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Welcome to the comp, Redcliffe.

Wb1234

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22,589
https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2022-transfer-centre-kodi-nikorima-signs-with-south-sydney-rabbitohs-warriors-contract-transfers/news-story/21106cfd9cef6b44b853a67be23a3481It’s

some cowboys player
 

Perth Red

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65,797
Sure but It sure looks like team 18 is pretty much a certainty

plus with Bennett coaching the dolphins I will be shocked if they are bottom 4. I’m not too fussed about them in the early years let them build up to success
I am, if they are a basket case on the field its just another excuse for NRL to not push to team 18 or even worse to play it safe with team 18 as a heartland club. Its important for future expansion they hit the ground running and are at least competitive. Hence why we can now see that having only one contract cycle period to build a full squad isnt long enough.
 

Wb1234

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Messages
22,589
I am, if they are a basket case on the field its just another excuse for NRL to not push to team 18 or even worse to play it safe with team 18 as a heartland club. Its important for future expansion they hit the ground running and are at least competitive. Hence why we can now see that having only one contract cycle period to build a full squad isnt long enough.
Team 18 won’t be another qld club they will give the dolphins time to settle in

they certainly won’t be adding Gosford now either too
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,762
I am, if they are a basket case on the field its just another excuse for NRL to not push to team 18 or even worse to play it safe with team 18 as a heartland club. Its important for future expansion they hit the ground running and are at least competitive. Hence why we can now see that having only one contract cycle period to build a full squad isnt long enough.
The grand irony being that Redcliffe is a basket case because they play into their traditional heritage over appealing to new audiences.

In other words the heartland club failing will be seen as evidence that expansion is too risky, which will then be used to justify yet another small heartland club which will also struggle. Welcome to RL, arguably the worst run sport in the country, yet it still fails it's way to success on the back of one of best products in the world.

Imagine if the AFL's administration had RL as it's product. They'd dominate the southern hemisphere by now.
 

Colk

First Grade
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6,401
The grand irony being that Redcliffe is a basket case because they play into their traditional heritage over appealing to new audiences.

In other words the heartland club failing will be seen as evidence that expansion is too risky, which will then be used to justify yet another small heartland club which will also struggle. Welcome to RL, arguably the worst run sport in the country, yet it still fails it's way to success on the back of one of best products in the world.

Imagine if the AFL's administration had RL as it's product. They'd dominate the southern hemisphere by now.

Exactly. They have managed to expand their game across the country despite the fact that they have an horrific product
 

Perth Red

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65,797
The grand irony being that Redcliffe is a basket case because they play into their traditional heritage over appealing to new audiences.

In other words the heartland club failing will be seen as evidence that expansion is too risky, which will then be used to justify yet another small heartland club which will also struggle. Welcome to RL, arguably the worst run sport in the country, yet it still fails it's way to success on the back of one of best products in the world.

Imagine if the AFL's administration had RL as it's product. They'd dominate the southern hemisphere by now.
Always said best sport of any on the field, worse run sport off it lol. Its a very good job the product is good and TV here pays a sht load for it, oh and that most clubs historically have pokie dens to bail them out of trouble. If we relied on the quality of our administrators wed be screwed!
 

Perth Red

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65,797
The only options are NZ 2, Pirates or Firehawks.

If Dolphins rate well on TV for Ch9 and Foxtel then it'll probably be Firehawks.
Depends realistically how soon they want to announce a team. If its in next 5 years cant see it being Brisbane3. In the most recent interviews they keep talking about new markets which would also suggest they aren't thinking about Brisbane.
Realistically that leaves Perth or Christchurch/Wellington as the only likely options.
I still feel it will come down to which of those areas puts the biggest amount of money on the table. NRL are risk averse and will want security.
If we could somehow get our 3 multi millionaire bidders round a table to form a consortium then we would have a very compelling financial backing behind us, add in NRLWA as a partner to ensure investment and growth in grassroots and Jnr systems and bingo, we have club 18.
 

Wb1234

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22,589
Depends realistically how soon they want to announce a team. If its in next 5 years cant see it being Brisbane3. In the most recent interviews they keep talking about new markets which would also suggest they aren't thinking about Brisbane.
Realistically that leaves Perth or Christchurch/Wellington as the only likely options.
I still feel it will come down to which of those areas puts the biggest amount of money on the table. NRL are risk averse and will want security.
If we could somehow get our 3 multi millionaire bidders round a table to form a consortium then we would have a very compelling financial backing behind us, add in NRLWA as a partner to ensure investment and growth in grassroots and Jnr systems and bingo, we have club 18.
Even if Perth get strong rich owners and nz doesn’t they will still pick nz if sky nz comes up with the cash. That’s what the next team comes down too

you might say it’s risk averse buts it’s why the nrl is having rising profits and a rising salary cap at the same time.

as someone else said (maybe grotd) if foxtel lose afl then they will then surely want to push nrl sides in Perth and Adelaide to keep the subscriptions
 

Colk

First Grade
Messages
6,401
Depends realistically how soon they want to announce a team. If its in next 5 years cant see it being Brisbane3. In the most recent interviews they keep talking about new markets which would also suggest they aren't thinking about Brisbane.
Realistically that leaves Perth or Christchurch/Wellington as the only likely options.
I still feel it will come down to which of those areas puts the biggest amount of money on the table. NRL are risk averse and will want security.
If we could somehow get our 3 multi millionaire bidders round a table to form a consortium then we would have a very compelling financial backing behind us, add in NRLWA as a partner to ensure investment and growth in grassroots and Jnr systems and bingo, we have club 18.

I like your optimism PR but I will be very surprised if it’s not somewhere in NZ. Hopefully though they go up to 20 sides with Perth being number 19 and then whoever for the 20th (based on their concerns about player depth they might go with a 3rd Brisbane or a third Kiwi side)
 

Colk

First Grade
Messages
6,401
Even if Perth get strong rich owners and nz doesn’t they will still pick nz if sky nz comes up with the cash. That’s what the next team comes down too

you might say it’s risk averse buts it’s why the nrl is having rising profits and a rising salary cap at the same time.

as someone else said (maybe grotd) if foxtel lose afl then they will then surely want to push nrl sides in Perth and Adelaide to keep the subscriptions

I hope that they eventually go to Perth. Too much money not to.

I think it’s fairly certain that they will go NZ next as they have clearly pushed their chips on the table regarding that option. In order for it not to be the case, there would have to be no backers or interest in NZ and an amazing amount of money on the table somewhere else.
 

Wb1234

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22,589
I hope that they eventually go to Perth. Too much money not to.

I think it’s fairly certain that they will go NZ next as they have clearly pushed their chips on the table regarding that option. In order for it not to be the case, there would have to be no backers or interest in NZ and an amazing amount of money on the table somewhere else.
I saw your post above

I’m saying it’s
Nz
Logan / Springfield / Ipswich
Perth

that would put the nrl in the box seat.
That still leaves Adelaide central coast and png if they want to go further
 

Colk

First Grade
Messages
6,401
I saw your post above

I’m saying it’s
Nz
Logan / Springfield / Ipswich
Perth

that would put the nrl in the box seat.
That still leaves Adelaide central coast and png if they want to go further

I would be pretty happy with that in terms of the next three sides (hoping of course they do go to 20 and not just stay at 18)

A couple of things.

1. Hopefully the Kiwi side is not just another one in Auckland and they base it somewhere else like Wellington or Christchurch
2. I think that whilst a third Brisbane is the most likely outside of Perth and NZ 2, if NZ 2 does what they think or want, then they may leave Brisbane 3 and go with NZ 3 or the Pacific. Finances would be the biggest hurdle on that.
 

Perth Red

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65,797
I like your optimism PR but I will be very surprised if it’s not somewhere in NZ. Hopefully though they go up to 20 sides with Perth being number 19 and then whoever for the 20th (based on their concerns about player depth they might go with a 3rd Brisbane or a third Kiwi side)
I just don’t see the financial sustainability of an nrl club in a small city where union rules. As Wb said the only way nz2 gets in is if sky up their Tv contract by another 60-70% on the proviso it’s a nz club, but that seems pretty unlikely Imo, or a very rich consortium in nz put money on the table.
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,762
The only options are NZ 2, Pirates or Firehawks.
I don't know about that.

I'd be willing to bet that if the NRL were to seek investment for clubs in any of the major capital cities in Aus, or most of the larger cities in NZ, that they'd be able to find it pretty quickly.

In other words, if the NRL had their heart set on a team in e.g. Adelaide or Melbourne then they'd be able to achieve it within a few years. That's never going to happen of course, but it could if they wanted it to.
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,762
I just don’t see the financial sustainability of an nrl club in a small city where union rules. As Wb said the only way nz2 gets in is if sky up their Tv contract by another 60-70% on the proviso it’s a nz club, but that seems pretty unlikely Imo, or a very rich consortium in nz put money on the table.
The way things are going NZ is next unless it's totally unviable without large financial support from the NRL, which BTW is a real possibility in my opinion. But if a workable business case can be created then NZ will be next because that's the way the broadcasters are pushing, and 95% of the time the broadcasters get what they want in this sport.

Either way odds are that NZ will end up getting one of the next 3 licenses, so it's only a question of if it happens now or in 10-20 years time.

My only hope is that they don't f**k it up like they've f**ked Brisbane up... I can totally see them going for a second club in Auckland, a team playing out of the Cake Tin, or some weird "Pasifika" team, all of which would almost certainly be commercial suicide in the long run.
 

Wb1234

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Messages
22,589
I just don’t see the financial sustainability of an nrl club in a small city where union rules. As Wb said the only way nz2 gets in is if sky up their Tv contract by another 60-70% on the proviso it’s a nz club, but that seems pretty unlikely Imo, or a very rich consortium in nz put money on the table.
With the way the grant is vs the cap most new clubs wouldn’t be far off from being viable financially be it nz or Perth.

nz certainly won’t be based in one city either. It will obviously be Christchurch based but then Wellington Hamilton and Dunedin should get games. Other than Wellington they all have great rectangular grounds

they will basically be a non Auckland nz side

I don’t think getting sponsors or crowds will be a problem at all. Kiwis like rugby league a lot more than say afl fans in Perth do so it’s a much much easier sell

everyone’s looking at the downsides of nz2 but they they could be the pathway to league becoming as big as union in nz. Union is very very vulnerable now in New Zealand with the collapse od super rugby

it’s just a shame the warriors have been away from home for so long and have been a rabble for so long as well

edit clubs currently get around 15 million pa from the nrl vs a cap of 9.4 approx. i believe when they raise it to 11 million soon they will raise the grants as well to every club
 

Perth Red

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65,797
With the way the grant is vs the cap most new clubs wouldn’t be far off from being viable financially be it nz or Perth.

nz certainly won’t be based in one city either. It will obviously be Christchurch based but then Wellington Hamilton and Dunedin should get games. Other than Wellington they all have great rectangular grounds

they will basically be a non Auckland nz side

I don’t think getting sponsors or crowds will be a problem at all. Kiwis like rugby league a lot more than say afl fans in Perth do so it’s a much much easier sell

everyone’s looking at the downsides of nz2 but they they could be the pathway to league becoming as big as union in nz. Union is very very vulnerable now in New Zealand with the collapse od super rugby

it’s just a shame the warriors have been away from home for so long and have been a rabble for so long as well

edit clubs currently get around 15 million pa from the nrl vs a cap of 9.4 approx. i believe when they raise it to 11 million soon they will raise the grants as well to every club
Those are covid numbers. Normally it’s a $13mill grant in a $10mill cap. Clubs are operating on around $30mill budgets so any new club will need to be able to generate in the region of $17mill a year without pokie den help.

the multi city nz idea is interesting, pros and cons to it for sure, i suppose gws have built a fanbase in two cities so maybe it would work.

Perth doesn’t need afl fans to like rl, it has a large contingent of rl fans to fill the stadium with. Perth is also very parochial and the people here get behind all the teams that represent perth in my experience.
 

Perth Red

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65,797
If you look at revenue needed a club like roosters in 2019 brought in
sponsorship and corporate sales $8.7mill
gate taking $1.7mill
Merch sales $750k
membership $2mill

then there other revenue sources top it up significantly with over $4mill of other funding.

any new club has to be able to generate those sort of fc operations revenue plus another few mill. No easy task.
 

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