Coach warns against quick expansion

EXPANSION must be avoided for years or the NRL Women’s premiership’s integrity would suffer, Brisbane coach Paul Dyer has warned.

Dyer said the NRLW would have inspired more women to play next season but believed it would take years to build depth to justify extra teams. With the likes of Cronulla and South Sydney champing at the bit, the NRL manager of women’s elite programs Tiffany Slater said the competition would be assessed “year to year”.

But Dyer warned the NRLW would suffer if expansion was fast tracked due to the 2018 success.

“I am sure there are a lot of girls sitting back there watch- ing this competition at the moment, but I am one of those people who says we shouldn’t be rushing into this and increasing the teams,” Dyer said.

“You don’t want to find yourself in two years’ time in a competition where you have 60-4 results — the integrity of the competition falls out the window.

“I just hate to think because of all the hype, we are in a pos- ition where everyone jumps through hoops and adds another two or three teams because it will end up in that position.”

Dyer said the NRL would have to make it financially viable for women to play the game and start nurturing grassroots talent to boost depth for expansion to be a success.

“NRL clubs have never developed young talent with women, that needs to start,” he said.

“A couple of years of that and you are in a position to expand the competition.”

Dyer also baulked at expanding the current threegame regular season. “The girls want to play more but are we in a position financially to fund their salaries to give them more time away from work?” he said.