What about the Central Coast

[flippikat]

Is it time to mention the AFL's plans to hold regular season games in Welington?

Darned if I know whether it'll snowball into anything substantial - the sport is pretty much alien to the NZ sports public - but gees they're giving it a go!

Meanwhile no NRL teams are moving any of their home games to NZ locations - even though rugby league has a strong history in this country outside of Auckland. Interesting...

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Is it time to mention the AFL's plans to hold regular season games in Welington?

Darned if I know whether it'll snowball into anything substantial - the sport is pretty much alien to the NZ sports public - but gees they're giving it a go!

Meanwhile no NRL teams are moving any of their home games to NZ locations - even though rugby league has a strong history in this country outside of Auckland. Interesting...

To be fair the AFL just does these things as PR stunts.

It was South Africa a couple of years ago, now it's China, soon it'll be New Zealand.

Anything to keep the fans attention away from the match fixing scandals, player scandals, inequalities in the draft and draw, etc.

 

[Perth Red]

It's still south Africa,WC eagles send players and coaches over there every year. What has rl done In sth Africa? You can call it pr stunt but at least they are trying something to grow their game both nationally and internationally, from little acorns and all that.

 

[Perth Red]

yes. All expansion efforts by all codes are relevant to this debate.

So as RU is successful we should now expand? Reality is neither RU, soccer or afl's expansion success or failure has very little if any bearing on how successful nrl expansion would be.

 

[flippikat]

To be fair the AFL just does these things as PR stunts.

It was South Africa a couple of years ago, now it's China, soon it'll be New Zealand.

Anything to keep the fans attention away from the match fixing scandals, player scandals, inequalities in the draft and draw, etc.

Fair point - but as AFL reaches saturation point in Australia, I suspect that this sort of thing will become more regular & established.

As far as reaching saturation point in Australia goes - they're closer to it than the NRL currently is.

 

[CrazyTiger]

Forget about expansion. Cronulla is the future.

 

[SharkShocked]

 

[Perth Red]

 

[newman]

So as RU is successful we should now expand? Reality is neither RU, soccer or afl's expansion success or failure has very little if any bearing on how successful nrl expansion would be.

You just don't get it. If the NRL didn't look and learn from the successes and failures of other codes in their expansion efforts they would be f**kING IDIOTS. In business, and this is what this is, you learn from what your competitors do. Steal a bit of what works, avoid what didn't....

 

[Perth Red]

They don't need to because there is no correlation or relationship! The AFL expansion is absolutely nothing, NOTHING, like or to do with the NRL expansion possibilities. For starters we are talking about expanding into our heratland with one of the teams, secondly we have a true expansion city that is primed, ready, has a fanbase, has a stadium, has corporate support, is producing jnrs etc etc which AFL never had, thirdly we can suppliment our existing player base in the short term from other codes and competitions which AFL couldn't, fourthly even a centrally funded NRL team would still cost 75% less than it is costing teh AFL to fund a expansion team, fifthly our expansion teams add value to our corproate and TV interests. Do I need to go on?

As I said before if we were talking about expanding into Geelong and Adelaide you might have a point!

 

[newman]

They don't need to because there is no correlation or relationship! The AFL expansion is absolutely nothing, NOTHING, like or to do with the NRL expansion possibilities. For starters we are talking about expanding into our heratland with one of the teams, secondly we have a true expansion city that is primed, ready, has a fanbase, has a stadium, has corporate support, is producing jnrs etc etc which AFL never had, thirdly we can suppliment our existing player base in the short term from other codes and competitions which AFL couldn't, fourthly even a centrally funded NRL team would still cost 75% less than it is costing teh AFL to fund a expansion team, fifthly our expansion teams add value to our corproate and TV interests. Do I need to go on?

As I said before if we were talking about expanding into Geelong and Adelaide you might have a point!

Well the ARLC don't see things that way. It has been widely reported that Grant and co are spooked by the cost of AFLs recent expansion, and have also discussed at length the A League failures. In my mind that is sensible business.

When you throw Gill into the mix as the new CEO, he is surely going to draw from his experience with expansion and the AFL and well should he.

 

[Perth Red]

so please do tell me what you think we can learn from the AFL expansion model and how it relates to the proposed NRL expansion. I have NEVER heard anyone from the NRL or ARLC mention AFL expansion in relation to the perceived success or failure of future NRL expansion, a couple of hacks in the media have mentioned it and that's all.

Yes Gill will and he will be saying lets not expand to Adelaide or Geelong!

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Actually AFL learnt from the ARL's expansion model of when they put 4 teams in at once and why not to bring team in simitaneously. I'm sure NRL can learn from staggered expansion team entry that AFL had. All sports learn from one another, be it in admin or player management. Business dealings or expanding. At the end of the day a business is a business. Learn what makes one successful and implement their succesful ideas with ones own philosophies to make their own success.