don't let the facts get in the way of a good whinge
Westies, I think that you missed the point of this thread where I cant see anyone being unhappy about the comp, but rather trying to figure out how the Finals format will be decided. I am sure that most if not all of the Championship (Non Prem Grade) sides are happy to not be playing each other too often as a result of having 5 games against the 3rd Grade of Prem clubs.Originally Posted by westies man
The other point raised was how does RugbyWA plan to integrate these clubs to eventually be allowed to have a go and eventually end up playing at the highest level.
To me a system of promotion/relegation would probably be worth considering compared to the current system which involves a team having to fold out and be replaced by another one which suddenly has to field 4 teams. Good on Joondalup to be doing well in the top 2 grades but they are struggling in the 3rd and 4th grades. That way a team from the Championship which for example wins the 3rd Grade comp should be allowed to move up to Reserves and potentially into Prems if they manage to eventually win the Reserves comp. Lots of thought would need to be put into it to find a format that works, but it would seem that a promotion/relegation system would be a fairer way for a team to move up the grades and slowly attract local players who travel to play higher level rugby.
Wow, someone is in denial - how many teams are happy with the structure this year?
Before you start judging any teams ability, they can only play what is in front of them and with the Champ A teams 17-5 against prem 3rds maybe us horrible champ A clubs should leave you guys to it, at least the level would improve for us without these prem teams watering down our comp.
If you cant add anything constructive, then just keep to Prem threads. this was started to get an idea of what the score is moving forward -what the plan is, if there was one-, and all you can do is talk about how district clubs should leave you prems alone, sounds like after the success of Joondalup (which will only get better) you're worried about the protected species that is a prem team.
I agree. There are many clubs unhappy with the structure, obviously Wests aren't so lets just keep it as it is....
I'm not privy to what goes on behind closed doors at RWA, but all I can say is when Wanneroo tried to move from the non-competitive districts comp (We were winning games by 60, 70 points etc) RWA made it very difficult for us to earn promotion with a nonsensical play-off system against ARKS that meant it was nigh on impossible for us to get promoted. Whether this was by design and some contrived attempt to keep us out of Prems or borne out of their own stupidity we'll never know. So in regards to Curtin moving up to Prems I wouldn't expect any favours from RWA. What would be logical is for teams that continually dominate their respective leagues to be promoted up one grade i.e Curtin win 3rd grade, they go up to 2nd grade and then a few years later perhaps Prems, that way they can gradually, over a number of years, build towards being a Prems club, as opposed to going straight from a "Districts" club to a Prems club whereby they are required to provide teams in Grades 1 - 3, which is just ridiculous. JB were allowed to move to a 2nd grade, initially, so this could be an option, but from recollection didn't this cause some major fixture issues? If so then I guess RWA would be reluctant to go down this path again.
Protected Species?
Rockingham
nuff said
C'mon the
I think westie posted here before there needs to be a rocky- mandurah team in prems and maybe curtain could be the 12th i cant see thou best chance will be if baysie of wanneroo fold ala rocky then base on JB model.
well, look at Rocky now (unbeaten this season), wouldn't you like to think there is an avenue back to prems (or at least a higher level of rugby) for them?
that being said, that's where promotion/relegation works really well - you cant argue with whether you should go up/down. best team goes up, worst goes down (based on an entire year of results) - i'm not saying for one minute that's the way to go/possible/easy, but at least you/supporters/club members can't feel hard done by when you drop out of top tier.
The biggest issue for Premier clubs (not just Premier grade but ALL their teams, 1,2,3,4,U19s) is that they want to play together as a WHOLE CLUB vs a WHOLE CLUB. The issue with moving individual teams in and out of different grades and mixing with district teams causes lots of other problems. 1. BAR REVENUE for hosting club - it is a fact that most district teams playing premier 3rd/4th grade clubs will not stay around and watch 2nds/1sts when they have no connection or interest in those teams. Premier club revenue is way down on these days. 2. RESOURCES - Premier clubs spread across 2 or 3 venues requires extra Physio costs, volunteers etc. 3. PLAYING NUMBERS - split clubs means different venues so player numbers are impacted when they play district teams away (which is why they often struggle as 1sts/2nds hold onto extra reserve numbers. 4. FACILITIES - some clubs don't have extra change rooms etc when hosting 3-4 different clubs at the one venue. 5. MATCH DAY - Sponsors ($$$), supporters, club members etc want to watch club v club with atmosphere, passion, club culture and tradition which comes with hosting the one club from 12pm til 11pm. This isn't a post against district clubs, but rather highlighting the impact it has on the premier clubs who are run by volunteers, who are already over worked and over stressed with the mess that RugbyWA continues to impose on them. If Curtin Uni or any other district club has the resources, finances, volunteers, playing numbers (4+ teams), facilities etc then they should have a case to enter into the Premier grade comp. Otherwise I can see (like past years) where the weaker premier clubs will say its all too hard and disappear ...
What a great idea, just whack them in any grade they want just because they have touched up a few club social sides. Gee just whack them into reserve grade. Question time Zed, so if Curtin are playing your reserve grade, who does your 1st grade play.
Wests Scarborough 1st Grade juggernaut has played finals rugby each and every year since its inception and continues this remarkable feat yet again this season and unbelievably it's still rolling on and as an added little circle jerk for the masses Wests actually hold the record for the current longest unbroken finals record.
If you want to play 1st grade get in the car and drive to a proper club
Wests Scarborough 1st Grade juggernaut has played finals rugby each and every year since its inception and continues this remarkable feat yet again this season and unbelievably it's still rolling on and as an added little circle jerk for the masses Wests actually hold the record for the current longest unbroken finals record.
Nedlands. Duh...
I'm with Eel,
It might have been an age ago, but when my boy was running around for Rocko, the best days of all were the ones where there was a home carnival from the juniors right up to firsts. Most of the kids would hang around the whole day and cheer on the older teams, have something to aspire to and generally be good club members.
When we were playing at Thomas or Brittania the teams would rarely stay to watch the older boys play, let alone make a day of it.
Now some of this might have been novelty value, but even when we played away there was a good club atmosphere going on. when the rugby got a bit boring on the main field, the under nines from each club would usually find a patch of empty grass and a ball and start smashing each other again!
C'mon the
I have wondered before, and wonder again, if Curtin really wants to play premier grade. Same with Swan Suburbs. Maybe Mandurah, ARKS and a few others (Bunbury?) might have aspirations, but I get the impression that some clubs just want to have a competitive run on a Saturday, followed by a cracking social event.
If there is a jet player with aspirations of greatness, then they would tend towards a club with all the grades. A player with delusions of greatness will soon be cut down to size and would return to their original club so they can star in 3rd/Champs. There is a handful of such players in that category that immediately spring to mind.
It's great when you have grades 1 through 5 all playing at home, but the reality is some clubs are not able to provide competitive teams in all grades. So you get situations where clubs do OK in Prems, but get pumped in reserves and third grade. When I played in the UK, it was common for 1st, 2nd, 3rd grade teams to be all playing at different venues, which sucked, but the games were competitive. I can't really see the worth in teams getting drilled by 90 points just so they can all play at the same location. Sure it creates a cluster f*ck trying to arrange fixtures, but at least teams are more evenly matched.
I get it Zed, but either situation can simply be the product of a thoughtful restructure.
One of the problems I see (looking from the outside) with the current situation is that nobody's really committing to the idea of restructuring the competition. Any change in direction will naturally mean some clubs are built out of nothing and some clubs will go. The "some clubs go" part doesn't seem to be on the agenda and therefore we end up with any benefits that might come from the new structure being watered down by the adherence to some of the ineffective parts of the old structure.
Take as a case-in-point the consistent (and annoying) calls for the central clubs to stop poaching juniors from the "colonies" I would think that the key reason this is occurring has to do with real estate demographics ensuring that these clubs which sprung up in thriving, developing suburbs which were once full of kids to fuel their junior teams now suffer an aging population in their traditional catchment or worse still an increasing commercial district ensuring that they are populated by businesses more than people./
Nobody can blame a club stuck in such a circumstance "doing what it has to" to ensure that it has some form of raw material coming through the door to be moulded into a viable prems player for their team. And so we get ideas like the infamous Nedlands Northern Academy (how's that going by the way) which is lambasted by all the clubs in the surrounds who are losing their juniors to it. You can understand the position of both clubs in this situation, it's the reluctance of the governing body to make the hard call and force one or both of the clubs to relent and fit into a consistent top-down structure which is designed to build rugby as a whole rather than worry about the small shit.
This is a problem that becomes too hard for RWA to deal with when (I assume from what I read here) that various board members and other office holders in the organisation can't put their club loyalties aside for the good of the game.
We need a president who has the balls and the respect of the rugby community to come in and mandate a competition structure which is focussed on getting players to follow a pathway to super rugby REGARDLESS OF WHICH CLUB THEY PLAY THEIR JUNIOR RUGBY FOR.
But I'm pretty sure that won't be happening any time soon.
C'mon the
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