18th club, whose next?

[Bukowski]

The NRL's pre-existing licensing contracts won't allow the club to produce any of that stuff anyway. If the club tries to convince the NRL to pressure their merch partners to produce those products they'll get the same nonsense excuses about cost and fairness the Raiders and others have been getting for decades.

The Raiders have wanted to sell viking helmets and other paraphilia since the beginning, and could be turning over millions in them annually, but the NRL can't or won't allow it. The way they got around it in the end was to get a sponsor to produce viking helmet beanies to hand out for free at games as a promotional exercise. They must have handed out over 20k of the things by the end, each of which could have been sold for $30. . . It was money gone begging, just like your patches, bandanas, bicorne or tricornes, etc would be.

If that right? That's the weirdest thing I've heard in quite a while. I don't understand the NRL's reasoning

 

[The Great Dane]

Show me the polls please
2014
View attachment 83810
2015
View attachment 83811
2018
View attachment 83804
2019
View attachment 83808

...yeah thanks buzz

I should work for PRs campaign, hey @Perth Red can you add the new 2024 poll to this?

Cherry picking.

You've got 5 out of the last 20ish years, and you know that I can't produce the contradicting data because they used to be done by the Rugby League Week, which not only no longer exists but was never digitised, and the others done by the Daily Tele have been memory holed.

 

[Iamback]

The merch sales will be half if called the jets! Pirates is merch persons dream

Until they start losing

 

[The Great Dane]

If that right? That's the weirdest thing I've heard in quite a while. I don't understand the NRL's reasoning

Aside from on field and training kit, which is handled by the clubs and has strict standards on what can and can't be produced under it, all the NRL's merchandise is licensed out centrally by the NRL. It's the standard practice in the industry these days.

They license those contracts out under a handful of categories, but the vast majority of NRL merch is produced by two or three companies at any one time. It's why most of the merch is just recoloured versions of the exact same stuff. The nuts and bolts of it is that it doesn't get made unless the companies that hold those merch licenses agree to it.

The Broncos and NSWRL actually had massive spats about this stuff in the early days, as the Broncos approved the production of a whole bunch of products without the NSWRL's approval. That's why so much of that early Broncos merch, like the Alfie Langer action figure and Broncos Cheese Rings, is so random and rare.

Take a look at this relic lol-

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Titans games have more away fans attending comparatively to other teams so what he said checks out. A ticket is still a ticket though so good for them. LA Rams is the 2nd most valuable sporting club in the world and their situation is the same.

 

[Iamback]

a smidge lower than the team that has won 3 premierships lol jeez what a failure, no fans...

I might be a hard marker but

a team was placed in RL heartland which currently has a population of 700k.

Has one other sporting code in the city

In 17 seasons they have a win % of 44%
Went broke with $35m debt
Have got fined for breaching the salary cap
Have gone through 5 coaches

And in that time are running at a crowd average of 55% of the Home grounds 27k capacity

You see this as a successful expansion franchise?

 

[Colk]

Lazarus was at the Broncos in 94. Daley, Clyde and Furner didn't win shit after 1994.

And Lazarus was there we won in 1989 and 1990. Again let’s change the goalposts.

I asked how many premierships they've won since Menginga retired. You've avoided the question and spoke about everything but the club's lack of success since Menginga's retirement.



You don't consider Feldt a great player?

He was born in Townsville.

The Cowboys never killed a competition. Nor did they cheat the cap. The Raiders took star players from the BRL and ESL. We all know how Raiders overspent to assemble a champion team.



Look at the poor TV ratings and shithouse attendances in a city of over 5 million. They've got a great stadium and win 70% of their games, yet it's never sold out. Much of their fanbase have admitted the Storm are their "second" team behind their favoured AwFuL club. When the team become also-rans then many of those supporters will go back to just watching AwFuL. It happens with the Lions and Swans, too.

1. It is not relevant that’s why. Correlation doesn’t equal causation does it? You’re arguing for some stupid f***** reason that the only reason we won those competitions because we purchased some BRL players. I have proved that you are incorrect by showing you how many great players we had outside of those from the BRL.

2. No I don’t consider Feldt a great player nor would you if you weren’t desperately trying to win an argument. He is a good first grade player but he is definitely not any better or more important than the Canberra players that you are ignoring for the sake of your argument.

Also cry me a f***** river about the BRL competition. Nobody in 2024 cares other than you. You know the real reason why the NSWRL clubs took BRL players (and Canberra Raiders were definitely not the only club taking Queensland players if I need to remind you) was they made more money. Simple. If you have a problem with that go jump in your delorian and go back to the 1980’s. The Cowboys have also been done for being over the salary cap in 2001 btw - they just weren’t good enough to win.

3. Mentioning the Lions and Swans really helps your argument about expansion.

You need to get your head out of Queensland every now and then. There is a big world out there.

 

[mongoose]

I might be a hard marker but

a team was placed in RL heartland which currently has a population of 700k.

Has one other sporting code in the city

In 17 seasons they have a win % of 44%
Went broke with $35m debt
Have got fined for breaching the salary cap
Have gone through 5 coaches

And in that time are running at a crowd average of 55%

You see this as a successful expansion franchise?

if you take out the Panthers last few seasons, they haven't exactly set the world on fire. If you think they're a huge success in terms of supporters, then you need to put the ice pipe down.

 

[Iamback]

if you take out the Panthers last few seasons, they haven't exactly set the world on fire. If you think they're a huge success in terms of supporters, then you need to put the ice pipe down.

Did I say we were?

But are we looking for expansion team to match a middle of the road Sydney team?

I think the bar should be much higher, Dolphins bar even higher again

So again, Do you see that as a success?

Although Panthers do have $400m worth of assets... but sure lets look at only one part of the success equation

 

[Colk]

There are people on here who try to shut down any talking point they don't like. Anything that goes against their favoured model of "neutral" Brisbane 2, Adelaide, Perth and NZ 2 in a 20 team competition is mocked by the same group of people. No one is allowed to advocate for PNG, Brisbane 3 or any other location that doesn't accommodate Adelaide and Perth. People from Canberra (mongoose and Dane) think they know more about rugby league in Brisbane than people who were born and raised in Brisbane.

There has been no discussion from the NRL about expanding into Adelaide, FWIW. Perth has been ignored by the ARLC. NZ2 have a lot of work to do.

You have argued with people about places you have never been to and made claims about certain places you have never been to. It cuts both ways mate.

I’m sorry but you need to look up liberalism mate. Mocking isn’t preventing anybody from doing anything. Nobody is banning anybody from speaking their mind and as long as there are no physical threats being made against anyone then off you and I go. People are against PNG, Perth, NZ 2 or Brisbane 3 for a variety of reasons and their reasons are their reasons.

 

[The Great Dane]

I might be a hard marker but

a team was placed in RL heartland which currently has a population of 700k.

Has one other sporting code in the city

In 17 seasons they have a win % of 44%
Went broke with $35m debt
Have got fined for breaching the salary cap
Have gone through 5 coaches

And in that time are running at a crowd average of 55%

You see this as a successful expansion franchise?

The Panthers didn't make the finals for the first 20 years of their existence and were bottom 3 for most of that time, have gone broke and struggled financially multiple times, have never cracked an average attendance of 20k despite being in a market of millions, etc, etc, etc. See, you can run down basically any club...

Nobody is denying that the Titans have chronically underperformed, but singling them out in particular as failures is unfair when every club in the league with the exception of the Broncos has had similar struggles. Recency bias is the only reason you're picking them out in the first place, and they're actually surprisingly resilient considering how diabolical they've been at times IMO.

 

[Colk]

Did I say we were?

But are we looking for expansion team to match a middle of the road Sydney team?

I think the bar should be much higher, Dolphins bar even higher again

So again, Do you see that as a success?

Although Panthers do have $400m worth of assets... but sure lets look at only one part of the success equation

The A League who are pulling 3k to games and the comp is going broke? Where are the likes of GC and Townsville now?

GWS and the suns have been basket cases

Those League sides you mentioned. Outside of the Broncos have been in financial trouble at some stage.

NBL like A League has struggled to get viable teams, Hell someone like the Melbourne Tigers who were huge in the 90's struggle now.

Alot of those example you mentioned came in before the sports were professional, look at the numbers to of failed since say 2000 when the leagues were in most part professional.

They are looking at needing $20m a year on going. You are looking at 20 odd years for that new name to become the norm.

Look at GC Titans still no fans in a RL strong hold

This whole argument that you are making is such a construct that it is hard to begin.

You have by the way inadvertently answered the whole question right here. It’s not a case of whether something is plastic or not or real or valid or not (what is plastic from an objective viewpoint in any case as opposed to some highly subjective rendering) clubs and competitions have struggled in the past (and some still in the present) because sports went from being amateur to being professional. Some have coped well and some haven’t. Of most importance is how they have been run not how they have been conceived.

Also, the plastic clubs which you have identified as close to financial oblivion are largely no different to the clubs which you would regard as non plastic. Seriously most clubs barring probably the Broncos were in financial trouble during and immediately after the Super League war. Heck how many Sydney clubs (those non plastic ones) were in good financial health in those days?

 

[Centy Coast]

Cherry picking.

You've got 5 out of the last 20ish years, and you know that I can't produce the contradicting data because they used to be done by the Rugby League Week, which not only no longer exists but was never digitised, and the others done by the Daily Tele have been memory holed.

If you go to

www.dansnrlcollectables.com

Rugby League collectable shop, featuring Rugby League trading cards, magazines, and much more.

www.dansnrlcollectables.com

you should be able to find any RLW back issue featuring the Polls that you are after.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

And Lazarus was there we won in 1989 and 1990. Again let’s change the goalposts.

Meninga and Belcher were there, too.

1. It is not relevant that’s why. Correlation doesn’t equal causation does it? You’re arguing for some stupid f***** reason that the only reason we won those competitions because we purchased some BRL players. I have proved that you are incorrect by showing you how many great players we had outside of those from the BRL.

Canberra hasn't won a premiership since Meninga retired.

2. No I don’t consider Feldt a great player nor would you if you weren’t desperately trying to win an argument. He is a good first grade player but he is definitely not any better or more important than the Canberra players that you are ignoring for the sake of your argument.

Feldt is definitely one of the more skilful wingers in the game. Some of the tries he's scored cannot be replicated by anyone else. His ability to catch the ball mid-air and place it inside the goaline without going into touch is unrivalled. Canberra has never had a more skilful winger.

Noa Nandruku couldn't do the things Feldt does.

No one can place kick the ball like Feldt. His kick offs are legendary and helped win the Cowboys a premiership.

Also cry me a f***** river about the BRL competition. Nobody in 2024 cares other than you. You know the real reason why the NSWRL clubs took BRL players (and Canberra Raiders were definitely not the only club taking Queensland players if I need to remind you) was they made more money. Simple. If you have a problem with that go jump in your delorian and go back to the 1980’s. The Cowboys have also been done for being over the salary cap in 2001 btw - they just weren’t good enough to win.

NSWRL clubs made more money because they had access to pokies since the 1950s. BRL clubs didn't have access to pokies until the 1990s.

Guess who doesn't have access to pokies in 2024?

Perth RL clubs.

3. Mentioning the Lions and Swans really helps your argument about expansion.

Not really. Lions are still carrying a massive debt. When they're losing they get f**k all attention from the Brisbane media.

You need to get your head out of Queensland every now and then. There is a big world out there.

You don't understand Queensland. A few weeks ago you claimed it is a "conservative" state.

I guess that's why Brisbane has three Greens MPs in the federal parliament and has elected Labor at state level all but two times since 1987?

 

[The Great Dane]

This whole argument that you are making is such a construct that it is hard to begin.

You have by the way inadvertently answered the whole question right here. It’s not a case of whether something is plastic or not or real or valid or not (what is plastic from an objective viewpoint in any case as opposed to some highly subjective rendering) clubs and competitions have struggled in the past (and some still in the present) because sports went from being amateur to being professional. Some have coped well and some haven’t. Of most importance is how they have been run not how they have been conceived.

Also, the plastic clubs which you have identified as close to financial oblivion are largely no different to the clubs which you would regard as non plastic. Seriously most clubs barring probably the Broncos were in financial trouble during and immediately after the Super League war. Heck how many Sydney clubs (those non plastic ones) were in good financial health in those days?

The funniest thing about this stuff is that every club and team gets accused of somehow being inauthentic or "plastic" in their time.

The Panthers are actually a great example of this (along with Cronulla, though the Sharks didn't cop it as hard in my experience, not initially at least), as they were regularly disregarded and treated as the redheaded stepchild of the league for the first couple decades of their existence. That was often done through degrading Penrith and accusing it of not genuinely being a part of Sydney, therefore implying that they didn't belong in the "Sydney league".

That sort of thing continued right up until, you guessed it, the Raiders and Steelers joined the league, at which point they took most of the heat for being the new kids in school.

 

[mongoose]

Meninga and Belcher were there, too.



Canberra hasn't won a premiership since Meninga retired.



Feldt is definitely one of the more skilful wingers in the game. Some of the tries he's scored cannot be replicated by anyone else. His ability to catch the ball mid-air and place it inside the goaline without going into touch is unrivalled. Canberra has never had a more skilful winger.

Noa Nandruku couldn't do the things Feldt does.

No one can place kick the ball like Feldt. His kick offs are legendary and helped win the Cowboys a premiership.



NSWRL clubs made more money because they had access to pokies since the 1950s. BRL clubs didn't have access to pokies until the 1990s.

Guess who doesn't have access to pokies in 2024?

Perth RL clubs.



Not really. Lions are still carrying a massive debt. When they're losing they get f**k all attention from the Brisbane media.



You don't understand Queensland. A few weeks ago you claimed it is a "conservative" state.

I guess that's why Brisbane has three Greens MPs in the federal parliament and has elected Labor at state level all but two times since 1987?

you love responding with non sequiturs lol

 

[The Great Dane]

Meninga and Belcher were there, too.

The majority of those early Raiders teams weren't from QLD and had never played in the BRL.

It wasn't a crime to recruit from the BRL, and why single out the Raiders for doing it? Queenslanders had been chasing the money down south for decades, and every team in the league had Queenslanders on their roster.

Canberra hasn't won a premiership since Meninga retired.

The Broncos haven't won a premiership since Brad Thorn went back to rugby. . .

f**king Queenslanders always poaching top players from NZ and NSW, never doing anything for themselves. Why couldn't they just produce all their players in Brisbane?!

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

This whole argument that you are making is such a construct that it is hard to begin.

You have by the way inadvertently answered the whole question right here. It’s not a case of whether something is plastic or not or real or valid or not (what is plastic from an objective viewpoint in any case as opposed to some highly subjective rendering) clubs and competitions have struggled in the past (and some still in the present) because sports went from being amateur to being professional. Some have coped well and some haven’t. Of most importance is how they have been run not how they have been conceived.

Also, the plastic clubs which you have identified as close to financial oblivion are largely no different to the clubs which you would regard as non plastic. Seriously most clubs barring probably the Broncos were in financial trouble during and immediately after the Super League war. Heck how many Sydney clubs (those non plastic ones) were in good financial health in those days?

The main thing that matters in 2014 is how many active fans a club need to get by during the lean times. This number varies from club to club. In regards to Perth, it might be significantly more than the Dolphins because it won't have pokies or a parochial rugby league market that provides it with blanket coverage.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

The main thing that matters in 2014 is how many active fans a club need to get by during the lean times. This number varies from club to club. In regards to Perth, it might be significantly more than the Dolphins because it won't have pokies or a parochial rugby league market that provides it with blanket coverage.

Queensland won eight series in a row you dope!

 

[Perth Red]

Aside from on field and training kit, which is handled by the clubs and has strict standards on what can and can't be produced under it, all the NRL's merchandise is licensed out centrally by the NRL. It's the standard practice in the industry these days.

They license those contracts out under a handful of categories, but the vast majority of NRL merch is produced by two or three companies at any one time. It's why most of the merch is just recoloured versions of the exact same stuff. The nuts and bolts of it is that it doesn't get made unless the companies that hold those merch licenses agree to it.

The Broncos and NSWRL actually had massive spats about this stuff in the early days, as the Broncos approved the production of a whole bunch of products without the NSWRL's approval. That's why so much of that early Broncos merch, like the Alfie Langer action figure and Broncos Cheese Rings, is so random and rare.

Take a look at this relic lol-
View attachment 83835

Souths always seem to have a much bigger and broader range than most clubs?