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18th club, whose next?

Perth Red

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65,842
After all these years of waiting for an expansion to 18 teams and now it feels like the most likely outcome is 2 more SEQLD teams. f**k me i know this sport is insular at times but I didn’t think it was this bad.
Haha I’ve learnt never to be surprised at the weak, cowardly and myopic nature of rugby league leadership!

only the nrl would consider that you can’t hold market control of two states with 15 clubs and that somehow we need to add more to fight off the afl with its 4 clubs in those two states! our game is so so small lol
 

Perth Red

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65,842
The AFL 'expanding' into WA and Tasmania isn't much different to the NRL 'expanding' into Brisbane
WA agreed, though that won’t happen for decades, if ever. Putting a third team into brisbane before anywhere else would be like afl putting another team in perth when it still didn’t have any in Sydney or qlnd!
tassie would be more like nrl putting a team in canberra if one didn’t exist. New market but with a strong following for the game.
 

Pippen94

First Grade
Messages
5,858
WA agreed, though that won’t happen for decades, if ever. Putting a third team into brisbane before anywhere else would be like afl putting another team in perth when it still didn’t have any in Sydney or qlnd!
tassie would be more like nrl putting a team in canberra if one didn’t exist. New market but with a strong following for the game.

No it wouldn't. Sydney & Brisbane have bigger populations the former especially so
 

Perth Red

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65,842
No it wouldn't. Sydney & Brisbane have bigger populations the former especially so
It’d still be playing it safe with ”expansion” into heartland rather than investing in growing new markets, population size doesn’t matter in this argument, it’s ablut do you add more to an already existing market or do you invest in growing new markets. Adding a third brisbane team before perth or nz2 would be the ultimate in conservative myopic thinking, probably why vlandys will do it!

with perth heading to 3 million people in years to come it’s hardly a small market we are talking about!
 

Pippen94

First Grade
Messages
5,858
Haha I’ve learnt never to be surprised at the weak, cowardly and myopic nature of rugby league leadership!

only the nrl would consider that you can’t hold market control of two states with 15 clubs and that somehow we need to add more to fight off the afl with its 4 clubs in those two states! our game is so so small lol

It’d still be playing it safe with ”expansion” into heartland rather than investing in growing new markets, population size doesn’t matter in this argument, it’s ablut do you add more to an already existing market or do you invest in growing new markets. Adding a third brisbane team before perth or nz2 would be the ultimate in conservative myopic thinking, probably why vlandys will do it!

with perth heading to 3 million people in years to come it’s hardly a small market we are talking about!

Perth is 2 million. Adelaide just over 1 million. Sydney is around 6 & seqld almost 4 million.
 

Perth Red

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65,842
Perth is 2 million. Adelaide just over 1 million. Sydney is around 6 & seqld almost 4 million.
Current estimate is 2.125 million for perth, add in the outer areas like bunbury and Busselton and you are around 2.3million.

adelaide 1.4mill
 

Pippen94

First Grade
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5,858
Current estimate is 2.125 million for perth, add in the outer areas like bunbury and Busselton and you are around 2.3million.

adelaide 1.4mill

Those places to Perth almost double distance of Brisbane to sunshine coast or Gold Coast. Might as well include all of WA.
Fourth team in se qld will have same sized catchment as Adelaide when it gets in.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
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5,325
WA agreed, though that won’t happen for decades, if ever. Putting a third team into brisbane before anywhere else would be like afl putting another team in perth when it still didn’t have any in Sydney or qlnd!
tassie would be more like nrl putting a team in canberra if one didn’t exist. New market but with a strong following for the game.
Do you think that Central Coast is the NRL's Tasmania? I really can't ever see us going to the Central Coast unless it's a relocation. Central Coast has 100k more in population than Hobart and AFL clubs are more expensive to run.

I know it's a bit off topic, but the AFL are crazy if they think that Tassie is financially viable.
 

Perth Red

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65,842
Those places to Perth almost double distance of Brisbane to sunshine coast or Gold Coast. Might as well include all of WA.
Fourth team in se qld will have same sized catchment as Adelaide when it gets in.
If you’re going to talk about se qlnd then only fair to compare apples to apples and consider SW WA. We are used to big distances, everything is close by if its less than 5 hours drive lol

theres a reason they have gone with west coast Pirates, not perth pirates. Good growing rl presence in the SW. The rl community in the fast growing sw corridor will jump in their cars and drive 2 hours to hbf park in similar way that the nq fans do.
 
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Perth Red

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65,842
Do you think that Central Coast is the NRL's Tasmania? I really can't ever see us going to the Central Coast unless it's a relocation. Central Coast has 100k more in population than Hobart and AFL clubs are more expensive to run.

I know it's a bit off topic, but the AFL are crazy if they think that Tassie is financially viable.
It’s not, hence why they still haven’t gone there. Tassie govt is willing to chuck millions at it but that doesn’t seem sustainable. It’s a lot of risk for little reward for the afl. They continue to plactate the tassie govt so they continue to pay the Hawks millions to take some games there.

CC is not needed for the nrl. This is where the game suffers from having a very poor second tier that is seen as not worth following as it’s just reserve grade.
 
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8,480
To me the Bris2 / Dolphins has come about for a number of reasons which I can understand. League Heartland, Games in Brisbane most weeks, Rivalry with Broncos, shoring-up against competition from Leg Tennis, and....

Gaining new Pay-tv subscriptions from Qld. Broncos have had a mortgage on Friday night FTA for years - but that's seemingly gonna change. It's been openly discussed this has been a big reason - why else would News Ltd inject that much into the bid. Funny that 25 years on from Super League - "it's about pay tv"

As for the thread question...

I honestly think it'll come down to what happens over the next 2/3 years. Primarily - the financial performance of the NRL.

Scenarios....

A) IF the NRL have a continuously strong and growing financial situation - I see them going into AFL Territory for long-term investment. SA or WA. There are significant initial costs but the opportunity for longer term gains more significant than going back to NSW/QLD

B) IF the NRL have a solid, but not strong situation - I see them going back to Brisbane / Brisbane 3.

NZ2 and PNG etc - I can't see happening - primarily because of what we've seen with the Warriors having to play in Oz for the last two years at what must be an absolutely enormous cost to the NRL. PVL has managed State Govt's brilliantly to keep things going - but he has no control internationally.

While NZ2 might seem like a great idea in theory, Covid2 could cripple the NRL's coffers. It's a big risk.

Under PVL - I think A) is the more likely scenario. And while I no doubt have a bias to Adelaide getting a team (but also with reasons I've mentioned in the Adelaide thread etc), I think Perth has the more clout in the media and other circles - which will matter. As we've seen - News Ltd effectively run the game.
 
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Perth Red

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65,842
It’s amusing people keep mentioning Adelaide and Perth in the same breath like they are in anyway equal in terms of readiness or value for nrl. Not sure if you know much about RL outside nsw or qlnd but the game in Adelaide is light years behind perth in every facet.

that’s not to say Adelaide can’t get there, but in reality it’s where perth was around 2003, it needs major development across all areas to be in consideration before perth or nz2.
 
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Perth Red

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65,842
The thing with the 18th team is the media value is in the content of an extra game, not so much in location. An extra game regardless of whose in will generate 800k viewers a week. That’s why the nrl must use it as an opportunity to grow into anew market, wherever that may be. If it can’t sell the value of an extra game regardless of location of new club.
if the game can’t sell an extra game regardless of whose in then it has got massive market credibility and value problems!
 
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8,480
It’s amusing people keep mentioning Adelaide and Perth in the same breath like they are in anyway equal in terms of readiness or value for nrl. Not sure if you know much about RL outside nsw or qlnd but the game in Adelaide is light years behind perth in every facet.

If that's meant for me... I'm very aware of the state of RL in these states. And Perth has a very strong local league, credit to em.

But I also know Geography.

Adelaide may have a comparatively tiny juniors comp to Perth, and good on Perth for what they've done. But there is a potential for increase of the domestic comp in SA - as likely or unlikely that is. And what we've seen with Melbourne - juniors don't necessarily matter anyway.

What there is no potential for is Perth to get any closer to the east coast of Australia. or New Zealand for that matter. It's stuck there. Forever. With all the travel and costs that go with it - for each and every team in a future competition involving it.

For all the good work Perth might be doing locally - it's the enormous Achilles heel they will never be able to shake. Other Australian sports codes have teams there yeah - but they also have much smaller squad sizes to shift around - with sports that are "developed" within WA.

As I've said above - I do think Perth is in the box seat if the NRL brains it financially in the next 2,3 years. But there needs to be a huge ROI to overcome the costs. There is a strong case for Perth. But you don't have a mortgage on it. Mainly because you are here..

V3W9PWTK8CugGJdVETI5qRkg1Md9aArQkcsuUo4WwpjBolsIEKEn64ZCxGUc9p3Vm64wVX_5t15rxhZS8pNI_H5qa6NqEvJH3343erXHhvJ4VkY
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,562
I reckon the Dolphins admission has appeased a QRL veto situation in the ARLC for a outcome

Now which one
 

Perth Red

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Messages
65,842
If that's meant for me... I'm very aware of the state of RL in these states. And Perth has a very strong local league, credit to em.

But I also know Geography.

Adelaide may have a comparatively tiny juniors comp to Perth, and good on Perth for what they've done. But there is a potential for increase of the domestic comp in SA - as likely or unlikely that is. And what we've seen with Melbourne - juniors don't necessarily matter anyway.

What there is no potential for is Perth to get any closer to the east coast of Australia. or New Zealand for that matter. It's stuck there. Forever. With all the travel and costs that go with it - for each and every team in a future competition involving it.

For all the good work Perth might be doing locally - it's the enormous Achilles heel they will never be able to shake. Other Australian sports codes have teams there yeah - but they also have much smaller squad sizes to shift around - with sports that are "developed" within WA.

As I've said above - I do think Perth is in the box seat if the NRL brains it financially in the next 2,3 years. But there needs to be a huge ROI to overcome the costs. There is a strong case for Perth. But you don't have a mortgage on it. Mainly because you are here..

V3W9PWTK8CugGJdVETI5qRkg1Md9aArQkcsuUo4WwpjBolsIEKEn64ZCxGUc9p3Vm64wVX_5t15rxhZS8pNI_H5qa6NqEvJH3343erXHhvJ4VkY
So The main thing going for Adelaide is it’s $100 each way cheaper to get there? Short bid application :)
 
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11,392
Johns put forward the idea of the 18th team being a “Pacific nation side”, arguing it would be a way to harness the large number of talented rugby league players who have Pacific Island heritage.

“They’re talking about an 18th team,” he told SEN on Friday.

“Obviously, they can’t rush into it, but you can’t stay at 17 teams, 18 is the number.

“I think in some way, shape or form it (the 18th team) should be a Pacific nation side.

“It allows you to shore up that crucial area, it’s one of the heartlands of the game now as far as recruitment is concerned.

“Think of the side you could get out of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands.”

Johns said there are several potential locations where a Pacific team could be based, including Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.



“The nation that has got miles of money as far as oil money is concerned is Papua New Guinea,” he said.

 

Pippen94

First Grade
Messages
5,858
Johns put forward the idea of the 18th team being a “Pacific nation side”, arguing it would be a way to harness the large number of talented rugby league players who have Pacific Island heritage.

“They’re talking about an 18th team,” he told SEN on Friday.

“Obviously, they can’t rush into it, but you can’t stay at 17 teams, 18 is the number.

“I think in some way, shape or form it (the 18th team) should be a Pacific nation side.

“It allows you to shore up that crucial area, it’s one of the heartlands of the game now as far as recruitment is concerned.

“Think of the side you could get out of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands.”

Johns said there are several potential locations where a Pacific team could be based, including Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.



“The nation that has got miles of money as far as oil money is concerned is Papua New Guinea,” he said.


Johns is an idiot. Does rugby league have a problem harnessing south pacific talent?!
 

ReddFelon

Juniors
Messages
1,485
Johns put forward the idea of the 18th team being a “Pacific nation side”, arguing it would be a way to harness the large number of talented rugby league players who have Pacific Island heritage.

“They’re talking about an 18th team,” he told SEN on Friday.

“Obviously, they can’t rush into it, but you can’t stay at 17 teams, 18 is the number.

“I think in some way, shape or form it (the 18th team) should be a Pacific nation side.

“It allows you to shore up that crucial area, it’s one of the heartlands of the game now as far as recruitment is concerned.

“Think of the side you could get out of Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands.”

Johns said there are several potential locations where a Pacific team could be based, including Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.



“The nation that has got miles of money as far as oil money is concerned is Papua New Guinea,” he said.



Problem is this has already been done, Moana Pasifika are the soon to debut Super Rugby team alongside the Fiji Drua. The idea, especially if based around Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Cook Islands etc, is already being done by a rival and they're based out of South Auckland.

I don't think RL has the financial power to make it viable, but also most clubs have a pathway for Pacific players, all they really need to is to affiliate the PNG Hunters with an NRL club. I'd be in full support for the Hunters to link up with a potential Perth team. Gives Perth access to immediate depth, doesn't tread on any QRL or NSWRL toes and gives PNG a professional pathway.
 
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