18th club, whose next?

[Iamback]

Look if they pick a second NZ and Perth side in the next three sides then I’d be happy

Except if the Bears are involved that is

 

[Iamback]

It`s a good question, what would constitute a mini-Sydney. On the face of it you`d have to say four would be too many, but are the Gold Coast a Brisbane side, being 80 km`s, from Brisbane, you`d probably have to say no. Ipswich is 40 km from the centre of Brisbane so potentially that counts them out as well.
Firehawks, from what I can gather are the problem, strong bid but basically based in the heart of the city, but is that any different from Souths and the Roosters, two of our strongest clubs.
Personally I`d argue that both Redcliffe and Ipswich are far enough from the city centre and have enough population centres around them not to be overcrowding the Brisbane market. Brisbane Easts, the Firehawks, alternatively provide that genuine central Brisbane rivalry, a-la Souths/Easts, that could be very powerful.
I think with a fast growing and importantly spreading city there`s no reason why we couldn`t eventually accommodate all of them.

Firehawks as a new team would have issues.
Use the Ipswich Jets name and you'd have a known local presence to build from, limits the risk of another SQ Crushers

 

[AlwaysGreen]

The name would get people's attention more then insert team. GC are proof of this with their many name changes

Whose attention? It's been 24 years since they were in the NRL so you'd have to be 30 to recognise their brand. And these 30 year old and above have already got their own team or if they don't aren't going to jump on the bears.

Nostalgia only goes so far and it's not enough to justify a team in the NRL.

 

[Perth Red]

Firehawks as a new team would have issues.
Use the Ipswich Jets name and you'd have a known local presence to build from, limits the risk of another SQ Crushers

We have yet to see if people outside of Redcliffe region will support the Dolphins in large numbers. Lets see if they do before we go down the same road of introducing a possible polarizing existing brand.
Not to mention of all of the money and jnr strength sits with Tigers, not Jets.
Unless Ipswich gets an NRl standard stadium, incredibly unlikely then they are going to be at Suncorp and will need people from much nearer the city to be supporting them in large numbers.

 

[Wb1234]

Vlandys thinks college football players are going to make NRL stars and NRL can crack America. Crazy is as crazy does

Vlandys thinks college football players are going to make NRL stars and NRL can crack America. Crazy is as crazy does

That’s funny

ribot helped kill Perth and the crushers

vlandys helping to bring them back

 

[Perth Red]

Whose attention? It's been 24 years since they were in the NRL so you'd have to be 30 to recognise their brand. And these 30 year old and above have already got their own team or if they don't aren't going to jump on the bears.

Nostalgia only goes so far and it's not enough to justify a team in the NRL.

for a change we agree lol. The theory is that the Bears will attract a new audience in whatever location they end up without any baggage to the name AND attract all these supposed latent 200k Bears fans in Sydney that are waiting to back the club regardless of where they live in the future. I think both points are fanciful.

 

[Perth Red]

That’s funny

yeh it is funny, I laughed out loud when I read it along with most sane people.

 

[blue bags]

Somewhere outside of NSW and QLD for a start.

Yes agree Melbourne

 

[Wb1234]

yeh it is funny, I laughed out loud when I read it along with most sane people.

Perth nrl again. So close

 

[Colk]

Except if the Bears are involved that is

If they still have their ridiculous demands then yes.

Look I am not against the idea in principle of bringing the Bears and plonking them somewhere else. The idea has some merit and their history would or could work well in the right circumstances.

Yet like everything else, it is relative though and their demands don’t make it the right circumstances. You seem to think for some reason that nostalgia or Sydney history trumps the execution of an idea, trying to get a new market onside or the fact that they seriously don’t give a s*** about where they’ll go and will whiteant it at the first opportunity. I, on the other hand do.

 

[Wb1234]

Nick Politis interview. Talk of expansion and Politis's views start at 6min 50secs. Juts runs for a minute or so on expansion.

In summary:
To grow need more revenue
To get more revenue need more content
Need to be a national sport and in every state
Have a 5-10 year plan

EXCLUSIVE | ‘NRL team in every state’ Nick Politis weighs in on expansion

Sydney Roosters chairman Nick Politis joined Wide World of Sports ahead of this Friday night’s grudge match against the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Nick Politis joined Mark Levy and Brad Fittler and reflected on the rivalry between the two clubs adding that last year’s Finals game was “probably out...

www.2gb.com

He’s right

if they want more money than afl then expansion is the only way

clubs have no reason to stand in the way of expansion they get record funding which if maintained will mean they will never struggle financially

it’s the crap club like the tigers holding back expansion

rugby league added two teams in 23 years so if they fast track it now it’s catching up for all the lost years

they should ideally announce all 3 teams on a staggered basis over the next ten years or so and let them plan accordingly

 

[Perth Red]

He’s right

if they want more money than afl then expansion is the only way

clubs have no reason to stand in the way of expansion they get record funding which if maintained will mean they will never struggle financially

it’s the crap club like the tigers holding back expansion

rugby league added two teams in 23 years so if they fast track it now it’s catching up for all the lost years

they should ideally announce all 3 teams on a staggered basis over the next ten years or so and let them plan accordingly

If the NRL is serious that is exactly what should happen. Decide where, start some funding to get them up and running and ready, be ready to go with 20 clubs in 2033.

Instead its much more likely they will cool off the 2025 notion and wont decide on if club 18 till 2025 ish for a 2028 start up, then we'll go years of more speculation before another rush job happens, if at all. '

In some ways the clubs now being coined thanks to the NRl diverting funds to them could make it worse. They wont see the need for more revenue, just that new clubs will weaken them and their player depth. Clubs will always be first and foremost in the what's in it for them priority.

Given a decision on 2025 wont be made till end of this year at earliest I really cant see giving a club one year, especially as that club will not be an established club unless its the bears, could possibly work?

Left field Easts are invited to take on PNG with games split 6-6 between Port Moresby and Suncorp and enter 2025. Even thats a tall order and would face massive opposition from News ltd, and the other 2 SEQ clubs and would SEQ people really support a hybrid club when they have 3 FT options instead?

 

[Wb1234]

If the NRL is serious that is exactly what should happen. Decide where, start some funding to get them up and running and ready, be ready to go with 20 clubs in 2033.

Instead its much more likely they will cool off the 2025 notion and wont decide on if club 18 till 2025 ish for a 2028 start up, then we'll go years of more speculation before another rush job happens, if at all. '

In some ways the clubs now being coined thanks to the NRl diverting funds to them could make it worse. They wont see the need for more revenue, just that new clubs will weaken them and their player depth. Clubs will always be first and foremost in the what's in it for them priority.

Given a decision on 2025 wont be made till end of this year at earliest I really cant see giving a club one year, especially as that club will not be an established club unless its the bears, could possibly work?

Left field Easts are invited to take on PNG with games split 6-6 between Port Moresby and Suncorp and enter 2025. Even thats a tall order and would face massive opposition from News ltd, and the other 2 SEQ clubs and would SEQ people really support a hybrid club when they have 3 FT options instead?

You’re right about the money thing

nrl clubs don’t need to see large revenue rises anymore the status quo is heaven for them

ultimately clubs have a responsibility to the game as well as themselves

 

[Perth Red]

You’re right about the money thing

nrl clubs don’t need to see large revenue rises anymore the status quo is heaven for them

ultimately clubs have a responsibility to the game as well as themselves

Very few think that way, and tbh they are businesses so I totally get it.
Clearly Vlandys got Dolphins over the line by upping the grant $2mill a year.
I guess if he can show them a projection of revenue increase based on a 20 club competition and how that will flow down to their coffers then they will say yes.

The pressure is then on though to deliver so we dont end up with situation we are in this year where the cost of the expansion club has taken nearly all the extra revenue it generated and funding for clubs increase has had to come out of grassroots and asset investment. (probably)

 

[Wb1234]

Very few think that way, and tbh they are businesses so I totally get it.
Clearly Vlandys got Dolphins over the line by upping the grant $2mill a year.
I guess if he can show them a projection of revenue increase based on a 20 club competition and how that will flow down to their coffers then they will say yes.

The pressure is then on though to deliver so we dont end up with situation we are in this year where the cost of the expansion club has taken nearly all the extra revenue it generated and funding for clubs increase has had to come out of grassroots and asset investment. (probably)

Even if the clubs get most of the extra revenue the 3 extra clubs will add to juniors from their own pathways

especially png and nz2

png can basically provide an unlimited number of nrl players for as many clubs as we want

 

[Wb1234]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/giants-paltry-crowd-numbers-an-embarrassment-amid-record-afl-crowd-numbers/news-story/14703142072275da55694c9e6749d4d8

We want to avoid a black hole like this

they will have close to a billion spent on them

 

[Perth Red]

Even if the clubs get most of the extra revenue the 3 extra clubs will add to juniors from their own pathways

especially png and nz2

png can basically provide an unlimited number of nrl players for as many clubs as we want

Theres is so much player potential there but it would take some significant investment to realise it and for clubs to have a different attitude to scouting it.
If the NRl is serious about a PNG club (and I still have my doubts) then answering how the club, they, or someone, will spend millions developing grassroots PNG must be answered.

Worse case scenario Bears or someone gets the license and is tokenistic and invites 3 PNG players a year into its own pathway or some other similar sht model. If we are going to do it it needs to be done right. I do wonder if this is why the PNG has cooled off cairns and seems not to be talking about partnering with anyone??

Other problem is how does the PNG club keep the talent it develops when 17 other NRL clubs will be offering more enticing opportunities?

 

[Perth Red]

https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/giants-paltry-crowd-numbers-an-embarrassment-amid-record-afl-crowd-numbers/news-story/14703142072275da55694c9e6749d4d8

We want to avoid a black hole like this

they will have close to a billion spent on them

They certainly arent having the cut through in Western Sydney the AFL would have hoped. Having said that their bar is so much higher. I mean some games are getting 88k and their avg is over 30k! Also they can afford whatever costs for however long it takes, $900mill revenue a year gives you that luxury.
Some of our games are getting 9k-12k and our avg has hovered around 14-15k forever. The bar for a new NRl team, wherever it is based, in regards to crowds and fan based revenue is much much lower than in the AFL.

 

[Wb1234]

Theres is so much player potential there but it would take some significant investment to realise it and for clubs to have a different attitude to scouting it.
If the NRl is serious about a PNG club (and I still have my doubts) then answering how the club, they, or someone, will spend millions developing grassroots PNG must be answered.

Worse case scenario Bears or someone gets the license and is tokenistic and invites 3 PNG players a year into its own pathway or some other similar sht model. If we are going to do it it needs to be done right. I do wonder if this is why the PNG has cooled off cairns and seems not to be talking about partnering with anyone??

Other problem is how does the PNG club keep the talent it develops when 17 other NRL clubs will be offering more enticing opportunities?

Won’t have problems keeping players if the team is Australian based

north Sydney and Brisbane are even better options than cairns

wont surprise me to see 20 percent of nrl players being from png within 10 years of an nrl team in

 

[Perth Red]

Won’t have problems keeping players if the team is Australian based

north Sydney and Brisbane are even better options than cairns

wont surprise me to see 20 percent of nrl players being from png within 10 years of an nrl team in

Thats a stretch, most NZ/PI players in NRl are from Australia or moved here at a youbg age. 25 years of Warriors alone hasnt seen the big increase of players developed in NZ and entering NRl systems from NZ at 18plus.

TBF if you had the chance for signing for Roosters, Melbourne or one of the other Australian clubs or for PNG who have to travel overseas/interstate nearly every week, play in Port Moresby regularly and are not even based in the country they represent who are you signing for? Brisbane based you are having to fly for games 21 out of 24 weeks (presuming all home games are in PNG or PI)