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West Coast Pirates Bid News

beave

Coach
Messages
15,527
Can you post the tweet?

Beattie is doing more for expansion than any administration since Arko and Quayle.
Gallop kinda messed up with the Titans in hindsight, but was more righting a wrong after the SL/ARL peace deal

I disagree on the Titans. They were smashing on the door for inclusion, had wonderful crowds the first 3-4 years. You can blame their plight purely on Searles ambition. He f**ked up by building the CoE just before the GFC and it all came crumbling down around him (literally) He couldn’t pay contractors, he tried palming off corporate suites as payment. He also tripled the cost of a corprate box (my best mates old man is a well known real estate agent on the GC and he told Searle to shove it up his ass on the phone after 3 years of corporate box support due to astronomical increase in cost)

Once the initial 3-4 years wore off and he’d burnt many a local by not paying them, you have what you see today. It’s going to take years to get back tom17-18k averages again. Shame because that stadium is very nice.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
That comment “best I can say at the moment is stay tuned”

Not even PR can whinge at that comment... wait, he will

f**k off we’ve been tuned in since 2011! Nothing new, more hot air from nrl administrators, heard it too many times over last 8 years. I’ll get excited when they announce that they ARE expanding.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
I disagree on the Titans. They were smashing on the door for inclusion, had wonderful crowds the first 3-4 years. You can blame their plight purely on Searles ambition. He f**ked up by building the CoE just before the GFC and it all came crumbling down around him (literally) He couldn’t pay contractors, he tried palming off corporate suites as payment. He also tripled the cost of a corprate box (my best mates old man is a well known real estate agent on the GC and he told Searle to shove it up his ass on the phone after 3 years of corporate box support due to astronomical increase in cost)

Once the initial 3-4 years wore off and he’d burnt many a local by not paying them, you have what you see today. It’s going to take years to get back tom17-18k averages again. Shame because that stadium is very nice.

Don’t get the titans hate
Are they the worse team on the field? Nope
Are they the worse supported team in the comp? Nope
Do they have the shtist facilities? Not by a long shot

Sure they got into financial strife but aren’t the only ones and probably won’t be the last.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
5,276
Only problem is there is nothing I can see in the budget forecasts to pay for expansion and seeing as the NRL refuses to release its strategic plan it is impossible to see it it is even part of their strategy over the next 5 years! Expansion of 2 teams will cost in the region of $30mill a year min. Unless they have set it in budget forecasts it wont happen until the next TV deal, if then.

I agree, they don't give us much to go on. But from the comments we've heard, it is likely that they will prepare for their inclusion when the new TV deal kicks off in 2023. The negotiations would then likely include an extra game.

I certainly hope they are thinking this way anyway. Because a 17th team needs an 18th to create the extra game which then puts Brissy 2 in the box seat.
 

Diesel

Coach
Messages
19,918
I disagree on the Titans. They were smashing on the door for inclusion, had wonderful crowds the first 3-4 years. You can blame their plight purely on Searles ambition. He f**ked up by building the CoE just before the GFC and it all came crumbling down around him (literally) He couldn’t pay contractors, he tried palming off corporate suites as payment. He also tripled the cost of a corprate box (my best mates old man is a well known real estate agent on the GC and he told Searle to shove it up his ass on the phone after 3 years of corporate box support due to astronomical increase in cost)

Once the initial 3-4 years wore off and he’d burnt many a local by not paying them, you have what you see today. It’s going to take years to get back tom17-18k averages again. Shame because that stadium is very nice.
How much are the new owners doing to mend Searle’s damage? From an outsider, the new owners are an extension of the older owners which the NRL took over.
 

Diesel

Coach
Messages
19,918
f**k off we’ve been tuned in since 2011! Nothing new, more hot air from nrl administrators, heard it too many times over last 8 years. I’ll get excited when they announce that they ARE expanding.
I agree, Perth are overdue for a team.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
I agree, they don't give us much to go on. But from the comments we've heard, it is likely that they will prepare for their inclusion when the new TV deal kicks off in 2023. The negotiations would then likely include an extra game.

I certainly hope they are thinking this way anyway. Because a 17th team needs an 18th to create the extra game which then puts Brissy 2 in the box seat.

Undecided on Beattie and his enthusiasm for expansion. Either he is just being a politician and telling people what they want to hear, or he genuinely wants to drive NRL expansion. Time will tell.
2023 is certainly looking the best window of opportunity, barring unforeseen disasters:
Clubs should be sustainable with the sht load of money they are now getting and the caps in place
Perth has proved time and again it wants a club
Brisbane2 is a no brainer
The NRL has digital streaming opportunities so doesnt have to sell very game to FTA and PayTV, it could hold some back to drive its own subscriptions if it is serious about being a producer and seller of content to the customer.

Saying that, I felt positive in 2011 and 2016 that the TV deals would be big enough to incorporate expansion but never happened so not holding my breath for 2023 either!
 

Vee

First Grade
Messages
5,076
Undecided on Beattie and his enthusiasm for expansion. Either he is just being a politician and telling people what they want to hear, or he genuinely wants to drive NRL expansion. Time will tell.
2023 is certainly looking the best window of opportunity, barring unforeseen disasters:
Clubs should be sustainable with the sht load of money they are now getting and the caps in place
Perth has proved time and again it wants a club
Brisbane2 is a no brainer
The NRL has digital streaming opportunities so doesnt have to sell very game to FTA and PayTV, it could hold some back to drive its own subscriptions if it is serious about being a producer and seller of content to the customer.

Saying that, I felt positive in 2011 and 2016 that the TV deals would be big enough to incorporate expansion but never happened so not holding my breath for 2023 either!
I think Beatit is pro-expansion but is hamstrung by the financial situation of the NRL despite successive record deals because the ARLC/NRL has pissed that money away.
 

Billythekid

First Grade
Messages
6,560
I think Beatit is pro-expansion but is hamstrung by the financial situation of the NRL despite successive record deals because the ARLC/NRL has pissed that money away.

The problem isn't a lack of money (the game would be better off financially if we expanded). The problem is too many self interest parties, namely the clubs, clamouring to take every last penny they can and turning down anything that has even a slight chance of impacting the Grady train.

This isn't like the AFL plonking down teams into areas which don't want one and already have an AFL team to get behind, where TV ratings are awful.

We'd be putting one team in QLD which would be a huge bonus to TV ratings and likely a big drawer crowds wise. We'd also be adding in Perth which has a solid fan base and would add great value to the TV deal (besides just adding an extra game).

Also in general NRL teams are cheaper to run. I don't believe for a second that this next round of expansion will be all that costly to the NRL or the clubs.
 

ALX25

Juniors
Messages
2,493
How is the junior development going? Will there be an improvement next year? How will this be communicated to the wider community?
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
How is the junior development going? Will there be an improvement next year? How will this be communicated to the wider community?

I don’t think it’s fair to judge by sg ball results. Sg ball is the toughest under 18’s comp in world and we are up against clubs with many millions of pokie funds and large player bases. As well as the two nrl players produced so far we have a about 20 in Q’land cup and nsw Cup.

Below this we are doing great with ever growing number of jnr clubs and kids taking up the game. Will take another few decades but if we keep up the hard work we will get there.
 

ALX25

Juniors
Messages
2,493
I don’t think it’s fair to judge by sg ball results. Sg ball is the toughest under 18’s comp in world and we are up against clubs with many millions of pokie funds and large player bases. As well as the two nrl players produced so far we have a about 20 in Q’land cup and nsw Cup.

Below this we are doing great with ever growing number of jnr clubs and kids taking up the game. Will take another few decades but if we keep up the hard work we will get there.

Whoever is doing the social media currently, is doing a much better job for NRL WA/West Coast Pirates. Good to see, as there was an issue with some clubs, let's hope the better relationship now continues to grow.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Some strong South African links from WA announced in squad,

Former West Coast Pirates and Willagee Bears forward Shane Gillham says it’s an honour to be selected to represent his country after being named in the South Africa Rhinos’ 21-man squad to face Malta this weekend.

“It’s definitely a big privilege to be able to represent South Africa. When I played my first test I was speechless,” he said.

Gillham, who currently plays for the Tweed Head Seagulls in the Intrust Premiership, headlines a list of six WA-connected players named to the squad who will travel to Sydney next weekend.

The 22-year-old will play alongside South Perth duo Tyler Thomas and Willem Boshoff, Rockingham utility Will Smith, former Joondalup junior Jean-Charl Smith and Johann Louw.

https://nrlwa.com.au/gillham-headlines-wa-stars-in-south-african-rhinos-side/
 

Stallion

First Grade
Messages
7,467
They will almost certainly be the next expansion team. The NRL claim that they have not been in a position to expand up until now as they have been trying to stablise the current clubs. They have now funded all existing clubs to the tune of $13m per season and established a fund that the clubs will contribute to for any club that falls on financial hardship - they have stated that they won't be bailing clubs out anymore so it looks like we are ready for expansion. Let's see what happens.

Expansion without canibilisation is the best way to go. The NRL can easily sustain more clubs.It's whether the people that are holding back the code will allow it!
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Rival State of Origin coaches Brad Fittler and Kevin Walters say the time is right for Perth to get an NRL side of their own.

Blues coach Fittler and his Maroons counterpart Walters were in Perth on Tuesday to spruik next year's State of Origin clash at Optus Stadium.

Perth is one of the frontrunners to snare an NRL team when the league decides to expand and both Fittler and Walters said it was a necessary step to ensure rugby league was truly a national sport.



"Rugby League has a small identity here, but it needs a bigger one," Walters said.

"And the only way for that to happen is to get a team based out of here. It will have all of Australia covered then basically.

"We should push hard to try to get a team based out of the area here. Hopefully in the next couple of years, that will be achieved."

The current NRL TV rights deal expires at the end of 2022, meaning it's unlikely any new teams will be added until 2023.

Fittler said it was up to the powers that be to decide the best way to launch a team in Perth - whether it be a relocation of an existing club or a new start-up.

But whatever the case, he said Perth was the perfect place for the league to expand to.

"We're going to have to look at ways to increase our worth to the TV networks. And with the time difference in Perth, it works perfectly," Fittler said.

"To me it just makes sense. The city is big enough and the timezone helps it unbelievably."

Queensland have won 11 of the past 12 State of Origin series leading into this year.

But Fittler broke that golden run in his first attempt as coach by leading the Blues to a 2-1 series victory.

Next year's State of Origin clash in Perth, to be held on June 23, will be the second game of the series.

It's the first time a State of Origin clash has been played in Perth, and only the 10th time a game has been played outside of NSW or Queensland.

https://thewest.com.au/sport/rugby-...oaches-back-perth-nrl-expansion-ng-b88898708z
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
Not many people on the East coast know we’ve had a RL comp in WA since the 40’s,

Celebrating 70 years of Rugby League in Western Australia & the birth of the South Perth Lions :lion_face:

1948
It was on an end of season train trip November 1947 when South Perth and university went down to Australind to play a game. Here, Roy Williams, Gordon Squire & Alf Schaffer got discussing the formation of a rugby league competition.

On his return to Perth Alf Schaffer spoke with the committee members of the South Perth Club and Gordon Squire did the same with the Fremantle club. Both clubs were in agreement to switch to the rugby league code. Alf Schaffer, Roy Williams, Ken Allen & Gordon Squire, discussed and worked on a plan to form what would become the first Rugby League competition in Perth.
Each one of the men at the meeting would then go back to their respective clubs to hold a special meeting of members to put in place the process of breaking away from Rugby Union.

January 1948, a special general meeting of the South Perth players and supporters was held in the Mends street hall, South Perth. There were 82 members present, it was a unanimous vote in favour of converting to Rugby League. The other clubs to come over were Fremantle, Cottesloe, Perth & Nedlands along with South Perth this was a five-team competition. The games were played on the Esplanade Perth. The South Perth Lions dominated the competition during the early years, winning premierships in first grade and second grade. We had two third grade sides a & b and nine junior sides.

South Perth Rugby League Club, the Lions, moved over the river to Windsor park, Mill Point Road South Perth. This became the spiritual home of the mighty red & white Lions of South Perth.

Reg Fisher recalls, the first committees were made up of office workers, ex-army and RAAF personal. Most of these men had served in the horrors of world war II, Mr Bob Chester and Mr Dan Fogarty flew thirty bombing missions over Berlin. It was the spirit, discipline and hardness of people like Bob that set the foundations for our club. Bob and his wife Gwen were the corner stone of our club in the early years.

Jim Burns was our first President, Captain and Life member. He was succeeded by Alf Schaffer as President for the next Twenty-Two years.

1950’s
Bob & Gwen Chester owned Robert’s dairy, with help from members of the club in the early fifties they converted the dairy to Chesterton lodge, this was located just off Mill Point Road. The lodge was used for wedding receptions and social functions, it also became the main meeting place and headquarters for the club. Many fundraising and club social functions were held at the lodge. With the help of Bob & Gwen many dress up nights were held, as well as major fund-raising nights. Bob served as club and state coach for the next ten years. Before the lodge, the boys in this period would gather at the Esplanade Hotel where the publican made an upstairs room available for meetings & functions.

There was no building or change rooms at Windsor park, the boys would get changed in their cars and after the game would shower in the artesian hot pool at the zoo. Our first official building was in the mid-fifties, when the city of South Perth council agreed to let the club build a change room at Windsor Park. The agreement was that they would supply all the material and the members would build the rooms. This was not a good thing as most of the members were office workers. There was not a trades man among them, apart from Keith Fisher, a second-year apprentice bricklayer. After a lot of spilt blood, skinned knuckles and two years of not a lot of progress the council finished the job.

The building was 10mtr x 4mtr, it had four shower heads at one end, a timber slatted bench seat along one side wall and the rear wall, two cupboards for storage & a rub down table. There were no toilets, the toilets were the public toilets at the back of the community hall behind the rooms. Both the home side and the away side used the rooms to change and shower in.
This was the clubs first official home at the ground, a lot of meetings were held there as well as a lot of kegs and good times. On many a Sunday, a keg would be sorted, and the boys would have a get together. It was also the meeting place for the bottle top club, and many a court case was conducted. In later years we were able to use the Scout hall across on the zoo side of the oval for away teams to change. There were no showers in the scout hall so away teams still had to shower in our rooms.

To begin with there were only two light poles for training on the bowling club side, later on two more were installed on the tennis club side of the oval.

Up to this point the in our history of our club as a Rugby League club we had won premierships under;

Club Coaches
Jim Carrol – 1948
Bob Chester - 1949, 52, 53,54,57,58.

Presidents
Alf Schaffer 1951 - 1972

NRL - National Rugby League
 
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