DIEHARD
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I am sure we are all dying to know what Phil has to say about the Coast...
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By Phil Gould
May 29, 2005
The Sun-Herald
Inviting the Gold Coast into the NRL competition in 2007 is the best decision the partnership board has made since it began controlling the direction of the national competition in 1998.
It's a wonderful reward for the hard-working people behind this bid. It's a great result for the people of south-east Queensland and northern NSW.
It's a bonus for the development of rugby league in Queensland. And it's a huge boost for rugby league in this country.
At the end of the 1998 season, the Gold Coast team fell victim to the rationalisation process that took place after the Super League period. It was sacrificed during mediation talks when the ARL and News Ltd looked for a compromise to end a war that was killing the game.
It was an injustice but, in all fairness, both sides had to make concessions in the peacemaking endeavours. Despite being competitive on the field and financially sound off it, the Gold Coast had to fold.
But they refused to die. Former ARL executive Paul Broughton held on to a dream that the Gold Coast would return to the NRL.
In the early days of this enforced exile, his visionary talk was probably seen as the ramblings of a rugby league tragic locked in the past, a dinosaur out of touch with the way modern-day sport had to evolve.
A lesser man may have taken the hint and retired. But there was to be no rocking chair and blanket for this soldier. He rises with the sun every day and goes to work. He persevered.
He found an ally in a young man named Michael Searle, who was a foundation first-grade player when the Gold Coast Seagulls were admitted to the competition in 1988. If Broughton had the passion, Searle would provide the energy and the business expertise.
They canvassed support for their dreams and slowly gathered together a band of supporters who believed in their cause.
Over the past five years they have had doors slammed in their faces. Still, they persevered. They courted local, state and federal government representatives. They refused to take no for an answer.
They knew the NRL had a couple of voids that had to be filled and this window of opportunity was the backbone of the Gold Coast bid team's belief to keep going. They knew that south-east Queensland needed another NRL identity and they also believed, like many others in the game, that 15 teams was an untidy number for such a premier sporting competition.
Broughton and Searle are rugby league lovers first and foremost. They persevered not for personal gain but because they honestly believed the Gold Coast deserved a place in rugby league, and they knew rugby league needed the Gold Coast.
Privately, they did not want to compete against the Central Coast bid because they believed the Central Coast was just as important to the future of rugby league as the Gold Coast. They were supportive of the Central Coast Bears because it meant locking up the eastern seaboard from Wollongong to Townsville for rugby league.
Last year, when the NRL decided against expansion and rejected the bids from the Gold Coast, Central Coast and Wellington, Searle and Broughton buckled at the knees, but they refused to hit the canvas.
They decided to go harder.
If the NRL would not accept their bid, they would work even harder to make it irresistible.
In the end they could not be denied. To be fair, over the past 12 months NRL boss David Gallop has given great assistance to the Gold Coast team in walking them through the process of making their bid stronger.
The confidence he has shown in the bid obviously swayed the thinking of governments when they considered funding their new stadium.
This made a big difference to the quality of the bid this year compared with last year, when it was rejected, and for this Gallop deserves special congratulations from all in the game.
Now, amid all the celebrations that took place on the Gold Coast on Friday, you could be excused for thinking that they had finally reached their destination.
Not so. This is just the start of their journey. The decision to grant them a licence in the NRL competition is now an invitation to work even harder.
If the Gold Coast football team plays with the passion and perseverance shown by the people who have chased this dream over the past five years, this is going to be a very hard side to beat. It is destined for great things.
The team plans to play its first season at Carrara Stadium before transferring to a new, purpose-built stadium in the Robina area. This new location will be perfect.
It has easy access to the motorway that runs from Ballina to Brisbane. It is right beside the railway line and close to all forms of public transport. It will sit in the shadows of one of the biggest shopping centres on the coast and is right in the middle of one of the biggest population growth areas in Australia.
The new team will attract young players from junior league catchment areas 100,000-strong in numbers. It will sell itself as a development pathway for kids to realise their dreams of playing State of Origin for Queensland.
Look at the Queensland team on Wednesday night and see how much stronger it has become thanks to the development of players from the North Queensland Cowboys.
In the past decade, the Maroons have been serviced almost exclusively by the development systems in place at the Broncos. This was bad for Queensland and threatened the future of the State of Origin series.
When Queensland were belted 3-0 in the 2000 Origin series, it was one of the worst Maroons teams fielded. Queensland coach Wayne Bennett immediately began a development plan involving an emerging Origin player identification scheme and this did meet with some success.
However, now that the Cowboys are a serious force in the NRL, Queensland have a lot more depth in player talent. Imagine how strong the Maroons will be when a third team, the Gold Coast, is developing players for them, as well. It can only be good for the game.
Finally, to see governments committing such significant funds to new playing arenas at the Gold Coast and in Melbourne emphasises just how well our game is doing.
The expansion to 16 teams in 2007 will give us an extra game a week, meaning the value of the game to TV broadcasters and sponsors increases greatly.
It's a win, win, win situation for everyone.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/League/NRL-gets-it-right-at-last/2005/05/28/1117129938291.html
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
By Phil Gould
May 29, 2005
The Sun-Herald
Inviting the Gold Coast into the NRL competition in 2007 is the best decision the partnership board has made since it began controlling the direction of the national competition in 1998.
It's a wonderful reward for the hard-working people behind this bid. It's a great result for the people of south-east Queensland and northern NSW.
It's a bonus for the development of rugby league in Queensland. And it's a huge boost for rugby league in this country.
At the end of the 1998 season, the Gold Coast team fell victim to the rationalisation process that took place after the Super League period. It was sacrificed during mediation talks when the ARL and News Ltd looked for a compromise to end a war that was killing the game.
It was an injustice but, in all fairness, both sides had to make concessions in the peacemaking endeavours. Despite being competitive on the field and financially sound off it, the Gold Coast had to fold.
But they refused to die. Former ARL executive Paul Broughton held on to a dream that the Gold Coast would return to the NRL.
In the early days of this enforced exile, his visionary talk was probably seen as the ramblings of a rugby league tragic locked in the past, a dinosaur out of touch with the way modern-day sport had to evolve.
A lesser man may have taken the hint and retired. But there was to be no rocking chair and blanket for this soldier. He rises with the sun every day and goes to work. He persevered.
He found an ally in a young man named Michael Searle, who was a foundation first-grade player when the Gold Coast Seagulls were admitted to the competition in 1988. If Broughton had the passion, Searle would provide the energy and the business expertise.
They canvassed support for their dreams and slowly gathered together a band of supporters who believed in their cause.
Over the past five years they have had doors slammed in their faces. Still, they persevered. They courted local, state and federal government representatives. They refused to take no for an answer.
They knew the NRL had a couple of voids that had to be filled and this window of opportunity was the backbone of the Gold Coast bid team's belief to keep going. They knew that south-east Queensland needed another NRL identity and they also believed, like many others in the game, that 15 teams was an untidy number for such a premier sporting competition.
Broughton and Searle are rugby league lovers first and foremost. They persevered not for personal gain but because they honestly believed the Gold Coast deserved a place in rugby league, and they knew rugby league needed the Gold Coast.
Privately, they did not want to compete against the Central Coast bid because they believed the Central Coast was just as important to the future of rugby league as the Gold Coast. They were supportive of the Central Coast Bears because it meant locking up the eastern seaboard from Wollongong to Townsville for rugby league.
Last year, when the NRL decided against expansion and rejected the bids from the Gold Coast, Central Coast and Wellington, Searle and Broughton buckled at the knees, but they refused to hit the canvas.
They decided to go harder.
If the NRL would not accept their bid, they would work even harder to make it irresistible.
In the end they could not be denied. To be fair, over the past 12 months NRL boss David Gallop has given great assistance to the Gold Coast team in walking them through the process of making their bid stronger.
The confidence he has shown in the bid obviously swayed the thinking of governments when they considered funding their new stadium.
This made a big difference to the quality of the bid this year compared with last year, when it was rejected, and for this Gallop deserves special congratulations from all in the game.
Now, amid all the celebrations that took place on the Gold Coast on Friday, you could be excused for thinking that they had finally reached their destination.
Not so. This is just the start of their journey. The decision to grant them a licence in the NRL competition is now an invitation to work even harder.
If the Gold Coast football team plays with the passion and perseverance shown by the people who have chased this dream over the past five years, this is going to be a very hard side to beat. It is destined for great things.
The team plans to play its first season at Carrara Stadium before transferring to a new, purpose-built stadium in the Robina area. This new location will be perfect.
It has easy access to the motorway that runs from Ballina to Brisbane. It is right beside the railway line and close to all forms of public transport. It will sit in the shadows of one of the biggest shopping centres on the coast and is right in the middle of one of the biggest population growth areas in Australia.
The new team will attract young players from junior league catchment areas 100,000-strong in numbers. It will sell itself as a development pathway for kids to realise their dreams of playing State of Origin for Queensland.
Look at the Queensland team on Wednesday night and see how much stronger it has become thanks to the development of players from the North Queensland Cowboys.
In the past decade, the Maroons have been serviced almost exclusively by the development systems in place at the Broncos. This was bad for Queensland and threatened the future of the State of Origin series.
When Queensland were belted 3-0 in the 2000 Origin series, it was one of the worst Maroons teams fielded. Queensland coach Wayne Bennett immediately began a development plan involving an emerging Origin player identification scheme and this did meet with some success.
However, now that the Cowboys are a serious force in the NRL, Queensland have a lot more depth in player talent. Imagine how strong the Maroons will be when a third team, the Gold Coast, is developing players for them, as well. It can only be good for the game.
Finally, to see governments committing such significant funds to new playing arenas at the Gold Coast and in Melbourne emphasises just how well our game is doing.
The expansion to 16 teams in 2007 will give us an extra game a week, meaning the value of the game to TV broadcasters and sponsors increases greatly.
It's a win, win, win situation for everyone.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/League/NRL-gets-it-right-at-last/2005/05/28/1117129938291.html
