Sea Eagles to Gosford

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Hypothetically, let us assume that the Bears arent getting a licence for the Central Coast....

What are peoples opinions on moving Manly (at least partially) to Gosford Stadium??

It's pretty safe to assume that Brooky wont get enough funding to rebuild or even maintain its current crappy level of quality long term. Nor is it likely any other site north of the Harbour will get funding for a new stadium. That means the Sea Eagles can move to ANZ/SFS (making them kind of redundant considering the 8 other Sydney teams) or they could head North to CC Stadium. They could shape themselves in a similar way to St George/Illawarra merger; maintain a solid presence on the Northern Shore (training ground, ect. could still be at Brooky) and still grow into the Central Coast.

So what do you all think?? Brooky is honestly just unsustainable, how is Gosford as (at least a partial) alternative for the Manly boys??

 

[BuffaloRules]

Nah...

They need to stay in Northern Sydney...

Only team that plays on the North Side of the harbour, of any code...

I've lived most of my life in the area, and I think they are pretty well supported and in an affluent area...

 

[eagles4eva]

Nah...

They need to stay in Northern Sydney...

Only team that plays on the North Side of the harbour, of any code...

I've lived most of my life in the area, and I think they are pretty well supported and in an affluent area...

This, Abbott can deliver on his promise... Eagles to stay...

 

[umina panther]

Don't want those scumf**ks anywhere near the Coast

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Great idea! This could be their logo:

:sarcasm:

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Nah...

They need to stay in Northern Sydney...

Only team that plays on the North Side of the harbour, of any code...

I've lived most of my life in the area, and I think they are pretty well supported and in an affluent area...

Im not saying they dont have support, just that they cant harness that support while playing out of Brooky...

I would be a terrible idea to totally leave the north shore, but if they were to move 4-6 games to the Central coast (Saturdays and Sundays only so Manly people can travel up) they could establish themselves as the team representing the entire north of SYdney. Given time, they could eventually move all their games north while maintaining the Northern suburbs connection

St George could move to the Illawarra full time and still represent themselves as the team for people as far north as Hurtsville. In the same way, Manly could live and train out of Brooky to maintain the local vibe there, while moving into a better stadium and expanding the area they claim to represent...

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

This, Abbott can deliver on his promise... Eagles to stay...

What are you honestly expecting Abbott to give the Eagles?? His seat is safe, he doesnt need to buy votes there...

Have you never wondered why Leichhardt keeps getting funding??

 

[docbrown]

Some 2013 ABS numbers to consider--

KNIGHTS
Newcastle, Lake Macquarie & Hunter Valley – 625,112
(this does not include the central coast)


SEA EAGLES
Northern Beaches (Manly, Warringah, Pittwater) – 258,938



However there's also this -



North Sydney (Chatswood, Hornsby, Kuringgai, North Shore) – 407,055


The Sea Eagles struggle for relevance because they haven't tapped those 400k additional potential supporters. They would have a bigger base than the Knights. So rather than take away 6 games from a combined North Sydney/Beaches market of 665,000 people (more in the future) we should instead be finding ways of making the Sea Eagles the team of choice across that combined area.


The people who blame the Bears for the Sea Eagles lack of progress to date are morons (usually Sea Eagles fans). The Bears have been a second rate side for more than a decade. The Sea Eagles efforts failed because they've been FEEBLE ATTEMPTS!


Get your act together Sea Eagles and you'll be one of the most supported Sydney clubs. You won't need to relocate to the Coast.

 

[RL The greatest game]

I think the CC will get a NRL club about the same time as a Sydney club is cut.
I say no more.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Great idea! This could be their logo:

:sarcasm:

Yes, the reason this franchise failed was because they played out of Gosford...

It definitely had NOTHING to do with being a merge of 2 clubs (each wanting the other to just die) or the super league war that was tearing the NRL apart and alienation fans.

Just because the Northen Eagles failed doesnt mean everything the club did was bad.....

 

[BuffaloRules]

I agree that Manly could do more to try and get some more support on the Lower North Shore...

Maybe they could put there toe in the water and play a game at North Sydney Oval??

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

The Sea Eagles struggle for relevance because they haven't tapped those 400k additional potential supporters. They would have a bigger base than the Knights. So rather than take away 6 games from a combined North Sydney/Beaches market of 665,000 people (more in the future) we should instead be finding ways of making the Sea Eagles the team of choice across that combined area.

I agree that they have failed in selling themselves, but even if they get that together they are still playing out of Brookvale Oval!!!! It doesnt matter how popular they are, that ground is still a shithole...

They could, however, do both; sell themselves to the Bears old market then say "hey, we're playing out of this great stadium up north. Its about a 40 minute drive (and dont worry about traffic, youre heading away from the city), why dont you head up and make a day of it??".

Bluetongue is a great little stadium in an area that shows up for pretty much any NRL team. Its not far from their current home and most people accept there is a bit of travel involved in going to a game.

Brookvale, on the other hand, will likely never get proper funding. And even if it did, transport there is terrible; its literally a field in a suburb, the place just isnt designed for large crowds.

 

[docbrown]

Just because the Northen Eagles failed doesnt mean everything the club did was bad.....

No. But its existence came about due to pure survival tactics - not any kind of rational geographic strategy.

I'd argue that trying to link the North Beaches & Central Coast again is a case of not learning from your mistakes. You'll likely piss off existing Sea Eagles supporters without any guarantees that Central Coast people will support their divisive brand.

Maybe they could put there toe in the water and play a game at North Sydney Oval??

I've maintained all along that the Bears should actually help the Sea Eagles take over the North Sydney area in exchange for getting a Bears franchise at Gosford. However that kind of whole-of-the-game logic requires the guidance of the NRL which has been piss poor in relation to this subject.

 

[docbrown]

but even if they get that together they are still playing out of Brookvale Oval

Playing fewer games at Brookvale won't help get it upgraded. So if your end goal is for the Sea Eagles to eventually abandon North Sydney/Beaches home games altogether I'm afraid I have to disagree. Not playing NRL games in that area of 660k would be a mistake.

Only by becoming a bigger club in Sydney itself will they get an upgrade or preferably a new stadium in a centralised North Sydney/Beaches location.

"hey, we're playing out of this great stadium up north. Its about a 40 minute drive (and dont worry about traffic, youre heading away from the city), why dont you head up and make a day of it??".

That's really not much of a long term strategy and for the North Beaches fans it's closer to an hour. People who travel that far for games are a minority of fans, not the majority.

We've seen before what happens when you relocate clubs to stadiums further from their base. People start going to fewer games.

 

[reanimate]

We're the only team left in Sydney's North, the NRL needs more presence here and to strengthen the brand here, not to weaken Manly any further. The Bears should never have been cut in favour of Cronulla, although their presence in the comp would have most likely have made Manly's future dicey in a similar way to Cronulla, ie. stuck in a limited geographical area and surrounded by another team's territory. They're gone though and probably won't be coming back, so the NRL should be working with Manly to ensure the area is covered by an NRL team.

The NRL just needs to make a call on the Bears bid and the problem can begin to sort itself out. I agree that the Sea Eagles should be doing more on the North Shore atm, but given that the Bears are at least a slight chance of rejoining the NRL, it would negate Manly's efforts and render any money spent by Manly in the area useless, plus North Shore juniors, despite playing with Manly juniors in the same comp, aren't considered Manly juniors thanks to the old boundaries. It really sucks that kids in, for example, Willoughby, don't get to run out and play during half time at Manly games, despite being 5-10 minutes away from Forestville, who are in the Sea Eagles' official area and are able to have those opportunities. It's something that just shouldn't be happening.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Wests Tigers, via balmian, have always owned the Ryde- North ryde area

Parramatta cover carlingford / epping / hills district...

Its not like Manly cover the whole north of parramatta river...

 

[reanimate]

Wests Tigers, via balmian, have always owned the Ryde- North ryde area

Parramatta cover carlingford / epping / hills district...

Its not like Manly cover the whole north of parramatta river...

That's more North-West though, we're talking about the North Shore/Northern Beaches, which is what most people would think of when you're talking about Northern Sydney.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Playing fewer games at Brookvale won't help get it upgraded. So if your end goal is for the Sea Eagles to eventually abandon North Sydney/Beaches home games altogether I'm afraid I have to disagree. Not playing NRL games in that area of 660k would be a mistake.

Only by becoming a bigger club in Sydney itself will they get an upgrade or preferably a new stadium in a centralised North Sydney/Beaches location.

Im pro-Chatswood, i love that place. Its a CBD specifically designed for daytrips (they get something like 200k people per day move through there)

Thats a different discussion though. If they could get funding, then Chatswood or St Leonards would be prime.

But if they cant get funding for a new stadium in a better location(with is likely, theyre the only team that would use it), then in a choice between Brooky or Gosford, CC wins...

That's really not much of a long term strategy and for the North Beaches fans it's closer to an hour. People who travel that far for games are a minority of fans, not the majority.

Like above, fighting suburban traffic for half an hour to get to Brooky then sitting on a hill often in the rain will turn off fans as many fans as an hour/train drive to the central coast.

Again, if the debate was CC or a new stadium in a better location, then id agree, North Sydneys the way to go. But in a straight contest between Brooky and Gosford....

We've seen before what happens when you relocate clubs to stadiums further from their base. People start going to fewer games.

Which examples of this are you referencing exactly?? moving to a better stadium has helped Broncos/Souths/Bulldogs crowds. The only move i can think of that hurt crowds in Wests to Campbeltown (but thats the exact opposite of moving manly to CC)

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Wests Tigers, via balmian, have always owned the Ryde- North ryde area

Parramatta cover carlingford / epping / hills district...

Its not like Manly cover the whole north of parramatta river...

On a side note, ive always found it strange that Balmain didnt try to merge with Norths (geography wise, it just makes so much more sense than merging withWests)...

 

[st george dragons]

I cant see the Sea Eagles moving many games away from Brookvale Oval each year. However, I can see though them moving up to two games "away from home", still leaving at least 10 games at Brookvale Oval.

Geographically, having them play at Gosford once a year may be a good thing. Yes, it wasn't a good thing a decade ago, but some things do change. A second home game away could be in the bush.

Could potentially work?