Mar 22nd, 2019

Mar 22nd, 2019

Rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns has thrown his weight behind reducing the number of teams in the competition, with a radical plan where “only the strong survive.”

The number of teams based in Sydney is back on the agenda, with NRL boss Todd Greenberg admitting on 100% Footy that the footprint of the sport could be expanded to include another club in Brisbane and one in Perth.

While no decision has been made on whether or not this would involve relocating existing teams from Sydney, or expanding the competition beyond the current 16 clubs, Johns has gone one step further, calling for a reduction in the number of sides.

“I think it should be 12 teams,” Johns said on Immortal Behaviour for Wide World of Sports.

“I know from a broadcaster's (point-of-view) they wouldn't be happy with that. But I just think there's not enough talent going around, there's too many teams in Sydney, nine teams in Sydney is too many, but how they cull them is going to be really difficult.”

While there is near universal agreement on a second side for Brisbane, Johns has also floated the possibility of another team based overseas.

His radical plan to decide which teams survive and which don’t would see club that can’t compete financially drop out of the comp.

Andrew Johns has called for the NRL to be cut to 12 teams. (Getty)

“There needs to be another team in Brisbane and there needs to be another team in New Zealand, I don't know about Perth but they need to relocate several teams - how they do it?

“I think they should put the salary cap right up and then it's natural selection, only the strong survive. If you can't compete or teams go broke because of bad management or administration then move them on.”

“The obvious one is the Sharks are in danger, there's talk that they have $40 million coming in and that would make them safe. They're under pressure, I think the Wests Tigers are under pressure.

“I think all the other clubs, I think the Bulldogs have got the backing of a leagues club, same as Parramatta, Souths have got a lot of backers, they made a profit last year; the Roosters are safe, Newcastle are safe so I'd say it's the Sharks and the Tigers who are most vulnerable.”