Dawgfather
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USNRL coming soon in 2010
- Thread starter Özil
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Well yeah you have a point there. But on the other hand, it could get off the ground because of the economic crisis. The bigger organisations fall, which gives a chance for those smaller ones trying to break into that little hole.
But you do have a good point and thanks for bringing that up.
Two outcomes for the NRLUS idea. Success or Folding.
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sorry bro, didn't see it lol*bump*
might as well merge with izy's thread then
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Billy Ngawini
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good somewhere for hazem to fuk off to
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The regular season will be 14 rounds starting March 12 until July 4, starting from 2010 with each team hosting seven home games and playing in seven away games. Post-season competition will include two weeks of playoffs and a championship final.
Each team will have a twenty-two man playing roster made up of professional players taken from open tryouts. David Niu, the commissioner, has suggested that teams would attempt to lure over a few big name players from other countries, even "players who have maybe been internationals."
The National Rugby League of the United States (NRLUS) is a proposed professional rugby league competition to begin in the United States in March of 2010. The competition will include eight teams from across the United States, including Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Jacksonville and Boston, With two more to be named.
Each team will have a twenty-two man playing roster made up of professional players taken from open tryouts. David Niu, the commissioner, has suggested that teams would attempt to lure over a few big name players from other countries, even "players who have maybe been internationals."
The National Rugby League of the United States (NRLUS) is a proposed professional rugby league competition to begin in the United States in March of 2010. The competition will include eight teams from across the United States, including Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Jacksonville and Boston, With two more to be named.
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At the risk of offending the purists, I thought it timely to make a comparison between rugby union and rugby league, but make it relevant to the times we live in rather than dredge up the old emotional arguments.
I'm talking about comparing the two codes in terms of which one has more drawing power, and therefore, which one might have more appeal to American sports fans and TV networks alike.
Rugby has struggled for decades to gain a foothold in the US, and 30 years after the formation of the national governing body it's still trying to carve out a niche for itself on the American sporting landscape.
The most recent thinking has centered on using Sevens to introduce rugby to US sports fans, and the USA Sevens highlights package that aired on ABC in February garnered reasonably encouraging numbers.
The one-hour show was seen in 1.2 million homes and got a 1.1 rating - okay but not earth shattering. It should be noted that it followed an NBA game that ran overtime on a Sunday and was sandwiched in between that and the 6 o'clock news (on the East Coast) so those factors may have inflated its numbers.
Be that as it may, the end goal is to get rugby football on American TV and the ongoing conundrum is finding the right product to get it done.
Assuming that the main target market is football fan, NFL or college or both, the next thing to figure out is how to pique their interest. We already know that they watch football because they like the aggression, the collisions, and the physical nature of the game, so knowing that, the question is which version of rugby would they relate to more easily?
Which code offers all of the things they like about football, yet is more easily understood by the uninitiated?
As I've been back in Australia for the last little while, I've been able to watch the Super 14, NRL, and European Super League, very often on the same day, and to my mind it's obvious - rugby league by far and away is the better product.
The fact of the matter is that while league possesses all the qualities that football fan craves, it's also a much faster game with fewer stoppages. Although those purists might not like to hear it, rugby union is way too stop-start, it's way too over officiated, and it has become a kick fest.
New Eagle head coach Eddie O'Sullivan says the Super 14 is so boring he can't watch it, and he has a point.
For the most part the game gets bogged down more often than not, and when in doubt everybody hoofs the ball as if they were playing a game of force 'em backs. Yep, that's pretty boring.
Rugby League, on the other hand, offers end to end action, big hits, and for the most part is played at break neck speed. Think of it this way, if you liked football and had never seen either code of rugby, which one do you think would be more appealing? And which one do you think you would get?
There are two innovations in the NRL that I think have improved the game, and they could be borrowed by union to make it a better product.
The first is the 40-20 rule. That's when the attacking team kicks the ball from inside its own 20 meter line and bounces it into touch inside the opposition's 20 meters. The attacking team retains possession at the ensuing scrum and consequently is then in a very good attacking position.
Conversely, if the ball doesn't bounce into touch at the other end, the defending team gets the put-in to the scrum at the point from which the ball was kicked. There's a big risk involved in punting the ball from inside your own quarter if it doesn't work, but if you do it right you get rewarded for taking that risk.
Compare that to the aimless up-and-unders in a union match these days. If union adopted the 40-20 rule, the attacking team would get a lineout inside the opposition's 22m, and if the kick doesn't bounce into touch the defending team would have the put-in to the scrum at the point from where the ball was kicked.
What the 40-20 does is it encourages a team to either try to gain territory with a well-judged punt or run the ball, rather than repeatedly putting up nothing kicks in the vain hope that you might eventually gain a territorial advantage.
The other thing the NRL has introduced is two referees. One ref stays behind the attacking team to patrol the rucks while the other ref patrols the 10 meter gap between the sides. They swap roles at every change over.
That speeds up the game and allows it to flow more freely, and generally speaking if one whistleblower misses something the other guy will pick it up. There are also touch judges and separate in-goal judges, as well as a match official in the box to rule on replays.
The end result is a better TV product, and after all, isn't that what we want in America so that rugby football can finally become more than just a blip on the US sporting radar?
I'm talking about comparing the two codes in terms of which one has more drawing power, and therefore, which one might have more appeal to American sports fans and TV networks alike.
Rugby has struggled for decades to gain a foothold in the US, and 30 years after the formation of the national governing body it's still trying to carve out a niche for itself on the American sporting landscape.
The most recent thinking has centered on using Sevens to introduce rugby to US sports fans, and the USA Sevens highlights package that aired on ABC in February garnered reasonably encouraging numbers.
The one-hour show was seen in 1.2 million homes and got a 1.1 rating - okay but not earth shattering. It should be noted that it followed an NBA game that ran overtime on a Sunday and was sandwiched in between that and the 6 o'clock news (on the East Coast) so those factors may have inflated its numbers.
Be that as it may, the end goal is to get rugby football on American TV and the ongoing conundrum is finding the right product to get it done.
Assuming that the main target market is football fan, NFL or college or both, the next thing to figure out is how to pique their interest. We already know that they watch football because they like the aggression, the collisions, and the physical nature of the game, so knowing that, the question is which version of rugby would they relate to more easily?
Which code offers all of the things they like about football, yet is more easily understood by the uninitiated?
As I've been back in Australia for the last little while, I've been able to watch the Super 14, NRL, and European Super League, very often on the same day, and to my mind it's obvious - rugby league by far and away is the better product.
The fact of the matter is that while league possesses all the qualities that football fan craves, it's also a much faster game with fewer stoppages. Although those purists might not like to hear it, rugby union is way too stop-start, it's way too over officiated, and it has become a kick fest.
New Eagle head coach Eddie O'Sullivan says the Super 14 is so boring he can't watch it, and he has a point.
For the most part the game gets bogged down more often than not, and when in doubt everybody hoofs the ball as if they were playing a game of force 'em backs. Yep, that's pretty boring.
Rugby League, on the other hand, offers end to end action, big hits, and for the most part is played at break neck speed. Think of it this way, if you liked football and had never seen either code of rugby, which one do you think would be more appealing? And which one do you think you would get?
There are two innovations in the NRL that I think have improved the game, and they could be borrowed by union to make it a better product.
The first is the 40-20 rule. That's when the attacking team kicks the ball from inside its own 20 meter line and bounces it into touch inside the opposition's 20 meters. The attacking team retains possession at the ensuing scrum and consequently is then in a very good attacking position.
Conversely, if the ball doesn't bounce into touch at the other end, the defending team gets the put-in to the scrum at the point from which the ball was kicked. There's a big risk involved in punting the ball from inside your own quarter if it doesn't work, but if you do it right you get rewarded for taking that risk.
Compare that to the aimless up-and-unders in a union match these days. If union adopted the 40-20 rule, the attacking team would get a lineout inside the opposition's 22m, and if the kick doesn't bounce into touch the defending team would have the put-in to the scrum at the point from where the ball was kicked.
What the 40-20 does is it encourages a team to either try to gain territory with a well-judged punt or run the ball, rather than repeatedly putting up nothing kicks in the vain hope that you might eventually gain a territorial advantage.
The other thing the NRL has introduced is two referees. One ref stays behind the attacking team to patrol the rucks while the other ref patrols the 10 meter gap between the sides. They swap roles at every change over.
That speeds up the game and allows it to flow more freely, and generally speaking if one whistleblower misses something the other guy will pick it up. There are also touch judges and separate in-goal judges, as well as a match official in the box to rule on replays.
The end result is a better TV product, and after all, isn't that what we want in America so that rugby football can finally become more than just a blip on the US sporting radar?
B
Billy Ngawini
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what is the bet is an EPIC FAIL
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Thanks for your opinion, and your stupid posts. If you haven't got anything better to state then I will nicely ask you to STFU. If you are willing to seek attention, make a thread asking for some.
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B
Billy Ngawini
Guest
wtf
it wont even start, why do people even bother trying with this rubbish.
like i said the only good thing that would come out of it would be somewhere to send elmasri
it wont even start, why do people even bother trying with this rubbish.
like i said the only good thing that would come out of it would be somewhere to send elmasri
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Thanks for your opinion
This thread is about the NRLUS, you dont think you have anything that contributes to the topic... make a Hazem thread. Cheers.
PantherPower83
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Rugby League would be unstoppable providing we have financial support.
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The excitement generated by the news that a professional rugby league is in development in America has been overwhelming. Evidence of this can be seen through the volume of traffic passing through the AMNRL and NRL US websites along with each clubs team website based in the USA. Associated to that is the conversation within rugby league and union forums throughout America, and the discussion around how players and coaches can get in on the action.
Add to that the interest from overseas in the elite rugby league nations, and you can get an idea of just how influential the US market will be on global rugby league.
So prior to all the official announcements that you can access through this website, let's discuss the most frequent inquiries:
Who do I contact if I want to play, coach, get involved in administration or league investment?
The NRL USA website will be launching a 'contact us' page that will provide points of contact, and application/registration forms. All interested parties will be required to complete these forms. So if you want to be considered, we need to know who you are, your sporting background, and contact information for us to respond.
Do all interested players have to register through the application process?
YES! We want to database all the interest and develop a direct line of communication with each player. This way, the flow of information will come directly from us at the NRL USA straight to you, the registered applicant. This way you will know first when tryouts are scheduled, the locations, and get immediate access to all the information to help you be as prepared as possible.
What if I am from overseas and playing during the tryout process?
We will be taking into consideration all of the current league schedules both domestically in America and also in other leagues around the world. We plan to setup tryouts that will be available to everyone, and that may even include scheduling a couple of tryouts in other countries.
Is this league going to be filled with foreign players?
There's no doubt this pro league will interest quality athletes from all sports and various leagues. It already has. We encourage players of all experience levels to get involved. There will be full time playing rosters made up of twenty two players. It is our expectation that each team will comprise of 6 -10 experienced players who have played high level rugby around the world. That would suggest a significant number of opportunities for local athletes from the USA.
How will players be paid?
Initially, the NRL USA will be a Single Entity League. In a single-entity structure, owners invest in a financial stake in the league, not just their individual team. The league is run centrally and will manage costs ranging from stadium rental, team travel, equipment to front office and player compensation. On the revenue side, it can sell sponsorships and share best practices across all of its teams. Through this structure we will be able to launch a successful league with team operators working with a unified sense of purpose to reduce costs, eliminate debate between large and small market teams and increase value for potential corporate partners.
Players and coaches will be paid salaries that are determined by the league. For example, on each team made up of a 22 player roster:
* Draft selections 1 through 5 will receive X value compensation
* Draft selections 6 through 17 will receive Y value compensation
* Draft selections 18 through 22 will receive Z value compensation
Add to that the interest from overseas in the elite rugby league nations, and you can get an idea of just how influential the US market will be on global rugby league.
So prior to all the official announcements that you can access through this website, let's discuss the most frequent inquiries:
Who do I contact if I want to play, coach, get involved in administration or league investment?
The NRL USA website will be launching a 'contact us' page that will provide points of contact, and application/registration forms. All interested parties will be required to complete these forms. So if you want to be considered, we need to know who you are, your sporting background, and contact information for us to respond.
Do all interested players have to register through the application process?
YES! We want to database all the interest and develop a direct line of communication with each player. This way, the flow of information will come directly from us at the NRL USA straight to you, the registered applicant. This way you will know first when tryouts are scheduled, the locations, and get immediate access to all the information to help you be as prepared as possible.
What if I am from overseas and playing during the tryout process?
We will be taking into consideration all of the current league schedules both domestically in America and also in other leagues around the world. We plan to setup tryouts that will be available to everyone, and that may even include scheduling a couple of tryouts in other countries.
Is this league going to be filled with foreign players?
There's no doubt this pro league will interest quality athletes from all sports and various leagues. It already has. We encourage players of all experience levels to get involved. There will be full time playing rosters made up of twenty two players. It is our expectation that each team will comprise of 6 -10 experienced players who have played high level rugby around the world. That would suggest a significant number of opportunities for local athletes from the USA.
How will players be paid?
Initially, the NRL USA will be a Single Entity League. In a single-entity structure, owners invest in a financial stake in the league, not just their individual team. The league is run centrally and will manage costs ranging from stadium rental, team travel, equipment to front office and player compensation. On the revenue side, it can sell sponsorships and share best practices across all of its teams. Through this structure we will be able to launch a successful league with team operators working with a unified sense of purpose to reduce costs, eliminate debate between large and small market teams and increase value for potential corporate partners.
Players and coaches will be paid salaries that are determined by the league. For example, on each team made up of a 22 player roster:
* Draft selections 1 through 5 will receive X value compensation
* Draft selections 6 through 17 will receive Y value compensation
* Draft selections 18 through 22 will receive Z value compensation
MANNIX
Black Dog
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U are a loser. Are u Ben Godberts? Are u Haztrick?
The leading rugby league publication in Europe, Rugby League World Magazine, features an in depth story on the NRL USA plans to launch the professional league in 2010.
RICHARD DE LA RIVIERE talks to David Niu, the man behind the inauguration of an exciting eight-city professional Rugby League competition in America.
If you thought the 2008 World Cup was hard to stomach because England failed to reach the final and are now ranked as the third-best Rugby League nation in the world, then imagine a competition that sees us ranked fourth. Behind America. In the current state of affairs that would be impossible - the Americans didn't even qualify for the World Cup, and didn't look like winning the qualification tournament that took place in the UK in 2007.
In fact, when England last played them, in the build-up to the 2000 World Cup, they won 110-0 with Kris Radlinski scoring five tries at the Disneyworld Sports Complex.
But next spring professional Rugby League lands in the States and who knows how fast the game could grow. Millions of dollars are about to be invested into the League and franchises are soon to be announced in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Jacksonville and Boston, with two more to be named.
The competition will be called the National Rugby League, not to be confused, of course, with the Australian version. And behind the proposal is David Niu, who has driven American Rugby League forward for more than a decade. Before that he played halfback for St George in Australia's Winfield Cup in 1990 and 1991 and it was then that he met his future wife on an end-of-season tour of the States with the Dragons. Having kicked off in 1998, the AMNRL will shortly begin its 12th season, with 11 participating teams.
Initially there will be eight teams in next year's NRL US - four on the east coast, where Rugby League is already strong, and four on the west coast. The regular season will last for 14 weeks with three weeks of play-offs, including a Championship Final on Independence Day, at the end.
In a structure similar to that of Major League Soccer, the NRL will own all of the teams and will sign up the players and coaches after a series of tryouts and drafts later this year. Each squad will have 22 players so the League will seek out the best 176 players who put themselves forward. Such a structure allows each franchise to share equally in the success of the competition.
So, the obvious question. How will this be funded?
The NRL will be financed principally in two ways - through the sale of interests to 'Investor Operators' (those who choose to run one of the franchises) and to 'Preferred Supplier Investors' (sponsors and suppliers) and also with the NRL Founders group investing around $10m.
Those Investor Operators will buy 'interests' for a price of $1-2m, raising between $8-16m throughout the whole competition. This is the right to operate a team on the League's behalf and the investor would be entitled to retain all local revenue and enjoy a pro-rata share of all of the NRL's income.
Sponsors and suppliers have the opportunity to become partners of the NRL, known as Preferred Supplier Investors at a further cost of $2.5m. The NRL, however, has decided to limit the number of PSIs to around five, in order to give each a greater incentive to promote the League's growth.
Potential PSIs could include TV broadcasters, equipment and clothes suppliers, food companies or transport businesses, among others. They will also be entitled to a pro-rata share of the League's income and will have the same voting rights as Investor Operators.
And possibly most exciting of all, a television deal that will potentially introduce the code to over 100 million homes is on the verge of being agreed. "We're just about to finish the deal and it's with the lawyers at the moment," said Niu. "It will be a national network which has a sports channel so it will be anyone who has a TV with a basic cable package. "Right from the start, this network will hit around 120 million homes by the end of this year. "If we can just tap into one per cent, or half a per cent, then we'll be hitting a huge number of people."
In terms of players, national tryouts - open to all - will begin this year in various locations around the country. Players will be subsequently selected to attend an NRL Pre-Draft Camp for a final assessment before entering the inaugural NRL Draft. Three Pre-Draft Camps will take place in October. By that time the 2009 AMNRL season will have finished. The inaugural NRL Draft will take place on Friday 7 November and the competition will get underway on 12 March 2010. the regular season will end on 11 June, the play-offs will take place on 18 and 25 June with the Championship Final booked in for 4 July - American Independence Day - in Philadelphia.
"We wanted to set up layers that we could work through to find some kind of pathway," said Niu. "We have programmes for all ages, including EAGLETAG - Flag Rugby League - which has given us a solid youth base and we want players to come out of the woodwork."
According to the nrlus.com website, interest in the competition has already been significant: "As the NRL USA develops - plans to launch professional Rugby League in the USA in 2010 - the interest from athletes and coaches both local and abroad, has been tremendous," it says. "Players ranging from collegiate All Americans from a wide cross section of sports - local rugby players, former and current internationals from both rugby codes, and coaches from professional rugby all over the world have been expressing interest through the NRL US website."
"We're looking at eight teams who will play 14 games, seven home and seven away each, before play-offs," said Niu. "We're asking the teams to work at numbers of between 5,000 and 10,000 fans. "A short season means they can go out and market it to the best of their abilities and we feel comfortable that we can pull off good games with big crowds. "We've not just plucked these figures out of the air. We've studied other sports like soccer, lacrosse and women's basketball and football.
"Our model is built so that the eight teams all function as one unit. If two teams make the Grand Final then all teams have an interest to promote it because all of the League's revenues are shared out among the group."
The Australian press have already reported that high-profile international players coming towards the end of their careers could be tempted to the States by salaries of around $130,000. Brett Kimmorley, the former Kangaroos halfback, said: "A lot of blokes would jump at the chance to play in America."
"England isn't as great as it was with the dollar coming down and I'd rather live in New York."
"It would be a great working holiday where you could travel the US."
Niu, however, played down the prospects of stars like Kimmorley being signed up in the short term. "It's exciting to be linked with people like Brett Kimmorley but the reality is that we can't compete with the Super League and the NRL but what we can do is create opportunities for people on the outside of those organisations to be part of a professional set up and to add to what we're doing. So it's not like we're going to go out and recruit players actively."
League in the States received a huge boost when Leeds Rhinos and South Sydney Rabbitohs travelled to Jacksonville, in Florida, to play an exhibition match in front of a 12,000-strong crowd. In attendance were celebrities such as the Souths co-owner, Russell Crowe, the golfer Greg Norman and the former tennis champion Chris Evert.
The local papers, radio and television supported the event and Rugby League was the talk of the town while the two clubs were there.
Earlier this year, the Rhinos returned, this time to play newly promoted Salford in front of a crowd of 6,000. "You can't understate how important how important the Jacksonville events were. We've had some big crowds there to watch Leeds play firstly Souths with Russell Crowe in attendance, and then Salford.
"It's helped Spinner a lot and it's brought a lot of good publicity and a good feel to the game."
Internationally, Niu also sees potential development as a result of the new professional league and revealed to us the details of a new international tournament. "We've been talking with Romeo Monteith at the Jamaican Rugby League and also with the Japanese Rugby League. In October we'd like to have an Atlantic Challenge with the USA, Japan and Jamaica.
"Jamaica is a great opportunity and if we can do some things with them to help them grow and us grow, based on what we're trying to achieve with this professional league then we'll have a real opportunity to develop our international programme."
RICHARD DE LA RIVIERE talks to David Niu, the man behind the inauguration of an exciting eight-city professional Rugby League competition in America.
If you thought the 2008 World Cup was hard to stomach because England failed to reach the final and are now ranked as the third-best Rugby League nation in the world, then imagine a competition that sees us ranked fourth. Behind America. In the current state of affairs that would be impossible - the Americans didn't even qualify for the World Cup, and didn't look like winning the qualification tournament that took place in the UK in 2007.
In fact, when England last played them, in the build-up to the 2000 World Cup, they won 110-0 with Kris Radlinski scoring five tries at the Disneyworld Sports Complex.
But next spring professional Rugby League lands in the States and who knows how fast the game could grow. Millions of dollars are about to be invested into the League and franchises are soon to be announced in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Jacksonville and Boston, with two more to be named.
The competition will be called the National Rugby League, not to be confused, of course, with the Australian version. And behind the proposal is David Niu, who has driven American Rugby League forward for more than a decade. Before that he played halfback for St George in Australia's Winfield Cup in 1990 and 1991 and it was then that he met his future wife on an end-of-season tour of the States with the Dragons. Having kicked off in 1998, the AMNRL will shortly begin its 12th season, with 11 participating teams.
Initially there will be eight teams in next year's NRL US - four on the east coast, where Rugby League is already strong, and four on the west coast. The regular season will last for 14 weeks with three weeks of play-offs, including a Championship Final on Independence Day, at the end.
In a structure similar to that of Major League Soccer, the NRL will own all of the teams and will sign up the players and coaches after a series of tryouts and drafts later this year. Each squad will have 22 players so the League will seek out the best 176 players who put themselves forward. Such a structure allows each franchise to share equally in the success of the competition.
So, the obvious question. How will this be funded?
The NRL will be financed principally in two ways - through the sale of interests to 'Investor Operators' (those who choose to run one of the franchises) and to 'Preferred Supplier Investors' (sponsors and suppliers) and also with the NRL Founders group investing around $10m.
Those Investor Operators will buy 'interests' for a price of $1-2m, raising between $8-16m throughout the whole competition. This is the right to operate a team on the League's behalf and the investor would be entitled to retain all local revenue and enjoy a pro-rata share of all of the NRL's income.
Sponsors and suppliers have the opportunity to become partners of the NRL, known as Preferred Supplier Investors at a further cost of $2.5m. The NRL, however, has decided to limit the number of PSIs to around five, in order to give each a greater incentive to promote the League's growth.
Potential PSIs could include TV broadcasters, equipment and clothes suppliers, food companies or transport businesses, among others. They will also be entitled to a pro-rata share of the League's income and will have the same voting rights as Investor Operators.
And possibly most exciting of all, a television deal that will potentially introduce the code to over 100 million homes is on the verge of being agreed. "We're just about to finish the deal and it's with the lawyers at the moment," said Niu. "It will be a national network which has a sports channel so it will be anyone who has a TV with a basic cable package. "Right from the start, this network will hit around 120 million homes by the end of this year. "If we can just tap into one per cent, or half a per cent, then we'll be hitting a huge number of people."
In terms of players, national tryouts - open to all - will begin this year in various locations around the country. Players will be subsequently selected to attend an NRL Pre-Draft Camp for a final assessment before entering the inaugural NRL Draft. Three Pre-Draft Camps will take place in October. By that time the 2009 AMNRL season will have finished. The inaugural NRL Draft will take place on Friday 7 November and the competition will get underway on 12 March 2010. the regular season will end on 11 June, the play-offs will take place on 18 and 25 June with the Championship Final booked in for 4 July - American Independence Day - in Philadelphia.
"We wanted to set up layers that we could work through to find some kind of pathway," said Niu. "We have programmes for all ages, including EAGLETAG - Flag Rugby League - which has given us a solid youth base and we want players to come out of the woodwork."
According to the nrlus.com website, interest in the competition has already been significant: "As the NRL USA develops - plans to launch professional Rugby League in the USA in 2010 - the interest from athletes and coaches both local and abroad, has been tremendous," it says. "Players ranging from collegiate All Americans from a wide cross section of sports - local rugby players, former and current internationals from both rugby codes, and coaches from professional rugby all over the world have been expressing interest through the NRL US website."
"We're looking at eight teams who will play 14 games, seven home and seven away each, before play-offs," said Niu. "We're asking the teams to work at numbers of between 5,000 and 10,000 fans. "A short season means they can go out and market it to the best of their abilities and we feel comfortable that we can pull off good games with big crowds. "We've not just plucked these figures out of the air. We've studied other sports like soccer, lacrosse and women's basketball and football.
"Our model is built so that the eight teams all function as one unit. If two teams make the Grand Final then all teams have an interest to promote it because all of the League's revenues are shared out among the group."
The Australian press have already reported that high-profile international players coming towards the end of their careers could be tempted to the States by salaries of around $130,000. Brett Kimmorley, the former Kangaroos halfback, said: "A lot of blokes would jump at the chance to play in America."
"England isn't as great as it was with the dollar coming down and I'd rather live in New York."
"It would be a great working holiday where you could travel the US."
Niu, however, played down the prospects of stars like Kimmorley being signed up in the short term. "It's exciting to be linked with people like Brett Kimmorley but the reality is that we can't compete with the Super League and the NRL but what we can do is create opportunities for people on the outside of those organisations to be part of a professional set up and to add to what we're doing. So it's not like we're going to go out and recruit players actively."
League in the States received a huge boost when Leeds Rhinos and South Sydney Rabbitohs travelled to Jacksonville, in Florida, to play an exhibition match in front of a 12,000-strong crowd. In attendance were celebrities such as the Souths co-owner, Russell Crowe, the golfer Greg Norman and the former tennis champion Chris Evert.
The local papers, radio and television supported the event and Rugby League was the talk of the town while the two clubs were there.
Earlier this year, the Rhinos returned, this time to play newly promoted Salford in front of a crowd of 6,000. "You can't understate how important how important the Jacksonville events were. We've had some big crowds there to watch Leeds play firstly Souths with Russell Crowe in attendance, and then Salford.
"It's helped Spinner a lot and it's brought a lot of good publicity and a good feel to the game."
Internationally, Niu also sees potential development as a result of the new professional league and revealed to us the details of a new international tournament. "We've been talking with Romeo Monteith at the Jamaican Rugby League and also with the Japanese Rugby League. In October we'd like to have an Atlantic Challenge with the USA, Japan and Jamaica.
"Jamaica is a great opportunity and if we can do some things with them to help them grow and us grow, based on what we're trying to achieve with this professional league then we'll have a real opportunity to develop our international programme."
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fredie
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Jamaica?? forget that . they not interested in union . or cricket . its all basketball there
terrylamb4lyfe
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Jamaica's got a bobsled team mon.
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