25th anniversary of expansion

[innsaneink]

. I believe NZ rugby league is ready to explode and therefore another team should be introduced in NZ. 2 teams would create a great rivalry alone in nz and would highten the intereset of the game..aint rocket science really!

Another team in NZ ??? I know what you've got in your "Palms", and your definately moving them backwards and forwards TOOOOO often.
Whether it's NRL, ARL, or NSWRL running the competition, why the hell would you have two teams from another country in your comp.

The one club you have there at the moment still havent got a clue, despite being in the comp for 11 years......and you want another one? :lol:

 

[The Preacher]

My point was that Id rather have a team based where people would follow it mate..I cant see the sport becoming popular in Melbourne.If we are talking national I would opt for another team in CC.

Well thought out, witty (or lack of) call Preacher. Hurt me deep!

Sorry Luv,didn't mean to hurt you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Earlier in this thread I stated that it should be Melbourne relocating to CC.
Never has worked in Melbourne, never will, whether they win comps or not.

 

[sooperdooper]

Brisbane/Nth Queensland (albeit it took some time) created a following of over 20, 000 crowd in around 4-7 years. Melbourne have been in this comp, have won a premiership and have a succesful team and yet struggle to attract 10 000 ppl on a sat nite?? That is very poor. I believe NZ rugby league is ready to explode and therefore another team should be introduced in NZ. 2 teams would create a great rivalry alone in nz and would highten the intereset of the game..aint rocket science really!

another team in NZ would be expanding the game, it would also stop alot of the younger kiwis (and older) heading to the ESL for a game

 

[Palms]

Sorry Luv,didn't mean to hurt you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Earlier in this thread I stated that it should be Melbourne relocating to CC.
Never has worked in Melbourne, never will, whether they win comps or not.

Its ok mate I'm feeling much better now!

I'm glad we agree on something then, melbourne are a quality team but just don't have the support or following!

 

[JW]

He means this place, I recognised it immediately...

http://www.barryhall.co.za/index.htm

:lol:

 

[BuffaloRules]

Remember when we were told that if the CC didn't get the nod for 2007, the whole region would be lost to soccer?

How are those CC Mariners crowds looking??

 

[sooperdooper]

Remember when we were told that if the CC didn't get the nod for 2007, the whole region would be lost to soccer?

How are those CC Mariners crowds looking??

i think there average is around 7000 a game

 

[nqboy]

I still think soccer is a danger. The hype during the World Cup will be unbelievable and before that we have the move into Asia and friendlies against England, The Netherlands, South Korea and Greece. As Aussie clubs join the Asian champions League, they will receive more and more press coverage. This 7000 at the Mariners is only the start.

 

[Knightmare]

they had a chance with northern eagles and failed

The Gold Coast had a chance with the Giants/ Seagulls and the Chargers and failed. I'm all for having another team in Queensland, but having lived on the GC myself, I can tell you it's the wrong place to have a team- there are too many Vics who follow AFL or NSW expats who already have their heart and soul in a team for it to work. Giving a QRL team like Redcliffe NRL status would be much better.

 

[Willow]

The Gold Coast had a chance with the Giants/ Seagulls and the Chargers and failed.

It was questionable management during those times but the Gold Coast should never have been given the flick. The NRL has worked to keep other teams (with questionable management) in the comp.
Unfortunately, the Broncos wanted control of the SE Qld franchise and this meant GC had to go. GC were in effect a casualty of the SL/ARL = NRL deal.
That agreement was for five seasons and it ran out in 2003.

Nevertheless, GC still had money in the bank and and even loaned the cash-strapped Knights a fair wad.

Plus they always had plenty of juniors. GC is a RL area - the success of the Burleigh Bears in the QRL has proven that.

I'm all for having another team in Queensland, but having lived on the GC myself, I can tell you it's the wrong place to have a team- there are too many Vics who follow AFL or NSW expats who already have their heart and soul in a team for it to work.

I beg to differ. Don't know when you last lived there but the GC topped 500,000 people this year. It was around 300,000 people in 1999. Lots of young families too which means more 'locals' coming through. Its becoming increasingly evident in the schools. GC has plenty of southerners but its growing too fast to pigeon-hole it so readily.

There's Rugby League football clubs all over - all with very good facilities and improving. For example, the Runaway Bay RL club only has a team in the lower tier Mixwell comp in 2005 but they have huge facilities. The Burleigh Bears have just spent hundred of thousands of dollars on extending their club facilities and the club finances the team.

There's lots of sponsorship money for sport on the Gold Coast.

It seems to me that GC is doing well at supporting both AFL and NRL followers.

Giving a QRL team like Redcliffe NRL status would be much better.

Well they didn't put in a bid. And realistically, that would be just another Brisbane team.
I'm sure many Redcliffe people would agree with you.

People talk about districts and travelling time etc, but there are quite a few teams in the greater Sydney region already. I didn't like the expansion when it happened and I supported improving on the regional based competitions. Apparently this was deemed as an unrealistic way to go so the NSWRL and ARL in their wisdom simply decided to expand out of Sydney, effectively doing away with the old Sydney comp.

For better or worse, we're stuck with the NRL set up and have to make do. With only two Qld teams in the NRL, the powers had to look at giving Qld another team, rather than giving the greater Sydney region another team.

Currently, there's only one team in SE Qld - that's where most of the population is. The GC bid team were the only ones asking and they put forward a fine bid.

 

[nqboy]

A comprehensive yet succinct rebuttal of Knightmare's naivety/bias/ignorance.

 

[Knightmare]

It was questionable management during those times but the Gold Coast should never have been given the flick. The NRL has worked to keep other teams (with questionable management) in the comp.
Unfortunately, the Broncos wanted control of the SE Qld franchise and this meant GC had to go. GC were in effect a casualty of the SL/ARL = NRL deal.
That agreement was for five seasons and it ran out in 2003.

Nevertheless, GC still had money in the bank and and even loaned the cash-strapped Knights a fair wad.

I am well aware of the "money in the bank/ Broncos exclusivity" case, however it can't disguise the fact that the Gold Coast had been low crowd-pullers throughout their history. They simply did not have the support- and no amount of money can buy that.

Plus they always had plenty of juniors. GC is a RL area - the success of the Burleigh Bears in the QRL has proven that.I beg to differ. Don't know when you last lived there but the GC topped 500,000 people this year. It was around 300,000 people in 1999. Lots of young families too which means more 'locals' coming through. Its becoming increasingly evident in the schools. GC has plenty of southerners but its growing too fast to pigeon-hole it so readily.

I lived on the Gold Coast this year. Is that recent enough, or have I missed something in the month that I've been gone?

There's Rugby League football clubs all over - all with very good facilities and improving. For example, the Runaway Bay RL club only has a team in the lower tier Mixwell comp in 2005 but they have huge facilities. The Burleigh Bears have just spent hundred of thousands of dollars on extending their club facilities and the club finances the team.

There's lots of sponsorship money for sport on the Gold Coast.

It seems to me that GC is doing well at supporting both AFL and NRL followers.Well they didn't put in a bid. And realistically, that would be just another Brisbane team.
I'm sure many Redcliffe people would agree with you.

People talk about districts and travelling time etc, but there are quite a few teams in the greater Sydney region already. I didn't like the expansion when it happened and I supported improving on the regional based competitions. Apparently this was deemed as an unrealistic way to go so the NSWRL and ARL in their wisdom simply decided to expand out of Sydney, effectively doing away with the old Sydney comp.

For better or worse, we're stuck with the NRL set up and have to make do. With only two Qld teams in the NRL, the powers had to look at giving Qld another team, rather than giving the greater Sydney region another team.

Currently, there's only one team in SE Qld - that's where most of the population is. The GC bid team were the only ones asking and they put forward a fine bid.

I understand that the Gold Coast were the ones asking, but remember that the Central Coast and Wellington were asking as well. Brisbane has a large enough population for two Rugby League teams, and it's not exactly like everyone living in Brisbane likes the Broncos either. The only reason the Crushers failed was because of SuperLeague and the Broncos dealings with the devil. My only hope is that the next Queensland NRL team is a success on and off the field, because I can't see the Titans doing it no matter what the hype.

 

[Razor]

they had a chance with northern eagles and failed

That's one very worrying aspect of them being let back in, and was surely one of the major reasons that the NRL chose the Titans ahead of the Bears. The shocking crowds that the Eagles were getting when the CC had a team. The team didn't last long up there, solely because of the low crowds. The NRL didn't want to risk embarrassment. The Gold Coast get crowds of 13,000+(sell outs) to TRIAL matches involving 2 Sydney teams. The CC couldn't get crowds of 10,000 involving their own team in OFFICIAL matches.

 

[Razor]

The only reason the Crushers failed was because of SuperLeague and the Broncos dealings with the devil. My only hope is that the next Queensland NRL team is a success on and off the field, because I can't see the Titans doing it no matter what the hype.

The reason the Crushers failed was because the Courier Mail was calling for the Crushers to be kicked out saying they don't deserve to be in (of course the paper failed to mention that the owners of the Crushers competitior was owned by News Ltd, the publisher of the paper, something they are required by law to do). Then when the Crushers went broke and were forced out, the CM actually ran a front page(of the paper, not just the sports section) in massive writing "Come on ARL. Save the Crushers", then carried on with a whole pile of crap, even mentioning that had the Crushers joined Super League, they would have been bailed out. So all the time they were in it was a terrible decision to allow them to compete, then they die, so they need to have a shot at the ARL to try and boost their own competition which was regarded as a massive laughing stock by all (fair) media. The reporting by News Ltd made it crystal clear, as if it wasn't, they wouldn't need to report the way they did.

The News Ltd media has no credibility at all. Their reporting during that period was the most disgraceful I've ever seen and unfortunatly a lot of stupid people fell for what they read.

If the reporting was fair and the destruction campaign run by the media didn't exist, the Crushers would still be around today. The Chargers would be too, if the Broncos weren't scared of competition and insist on exclusivity in SE-QLD.

 

[Knightmare]

That's one very worrying aspect of them being let back in, and was surely one of the major reasons that the NRL chose the Titans ahead of the Bears. The shocking crowds that the Eagles were getting when the CC had a team. The team didn't last long up there, solely because of the low crowds. The NRL didn't want to risk embarrassment. The Gold Coast get crowds of 13,000+(sell outs) to TRIAL matches involving 2 Sydney teams. The CC couldn't get crowds of 10,000 involving their own team in OFFICIAL matches.

:LOL: You've got to be having a laugh, haven't you? As dodge pointed out, the Northern Eagles were half a team, run by Manly. It was obvious that in the long range of things, they only cared about being able to stand-alone once more rather than the future of league on the Central Coast. Even so, the Northern Eagles lowest crowd was still higher than most crowds the Chargers got during their existence. Selling out a 13,000 seat stadium isn't hard to do, especially when there's been no first grade action in an area for 4 years. 16,000 went to see a game at Central Coast Stadium in driving rain- and "their" NRL team wasn't involved either.

 

[Razor]

As dodge pointed out, the Northern Eagles were half a team, run by Manly. It was obvious that in the long range of things, they only cared about being able to stand-alone once more rather than the future of league on the Central Coast.

So? They still had League and they didn't go.

 

[greg]

There is also the fact that 2 rugby league nurseries, Keebra park High and Palm Beach-Currumbin High are on the Gold Coast. These two schools year in year out make semi finals/finals of the schoolboys competitions and nurture names like Benji Marshall along the way. Yes the Chargers were sacrificial lambs of John Ribots vision, they should never have gone. The Titans will correct this. Ive lived on the Gold Coast for 15 years, it is definitely league heartland.

 

[Willow]

I am well aware of the "money in the bank/ Broncos exclusivity" case,

Well you've just suddenly recalled it. I'm stating the facts as to why the GC were given the flick. The Broncos getting exclusive control over the SE Qld NRL franchise was part of the carve-up following Super League.

however it can't disguise the fact that the Gold Coast had been low crowd-pullers throughout their history. They simply did not have the support- and no amount of money can buy that.

Are you saying the NRL omitted the Gold Coast based on crowd figures?
Seems strange considering they admitted the Melbourne Storm in the same year.

Average crowd figures (RL tables website):
Gold Coast: 8,180
North Sydney: 8,712

By your crowd figure argument, Norths have had their chance as well.

The Melbourne Storm have hardly been setting the world on fire crowd-wise. Do you advocate that the Storm are given the flick as well?

Presumably the NRL are looking at expanding the game beyond the Greater Sydney region. Otherwise they wouldn't persist with the Storm.

I lived on the Gold Coast this year. Is that recent enough, or have I missed something in the month that I've been gone?

I don't want this to get into a competition as to who lived where the longest. But your comment that the GC is only for southeners who already support an AFL or NRL team doesn't take into account the current and future growth of the area.
The Gold Coast is the fastest growing city in Australia and it is definitely a League town with League schools and young families.

I understand that the Gold Coast were the ones asking, but remember that the Central Coast and Wellington were asking as well.

And the NRL opted for the Gold Coast

Brisbane has a large enough population for two Rugby League teams

And the GC has enough population to support a RL team - and they put forward the bid

and it's not exactly like everyone living in Brisbane likes the Broncos either.

Hardly compelling. Not everyone on the Gold Coast likes the Broncos either... and they have more reason to be like that.

The only reason the Crushers failed was because of SuperLeague and the Broncos dealings with the devil.

So you want the Crushers in the NRL? They didnt put in a bid.

My only hope is that the next Queensland NRL team is a success on and off the field

The 'next Queensland NRL team' will on the Gold Coast in 2007. In 2008 they will have a brand new stadium in Robina, with all the mod cons and transport facilities. Nevertheless, I don't expect on-field success for the first few years. They in effect a new team and new teams are always the battlers. Look at the Cowboys - they were the competition easybeats but they have really become a force to contend with over the last two seasons.

I can't see the Titans doing it no matter what the hype.

LOL. And I'm sure you'll be laying in the slipper at every opportunity.

 

[Iafeta]

Man this debate has enlivened itself again - Personally, I hope the Gold Coast is an outstanding success, and then Wellington can grab onto some of their successful ideology and help cement New Zealand's rugby league population growth into ensuring regular great test matches between the Kiwis and Kangaroos.

 

[Knightmare]

So? They still had League and they didn't go.

Good reason for that- by going in numbers the people of the Central Coast would have been saying "We are gullible and really do think the Manly-run Eagles are the Central Coast's team." Central Coast people are smarter than that. If, say, a Sydney club started playing HALF it's home games at Carrara or Robina and people didn't show up, would that mean the Gold Coast didn't deserve a team of its' own?