Easts BNE NRL bid

[applesauce]

Easts Tigers consider NRL bid
Peter Badel
The Courier-Mail
February 17, 2011

THE NRL expansion battle has taken an intriguing twist with one of Queensland's most famous rugby league clubs privately discussing plans to become Brisbane's second NRL team.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the Easts Tigers are the latest organisation weighing up the prospect of joining Central Queensland, Ipswich, Perth, Papua New Guinea, Wellington, the NSW Central Coast and the Brisbane bid consortium in the race to win an NRL licence.

Easts chief executive Des Morris has flagged the issue with Tigers committee members. The plan is still in its infancy, but Morris says the club will look to conduct a feasibility study if the soon-to-be created independent commission gives the green light to two new NRL teams.

Founded in 1923 as Coorparoo, the Tigers are synonymous with Queensland rugby league, having won eight premierships, the last in 1991.

Some of the club's illustrious products include former Queensland hooker John Lang, now coach of Souths, and ex-Broncos star Darren Smith.

"As a long-standing club, we would like the opportunity that the NSW clubs have to play in the NRL," said Morris, also the Queensland Origin chairman of selectors.

"We believe that some of the more traditional Queensland clubs should be given an opportunity. There's been no real indication from the NRL as yet (on expansion) so we're not getting carried away.

"We'll just keep doing what we're doing, but if the NRL decides they want two more teams, we will look at a feasibility study.

"We've had a few discussions about it in committee meetings, but we're nowhere near as advanced as some of the other bids." The Tigers have the support of business tycoon David Kemp, who bailed out the Brisbane Bullets basketball side almost three years ago.

Kemp's company BDS Group, Australia's largest domestic shelving manufacturer, is a Tigers sponsor.

Aiding the Tigers' cause for an NRL licence is their existing infrastructure and a profitable leagues club at home ground Langlands Park.

The Tigers last considered entering the big league in 1997, when Sydney club Balmain, the Gold Coast and Easts discussed a three-way merger to be known as the East Coast Tigers.

But with the Wests Tigers now entrenched in the NRL, Easts' nickname could be one hurdle.

"It wouldn't be that simple for us. There's already a Tigers team in the NRL so we wouldn't be able to use that name," Morris said. "It's paramount that we retain our identity . . . so we need to consider that."

 

[Brutus]

I really like the idea of a 2nd Brisbane team having strong links with a traditional QLD Cup club/s.

 

[Slackboy72]

I really like the idea of a 2nd Brisbane team having strong links with a traditional QLD Cup club/s.

Would prefer it if any new NRL sides came from the joint efforts of two or more QLD cup sides as it would at least provide them with a fanbase greater than just everyone who hates the broncos in brisbane.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I thought they'd more or less shelved any plans to go for an NRL franchise and I think if they are keen again they can't wait for the NRL to act. The other Brisbane bid team is already working on its bid. The Tigers need to solve the name issue and get working on the other logistical issues and finance matters so that they are in the running if/when the bidding process really starts.

I always thought the best situation for Brisbane would have been to have a northside team and a southside team. They messed it up though. The Broncos were based on the northside but moved to QE2 and the Crushers were also based on the northside. Ideally the Broncos would have been based at Red Hill and played at Lang Park while the Crushers should have been based in the south and played at QE2. As it is any new club will obviously play at Lang Park but it might still be an idea to be based south of the river and try and make that half of the city their own. Yes the western/Ipswich area is big and growing but the area from the city down to Logan is huge and a much more natural boundary area than this sketchy western area. Plus it makes more sense playing at Lang Park, even for a team based just across the river. A western team would essentially be playing home games on the road in Brisbane while hoping for a new stadium that possibly wouldn't happen or will take ages.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

I think the South Brisbane bids are generally confused about what actual area they intend to represent. You have overlapping bids and it'll only be a matter of time before Mr. Craig Davison aims shots at Easts, as his done already to Ipswich, CQ and CC. Is this the bid we heard about that has 2 qrl clubs joining forces? Because I don't think it is... I hear whispers coming out of Norths/Redcliffe...

 

[adamkungl]

This is getting crazy. NRL surely won't say no to expansion with this many bids knocking down the door.

 

[applesauce]

I think the South Brisbane bids are generally confused about what actual area they intend to represent. You have overlapping bids and it'll only be a matter of time before Mr. Craig Davison aims shots at Easts, as his done already to Ipswich, CQ and CC. Is this the bid we heard about that has 2 qrl clubs joining forces? Because I don't think it is... I hear whispers coming out of Norths/Redcliffe...

f**k YEAH, that will be massive!

 

[user_nat]

Does this make 3 separate Brisbane bid teams?

 

[Brutus]

So Norths and Redcliffe hey?

The North Brisbane Dolphins?

Two teams north of the river.

I suppose they Dolphins would stretch up to the Sunny Coast.

 

[H.H]

Redcliffe have been talking about this for some time and the reason the Titans are not the Dolphins is for this very reason.

If you cast you mind back to 2006 Gold Coast's original nickname was the Dolphins. Redcliffe quashed this in the hope that they would one day have an NRL side.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Redcliffe also said in the interim they weren't interested in an NRL team.

The suggestion that they could be a franchise seemed to be based on their success in the Qld Cup. But I can't see how that can have any bearing on an NRL franchise. The place is tucked away in a corner of the city and even the Sunshine Coast idea doesn't stack up because while Redcliffe is nearer to the coast than the rest of Brisbane it doesn't have anything to do with it. Getting Norths on board might make it look like it's a Brisbane North franchise but surely we already have one of those. The Broncos are now based north of the river and play north of the river.

It's all a bit confusing. I think there needs to be one Brisbane bid and it needs to represent whatever is the best outcome for the game. I have NFI what that is though. A western team encompassing Ipswich, a southern team or a northern/Sunshine Coast team. Personally I think the northern and western ideas are trying to bind together areas that are not naturally linked whereas the southside team has a natural boundary and some sort of identity.

 

[applesauce]

Taking off my rose coloured glasses, Norths-Redcliffe would not be the best possible fit. Despite both QLD Cup teams being the arguably best supported and Redcliffe having so much $$$ it just isn't the right area within Brisbane/Greater Brisbane.

A southside team is what is needed, based at Langlands. Logan will embrace it without trying. Some of Ipswich would also get on board like now with the Broncos.

South Brisbane Magpies/Devils/Wolves/Brothers

 

[Brutus]

Langlands or Davies would be the 2 ideal places to base a team.

Langlands probably a better option due to the decent leagues club.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Langlands or Davies would be the 2 ideal places to base a team.

Langlands probably a better option due to the decent leagues club.

What about instead basing themselves at their juniors club @ carina leagues club/? likewise bne 2 with souths juniors @ brandon park/acacia ridge?

 

[Goldfields_Titans]

How would this work out when there is already a team with the Tigers name that play in the same colours (West Tigers)??

 

[BDGS]

I think the South Brisbane bids are generally confused about what actual area they intend to represent. You have overlapping bids and it'll only be a matter of time before Mr. Craig Davison aims shots at Easts, as his done already to Ipswich, CQ and CC. Is this the bid we heard about that has 2 qrl clubs joining forces? Because I don't think it is... I hear whispers coming out of Norths/Redcliffe...

That would be ideal and would effectively kill any other bid in South East Queensland.

It feels like the QLD bids (apart from CQ) are not sure what to do up there. It's great for Rugby League that there are so many bids but not great if they are all half arsed ideas on the chalk/white board.

While this is very exciting, i think its also a time to step back for a second and look at the dangers that so many bids brings to the game as well as the positives.

 

[BDGS]

How would this work out when there is already a team with the Tigers name that play in the same colours (West Tigers)??

I don't think this bid will ever get off the ground, similar to Wellington IMO.

Even the Easts Tiger support said something along the lines of getting over the name and colour issue and working on the other more important stuff.

 

[meltiger]

For those of us proBrisbane2 in whatever form it takes.... Is anyone else concerned all these competing bids may effect sponsorship pledges and in turn the business cases?


Wish they would all get together and work on ONE combined Brisbane2 bid

 

[BDGS]

For those of us proBrisbane2 in whatever form it takes.... Is anyone else concerned all these competing bids may effect sponsorship pledges and in turn the business cases?


Wish they would all get together and work on ONE combined Brisbane2 bid

While i don't support any current Brisbane 2 bids (but will when one is done correctly), this is one of those things i mean't when i said what i said below,

While this is very exciting, i think its also a time to step back for a second and look at the dangers that so many bids brings to the game as well as the positives.

 

[Brutus]

Waiting for Wynnum Manly's bid and one from the Logan City Scorpions.