Most may not be aware of it, but tomorrow marks the fifth birthday of the ASRL. Back when I started this competition as a way to kill the time in between finishing high school and starting University, I don't think I ever envisaged it lasting quite this long. A lot of coaches have come and gone due to work commitments, family emergencies, and study - but I think it's a tribute to the game and the people involved that it's still alive and kicking. Those who know my other past experiments would know it's a real feat for me to keep something alive this long and still remain interested.

This post's not so much to commemorate five years of the ASRL, but to take an opportunity to look at the ASRL as it is and see what can be done to improve it. It's a pain in the ass that the forum isn't functioning as it should, and if it remains an issue, a migration to a new forum has not been ruled out. The ASRL's wealthy benefactor, MrC, and I have even considered paying for a more stable, feature rich forum if the need arises.

What I want to do is take a look at how things are at present and what can be done to improve things. In my eyes, the ASRL is the most advanced competition of its kind, and it rewards those who put in the extra effort. Whether it be our contract system (a first in fantasy rugby league competitions as far as I'm aware), our exhaustive database, or the Rising Star Conference - I think the ASRL offers a product that is easy to learn but difficult to master. What I want to do, is bring more people in to experience that. As it stands, there's a core of dedicated coaches, but for the first time in a few years - we're without the number of coaches we've previously had. A number of sides (good sides included) are uncoached and that's something that needs to be ammended. As it stands, I believe the following sides are uncoached or being caretaker coached:

Auckland Pirates - Caretaker coached by Ben Piggott (Port Macquarie)
Barcelona FC - Caretaker coached by Dave Paddock (Manchester)
Canberra Tornadoes
Central West Pumas - Caretaker coached by Anthony McElroy (Adelaide)
Geelong Gladiators
Illawarra Suns
Melbourne Executioners (and Hawthorn Hurricanes RSC side)
Newcastle Fear (and Cessnock Bantams RSC side)
Portsmouth Pompey - Caretaker coached by Dave Paddock (Manchester)

As well as the following clubs being a question mark. I know Chris is still around, but I've not received orders from his lately. Ditto to Randy. Not sure where Vahe's gone.

Bondi Barbarians - Brian Randell?
California Vandals - Chris Maunder?
Parramatta Vikings - Vahe Ohanessian?

That's something of a record for uncoached sides in the ASRL and I think we all agree that having those extra coaches and personalities in the game would make things a whole lot more fun and a whole lot more competitive. It's no surprise that these uncoached sides are struggling to make an impact. 15% form reductions add up :lol:

In addition to this, Division Two is at a record low in size (even smaller than the Premier League) and last season was the first time I can recall in which we didn't have to admit an extra team or two (or five).

So, long story short, this post had two points.
1 - We need to recruit more coaches. The rules can be a tad complicated when attacked in one go, but I think the newer coaches can attest to the relative simplicity of things. Contracts etc. can be learned after new players have come to grips with the basics.
2 - What needs to be fixed or changed? Generally it's the coaches of 'crap' teams that disappear earliest - so what can be done to ammend this? Salary cap concessions? A draft? Any advice would be much appreciated.

The game's lasted five years but it's at what I'd call a weakish point at the moment. I want the game to keep on going - so what can be done?

i gotta say chris, im on the verge of quitting. its not that im upset with anything, but i feel im letting you guys down by pretty much not doing anything a lot of the time. would you want me around if i was to do very little every now and again. id be willing to swap my team with a div 2 coach if u like, so they get rewarded for participating, but i finally got a real job, and it takes a lot of my time. its ur call chris...

If you want to quit, it's your call, but I'd like to have you around. There's a few Division Two sides that could benefit from a coach, however sporadic his involvement, and I'm sure somebody would love a chance to turn the Vandals around.

I know what you mean about real life taking away from your time, even though working casual at a supermarket doesn't equate to real life. But several times earlier this year when I was juggling Uni and work, I contemplated packing it in, so I can relate if that's the way you want to go.

But I'd rather keep you around. Would be a shame to lose a near foundation member.

even tho my side is well you all know that one i'm sticking around no matter how shit my team is i'm having fun playing this game. So this greenie manager is sticking around so my Hunter Demons and have a history :D

happy 5th birtday asrl.


i am still keen as ever playing this game. the only thing i have at the moment apart from the forum is the lack of articles (i'm as fault as anyone).

keep up the good work.

p.s. i will take on caretaker role as melbourne or canberra if you want.

Doug - I'd appreciate it if you took the reins at Canberra. Might lift them off the foot of the ladder :o

Congratulations on the great work to all involved in keeping this thing going for so long. Having run a simmed comp elsewhere I know how the work in keeping things afloat can get on top of you. I especially admire the forum and comraderie setup the ASRL has.

One suggestion to get more articles happening might be to have a set fee for certain word counts (say minimum 150 words, then 150-300, 300-500, 500+ etc) with a bonus payable to excellent articles. To attract more coaches I really think that recruitment should be very aggressive before a comp starts as a coach who has been involved in the recruitment of a team will be more likely to stick around. I see the ASRL as more weighted towards a long-term committment with the contracts system etc. there needs to be a way to get new guys from outside the circle in and I'd suggest an NRL or ESL players only based comp to get them in. For those new guys that hang around playing those comps you could then offer them vacant positions in the ASRL Premier League, Division 2 & RSC comps thus creating some sort of junior coaching development scheme.

Only issue with running a secone ESL/NRL only comp would be the extra workload involved. We've already had Micky J's National Sim League go tail up (although not without directly contributing to the ASRL with some new membership), so who else would want to have a crack at it?

Even something like a straight NRL competition (sixteen teams with 2007 rosters, trading allowed) would get the job done, really.

yeah chris, ill stick around.

ill look for a replacement for cali and then whoever i choose to take over, ill just take there team.

Im still as keen as ever. Has bumper benny actually thrown in the towel? I think the only thing that has seen a lapse in coach is that before the start of this competition it seems there was about a 3 months lapse. I guess we can safely say by now that the lost info isnt coming back so we need to look at contracts being reposted or its going to be a little disorderly at the end of the comp.

Thatisanissue the gapbetween seasons.

I thinkcontract and tradingshould be done during the finalsifnjotbeforesothe gapisonlyamatterof weeks not months.

This the major problem in competitions such as ours. In the EIRL the gap is well over 3 months and apathy sets in if it goes for too long.

To limit this gap I wouldbewilling to run ashort NRL based comp between seasons.

1st spots could go to new coaches and could be used as a recruitment tool.

We could also assign a experiance coach as mentor for new ones for this comp.

On a other issue I would like to see a end of trades. While it is fun It keeps some sides strong with others staying week.

do you know how long it actually takes people to put up their contracts? Ages and thats if teams do it at all! And we cant have the off season unless contracts are done. If you want it all in order i sugeest we start soonish.

just to put some suggestions forward.

there is way too many teams anyway. there should really only be about 12 div 2 teams really.

i had much more fun in asrl when it was much simpler, which was really: trades, sending teams in and the draft.

i liked the draft for new players rather than a feeder club. and i believe the draft order should go from last place in div 2 right down to the grand final winners in div 1

the rep season is so damn annoying, i know ive said this a million times but it sucks when theres a million rep games and u lose players each time there is one. im all for having an origin and a tri nations, but end of season is the best time for it.

I think there should be enough teams in a comp that you get two play every side twice so if there is 26 games in a season there is thirteen teams. plus i love rep games and trading it makes things interesting