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18th club, whose next?

Red&BlackBear

First Grade
Messages
5,441
More jnrs, less investment in turning that number into first graders.
800 jnrs in Bears catchment around 2500 in Perth, 3000 in WA.
Imagine if we had a team for those kids to aspire to and investment to get them there!
What Bears does do though is give us a place where talented youngsters from across NSw can play in top Jnr comps without leaving home

I see no need for a Perth Bears NSw cup team based in Sydney, it should be based in Perth.
Then a quality U16's comp in perth with a Perth Bears in Sg Ball and Flegg for WA jnr development, and a NS Bears in HM, SG Ball and Flegg in Sydney. Thatd be a decent development set up imo.
Firstly let’s settle this right now - WA juniors with absolutely no pathway cannot be compared to Bears juniors with half a pathway. By pathway I mean directly leading into NRL - by half I mean via. Melbourne Storm and previously via. Roosters as a direct feeder club system.

Secondly the proposed set up I have heard is a Dolphins style system. Meaning there’s a direct link for kids in Sydney and a direct link for kids in WA - all to be funnelled and streamlined into WA/Western/Perth Bears. Whether that’s both juniors systems in NSWRL or split between NSWRL and QRL is yet to be determined. By junior systems I mean junior catchment set up’s and by catchments I mean juniors either on or before Harold Matthews age/grade. Keep in mind that these are very early future junior strategy and pathway discussion - a lot can change and if it does it’ll change to further benefit Western Australia and strength the state as a rugby league territory.

Thirdly the actual “graded” sides - meaning Harold Matt’s, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup will be based in Perth. But due to the ages of players in HM (kids still in school etc) that grade might be split into 2 sides with one on each coast.
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
Firstly let’s settle this right now - WA juniors with absolutely no pathway cannot be compared to Bears juniors with half a pathway. By pathway I mean directly leading into NRL - by half I mean via. Melbourne Storm and previously via. Roosters as a direct feeder club system.

Secondly the proposed set up I have heard is a Dolphins style system. Meaning there’s a direct link for kids in Sydney and a direct link for kids in WA - all to be funnelled and streamlined into WA/Western/Perth Bears. Whether that’s both juniors systems in NSWRL or split between NSWRL and QRL is yet to be determined. By junior systems I mean junior catchment set up’s and by catchments I mean juniors either on or before Harold Matthews age/grade. Keep in mind that these are very early future junior strategy and pathway discussion - a lot can change and if it does it’ll change to further benefit Western Australia and strength the state as a rugby league territory.

Thirdly the actual “graded” sides - meaning Harold Matt’s, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup will be based in Perth. But due to the ages of players in HM (kids still in school etc) that grade might be split into 2 sides with one on each coast.
And he’s got the bears junior numbers utterly wrong either because he’s ignorant or a liar
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,778
Firstly let’s settle this right now - WA juniors with absolutely no pathway cannot be compared to Bears juniors with half a pathway. By pathway I mean directly leading into NRL - by half I mean via. Melbourne Storm and previously via. Roosters as a direct feeder club system.

Secondly the proposed set up I have heard is a Dolphins style system. Meaning there’s a direct link for kids in Sydney and a direct link for kids in WA - all to be funnelled and streamlined into WA/Western/Perth Bears. Whether that’s both juniors systems in NSWRL or split between NSWRL and QRL is yet to be determined. By junior systems I mean junior catchment set up’s and by catchments I mean juniors either on or before Harold Matthews age/grade. Keep in mind that these are very early future junior strategy and pathway discussion - a lot can change and if it does it’ll change to further benefit Western Australia and strength the state as a rugby league territory.

Thirdly the actual “graded” sides - meaning Harold Matt’s, SG Ball, Jersey Flegg, NSW Cup will be based in Perth. But due to the ages of players in HM (kids still in school etc) that grade might be split into 2 sides with one on each coast.
Considering the Bears and the Perth consortium havent even spoken I dont know where all that 'early planning' has come from?
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
More jnrs, less investment in turning that number into first graders.
800 jnrs in Bears catchment around 2500 in Perth, 3000 in WA.
Imagine if we had a team for those kids to aspire to and investment to get them there!
What Bears does do though is give us a place where talented youngsters from across NSw can play in top Jnr comps without leaving home

I see no need for a Perth Bears NSw cup team based in Sydney, it should be based in Perth.
Then a quality U16's comp in perth with a Perth Bears in Sg Ball and Flegg for WA jnr development, and a NS Bears in HM, SG Ball and Flegg in Sydney. Thatd be a decent development set up imo.
You bears junior numbers are utterly wrong
 

Red&BlackBear

First Grade
Messages
5,441
Considering the Bears and the Perth consortium havent even spoken I dont know where all that 'early planning' has come from?
They’ve had 4/5 meetings since Magic Round 2022 and Bears have been working on their strategic vision for years.

Are you naive enough to believe that people are doing nothing but sitting on their asses waiting for some signal until it’s good to go? There’s that much background leg work happening that the general community is not aware of until it’s approved to be leaked or distributed to media.

There is project management teams working on the strategy from finances, to grassroots and pathways, to branding, to business models. If the business isn’t set up properly when the NRL want to action it, then the NRL won’t even look at it. Hence the work being put in by reputable and intelligent people in the background preparing for a call up.
 
Last edited:

Pippen94

First Grade
Messages
7,207
Perth grassroots numbers are under 2k. Ignore the released figure which includes all participants including referees & volunteers. A fraction of what rugby is in Perth!
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,778
They’ve had 4/5 meetings since Magic Round 2022 and Bears have been working on their strategic vision for years.

Are you naive enough to believe that people are sitting on their asses and waiting until it’s good to go? There’s that much background leg work happening that the general community is not aware of until it’s approved to be leaked or distributed to media.
Not according to Cumins, they have yet to meet with the Bears.
Well Bears havent been lol They've had plans for NSW regional nomads, Pacfika everybodies and now apparently have the Wa blueprint mapped out.
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
Bears 2023 annual report has jnr numbers at 1800 full tackle and touch.
WA jnr number tackle and touch would be around 10,000
It’s not tackle and touch you peanut. It’s club registrations. It does not include touch football. Touch football would add easily another 20000. It’s huge in Sydney. Do your homework
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,778
It’s not tackle and touch you peanut. It’s club registrations. It does not include touch football. Touch football would add easily another 20000. It’s huge in Sydney. Do your homework
no your right, its tackle and tag.

But still 50% of WA. Clearly numbers isnt the issue for a Perth club, its quality pathways.
 

Red&BlackBear

First Grade
Messages
5,441
Perth red is a blatant liar.
I don’t think he is a liar - I just think he is a tad naive on the requirements of how to set up a business and its operations.

In this instance to move an existing business across the country to strengthen 2 positions in brand and location is immense. He would be best served researching how US sports organisations do it from a pure business position as they are the best examples of it.
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
no your right, its tackle and tag.

But still 50% of WA. Clearly numbers isnt the issue for a Perth club, its quality pathways.
What it shows is you are wrong.. And it’s got 20% of perths population so the maths shows that the game is much stronger in North Sydney than Perth.
Regardless the argument for Perth is because it’s genuine expansion, a fresh market, truck loads of money out there, fills a good timeslot and because interest there is genuine.
Personally I don’t see why they should brand with the Bears. Just put a bloody team there. As for the bears fmd I’m sick of them.
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
This feels like when Wests and Balmain merged. 2 very different sets of supporters and board members bickering over anything.
I have grave doubts about this.
If it did happen I can’t imagine Sydney clubs tolerating the bears throwing their weight around in the Sydney market given the congestion already there. They’d expect it to be a WA side first and foremost.
 

Bukowski

Bench
Messages
2,678
If it did happen I can’t imagine Sydney clubs tolerating the bears throwing their weight around in the Sydney market given the congestion already there. They’d expect it to be a WA side first and foremost.
Hopefully, maybe I'm just scarred from going through it with Wests.
Do you think they got the lead in times right? I would have thought PNG would need the more time to be ready.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
69,778
This feels like when Wests and Balmain merged. 2 very different sets of supporters and board members bickering over anything.
I have grave doubts about this.
the only way it works is a Swans style total relocation where the original club has no say in the running of it.

Everything Ive heard from the Bears suggests they would never allow that. I sense Cumins feels the same as well.

Make no mistake from NSFC point of view this isnt about getting the Bears brand back into the NRL, its about North Sydney seeing a way to get back into the NRL, thats a massive difference and why I and many others here have severe reservations about the idea. If they just handed the brand over and had no say in running of club, jus provided an east coast pathway system then happy days. But I highly doubt that is on their agenda.
 

Red&BlackBear

First Grade
Messages
5,441
This feels like when Wests and Balmain merged. 2 very different sets of supporters and board members bickering over anything.
I have grave doubts about this.
How is that a fair comparison? Tigers and Wests were two organisations that become one. However never really integrated with eachother properly.

However this is a club/organisation that physically exists - trying to move their operations to a new locations where nothing exists. A few business men with grand vision sure, a parttime WARL board probably but what else?

Think of it as a house relocation. Already built but now in a nice new area. It’s your house now, doesn’t matter who originally built it.
 

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