What now for the WARL?

[Nuke]

do u really think there will be a NRL team for perth in 2008??

Personally, I think it's too early to tell. These NRL games next year plus the (I heard 3 or 4) games in 2006 will go a bloody long way to helping our cause. But, it's not my idea for 2008 - it is what the NRL & WARL are aiming for. At least they're putting some effort in now, after 8 years of virtually bugger-all.

All we need now is a fair go by Ch9.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

I pretty sure thats what they are planning to do. Tack onto the back of the RU games with three NRL games straight after the union finishes.

Another suggestion /rumour is that the reason the Gold coast wasn't given the go ahead was that the NRL wants to get back to Perth with a relocated team....copy the GalFL with the relocation of Sydney/Brisbane in the 80s/90s.

If it wasn't for superleague we still be around I am sure....more League fans over here then union however those fans will still go to the kick and clap...including me!!!

But I will be hanging out for the real stuff-the NRL

Rugby league "A hell of a game that heaven can't buy"

fieldo, I use to play for the Raiders and I can tell you that there are more rugby union supporters in Perth than league .
Most of the Kiwi's and South Africans there support the All Blacks and union . Its always great having a beer at a league club in WA and watching the Bledisloe Cup with a white line cross in the middle to separate the Aussie's and the Kiwi's .
I've been hanging on to watch some NRL in Perth for sometims but never happen .
Our league club had a club piss up at Subiaco Oval watching the Wallabies/NZ Maori's rugby match a couple of years ago .

 

[taipan]

I think you will find the Gold Coast will be in 2007,announced next year,and then once the new Tv contracts are into place possibly the following scenario Rabbitohs to Central Coast(if they cant get a new redfern oval up and running),then either a relocated Sydney team to Perth in 2008 or a brand new team,and if the latter then Wellington NZ will be added to make 18 teams.
Unfortunately the Sydney clubs have become too dependent on pokie machine money,which will dry up somewhat next year,and this means a couple of clubs will be left with no alternative but to relocate or die-I hope not.
As far as support base in Perth goes previous NRL matches have drawn large crowds,the Reds initially but it dropped off when they lost their impetus,there are still many east Coast aussies ,Kiwis and Nth Englanders who have migrated to that state,and who have supported league in the past.It would be a matter of organising games at different days or weekends to the union. Like any sport if the team is successful,you get huge numbers of bandwaggon jumpers,as happened with the Storm in 1999.

 

[fieldo]

Taipan I hope you are right....mail from my sources says you may be close although the Gold Coast option is not supported in all sections of the NRL.

And yes Sydney needs to let go of some of their clubs......Perth would welcome them with open arms.....

 

[Nuke]

I've thought for a while now that any expansion would first be to the Gold Coast with Souths becoming the Central Coast Rabbitohs. Any Perth and Adelaide teams would be relocated Sydney teams.

If that happened, think of how the competition would look. It would be considerably less Sydney-orientated (more national - as in the NATIONAL Rugby League). It could look like this:

Sydney teams:
Sydney Roosters
Canterbury Bulldogs
Parramatta Eels
Penrith Panthers
Manly Sea Eagles
St George-Illawarra Dragons *

non-Sydney NSW teams:
Newcastle Knights
St George-Illawarra Dragons *
Central Coast Rabbitohs

ACT team:
Canberra Raiders

Qld teams:
North Queensland Cowboys
Gold Coast Dolphins
Brisbane Broncos

Vic team:
Melbourne Storm

WA team:
Western / Perth Tigers

SA team:
Adelaide Sharks

NZ team:
New Zealand Warriors

* - I assume the Dragons will still alternate WIN and OkiJubilee Stadiums.

That's 16 teams - only one more than what we currently have. In a few years time, look at inviting Wellington to join, PNG (I read that recently that idea was being thrown around), and a Darwin team. Not all have to be brand new teams.

Just an idea.

 

[perth sharkie]

Sorry Nuke, I would hate to see my team Cronulla relocated to Adelaide. Same for West Tigers shifting to Perth. As would most people who support these teams.

If Cronulla relocated, I wouldn't support them. I'd probably give up on rugby league all together.

Perth would be more successful with a new team rather than a relocated one, IMHO. If the NRL wants to drop a Sydney team, fine. But the team should still be allowed to exist in the NSWRL, not be taken away from its community and dumped on the other side of Australia.

 

[Nuke]

They were just ideas ... and my ideas at that!

I can understand your situation, but for my logic in selecting those teams, I just chose teams where there are other teams not too far away (Tigers-Doggies-Eels & Sharks-Dragons). If any Sydney team did relocate, at least current supporters could still see them every 2nd weekend anyway same as you can now - except these games won't all be at the same venue, they'll be at the various Sydney stadiums.

 

[fieldo]

It will be good to see the Perth comp with 6 first grade sides again this year.

Heard that Joondalup, Rockingham and Armadale have good numbers by my mail.

Fremantle had 15 players at training (4-6 ex Sharks players) and Willagee look like backing them as their reserves.

Souths and Norths will be their usual I suspect although Souths have lost some useful players in Paul Berk and John Muir.

Rumours have it that Joondalup have imported a whole first grade side....any body shed some light on that.

Armadale apparently have 30 odd at training........however may be lacking enough genuine first grade players......but thats still good numbers.

The Sharks are an unknown quantity as they have some imports and the rest are young guys and the bulk of last years side.....they have lost Puna Alatini back to Adelaide....all rest still there apart from a few reserve graders who have gone to Freo...Good to see the clubs sharing around players

 

[Kurt Angle]

What happened to Paul Berk ?

 

[fieldo]

I pretty sure hes gone back East. I got told the club but can't remember.
If I find out I will post it here

 

[Nuke]

Rumours have it that Joondalup have imported a whole first grade side....any body shed some light on that.

We're getting 20-30 people to training every session this year - the difference between this year and the last few years is incredible. In recent seasons past, we'd still be getting only about 6 people to training.

The ad the Giants put in the Rugby League Week late last year, plus ads in the QLD and NSW country areas' newspapers have apparently done their trick. Apart from the ARL Development Officer that we got assigned (he's a player too), we've apparently got about 13 people from NSW, QLD, NZ, PNG, and England (!!!) coming over to play with us. Personally, I think of those, we may only get 6 or 7, but that's still better than none at all! Those that will be arriving, I believe will get here in the next couple of weeks.

I guess we'll see what happens!

 

[fieldo]

Thats great should be a good season after the low point of 2004. Six first grade sides should make it a whole lot more interesting. One thing we have probably all learnt out of the aftermath of the Reds is that every club must look after the competition otherwise if clubs are selfish they will have no competition.

I have heard that Fremantle will have a side.....they were my only concern......the concern now I suppose for them is backup and getting the players they have from Rockingham to training....

Joondalup and Rockingham games should be worth the admission price....both sides will have similar aspirations to make the finals and similar recruiting will see them with some new names who sound like will be reasonable players.

Armadale also from my mail will be strong but haven't recruited many from other East .......maybe some English players being recruited however.....

 

[Kurt Angle]

Didn't the Bulldogs suffer big problems in last years WAFL comp ?

It was pretty sad to hear how they were a merger of Belmont and Armadale originally ??

And South Perth absorbed Vicpark ? or cannington ?

Still along way from the glory days of 12 teams ehh ?

That's the saddest part, RL in 1994 was more popular than RU is now in WA.

I wasn't here then, but a friend of mine told me about it, when the Eagles first got in trouble, the WA state government made sure they got SGIO to sponsor them, they WA state government threw buckets of $$ behind the s14 side, and did nothing for the RL side.

 

[fieldo]

Bulldogs just run out of willing workers I believe....plus I think a few of the willing workers may have been upset by happenings within the club. Bulldogs were actually the merger of Armadale and Canning to a degree and Brothers.....Belmont actually played as Souths Third grade side in the late 90's then folded. there was some Belmont/midland juniors for a while. Mosman Cottesloe folded in 1998 after Graham Washington died but still have a reunion each year at Fremantle club house.

the first grade clubs in the 80's were Fremantle, Mosman cottesloe, South perth, Wanneroo, Vic pk canning, Belmont /Perth Kiwis, Applecross, Willagee,North beach. Cottesloe/Applecross/Canning/Kiwis /Wanneroo/Belmont all gone

Other clubs to have first grade since include Joondalup, Rockingham, Mandurah, and Armadale with Joondalup and Rockingham being the only new clubs winning first grade premierships.

I think 6 clubs this year will be managable and will strengthen the WARL once again.
I suspect Willagee will be Fremantles reserves and Bulldogs will have a team just. #-o

 

[Kurt Angle]

I know Willagee exist. I played for Palmyra Union one year, and one of our guys was leaving the next year to play for Willagee.

But they only compete against 3rds or something don't they.

Applecross are in that div, and sort of South Perth's 3rd's ?

8 I think is the perfect number.

4 north, 4 south makes a good rep fixture.

Maybe a city vs country, with the Kimberly boys coming down once a year

 

[SalfordRedsWA]

WA state government threw buckets of $$ behind the s14 side, and did nothing for the RL side.

Im still awaiting a response by the WA sports minister Bob Kucera about where they stand with rugby league.

 

[fieldo]

Bob Kucera quite clearly said in an interview on TV that Rugby Union was the real Rugby(or words to that effect).....I suppose that sums it up

 

[olympic park]

dont think anyone should rule out the sharkies moving west...

shark attacks are quite common in western australia and the merged st george-illawarra team engulfs that little bit of land where cronulla is based!!

poker machine tax was prehaps introduced for a reason!!

 

[SalfordRedsWA]

Cronulla are set to play 2 games in Central Coast next year as home games.

 

[perth sharkie]

dont think anyone should rule out the sharkies moving west...

shark attacks are quite common in western australia and the merged st george-illawarra team engulfs that little bit of land where cronulla is based!!

poker machine tax was prehaps introduced for a reason!!

That won't happen, the club have stated numerous times that there will be no relocation for Cronulla.