NSW comp and also some fans wanting a reserve match to precede every NRL match on game day. Perhaps they also want a return of the NRL Club Championship of old.

But for me it terrifies me because I love the QLD Cup and it would gut it. We even have the Clydesdales coming back in. Known as the Western Clydesdales coming in in 2023 and backed by the Bulldogs.

I have zero interest in watching a Reserve Grade comp at the expense of these traditional and community clubs that I've enjoyed and what happens to the PNG Hunters and Fiji Silktails?

[DIEHARD]

I can respect the Cowboys reasoning because of the tyranny of distance. And perhaps my compromise would involve extra support for them.

I've really just had a gutful of the NRL eating the Rugby League world alive. Screw IRL or the WCC or World Cups or Rep Rounds or... My support of the NRL is just part of my love for the game.

[RavShamrock]

From some looking outside in I think it could provide better continuity with our fringe and developing players as I don’t seem to see much happening with our feeder clubs except for their success which doesn’t seem to filter thru to the Titans and hopefully the players would have to be more accountable as well (plus I used to like watching reserve grade)...Yes this is solely from a selfish Titan's fan

[Mexican titan]

Definitely want Reserve grade back. Yes it would affect QCup but two men and a dog watch it and it would still survive as a second tier pathway.
Admittedly this is what I grew up with and it was great to see your next level players on the same day as the first grade team. It also gives you a full day at the footy rather than now where you often spend more time travelling than you do at the ground. I used to follow Manly all over NSW but if I still lived in Sydney I probably wouldn't travel to away games now to to spend heaps of time travelling to watch just one game.
Just my opinion but it can't come fast enough for me.

[DIEHARD]

From some looking outside in I think it could provide better continuity with our fringe and developing players as I don’t seem to see much happening with our feeder clubs except for their success which doesn’t seem to filter thru to the Titans and hopefully the players would have to be more accountable as well (plus I used to like watching reserve grade)...Yes this is solely from a selfish Titan's fan

I think that is a fair and accurate take from a club perspective.

On the matter of curtain raisers (I do like adding value on game day), we do have a few other competitions and teams we can include in match day programs.

I was going to post NRL/Feeder relationship but the Wikipedia nerds did it for us. Enjoy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation...s_affiliations

[Mexican titan]

I've really just had a gutful of the NRL eating the Rugby League world alive. Screw IRL or the WCC or World Cups or Rep Rounds or... My support of the NRL is just part of my love for the game.

I share your view here DH. I don't want Tests shuffled back until after the NRL season when the interest wanes. If the EPL can stop for Rep weekends then surely so can we.

[DIEHARD]

Definitely want Reserve grade back. Yes it would affect QCup but two men and a dog watch it and it would still survive as a second tier pathway.

Crowds and TV ratings would show that more than two men and a dog watch it. And creating a Reserve Grade would be demoting the Cups to third tier. And who can predict the result of cuts in funding.

I think shrinking the Rugby League world right now when we need more players, would be a mistake.

But I take everyone's points there is obviously a huge amount of support on this.

Another issue would be that it would once again unfairly extend the collective strength of NSW clubs because there will only be 4 QLD NRL clubs, so we only get four 2nd tier teams?

The NRL are doing this too with the NRLW aiming to be a photocopy of the NRL spread, which itself is imperfect and unbalanced. QRL did this too and that is why they booted the Diehards out of the State Womens Premiership.

[RavShamrock]

Would be interesting to see how the Titan's performances stack up when there was reserve grade as opposed to with out itonce removed?

[Mexican titan]

Crowds are in the hundreds, not thousands at the games I have been to and watched. TV wise it's free on Kayo.
Every club would have their own feeder team not this alignment they have now.
Not sure why it would shrink the player pool.
Thanks for putting it up for discussion mate. As you might gather it's something I am quite strong about.

[Titanic]

Want reserve grade back and the survey should have an option to have both plus:

1. The off-season is too long. The NRL season SHOULD be interspersed with Origin and Internationals. This might have some issues on continuity with the selfish club-focused noisy minority but the majority of Rugby League fans want to see it all flourishing. The depth would then come from expanding the squads.
2. Having reserve grade would allow that depth to truly provide options for the NRL team.

[DIEHARD]

Great ideas Titanic. I hope the NRL put as much thought into it as we all do.

I want to see the NRL season reduced with dedicated Rounds for Rep and Internationals and a tail end International window.

We also need to bring back the Nines and we are due a Nines World Cup, which before COVID was supposed to be a regular fixture.

[DIEHARD]

Thanks for putting it up for discussion mate. As you might gather it's something I am quite strong about.

No worries. I'm worried it's a bit of a sleeper issue and it'll have a big effect on the game. I get alarmed reading such articles out of the blue and wanted to see what our Brains Trust think.

[jacksonm]

We already have a reserve grade side, I want a first grade team for the Titans!