Even StGeorge Illawarra a much more stable vers....we lost a side in wollongong, for what? So a sydney side could pretend to play there?
Pretend? Half their home games are played out of Win stadium mate. The Dragons were the best thing to happen to league in the Illawarra. The Steelers were run by self serving dinosaurs.
Cannot compare that JV to the Tigers or the Eagles
Agree with Joker here.
The difference with SGI is that all the value was and is in St George. The cash, the heritage, the brand, the support, etc.
Illawarra have the junior nursery, but it's worthless if the club can't utilise any of the key success factors required to operate a professional sports club business. They didn't have this as the Steelers.
The SGI marriage is a good one. St George had a history of tapping the Illawarra region for players prior to the Steelers entry anyway. In the end, the Steelers half know that there would not be any Illawarra representation at all if the takeover didn't eventuate.
If it is true that Balmain are in financial trouble and the joint is being bankrolled by the Magpies side of the marriage, it's understandable that the Magpies feel sidelined. If they're doing the majority of the work to keep the club afloat why should they be treated as second best and why should Balmain be favourited.
If Wests are carrying most of the burden, and if Balmain does fall over, Wests might be in a position to go it alone again.
Western Suburbs have got no hope of going it alone in the NRL. That's their problem. If they did, they would not have entered the merger and they would've already cut Balmain loose.
Balmain contribute the factors that generates value - branding and supporters.
At the end of the day Balmain is the hot chick with the big fake tits that everyone wants to be seen with and party with.
Wests is the rich old fart who wouldn't have a mate if he didn't have a quid.
It's a marriage of convenience but both sides know that if it dissolved Wests would be like the Bob Jane bloke racing go karts in front of 2 people before he carks it and Balmain would be turning tricks on william St for a quid
The JV ain't going to be disbanded, because hate eachother as they may, Balmain don't have the dosh and wests don't have the appeal, never have and never will
:lol: The best summation of the situation. Well done.
Does the Leagues club really contribute that much these days to the NRL club? Surely the NRL entity should be self funding with both leagues clubs responsible for funding the jnr development pathways and maybe contributing the NSW cup teams costs?
Yep, but it's predominantly the intangibles of the Balmain side that generate it. They might not be physically providing the funding as efficiently Western Suburbs can via their affiliate leagues clubs, but a lot of the revenue coming through the doors of the Wests Tigers as a joint venture would be largely generated by Balmain's assets.
So did the JV make Balmain tigers merge with Ryde-Eastwood? To be fair Concord isn't that far from Leichhardt. That seems to be major issue with Magpies complaining
Ordinarily, it shouldn't be a problem, but if the NSW Cup team is largely made of Wests Juniors that live in the Macarthur region, and they will realistically provide the players in the future, then the logistics do need to be looked at. Ideally for cost effectiveness, all teams under the JV banner should train at the same facility, but this situation isn't the norm.
The 'Tiger' is the real draw card and the Wests Tigers as they should, promote and market that.
Some of the Wests side can't handle this.....but it makes sense. As does having one reserve grade team but Wests can't see this....but it makes sense.
Playing at the SFS also makes sense because it makes money.
Harry T is a Balmain man and he is the clubs main sponsor.
No wonder Wests haven't had any success in the past 40 years, they're a bit on the dopey side
I understand that the Tiger brand is what Balmain brought to the table, unfortunately it seems that it's all they have left on it. f**king inner-west paupers.
Believe it or not I'm not overly pissed off with Balmain about the NSW Cup team, I would have expected them to vote for a single NSW Cup side but the JV board was unanimous and plenty of the fossils on that board owe a lot to the black and white crest on the wall outside their Leagues Clubs.
Playing at the SFS is a cop-out for a few bucks, nothing more. It settles a problem for them, when they decide who plays where there's no argument with the 3 home grounds, the better drawing teams play at the SFS. It doesn't help grow the brand at all. They've pretty much given the Macarthur area the flick and I would love another team, even the f**king Roosters, to do what they've threatened and poach the whole area.
Enjoy watching Melbourne and NZ run around Leichhardt again next year.
The 'Tiger' brand is one of the strongest in the NRL and a large proportion of the support is aligned to it.
I agree with Everlovin regarding SFS home matches though. It doesn't help the growth of the JV in the Macarthur region where its potential for new fans --->> new game-day attendees --->> growth in ticketed members -->> guaranteed supporter revenue is greatest.
SFS can decide to offer an inferior deal anytime, but supporters will stay for life.
