RIP Western Force- Pirates?

[Perth Red]

WARL need to get Pirates gear and memberships happening. Although ever since the NRL took over that was all shut down.

There is no WARL, it's run by the nrl now.

 

[gUt]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-28/nrl-to-open-stadium-as-first-sporting-match/8850122

NRL on track to open Perth Stadium as first sporting match

The National Rugby League is on track to open the new $1.6 billion Perth Stadium with two matches in March, after delays pushed the opening date back past the Ashes in December.

Mark McGowan told ABC Perth the stadium would be opened with double-barrel matches on March 10, the first sporting match to be confirmed at the venue.

But before this, a free community open day will allow people to come see the completed stadium without charge.

"It [NRL] won't be the first event at the stadium, there will be other events before that," he said.

"I insisted on this, I didn't want the first event at the stadium to be something where you had to pay $20, $50, $100, if it's a concert even more, I want it to be events whereby the public can go for nothing and see the stadium that the public paid for."

The March 10 game comes before the AFL season gets underway, meaning the stadium will be opened by rugby in a traditionally AFL state.

The Rabbitohs and Bulldogs club members will get priority access to tickets and general tickets will go on sale on Wednesday.

In a statement, WA tourism minister Paul Papalia said the event was expected to attract between 40,000 to 45,000 people, and about 3,000 interstate, contributing $2.25 million to the WA economy.

A one-day cricket match is still an outside possibility to be staged there during the summer, which could pip rugby at the post.

An Ed Sheeran concert is scheduled for March 2.

Pre-sale tickets for the NRL match are available tomorrow.

The WA Football Commission reached an in-principle deal to play at the stadium in June.

 

[taipan]

At last Greenberg is showing some entrepreneurial skills, market the crap out of the game to the new territories.
I can hear it now,Gallop would have stated "look we are gentlemen and believe the biggest game in that state, deserves first shot at the new stadium."

 

[Perth Red]

HaHa, f**k you Rugby Union! Welcome to SL2!!

Western Force lose Super Rugby court appeal
Perth billionaire Andrew ‘Twiggy‘Forrest has announced a “new” Western Force and a new Indo-Pacific rugby competition in the wake of the Australian Rugby Union’s decision to discontinue the club in Super Rugby.

Forrest said he would announce details of the structure of the new rebel competition within a few days but promised that it would be a credible series and urged the players still under contract with the Force to continue to stick together to see what he can deliver.

The competition was described by Force coach Dave Wessels as “the IPL (Indian Premier League”) of rugby”. But perhaps a more apt analogy is the Packer Rebellion which shook cricket in the 1970’s. The lesson of that was that he who owns the players, owns the game - and it would have to be said that Mr Forrest is better placed financially than Kerry Packer ever was.

Mr Forrest also confirmed that he had already briefed one of the country’s leading High Court experts, Allan Myers AC, QC, to study the decision of Justice David Hammerschlag of the NSW Supreme Court to determine if there were any ground for an appeal against today’s judgement to dismiss the Force’s appeal. That advice will dictate whether Forrest and the Force continue to pursue the Australian Rugby Union through to the High Court.

Justice Hammerschlag this morning dismissed the Force’s appeal against expulsion and awarded the Australian Rugby Union costs. Although Mr Forrest has promised to back them all the way, it is becoming increasingly evident that the Perth club has no future in Super Rugby.

 

[Perth Tiger]

I so want this to get at least one season.

 

[RoosTah]

I wonder if the NRL have been on the phone to Twiggy? They ought to be telling him that they'll commit to Perth with a side if he gets behind them

 

[DlEHARD]

Come and join the original rebel rugby!

This all reminds me of Clive Palmer who even had a press conference about his new body Football Australia and was talking about a rival comp. He even had someone graphic design a logo for the organisation.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said he hoped Mr Forrest went ahead with his breakaway league.

"I hope Andrew Forrest carries out his threat and the ARU suffers as a consequence," he told Radio 6PR just minutes after the Supreme Court decision.​

 

[Delboy]

Does anyone really expect the pelican in charge of the NRL to actually make a call and offer assistance to set up a rugby league team in Perth. Too positive a move and he probably needed to get a check list from his masters, seems a small progressive step too far for Greenberg.

 

[magpie_man]

Does anyone really expect the pelican in charge of the NRL to actually make a call and offer assistance to set up a rugby league team in Perth. Too positive a move and he probably needed to get a check list from his masters, seems a small progressive step too far for Greenberg.

It's like banging your head against a brick wall following this sport, fair dinkum.
The NRL - The Wests Tigers of the sporting codes.

 

[flippikat]

HaHa, f**k you Rugby Union! Welcome to SL2!!

Western Force lose Super Rugby court appeal
Perth billionaire Andrew ‘Twiggy‘Forrest has announced a “new” Western Force and a new Indo-Pacific rugby competition in the wake of the Australian Rugby Union’s decision to discontinue the club in Super Rugby.

Just insane. To go into a "Superleague War" for rugby - with the code in a weak state to begin with - is dicing with death.

Who in their right mind would play in this competition? Any Australian player will be black-listed, so would it be ring-ins from Europe, North/South America and the Pacific Islands?

I see he's already putting the call out to New Zealand, good luck to him with that - The NZRU will be sure to scare every decent player here off this.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...competition-to-take-on-australian-rugby-union

 

[Last Week]

If Union in Australia died, it may not make much of a dent to the rest of their international scene, but NZ won't have any quality opponents in a similar time zone. Although, the Wallabies aren't quality at the moment either.

 

[CC_Roosters]

Come and join the original rebel rugby!

This all reminds me of Clive Palmer who even had a press conference about his new body Football Australia and was talking about a rival comp. He even had someone graphic design a logo for the organisation.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said he hoped Mr Forrest went ahead with his breakaway league.

"I hope Andrew Forrest carries out his threat and the ARU suffers as a consequence," he told Radio 6PR just minutes after the Supreme Court decision.​

Wow he is a bit of a vengeful bloke this premier.

 

[adamkungl]

Devils advocate - if Twigs starts his supposed "rebel" comp, it won't be a Super League mach2, it will be great result for Australian and International Rugby Union.

A 2nd tier provincial comp keeps Western Force alive and competing, and potentially opens the door for Adelaide.
It doesn't overlap with existing Super Rugby so there is potential for cooperation rather than competition.
It may open provincial franchises in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, or a 2nd Japanese team, giving the sport a major boost in the region and limiting Rugby League's future growth (not that anyone in RL is interested in anything beyond Western Sydney but hey, I can dream).

The chances of this being damaging to Rugby Union are slim, imo. The window for maximum opportunity for Rugby League in Perth will be short if this gets off the ground.

 

[RoosTah]

Devils advocate - if Twigs starts his supposed "rebel" comp, it won't be a Super League mach2, it will be great result for Australian and International Rugby Union.

A 2nd tier provincial comp keeps Western Force alive and competing, and potentially opens the door for Adelaide.
It doesn't overlap with existing Super Rugby so there is potential for cooperation rather than competition.
It may open provincial franchises in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, or a 2nd Japanese team, giving the sport a major boost in the region and limiting Rugby League's future growth (not that anyone in RL is interested in anything beyond Western Sydney but hey, I can dream).

The chances of this being damaging to Rugby Union are slim, imo. The window for maximum opportunity for Rugby League in Perth will be short if this gets off the ground.

This scenario has crossed my mind too.

I watch Union and like the sport, but have been increasingly losing patience with the culture of misplaced (and frankly delusional) superiority it in Australia. Ironically though, Super Rugby has been the worst thing for the game here; puts half the games on at midnight, making it unattractive to broadcasters and ensuring it remains solely on PayTV.

There's an outside chance the Forrest's breakaway comp could provide the ARU with a viable alternative to Super Rugby that is at a high level and remains firmly in favourable timezones and thus finally provide them with a reasonable alternative to the SANZAAR agreement.

That said, given the incompetence at the ARU and the animus between them and Forrest, I think that's highly unlikely.

 

[adamkungl]

This scenario has crossed my mind too.

I watch Union and like the sport, but have been increasingly losing patience with the culture of misplaced (and frankly delusional) superiority it in Australia. Ironically though, Super Rugby has been the worst thing for the game here; puts half the games on at midnight, making it unattractive to broadcasters and ensuring it remains solely on PayTV.

There's an outside chance the Forrest's breakaway comp could provide the ARU with a viable alternative to Super Rugby that is at a high level and remains firmly in favourable timezones and thus finally provide them with a reasonable alternative to the SANZAAR agreement.

That said, given the incompetence at the ARU and the animus between them and Forrest, I think that's highly unlikely.

Animosity would disappear if the ARU gave him a licence to develop an Asian comp. It sucks to admit but they're generally an outward, international looking sport.
If a rich bloke wants to start a 2nd tier comp that doesn't tread on Super Rugby in the slightest they'd be stupid not to find a compromise.

 

[Billythekid]

Devils advocate - if Twigs starts his supposed "rebel" comp, it won't be a Super League mach2, it will be great result for Australian and International Rugby Union.

A 2nd tier provincial comp keeps Western Force alive and competing, and potentially opens the door for Adelaide.
It doesn't overlap with existing Super Rugby so there is potential for cooperation rather than competition.
It may open provincial franchises in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, or a 2nd Japanese team, giving the sport a major boost in the region and limiting Rugby League's future growth (not that anyone in RL is interested in anything beyond Western Sydney but hey, I can dream).

The chances of this being damaging to Rugby Union are slim, imo. The window for maximum opportunity for Rugby League in Perth will be short if this gets off the ground.

I agree in theory but there are a lot of roadblocks in the way. There are a lot of competing interests here. That's if Forest is serious anyway. It'll take a big investment to get this off the ground and there is a lot of risk involved.

I think union in some ways has wasted its potential. Super rugby is a shit comp and they need a change up IMO.

 

[Perth Red]

Animosity would disappear if the ARU gave him a licence to develop an Asian comp. It sucks to admit but they're generally an outward, international looking sport.
If a rich bloke wants to start a 2nd tier comp that doesn't tread on Super Rugby in the slightest they'd be stupid not to find a compromise.

You don't know twiggy! He will have no interest in a second tier league, he will want the best players and the teams to be seen as the best. He wants to send a big FU to the ARU. If he is really willing to spend the massive amounts needed to achieve what he wants is another matter.

 

[Perth Red]

Fricking hell Greenberg, get on the phone and offer to take over the lease on the you beaut RU CoE! NRLWA operate out of shtty offices under the old stand at nib! For $150k a year they could get one of the best sporting admin facilities in the country! Perfect for the launch of a WC Pirates NSW cup side

WA taxpayers will be on the hook for at least $4.5 million over the next three years because of the Australian Rugby Union’s decision to axe Western Force.
Premier Mark McGowan yesterday revealed the immediate cost to the State of the ARU’s move to scrap the Force, saying it would result in unforeseen liabilities of $1.5 million a year.
Mr McGowan said much of the loss would flow from unpaid rent to nib Stadium, which was redeveloped at a cost of almost $100 million by the former government and is home to the Force and Perth Glory.
“If the Western Force don’t survive, we’re going to suffer a $685,000 per year loss in revenue and that’s because of the rent they pay to nib Stadium,” Mr McGowan told 6PR radio.
But the Premier acknowledged that taxpayers, through State-owned facilities management agency VenuesWest, would also be liable for other costs that were expected to be paid by the Force.
These included lease payments of $150,000 a year owed by the Force for the use of RugbyWA’s new $17 million training facilities in Mt Claremont, along with catering and naming rights.

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/taxpayers-face-covering-rugby-losses-ng-b88589561z

 

[RoosTah]

You don't know twiggy! He will have no interest in a second tier league, he will want the best players and the teams to be seen as the best. He wants to send a big FU to the ARU. If he is really willing to spend the massive amounts needed to achieve what he wants is another matter.

Yeah, the NRL need to get onto this and fast... if Twiggy were willing, they should just get a wholesale takeover of the WA Force facilities and convert the entire set-up to League.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

I wonder if the NRL have been on the phone to Twiggy? They ought to be telling him that they'll commit to Perth with a side if he gets behind them

Nah, i dont think we need any more crazy billionaire running our clubs...

Rugby can keep him, id rather a new Perth team went to the WARL and a local Leagues Club.

Come and join the original rebel rugby!

This all reminds me of Clive Palmer who even had a press conference about his new body Football Australia and was talking about a rival comp. He even had someone graphic design a logo for the organisation.

WA Premier Mark McGowan said he hoped Mr Forrest went ahead with his breakaway league.

"I hope Andrew Forrest carries out his threat and the ARU suffers as a consequence," he told Radio 6PR just minutes after the Supreme Court decision.​

F*ck, McGowan sounds burnt. I really hope he goes through with his threat to sue. It sounds like that could do more damage than Twiggy's comp ever could...