If it wasn't for Souths and the Roosters, the Broncos, Knights, Titans, Cowboys, Warriors, Raiders all wouldn't have a comp to play in. Suggesting that 2 of the biggest backed, supported and watched teams shouldn't be in the comp...well. As for the Sharks, the poor bastards are copping it from everyone at the moment about dying/relocating. I know what that's like...it's like a kick in the nads, a poke in the eyes and a punch to the guts every five minutes of an NRL season. Personally, they are a weak link - at the moment. For a while I advocated their demise until a co-worker, well in to his 40's said to me he doesn't talk footy anymore because it makes him sad when he does, because people always say about the Sharks dying. And I think that's pretty s#it that a bloke can't like his footy because of that. And their fans, their history and their loyalty make 'em worth fighting for. So...they haven't won a comp in 40+ years. I ain't seen the Warriors, Cowboys or Titans win one either. The newspapers have turned RL in to this warfare thing where you have to deride or 'hate' other teams with their headlines. The best thing about RL is I can go to a Roosters vs Souths game, walk in and out not fearing I'll get knifed or hassled by opposition fans and see heaps of fans from either side walking home together, getting in cars together for drives home and sitting in pubs together without fighting. This is something the NRL should embrace...togetherness.
And I think there should be 20 teams myself. If the NRL could get's it ship righted and expand in to WA, and even Adelaide, grow their markets and make enough money in the game to encourage those kids going to AFL and RU to stick or come to NRL, the better. In fact, I want to see a CC Bears, Central Qld, (Western) Brisbane (Bombers), Perth and PNG team in the comp. The problem is the money. And when you think about it, if News Ltd hadn't systematically raped the game for $8million a year, deliberately held down TV revenue with Ch 9 via colluding with the NRL and the ARL hadn't had a million different depts all with their own budgets and slush funds, then I reckon there would be a far more professionally run code and clubs earning their keep through TV and radio and internet and proper NRL sponsorship.
And I'm not sure if American sport is as great as it seems. In the NBA, when have the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards or Memphis Grizzlies been that much chop? When I think of NBA...I think of Knicks, Bulls, Lakers, Celtics, Nets... Same with their NFL and Baseball. Plenty of their teams just make up the numbers. At least the NRL, with all its salary cap and transfer gripes, has balanced the teams out and the footy is pretty good actually.
I'm stepping off my soap box now.