WA Reds win endorsement to join NRL in 2013

[Gary_Bakerloo]

Your point is well made. There's 500,000 people living between the lower north shore of Sydney and the Central Coast and the fact that they have been largely ignored by the NRL is disgraceful, apart from being commercially myopic. I'm not against expansion to WA, nor the Sunshine Coast or Central Queensland, but jeez you can't treat a traditional supporter base the way the north has been treated.

The Sharks should die or re-locate to the Sunshine Coast, they are about as dead an entity that has ever existed. They're in a Saints/Illawarra pincer, with their back to the ocean and a National Park as a buffer. Nowhere to go.

16 teams is the right number, just the composition of teams is wrong.

The introduction of a team from the Central Coast will see Manly in the same predicament as Cronulla. They will be trapped between a regional team and the Roosters/Souths. Therefore, keep 16 teams by introducing WA and the Central Coast and removing Manly and Cronulla.

For a long time I have had a gripe with the NRL not having a steel edge. Wests Tigers is a fantastic club, but we must remember that the success of the club was built on a sacrifice that was made for both betterment of Wests and Balmain football clubs, a**s well as the game as a whole**. Clubs such as Cronulla, Souths and Manly have been able to stand alone in a supposed national competition on the back of sacrifices made by Norths, Wests, Balmain, St. George and Illawarra.

A national competition needs to be playing in front of 15,000+ crowds at every match and large sponsorship dollars to boot. Cronulla and Manly play in front of dismal crowds and who wants to sponsor a team with an attachment to a very specific and limited geographical range?

The game will only move forward if the dead wood is removed.

 

[Spartan117]

I would love to see manly gone.

We will never get mega crowds while its too cheap and easy to watch it at home. 15K crowds isn't a success IMO.

For me expansion into WA and more into QLD is the way to go

 

[alien]

We don't need another NSW team. Gosford isn't that far from Sydney and Newcastle. They should bring back the Perth Reds though and maybe an Adelaide or a 2nd Brisbane team. PNG should join the QLD Cup like they used to.

 

[alien]

And another thing is if Sharks are kicked out or relocated then the Dragons will get more area and will become even stronger? Do we really want that? I definately don't. Dragons have enough juniors and area already! Also, it would mean the game would lose more fans and I don't think we need that again. I disagree with people saying they should kick out foundation clubs like Souths, even though I hate them with a passion when we play against them. I would like to see another 4 teams in the NRL but probably 2 at a time. 2013 Perth and a second Brisbane team, and then a few years later a team from Adelaide and a team from Wellington, and if/when that happens NZ Warriors should change their name back to Auckland Warriors.

 

[watersiders]

And another thing is if Sharks are kicked out or relocated then the Dragons will get more area and will become even stronger? Do we really want that? I definately don't. Dragons have enough juniors and area already! Also, it would mean the game would lose more fans and I don't think we need that again. I disagree with people saying they should kick out foundation clubs like Souths, even though I hate them with a passion when we play against them. I would like to see another 4 teams in the NRL but probably 2 at a time. 2013 Perth and a second Brisbane team, and then a few years later a team from Adelaide and a team from Wellington, and if/when that happens NZ Warriors should change their name back to Auckland Warriors.

Sounds like a good plan mate, I'd be happy with those expansion packages. I personally reckon the NRL's focus should be on NZ and QLD, as a West Australian I welcome the Reds but the focus should be on league and rugby heartlands. Also, bring back the Northern Eagles.

By 2030 we should have:
- 2 teams in NZ, maybe 3
- 2 more QLD teams
- A team in Adelaide and Perth
- 2 teams in Melbourne

After that, don't make a change until we need to.

 

[alien]

Also, bring back the Northern Eagles.

You mean instead of Manly? If the merger of Norths/Central Coast Bears and Manly worked out and they played half of their home games at Brooky and half at Gosford then that would have been good.

 

[watersiders]

Also, bring back the Northern Eagles.

You mean instead of Manly? If the merger of Norths/Central Coast Bears and Manly worked out and they played half of their home games at Brooky and half at Gosford then that would have been good.

Yeah, instead of Manly. Just have one team for that whole area, manage and fund it well and it will be a solid and stable team.

 

[alien]

it was a good idea but manly stuffed that up

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

Sounds like a good plan mate, I'd be happy with those expansion packages. I personally reckon the NRL's focus should be on NZ and QLD, as a West Australian I welcome the Reds but the focus should be on league and rugby heartlands. Also, bring back the Northern Eagles.

By 2030 we should have:
- 2 teams in NZ, maybe 3
- 2 more QLD teams
- A team in Adelaide and Perth
- 2 teams in Melbourne

After that, don't make a change until we need to.

I am guessing you will have to change in about the year 2033 when half of those teams go bust.

The structure above entails 23 teams. 1998 and 1999 showed that 22 teams was way too many. The game has developed since 1999, but even with continued growth of the game, I doubt the game could support any more than 20 teams by 2030\. Even now you could argue there is not enough cash flow from TV deals, sponsorship and crowds to successfully support any more than 16 teams. Some NRL teams are still struggling for sponsors, membership, crowds.

 

[Gary_Bakerloo]

it was a good idea but manly stuffed that up

The Central Coast deserves its own team.

The decision by Manly to play solely out of Brookvale is now starting to come home to roost. Poor crowds at a poor stadium and no free-to-air coverage has meant sponsorship has been a struggle. It all seemed nice and rosy after 2008, but that premiership win covered over the cracks of the club's financial success and solvency. They are struggling in a national competition. Delmege lost a truckload when he sold his share.

 

[Spartan117]

it was a good idea but manly stuffed that up

The Central Coast deserves its own team.

The decision by Manly to play solely out of Brookvale is now starting to come home to roost. Poor crowds at a poor stadium and no free-to-air coverage has meant sponsorship has been a struggle. It all seemed nice and rosy after 2008, but that premiership win covered over the cracks of the club's financial success and solvency. They are struggling in a national competition. Delmege lost a truckload when he sold his share.

Im so sad for manly.

The bears have done a great job in prep, however we need to expand the game to maximise the $$$ in the next tv rights agreement.

Perth, QLD and later NZ.

Sorry Bears

 

[Citizen_Tiger]

it was a good idea but manly stuffed that up

The Central Coast deserves its own team.

The decision by Manly to play solely out of Brookvale is now starting to come home to roost. Poor crowds at a poor stadium and no free-to-air coverage has meant sponsorship has been a struggle. It all seemed nice and rosy after 2008, but that premiership win covered over the cracks of the club's financial success and solvency. They are struggling in a national competition. Delmege lost a truckload when he sold his share.

Im so sad for manly.

The bears have done a great job in prep, however we need to expand the game to maximise the $$$ in the next tv rights agreement.

Perth, QLD and later NZ.

Sorry Bears

Whether it's the Bears, Bandicoots or Bobcats, the fact remains that there are 500,000 good citizens between North Sydney and the CC who do not have a Footy team. For the NRL to ignore these numbers and their commercial potential is commercial stupidity. You're confusing geography with reality. What difference will 1/2 million people, most with an allegiance to Rugby League, make, come the time to negotiate TV rights? Substantially more than the most generous estimates in WA, or in those flat line growth areas like the northern beaches peninsular and the shire. The continued indifference to the northern corridor is the lowlight of Gallop's tenure. The only thing running in the NRL's favour is the rank ineptness of the ARU, who, despite having a massive junior Rugby presence and an incredibly sophisticated infrastructure in the north, elected to promote Melbourne as the new Super Rugby franchise

 

[Juro]

It's a bit much to say that the CC Bears would cover all of the northern suburbs plus the CC. If I was living at Crows Nest, I'd much rather go to the SFS than Gosford to watch a game!

What choice do people in Perth have to see a game?

 

[Tiger_Watto]

16 teams is the right number, just the composition of teams is wrong.

The introduction of a team from the Central Coast will see Manly in the same predicament as Cronulla. They will be trapped between a regional team and the Roosters/Souths. Therefore, keep 16 teams by introducing WA and the Central Coast and removing Manly and Cronulla.

For a long time I have had a gripe with the NRL not having a steel edge. Wests Tigers is a fantastic club, but we must remember that the success of the club was built on a sacrifice that was made for both betterment of Wests and Balmain football clubs, a**s well as the game as a whole**. Clubs such as Cronulla, Souths and Manly have been able to stand alone in a supposed national competition on the back of sacrifices made by Norths, Wests, Balmain, St. George and Illawarra.

A national competition needs to be playing in front of 15,000+ crowds at every match and large sponsorship dollars to boot. Cronulla and Manly play in front of dismal crowds and who wants to sponsor a team with an attachment to a very specific and limited geographical range?

The game will only move forward if the dead wood is removed.

Well said…. Although, I feel a National Competition could be achieved with 18 Franchises...

 

[redemption]

At this stage expansion can only be afforded on the basis of rationalising the under-performing teams via relocation or de-registration.

It is however only 15 years since the Super League debacle - and on that basis - the governing body (NRL or IC) cannot afford to again disenfranchise established supporters by abandoning league heartlands for experiments in distant non-league outposts!

Nothing is guaranteed in WA (or even on the Central Coast - which is a heartland) and we cannot financially prop up another Melbourne Storm!

Natural attrition should see Cronulla & Manly die in time - but anything forced would be hugely unpalatable after Souths re-admission via the courts!

 

[Citizen_Tiger]

It's a bit much to say that the CC Bears would cover all of the northern suburbs plus the CC. If I was living at Crows Nest, I'd much rather go to the SFS than Gosford to watch a game!

What choice do people in Perth have to see a game?

There are 500,000 people in the area, that's a fact. In the corridor from North Sydney to whatever the last train station is there's 250k and another 250k on the Central Coast. That's a huge demographic. I'm not saying every single one of them would support the local team, but they'll have big support from the 'get go' and it's clear that support would multiply impressively over the first 5 to 10 years. Whether it's the Bears or someone else, you'd imagine they'd play some games at NS Oval.

 

[red_dogg]

i believe a 2nd teir competition should be set up with all these clubs tryin start up in the nrl, you could join queensland cup and nsw sides where the top two sides can be promoted up to the nrl and the bottom 2 demoted from the nrl each yr.

 

[redemption]

i believe a 2nd teir competition should be set up with all these clubs tryin start up in the nrl, you could join queensland cup and nsw sides where the top two sides can be promoted up to the nrl and the bottom 2 demoted from the nrl each yr.

None of the QRL/NSW Cup 2nd division sides that you infer red dogg - would have the infrastructural/financial capacity to stage top-grade rugby league (aside from Ipswich who are the Central-QLD bid)!

While it seems lovely to give Newtown or Redcliffe a chance in the NRL - it remains totally unviable given it would require relegation by top-tier teams who have multi-year contracts for top-graders - who may be required to play 2nd tier footy for a mint!

I do not want to see the contract system muddied by player loans (for very short periods) and then the other plethora of matters that inflict football/soccer worldwide!
'
I cannot see a promotion/relegation system working in 1st Grade RL in this country!!!

 

[watersiders]

'
I cannot see a promotion/relegation system working in 1st Grade RL in this country!!!

Atleast not this century. When AFL and that soccer crap die off, we can think about establishing a more "competitive" league ahahahaha :laughing:

 

[redemption]

Have you seen the sort of never-was bums who dominate domestic league in WA - watersiders?

How many Rockingham Raiders players would even make 2nd tier league in NSW or QLD? I had ex-juniors mates who were playing in that comp at 35 and killing it!!!

Bringing in EVERY top-25 player from the East Coast is a sh*t look!