Proposed Divisions - what are your thoughts

[Norris Lurker]

I can't see any argument for promoting Manly to Premier Division. UTS would be competitive, but I can't see that Manly would be.
But I'm not keen on having an 11-team Premier Division. Unless we're going to play through the long weekends, and catch up on any postponed games midweek, there's not really any scope to extend the season - and with 18 rounds with 2 byes we're cutting each club back to 16 games.
So I wouldn't be keen on promoting UTS unless Balmain were relegated.

[Tom Wills]

With all the discussion regarding teams being promoted and would they be match it in the next grade (ie UTS, Manly, Mac Uni, Sharks, Nor West etc) IMO we are aiming our expectations too high.

In other promotion / relagation comps around Australia when you get promoted your first objective is stay in the next level comp for your first year. You consolidate then prepare your club to improve over a couple of years.

Discussions on this board seem to be if a team would match it with the top sides and make the finals.

Specifically in the case of Manly IMO it should be will they be competitive against the bottom 4 sides (NORTH SHORE, ST GEORGE, WOLLONGONG & BALMAIN DOCKERS). If they happen to also, in a few games, push the better sides that is a great first year up. The same applies to all sides we are discussing about promotion - will they be competative against the bottom 4 sides?

I, and many others, see the new strucutre a success but we must fix up a comp where at the end of the home and away sides in Div 1 UTS and Manly loose 0 and 3 games, in Div 2 Sharks and Mac loose 0 and 2, Div 3 NorWest and UNSW loose 1 and 1 games. Winning streaks like these stuff the comp they are in; as do loosing streaks where you only 1 or 2 games for the year (St George and Campbelltown).

[The Insider]

In response to Tom Wills, i think it is way too early to call this new structure a success. In the next few years the true impact of the change will be felt, when clubs are playing at different grounds and resources are pushed to the limit. Also, a huge number of players will become disheartened when they are dropped from first grade and end up playing against fat old men and young boys in division 2 or 3. In 5 years time if, and when, no clubs have had to fold due to the change, this experiment can be labelled a success.

[Pace To Burn]

With all the discussion regarding teams being promoted and would they be match it in the next grade (ie UTS, Manly, Mac Uni, Sharks, Nor West etc) IMO we are aiming our expectations too high.

In other promotion / relagation comps around Australia when you get promoted your first objective is stay in the next level comp for your first year. You consolidate then prepare your club to improve over a couple of years.

Discussions on this board seem to be if a team would match it with the top sides and make the finals.

Specifically in the case of Manly IMO it should be will they be competitive against the bottom 4 sides (NORTH SHORE, ST GEORGE, WOLLONGONG & BALMAIN DOCKERS). If they happen to also, in a few games, push the better sides that is a great first year up. The same applies to all sides we are discussing about promotion - will they be competative against the bottom 4 sides?

I, and many others, see the new strucutre a success but we must fix up a comp where at the end of the home and away sides in Div 1 UTS and Manly loose 0 and 3 games, in Div 2 Sharks and Mac loose 0 and 2, Div 3 NorWest and UNSW loose 1 and 1 games. Winning streaks like these stuff the comp they are in; as do loosing streaks where you only 1 or 2 games for the year (St George and Campbelltown).

You musnt have read my earlier post No they wouldnt