I agree. I went to the 9s finals at Headingley a while ago and it was good entertaining stuff. However, it was a Tuesday? evening, the teams were mainly reserves and youngsters, the crowd was sp,.....
Just think how good it could be[size IF[/size it was done properly.
I'm sure someone would pay for TV coverage and it can't be difficult to find a sponsor for a full day (or 2?) of family entertainment, can it?
This is something things like snooker, darts, golf and tennis have over proper sport. They can fill a whole day's TV schedule for a sports channel, thus making economies of scale on the event.

You said i"in our lifetimes", no one is saying it won't take a few years and a concerted effort. Liver damage permitting I've got about 40 years left on this planet, hopefully, so very achievable "in my lifetime".

Make the prize big enough and SL clubs will send their stars. A 2 day festival somewhere fans would like to spend the weekend with a fun feeling would be well supported IMO and most importantly do away with the current MM situation that creates an inequitable fixture format.

Quote: JB Down Under "Make the prize big enough and SL clubs will send their stars. A 2 day festival somewhere fans would like to spend the weekend with a fun feeling would be well supported IMO and most importantly do away with the current MM situation that creates an inequitable fixture format.'" Hull - KC Stadium www.visithullandeastyorkshire.com/

Quote: JB Down Under "Make the prize big enough and SL clubs will send their stars. A 2 day festival somewhere fans would like to spend the weekend with a fun feeling would be well supported IMO and most importantly do away with the current MM situation that creates an inequitable fixture format.'" Hull - KC Stadium www.visithullandeastyorkshire.com/

Just how popular would a 9 s tournament be? , how long did the last one last?

It would end up as a reserve competition, there is no way the SL coaches would risk their best players now we have relegation back on the agenda

No it wouldn't if it followed the NRL nines route. The last one was a mid week tournament for reserve players so you can't judge a mm event by that stick.

Make the prize money 250,000 pounds and a rule that clubs have to field a min number of first team players and the credibility issue is solved.

Then you have to create the event and marketing to convince 30,000 RL fans each day to attend. It's not hard with some decent organisation!

50,000 pounds for each of the twelve SL clubs taking part plus 250,000 for winner.

30,000 tickets each day would cover that

Put Sally Boulton and the world cup team on it to replace MM in 2015.

40,000 at Manchester/Birmingham/Wembley over 2 days.

£20 for a day ticket.

So there is £1.6 Million in ticket sales alone.

How much to rent a stadia will be the guiding principle on cost of the ticket.

But if it's less than a Million for 2 days, then you have £300,000 for Prize money and £300,000 for marketing.

Anything else like sponsorship, merchandise, etc is pure profit.

I agree the last 9's tournement was too much like a side bar. Played mid-week, with no name players and no marketing.

If it's after the Union season is finished you could invite them, you could probably put in a few international teams as well as SL teams. The Forces may also play, make it appealing to more than the current fans.

Like i said 28 teams from SL(14) & Championship (14)
4 invites
1 Combined Armed Forces team
1 Union side
1 Amateur side (You have a national amateur tournamnet winners get to play in big boy tournament)
1.International side from the lesser nations.

32 knockout format

I think a straight knock out would require too many teams. I think most 9's and sevens tournements have group games to allow teams to have more than one game. If I recall correctly the RU 7's after the group session does not even knock out the lower placed teams. It becomes a knock out competition for the tops teams and then another for the lower place teams. Something like a cup and then a shield. 1 Qualified teams 1.1 Group A 1.2 Group B 1.3 Group C 1.4 Group D 2 Knockout stage 2.1 Gold Medal Bracket 2.2 Plate 2.3 Bowl en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_seve ... alth_Games www.nrl.com/DrawResults/Auckland ... fault.aspx

I think a straight knock out would require too many teams. I think most 9's and sevens tournements have group games to allow teams to have more than one game. If I recall correctly the RU 7's after the group session does not even knock out the lower placed teams. It becomes a knock out competition for the tops teams and then another for the lower place teams. Something like a cup and then a shield. 1 Qualified teams 1.1 Group A 1.2 Group B 1.3 Group C 1.4 Group D 2 Knockout stage 2.1 Gold Medal Bracket 2.2 Plate 2.3 Bowl en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_seve ... alth_Games www.nrl.com/DrawResults/Auckland ... fault.aspx

1. Given I had a heart attack last year and have a stent in place, I'm not sure if I have 40 years left, although the lack of anything "fun" to eat or drink in my diet may give me the double score
2. 8 Commonwealth games over that period. To be selected as a "host" choice, you need first to be put on the list of sports that have been agreed to as "options".
To give you an example, Cricket has been pressing to be put on this "options" list for decades...it is played to a decent level in more countries than League yet it is still waiting in the wings. Given this and the fact that the other lot's shortened format is "bolted on", the best chance is the Olympics IF rugby sevens gets canned after 2016......but I still stand by my assertion that we'll be pushing up daisies before it happens!

Every MM match up is the same as last year, the event has really run it's course and needs to go and the only thing about a 9's tournament that people would care about is their teams best players not getting injured. I doubt that using a Challenge Cup round would encourage more people to attend so I think that it is time that the whole thing was binned off.

Cabramatta nines attracting 8 international sides. WA is looking to field a side from the Kimberley in it next year. www.nswrl.com.au/default.aspx?s= ... y&id=88672

Cabramatta nines attracting 8 international sides. WA is looking to field a side from the Kimberley in it next year. www.nswrl.com.au/default.aspx?s= ... y&id=88672