short & wide
Active Member
It's always an interesting discussion on this and I suspect opionions vary depending on where your club is on the success cycle. Is the theory that the points system will make the comp, more even, because I don't see that happening. When Melton won the flag 3 years ago, TEN of the eleven came through their junior development programs. Since then they have added Geisler, who was a junior at the club and Johnstone, who was playing in the local competiton, together with Nathan Allan and Shane Harwood. Mick Allan has been there 4 years, so they will get a deduction for him if the system came in next year.I would agree with your CV comment, whether we like it or not at some stage the CV tap will be turned off!
If it is the dividend being cut, well boo hoo, clubs won't be able to rely on this to pay players, so this in itself will be a restriction on player movements. Every club (without exception) has the opportunity to improve whether by junior development or smart recruiting and I would hate to see us "lowering the bar" to accomodate the clubs who rely on dividends rather than generating funds within their club to cover operating costs. I defy anyone to tell me the standard of the comp hasn't improved substantially over the last 10 years, and that has been through the influx of Premier players and the fact that many stay on at their clubs for years.
If you look at the Premiership table over the last 10 years, there are plenty of clubs who have tasted success and, as I have stated before, I admire what Kew is attempting to this season, after a long premiership drought. The points restriction is just a recipe for mediocrity.