18th club, whose next?

[Red&BlackBear]

Either way - a blueprint of a model is there for this to be successful.

Whether people on here get on board or not or whether people here agree or not is irrelevant.

Peter VL has shown all indications he wants to see Bears come back in some capacity. PVL wants a Dolphins like model as he sees that as a metric to success.

So let’s boil it down to the key points -

Perth get the resources let me correct that so Rocky and Bullwinkle don’t misquote me this time, genuine rugby league resources to be able to set up properly and have streamlined pathways from the get go - like Dolphins.

Perth gets established branding, colours, existing fan-fare and genuine rugby league people from the get go - like Dolphins.

Perth gets a model built on sustainable cash flow and revenue due to that existing brand having assets and companies outside of rugby league which help grow the business portfolio and have money in the coffers from the get go - like Dolphins.

Perth has access to the east coast market share in part due to the existing brand to further help grow the club and in this instance the overall game - like Dolphins.

The last brand new club brought in was the Titans - they have struggled on and off the field. Their set up was wrong from the get go. They still have minimal fan fare away and to top it off they’re in a rugby league heartland. They’ve needed financial assistance on more than one occasion to stablise the franchise.

The last new club brought in with existing foundations was the Dolphins. Automatic set ups in place. Strong financial security and foundations. Needed minimal NRL intervention to get off the ground. Success off the field.

Peter Cummins surely must see the trees from the forest. I tip my hat to him, the fact he wants to invest in the game is great but he needs to also be smart - do it in a way that benefits the game. If this goes through then I am confident the lawyers will iron clad the agreement - I don’t see the issue. Bears will belong to Perth and Western Australia and Perth and Western Australia will be part of the Bears next chapter.

If people from either side do not want to get board then they miss out and highlights the unquestionable fact that those people are not real rugby league fans and do not give a shit about the sport, believing their opinions somehow hold more validity than that is actual reality. Jump on or jump off I say but no one will miss you if you jump off.

 

[Wb1234]

I’m talking about in the 90’s no Sydney team came close to having as many Queenslanders in their team as the Bears, St George came close when they signed Peter Gill, Mark Coyne, Wayne Bartrim etc from Bris Brothers one year.

Peter Jackson and Brett Dallas were the ones I remember

pretty sure future manly legend cliff lyons was there as well

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Wouldn't worry too much about Rocky, he's not a league fan. Bullwinkle is alright.

 

[MugaB]

Cumins or Cummins apparently there's a few alts that can't or don't care to spell the great man's name properly, anyways no point talking about Cummins, as he was gagged from talking to anyone invested in this possible future team, he is only dealing with the pirates

 

[blue bags]

Peter Jackson and Brett Dallas were the ones I remember

pretty sure future manly legend cliff lyons was there as well

That's right. I totally forgot about Jacko
Grizzlies Bears had so many Queenslanders
I cannot remember all of them
Where's north Sydney
That's in Queensland

 

[Canard]

I’m talking about in the 90’s no Sydney team came close to having as many Queenslanders in their team as the Bears, St George came close when they signed Peter Gill, Mark Coyne, Wayne Bartrim etc from Bris Brothers one year.

Manly in the 80s and 90s had Boustead, Shearer, Vautin, Close, Ribot, Danny Moore etc.

 

[Bukowski]

Belcher, Coyne, Meninga, Jackson x 2, Walters x2 , Backo at the Raiders. Not a Sydney side but the bears weren't anything special in QLD. Certainly not huge, they weren't even huge in a Sydney.

 

[Perth Red]

Bears are already starting to annoy perth fans. Social media is abuzz with annoyed perth fans due to the fact the Sydney media are just talking about the Bears return, not about that Perth is returning to make a more National RL.

Its clear as day NS dont give a sht about Perth, its just a means to an end for them.
This is going to be really interesting how it plays out.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

If Manly had gone 50/50 in the merger everything would have been fine, as soon as the NRL said that the license would revert back to Manly if the merger failed that was when Arko and Fulton rubbed their hands together and knew that they had their little club back.
A few under belly bribes, the now former Norths President driving around in a new maserati around the Northern Beaches with a new job at Manly Leagues and Manly were in the dominant position in the merger.
Coincidence lol.

Ken Arthurson is one person I would never trust. The way he handled expansion in the 1980s and 1990s created a civil war that culminated in Super League and led to teams going bust.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Can't imagine balmain being popular in Qld during the 90's. Had a lot of NSW blues & no qlders.

Benny Illias was hated.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

But the Dolphins still represent the same broader region though right and still play a few home games at the club ground? So I get how the Redcliffe fanbase connects with the new NRL entity.

How likely is the Norths support base - both financial and otherwise - likely to stick if the club shifts all the way to WA though? Is it just a name thing that people connect with? Cos they'll obviously have limited access to the players

The Bears' Sydney base will help them in the early years in terms of TV ratings, pathways and away support (they'll probably sell Sydney based memberships), but the point of relocating to WA is to build the fanbase, TV audience and player base in Perth as the old bears fans in Sydney dwindle away.

If the work is put in in the first decade we should have a Perth Bears matching the attendances and player development of the Old North Sydney Bears with plenty of upside left in them.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Benny Illias was hated.

Ah yes the old, "Benny's a wanker" chant at Suncorp... good times

 

[Wb1234]

Benny Illias was hated.

Half lebanese half Greek

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Half lebanese half Greek

I heard he was Mitch Moses' uncle, is that right?

 

[Wb1234]

I heard he was Mitch Moses' uncle, is that right?

He is

Mr Elias

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Ah yes the old, "Benny's a wanker" chant at Suncorp... good times

I remember saying it at QEII when he wasn't playing in 1994.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Bears are already starting to annoy perth fans. Social media is abuzz with annoyed perth fans due to the fact the Sydney media are just talking about the Bears return, not about that Perth is returning to make a more National RL.

Its clear as day NS dont give a sht about Perth, its just a means to an end for them.
This is going to be really interesting how it plays out.

I dare say there will be fumbleball fans piling on to white ant the venture before it even gets off the ground as well, I`m trusting you are not one of them. So best to take a portion of that social media reaction with a pinch of salt.

It`s up to the potential franchises now to get out and sell their side of the story for local consumption, in fact well prepared bids would have expected and been ready for this long ago ( I mean months) and have responses and stories of their own to respond to make sure that West Australians know exactly whos` team this will be.

 

[Perth Red]

I dare say there will be fumbleball fans piling on to white ant the venture before it even gets off the ground as well, I`m trusting you are not one of them. So best to take a portion of that social media reaction with a pinch of salt.

It`s up to the potential franchises now to get out and sell their side of the story for local consumption, in fact well prepared bids would have expected and been ready for this long ago ( I mean months) and have responses and stories of their own to respond to make sure that West Australians know exactly whos` team this will be.

Listening to Dickson this week I would suggest Bears are a long way from that! TBF though the Vlandys interview was a bit out of the blue for everyone and of course the media want to run with the story so interviews have been given in haste.
It'd be nice to hear something from the Bears that gave us in the West a bit more confidence that they arent just seeing us as a meal ticket.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

If people from either side do not want to get board then they miss out and highlights the unquestionable fact that those people are not real rugby league fans and do not give a shit about the sport, believing their opinions somehow hold more validity than that is actual reality. Jump on or jump off I say but no one will miss you if you jump off.

Agree with a lot of what you say, but I think it is taking it too far to say that if you`re not for the Bears teaming up with Perth then you are not a real Rugby League fan. You have to admit a W.A. team with a unique W.A. identity would be the ideal scenario and more likely to capture the imagination of West Australians.

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Listening to Dickson this week I would suggest Bears are a long way from that! TBF though the Vlandys interview was a bit out of the blue for everyone and of course the media want to run with the story so interviews have been given in haste.
It'd be nice to hear something from the Bears that gave us in the West a bit more confidence that they arent just seeing us as a meal ticket.

I`m afraid you`re going to have to get used to the hullabaloo surrounding a possible Bears comeback, and excited old Bears fans starting to build castles in the air. Murdoch and Nine are going to run with it as well as it is in their interest to sell papers etc. and build hype around their re-entry. That mightn`t be such a bad thing.
To be fair, there does seem to be some genuine good will coming out of NS, I think they know it is crunch time for them as well. But if you guys can get the backers like we hope I think those people will have the nous and oomph to keep the Bears in their place.