League: Eight league teams must merge for Bartercard Cup

The New Zealand Rugby League has six weeks to encourage eight would-be Bartercard Cup franchises that there should be only five of them, then to broker the necessary mergers.

There have been 14 applications for the 10 available places in next year's competition and the NZRL will have little trouble settling on those from outside of Auckland. Four existing teams have all reapplied, with only two applications from new teams.

They are from Northland and a second Canterbury outfit.

The two opposing Christchurch bases are talking and amalgamation seems likely.

Likewise Northland may end up folded into a North Shore-based team, where three must come down to one.

Marist-Richmond have conceded they will be a feeder to a new Central Auckland team by withdrawing their application.

But there are still eight applications from Auckland.

Out west, Glenora took first steps in the amalgamation stakes when they agreed to fold in to a combined Waitakere district side rather than apply in their own right.

The NZRL has set itself a deadline of September to resolve the new structure. Realistically, it cannot be much later than that because teams will want to appoint coaches and sign players then begin pre-season.