18th club, whose next?

[The Penguin #6.]

Firehawks in Perth intrigues me. Not saying I agree with it or not.

But if a Queensland state could relocate, would Queenslanders follow that club?

Say Ipswich Jets as Adelaide Jets etc.

Firehawks and Ipswich are a natural fit.

 

[docbrown]

Firehawks and Ipswich are a natural fit.

Would Brisbane Tigers fans watch the Perth Firehawks and think of it as their team?

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

The crap emanating from the Sydney media and NSWRL fans on here makes it easy to see why Sydney built so many asylums for "lunatics and idiots".

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/about/history/Publications/h-asylums.pdf

 

[greenBV4]

Would Brisbane Tigers fans watch the Perth Firehawks and think of it as their team?

To answer this I guess you ask do East's tigers fans currently watch and support Melbourne? Or ditto SC Falcons?

Because take out any part or full ownership (that wouldn't really be common public knowledge anyway with a different club name and mascot) and its essentially the same set up, with the Qcup side being a feeder club for an expansion market

Which is why I don't get the argument that 2nd div sides being promoted give a big boost to juniors entering the NRL, these clubs already have feeder arrangements with various NRL clubs, the only difference after promotion being that they feed an NRL club they own, participation and juniors numbers wouldn't drastically change, i mean just look how many dolphins juniors are in the starting 13 (0)

 

[greenBV4]

To answer this I guess you ask do East's tigers fans currently watch and support Melbourne? Or ditto SC Falcons?

Because take out any part or full ownership (that wouldn't really be common public knowledge anyway with a different club name and mascot) and its essentially the same set up, with the Qcup side being a feeder club for an expansion market

Which is why I don't get the argument that 2nd div sides being promoted give a big boost to juniors entering the NRL, these clubs already have feeder arrangements with various NRL clubs, the only difference after promotion being that they feed an NRL club they own, participation and juniors numbers wouldn't drastically change, i mean just look how many dolphins juniors are in the starting 13 (0)

Same goes for the bears, any expansion side would get the same out of a feeder arrangement with them than they would giving them part or full ownership

 

[Perth Red]

Don’t worry I’m sure a Perth pirates bid still stands a chance against a png bears bid where the federal govt is pumping in 150 million into

Nothing to do with Perth, its a nonsensical idea in its own right and only rugba league would even be considering it.

 

[Perth Red]

Do the suns give out as many free tickets as the Midgets?
If the $28 million pa is the correct figure or near enough, and take the near same figure for the midgets, that is just not sustainable for ever and will only grow as costs rise.

It is when your revenue is $900mill and rising and you have a variable grant system by club.

 

[Centy Coast]

That would deprive them of FTA coverage and cost them sponsorship revenue.

The Melbourne Storm are successful because they've been adopted by AFL fans as their "second club". Melbourne 2 will either cannibalise this market or fail to develop a fanbase. The Melbourne Heart/City debacle is a warning we should learn from.

The Storm have no junior base in Melbourne getting all
of their players from Brisbane Easts and the Sunshine Coast from memory.
The Storm have been in the NRL since 1998.
How is there even talk of an 2nd Melbourne team, it’s ridiculous.

 

[Perth Red]

The Storm have no junior base in Melbourne getting all
of their players from Brisbane Easts and the Sunshine Coast from memory.
The Storm have been in the NRL since 1998.
How is there even talk of an 2nd Melbourne team, it’s ridiculous.

That is untrue

 

[The Penguin #6.]

To answer this I guess you ask do East's tigers fans currently watch and support Melbourne? Or ditto SC Falcons?

Because take out any part or full ownership (that wouldn't really be common public knowledge anyway with a different club name and mascot) and its essentially the same set up, with the Qcup side being a feeder club for an expansion market

Which is why I don't get the argument that 2nd div sides being promoted give a big boost to juniors entering the NRL, these clubs already have feeder arrangements with various NRL clubs, the only difference after promotion being that they feed an NRL club they own, participation and juniors numbers wouldn't drastically change, i mean just look how many dolphins juniors are in the starting 13 (0)

But I dare say that there will be a pick-up in junior numbers in the Dolphin`s catchment area now that they are in the big time. Something that will be mirrored in the amount of people who watch them play and attend their games.
Much easier for a kid to get excited about a team in the NRL as opposed to the HostPlus Cup.
As far as numbers in the starting 13, let`s give it a few years.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

That is untrue

No productive junior base

 

[The Penguin #6.]

Would Brisbane Tigers fans watch the Perth Firehawks and think of it as their team?

Probably a lot wouldn`t, but if a few juniors were breaking into their first grade side then they may have a soft spot.
But`s that`s life isn`t it, if St. George ceased to exist I wouldn`t stop following League, I`d find someone to follow. Christ knows maybe even Newcastle, they`re a lot closer.

 

[Perth Red]

No productive junior base

That I agree and is hopefully changing at long last. some might say 20 years overdue!

 

[Centy Coast]

That I agree and is hopefully changing at long last. some might say 20 years overdue!

Their juniors participate in the NSW Country Championship Southern Zone, mostly islanders.
My youngest son played them in the Country Championship Final one year, because we were the Northern Zone Champions, they were massive but we pumped them.
Two weeks later my son was doing Union reps and played against VIC, he played against virtually the same team again.

 

[Perth Red]

Their juniors participate in the NSW Country Championship Southern Zone, mostly islanders.
My youngest son played them in the Country Championship Final one year, because we were the Northern Zone Champions, they were massive but we pumped them.
Two weeks later my son was doing Union reps and played against VIC, he played against virtually the same team again.

Problem is varied in expansion states and compounded by a lack of investment by ARLC.
1. Not enough kids playing Rl in Vic (ARLC fault)
2. Kids not being exposed to decent levels of training through the age groups (ARLC fault)
3. Storm not investing in Melbourne based elite systems and happy to use SC and Easts until now (Storms fault)
4. Best U19's players across Australia being snaffled by Sydney and Qlnd clubs and not moving to Melbourne (no-ones fault, kids will stay at home if they can hence the need for Qlnd club link ups)

Perth's same, most kids are Kiwis and play union and league at same time until they get to U17's then they head to union as theres no other NRL pathway other than to move to East coast.

 

[greenBV4]

But I dare say that there will be a pick-up in junior numbers in the Dolphin`s catchment area now that they are in the big time. Something that will be mirrored in the amount of people who watch them play and attend their games.
Much easier for a kid to get excited about a team in the NRL as opposed to the HostPlus Cup.
As far as numbers in the starting 13, let`s give it a few years.

But this could of been achieved with any team could it not? Promoted or new

Nothing against the dolphins btw, I just think that particular point is moot in discussions around future expansion and used them as example

 

[Centy Coast]

Problem is three fold
1. Not enough kids playing Rl in Vic (ARLC fault)
2. Kids not being exposed to decent levels of training through the age groups (ARLC fault)
3. Storm not investing in Melbourne based elite systems and happy to use SC and Easts until now (Storms fault)
4. Best U19's players across Australia being snaffled by Sydney and Qlnd clubs and not moving to Melbourne (no-ones fault, kids will stay at home if they can hence the need for Qlnd club link ups)

Jonah Pezet is another Central Coast junior coming through the Storm system.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

The Storm have no junior base in Melbourne getting all
of their players from Brisbane Easts and the Sunshine Coast from memory.
The Storm have been in the NRL since 1998.
How is there even talk of an 2nd Melbourne team, it’s ridiculous.

There are junior clubs in Victoria. NRL VICTORIA field teams in the junior competitions of the QRL and NSWRL.

More work needs to be done in this area to get more people playing the game in Melbourne.

 

[Wb1234]

Nothing to do with Perth, its a nonsensical idea in its own right and only rugba league would even be considering it.

Perth have little chance against this bid

Perth have really fumbled the bag not tieing up the bears when they needed a partner

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Well if the bears a making a truckload playing out of north Sydney oval that says something doesn’t it

The Bears made f**k all from playing out of NSO in the 90s and went bust.