One Home Ground

[mike]

Firstly some context. I am very grateful to Balmain for keeping Western Suburbs alive in the NRL. Conversely I am very grateful to Western Suburbs for keeping Balmain alive in the NRL. Both in the form of the merged club Wests Tigers. I said at the time of the merger, to anyone who would listen, that it will take a generation, meaning 25 years, for this huge change and merger to be complete. Not meaning that we are all going to get along swimmingly, we are more like two families thrust together in an arranged marriage, some will get alone and some never will. More meaning that it will take 25 years for Wests Tigers to build its own Culture, Heroes and Rivalry where the majority of supporters only know the Wests Tigers and they bring their children along who only know the Wests Tigers. We are now well over the 2/3rds mark in this adventure.

The proposed Concord Oval redevelopment draws a line in the sand. Giving the Wests Tigers their much need upgraded training facilities. The new training facility proposal looks the goods. To me it also kills off any idea that Leichhardt Oval or Campbelltown Sports Stadium will ever be used as such. Which brings me to my point. It is time to, as WT2K wrote in another thread, “rip the band aid off and just play all the home games from the one Stadium WSS. With the token 2 or 3 games being taken to the bush areas or as part of double headers.” So far WSS looks the goods, with my only regret being that it could have been 10K to 20K more seats, but it is a step in the right direction. I think it is time to consolidate and move on from the current outdated 3 home ground model we currently have to just one home ground, WSS, for Wests Tigers.

 

[Tiger2135]

x2

 

[gallagher]

It shouldn't even be a thought or a discussion.
It's just obvious. Im sure we'll get there one day.

 

[jadtiger]

Firstly some context. I am very grateful to Balmain for keeping Western Suburbs alive in the NRL. Conversely I am very grateful to Western Suburbs for keeping Balmain alive in the NRL. Both in the form of the merged club Wests Tigers. I said at the time of the merger, to anyone who would listen, that it will take a generation, meaning 25 years, for this huge change and merger to be complete. Not meaning that we are all going to get along swimmingly, we are more like two families thrust together in an arranged marriage, some will get alone and some never will. More meaning that it will take 25 years for Wests Tigers to build its own Culture, Heroes and Rivalry where the majority of supporters only know the Wests Tigers and they bring their children along who only know the Wests Tigers. We are now well over the 2/3rds mark in this adventure.

The proposed Concord Oval redevelopment draws a line in the sand. Giving the Wests Tigers their much need upgraded training facilities. The new training facility proposal looks the goods. To me it also kills off any idea that Leichhardt Oval or Campbelltown Sports Stadium will ever be used as such. Which brings me to my point. It is time to, as WT2K wrote in another thread, “rip the band aid off and just play all the home games from the one Stadium WSS. With the token 2 or 3 games being taken to the bush areas or as part of double headers.” So far WSS looks the goods, with my only regret being that it could have been 10K to 20K more seats, but it is a step in the right direction. I think it is time to consolidate and move on from the current outdated 3 home ground model we currently have to just one home ground, WSS, for Wests Tigers.

Well said i agree, even an old dinosaur like me realises we have to look to the future and not be living in the past(Apologies to Jethro Tull)

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

I believe that will be where we end up. I think it is pretty obvious that we are not going to be at Campbelltown or Leichhardt in the long term. Sad, but it is the price of progress.

 

[Joel Helmes]

The future is in Campbelltown imo.

I came from the Balmain side, I am a 20+ year Balmain Tigers football club member, but I would love us to really make Campbelltown home.

There's a golden opportunity there to own a booming area and a massive junior league pool.

 

[Elderslie_Tiger]

If you have such a huge junior talent pool to choose from why would you turn your back on it it would be total madness to play all our games WSS and neglect CSS.

 

[mike]

If you have such a huge junior talent pool to choose from why would you turn your back on it it would be total madness to play all our games WSS and neglect CSS.

It doesn’t mean we couldn’t still draw from the talent pool. We would just have to be very smart in how we go about it. At this point in time I believe the other codes are winning the area and they don’t play any games at CSS. If we really want to encourage the talent pool then more engagement is needed in the schools etc.

 

[momo_amp_medo]

Campbelltown ….. the only way we can survive long term.
There are just too many teams in Inner and Inner west Sydney.

 

[Russell]

No to Campbelltown from me. Area is not supportive enough as a crowd.

No to Leichhardt from me. Area are now under "the Chardonnay set" umbrella - good percentage of crowd are just curiosity seekers for a spiritual experience.

WSS is the way to go - we'll know more after this next season.

Still would keep one game each at Leichhardt, CSS and Tamworth - selecting the games very selectively.

 

[Snake]

The club knows where it’s long term viability is and it certainly is not Campbelltown , this area has had over 20 yrs to show that a club should fully relocate there and guess what it hasn’t.
Juniors what a joke juniors go to the highest bidder these days this is a fallacy . One home ground it will be a revamped ANZ. or WSS the talk of moving permanently to the outer fringe will be the death kneel of our club . I would of thought it has been made clear by the club with its intentions of a COE at Concord that it has made the decision to stay in the inner west and western Sydney as it is apparent this is where the action will be over the next quarter of a century blind Freddy can see that .

 

[innsaneink]

Souths and the Dogs can maintain and utilise their juniors while still playing out of their districts… It's not impossible...
A golden opportunity is presenting Pascoe... Grab it before it slips

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

It shouldn't even be a thought or a discussion.
It's just obvious. Im sure we'll get there one day.

Exactly!

 

[Chicken_Faced_Killa]

One home ground is the way forward. The new WSS will be a modern facility with everything you need. Campbelltown would be good but the facilities want draw extra people in.

Realistically we will lose a few fans who will refuse to go anywhere but Leichhardt or Campbelltown but we will gain more fans from a move to a modern facility. I am sure a few of the fans that drop off will return when they realise they miss attending the footy.

 

[gallagher]

No to Campbelltown from me. Area is not supportive enough as a crowd.

No to Leichhardt from me. Area are now under "the Chardonnay set" umbrella - good percentage of crowd are just curiosity seekers for a spiritual experience.

WSS is the way to go - we'll know more after this next season.

Still would keep one game each at Leichhardt, CSS and Tamworth - selecting the games very selectively.

I don't see the value in going back to L0/CSS for one game. I doubt the cowboys will take a game to Smiles once the new stadium is built
Will these facilities be maintained to an NRL standard If they aren't getting regularly used? Rip the bandaid off as someone said.

 

[hammertime]

No to Campbelltown from me. Area is not supportive enough as a crowd.

No to Leichhardt from me. Area are now under "the Chardonnay set" umbrella - good percentage of crowd are just curiosity seekers for a spiritual experience.

WSS is the way to go - we'll know more after this next season.

Still would keep one game each at Leichhardt, CSS and Tamworth - selecting the games very selectively.

I don't see the value in going back to L0/CSS for one game. I doubt the cowboys will take a game to Smiles once the new stadium is built
Will these facilities be maintained to an NRL standard If they aren't getting regularly used? Rip the bandaid off as someone said.

If we reduce our games at Leichhardt to 1, then I guarantee, that game will be a sell-out. Similar to taking a game to Tamworth (as well as improving our supporter base by engaging with other communities)

So, I see a benefit in keeping that historical link there. Campbelltown is not in the same boat, but I think we should keep the balance.

 

[hobbo]

Imo Perth is the way to go !

1\. We already have the name
2\. The NRL would give us a massive leg up monetary wise
3\. We're out of the crap that is Sydney
4\. We'll still get to watch them play in Sydney against sides like Souths / Roosters /Parra etc
5\. We can enjoy weekends away flying over to Perth with family and friends.
6….and imagine a road trip with happy and Geo !

And imo it’s an attractive place to live...plus players would want to come over to get out of the fish bowl which is Sydney !

 

[magpiecol]

Imo Perth is the way to go !

1\. We already have the name
2\. The NRL would give us a massive leg up monetary wise
3\. We're out of the crap that is Sydney
4\. We'll still get to watch them play in Sydney against sides like Souths / Roosters /Parra etc
5\. We can enjoy weekends away flying over to Perth with family and friends.
6….and imagine a road trip with happy and Geo !

And imo it’s an attractive place to live...plus players would want to come over to get out of the fish bowl which is Sydney !

I've been saying this for some time. We also get a brand new stadium, one team in a big city adds up to lots of corporate sponsorships. Plus, with the money we would get from the NRL, we could afford to purchase some top line players.

Win Win.

:righton:

 

[Guest]

Imo Perth is the way to go !

1\. We already have the name
2\. The NRL would give us a massive leg up monetary wise
3\. We're out of the crap that is Sydney
4\. We'll still get to watch them play in Sydney against sides like Souths / Roosters /Parra etc
5\. We can enjoy weekends away flying over to Perth with family and friends.
6….and imagine a road trip with happy and Geo !

And imo it’s an attractive place to live...plus players would want to come over to get out of the fish bowl which is Sydney !

We will never relocate to Perth.

 

[gallagher]

No to Campbelltown from me. Area is not supportive enough as a crowd.

No to Leichhardt from me. Area are now under "the Chardonnay set" umbrella - good percentage of crowd are just curiosity seekers for a spiritual experience.

WSS is the way to go - we'll know more after this next season.

Still would keep one game each at Leichhardt, CSS and Tamworth - selecting the games very selectively.

I don't see the value in going back to L0/CSS for one game. I doubt the cowboys will take a game to Smiles once the new stadium is built
Will these facilities be maintained to an NRL standard If they aren't getting regularly used? Rip the bandaid off as someone said.

If we reduce our games at Leichhardt to 1, then I guarantee, that game will be a sell-out. Similar to taking a game to Tamworth (as well as improving our supporter base by engaging with other communities)

So, I see a benefit in keeping that historical link there. Campbelltown is not in the same boat, but I think we should keep the balance.

I agree that the number of LO games and CSS games will be the same amount, thats why I dont like the idea of even one game at LO. Three home grounds in one city just doesnt make sense to me. It dilutes any advantage.
They could have trial games there.