manly did it 3 years in
Illawarra got swallowed up from the start
If HBG had done that in 2012 half the supporter base would have been obliterated.
Even worse if they tried it now 26 years on.
It would have been what happened to Wimbledon Fc in the Premier league / championship .
They split got dropped multiple levels , the owners basically picked up the remaining pieces and called it MK Dons, the ones who left created Wimbledon and they are now in I believe league 1 so third division . Same as MK dons or maybe league 2 .
The equivalent to be would have been Wests change the name to magpies more than half the club bails on it , because 50% Balmain plus a larger percentage of youth who don’t know or align with traditional owners , the club implodes after 3-5 years . Balmain drops back to NSW cup / Ron Massey .
And probably aligns itself with one of the new franchises , probably the NZ one , there’s a big hoo haa about bringing back the traditional clubs like the bears , and the tigers play out of Christchurch come 2030, or probably would have been sooner . Maybe the easts tigers win the second qld team with a Balmain alliance .
If the magpies did remain in the nrl it would be a shell of itself. It would be curious who claims the 2005 premiership . Probably the magpies I guess , but there would be an asterisk. I doubt most would talk about it , much like manly don’t really talk about the northern eagles phase .
I think the above re. Balmain aligning with a non Sydney expansion team and wests retaining the license or being forced to move to Perth if the crowds and supporter base abandons the club , would be the most likely scenario .
No COE, by the way . There’s no way Campbelltown council fund that like the nsw gov and Canada Bay did .
That’s just facts.