The Rams crowds in their first season were higher than many Sydney clubs are today, a decade later. There is no doubt in my mind that they will get good support from day one.
Sponsorship will increase because it means the NRL has another city of 1M+ preople that the ads will be exposed to. The club itself will find it easier to get sponsors as it won't have to compete with as many teams and there will be new SA-based sponsors available that previously weren't interested in backing an NRL team.
Compared to saturated Sydney, Adelaide is almost empty. A smart club would have a sh*tload of growth potential if they moved there.
This is all short term too. Long term it'll open up a whole new state of future players and supporters of the NRL. This is the big plus imo. Even if Adelaide only get 12,000 for their first decade it's still better than a Sydney team averaging 12,000 as it's exposing the game to new fans/sponsors.
Don't get me wrong. I'd love for the Rams to resurrect and do well. Was gutted that they died - as I was for every other club bar the Mariners.
Yes, Adelaide had good crowds in it's first year. And very average ones in it's second. Plus, they rated a zero on ABC TV telecasts in Adelaide. If TV is the cash cow of RL, Adelaide won't have an argument on that score.
If a club totally relocated to Adelaide, there will be loss of support at their old base. It happened to Fitzroy when it merged with Brisbane AFL. Happened to North Shore based Norths fans when the NE JV happened to a lesser extent. Same with Steelers fans in their JV - alythough they were helped when the Wolves died in Soccers reconstruction.
Sydney clubs bring their crowds, but they also generate a lot of local interest in the code - be it through following their club, or the local focus a club throws on the game. Remember that Sydney clubs are the most supported sport in their area. In Adelaide and Perth they'd be No. 2.
Sydney clubs also have a local parochial rivalry with other districts. This is strengthened through family, friend and work relationships, as that rivalry adds to discussion, banter and the general relationship. Example - I started a new job last week - organised by a mate who is a Dragons fanatic. He tyold everyone that I'm an Eels supporter. My new boss, and the head honch are also dragons fans, and the rivalry has broken the ice, and begun the banter between us that strengthens our relatiopnship. In a one team town, does that happen?
There is an argument that an Adelaide or Perth side is a long term investment. Breaking down local AFL parochialism and greabbing a Bronco sized slice of the local crowd, merchandise, TV and sponsorship revinue is the dream. We have seen with the 4 big cross-code inroads: The Swans, the Lions, The Warrior and the Storm, that the average Toyota Park/CUA Stadium/Kogarah crowd can easily be duplicated. However, it takes a premiership - or at least a GF appearance - to galvanise any support or adoption of the team in the general public of that area.
Auckland is a classic example. Similar size to Adelaide, but with a bigger population in the sattelite commuinities (I'm thinking Napier/Rotorua/Whangarei etc). They support a S14 side well. They need private ownership to support the Warriors, who only come alive at finals time. Their soccer team transferred to Wellington.
The Storm is another example. Their home crowds are no better than the average Sydney club. Their TV exposure doesn't warrant C9 to show them in ratings hour. Yet, they are constantly held up as a 'future of RL' club. I hope the new stadium works for them. I hope their games do get shown at a decent hour.
Compare them to Newcastle - 12 times smaller.
Most of the 'expansion' argument is driven by the map fillers - that is - those who see the capital cities as the only areas that matter. Have a team in the 5 mainland state capitals, and you are a national sport. Have a team in 8 different locations - 8 of the top 10 population areas in Australia plus Auckland), and you are not national. Go figure the sense in that!
Adelaide has to not only duplicate Cronulla's home crowd, but it's TV ratings, junior production AND sponsorship to even come close to justifying it;s existance at the expense of Cronulla. Not to mention the damage it would do to kill off the rivalry with St George - one of the key contests which underpin the NRL. And then it has to make up the equivalent of the Leagues club grant.
I'd love to see Adelaide back. But not to drag 10000 east coast expats to each home game that the rest of the city couldn't give a rats about.
We don't need a London Broncos in the NRL.
And drop their name and colours in doing so...
