18th club, whose next?

[Colk]

I liked them also, but some of them went too far using the adidas stripes, it suited some teams, looked generic for others, the cowboys i didn't really like, but the reds was fantastic

Yeah you are probably right about the Cowboys. Didn’t love the Storm either. Didn’t agree with the Dragons use of the black but I get why he would have did that considering the Dolphins. Liked what he did with the Raiders. The Reds, Sharks, Knights, Manly (they have the best jerseys atm), Titans and the Dolphins were great

 

[Colk]

Easts Tigers have more money and assets.

They are both potentials. It would depend on how much support the Dolphins are getting and even more so on the Titans. The Titans are still struggling atm and we need to make sure their support is strong first before we enter a new side right next to them.

To be honest they should look at teams outside of NSW/QLD and then in 10 or so years time, look at this option again.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

They are both potentials. It would depend on how much support the Dolphins are getting and even more so on the Titans. The Titans are still struggling atm and we need to make sure their support is strong first before we enter a new side right next to them.

To be honest they should look at teams outside of NSW/QLD and then in 10 or so years time, look at this option again.

The biggest problem for the Titans is their brand has no appeal and can be mistaken for Tigers because both brands use a two syllable six letter word that begins with "ti".

Ti-tans
Ti-gers

They should saddle up with Fortitude Valley and rebrand as the Gold Coast Diehards. Valleys and Tweed Heads Seagulls merged in 1988 to win the BRL Woolies Pre Season and BRL Winfield Premiership, so there's history to work with. Plus the representative team from the Gold Coast were called the Vikings, which is similar to the gladiator theme used by Diehards and Titans.

Gold Coast Ironmen would be more synonymous with the city's surf culture.

 

[Colk]

The biggest problem for the Titans is their brand has no appeal and can be mistaken for Tigers because both brands use a two syllable six letter word that begins with "ti".

Ti-tans
Ti-gers

They should saddle up with Fortitude Valley and rebrand as the Gold Coast Diehards. Valleys and Tweed Heads Seagulls merged in 1988 to win the BRL Woolies Pre Season and BRL Winfield Premiership, so there's history to work with. Plus the representative team from the Gold Coast were called the Vikings, which is similar to the gladiator theme used by Diehards and Titans.

Gold Coast Ironmen would be more synonymous with the city's surf culture.

Maybe. How many name changes do we need for the Gold Coast though?

I didn’t mind Gladiators as a name tbh.

 

[Pippen94]

Easts Tigers have more money and assets.

Eaats makes no sense as south is growing market. Fact bombers & tigers needed to merge with them shows their value of area.

 

[Pippen94]

The biggest problem for the Titans is their brand has no appeal and can be mistaken for Tigers because both brands use a two syllable six letter word that begins with "ti".

Ti-tans
Ti-gers

They should saddle up with Fortitude Valley and rebrand as the Gold Coast Diehards. Valleys and Tweed Heads Seagulls merged in 1988 to win the BRL Woolies Pre Season and BRL Winfield Premiership, so there's history to work with. Plus the representative team from the Gold Coast were called the Vikings, which is similar to the gladiator theme used by Diehards and Titans.

Gold Coast Ironmen would be more synonymous with the city's surf culture.

Won't & shouldn't happen. Stick to titans brand. Local derby will actually help but ppl too short sited & clubs too lazy

 

[mongoose]

Brisbane South jets based out of Springfield will be 18th

I can't see it happening. Brisbane has been a 1 team city for the best part of 32 years, why would they suddenly introduce 2 new teams in quick succession? It would be such an odd move to make for the NRL but then there doesn't appear to be any logic behind much of what the NRL does.... If anything it implies that the comp has manufactured an advantage for the Broncos for 30 years and its now off the table for some reason. I mean fmd!

 

[Perth Red]

You should know what news wants news gets, and News doesnt want another genuine Brisbane club.

 

[Colk]

I can't see it happening. Brisbane has been a 1 team city for the best part of 32 years, why would they suddenly introduce 2 new teams in quick succession? It would be such an odd move to make for the NRL but then there doesn't appear to be any logic behind much of what the NRL does.... If anything it implies that the comp has manufactured an advantage for the Broncos for 30 years and its now off the table for some reason. I mean fmd!

Exactly it should be between Perth and NZ 2. In an ideal world, you would approve both, spread it over 3-4 years in terms of entry from 2025-2027 and then work out what you want to do for the 20th team.

 

[Wb1234]

You should know what news wants news gets, and News doesnt want another genuine Brisbane club.

Which is a shame easts tigers was a great bid.

 

[Slackboy72]

A third Brisbane team servicing Australia's second biggest advertising revenue market makes the most sense so I can imagine the NRL will locate the next team as far from there as possible.

 

[MugaB]

Which is a shame easts tigers was a great bid.

No it wasn't, firehawks was terrible, plus they seemed so smug at their press conference, to the point where the reporters got the shits, coz they were constantly dilly dallying around the questions asked, the whole we know what we're doing and you don't doesn't fly.... atleast Nick Livermore and Terry Reader went out of their way to answer any questions asked if they were allowed due to the bidding process... easts we're too stuck up to fill us in on whatever "edge" they thought they had, basically throwing out the whole L.A Lakers APP as the example of what they were heading as their way to involve fans... please, gotta have a license first and stop explaining how a firehawk is the local raptor

 

[Colk]

A third Brisbane team servicing Australia's second biggest advertising revenue market makes the most sense so I can imagine the NRL will locate the next team as far from there as possible.

It would be the third, not the second, as Melbourne and Sydney would be clearly bigger markets. Perth would be the fourth (and not much behind Brisbane) and don’t have a team at all. So wouldn’t that make more sense than putting a third team in Brisbane?

 

[Colk]

No it wasn't, firehawks was terrible, plus they seemed so smug at their press conference, to the point where the reporters got the shits, coz they were constantly dilly dallying around the questions asked, the whole we know what we're doing and you don't doesn't fly.... atleast Nick Livermore and Terry Reader went out of their way to answer any questions asked if they were allowed due to the bidding process... easts we're too stuck up to fill us in on whatever "edge" they thought thet had, basically throwing out the whole L.A Lakers APP. as their way to involve fans... please, gotta have a license first and stop explaining how a firehawk is the local raptor

They really should have gone with a different logo. I get that it had local connections and history with the area but if you have to explain the meaning behind the logo to the general public then it loses its strength and marketability.

The colours were fantastic and the idea of a rivalry with the Broncos based on the south/north divide was a great selling point.

 

[MugaB]

It would be the third, not the second, as Melbourne and Sydney would be clearly bigger markets. Perth would be the fourth (and not much behind Brisbane) and don’t have a team at all. So wouldn’t that make more sense than putting a third team in Brisbane?

Depends if you want a city that has a readily Rugby League comp of its own, i mean the QRL is pretty good for players, Perth has a comp, but nothing close to that standard, I'd put ESL behind QRL too, its where the players are, so a local team seems prudent

 

[MugaB]

They really should have gone with a different logo. I get that it had local connections and history with the area but if you have to explain the meaning behind the logo to the general public then it loses its strength and marketability.

The colours were fantastic and the idea of a rivalry with the Broncos based on the south/north divide was a great selling point.

I wasn't impressed with the colors, it was South Queensland Crushers carbon copy... and GC Titans are Navy, Blue and OrangeyGold...Cowboys often use Navy & Gold (USE MORE GREY DARN IT!) i was happy it would have been a primarily Orange team, as the NRL is lacking gold at the forefront of its teams, but another club with blue in it.... FACEPALM

 

[Colk]

Depends if you want a city that has a readily Rugby League comp of its own, i mean the QRL is pretty good for players, Perth has a comp, but nothing close to that standard, I'd put ESL behind QRL too, its where the players are, so a local team seems prudent

I get where you are coming from. The biggest thing though (and this is the same whatever area they decide to go with) is to give them more lead time. The Dolphins have only been given 18 months to assemble a squad and that’s why they are struggling

Give the 18th team (and any teams beyond that) 3 years. That gives them time to build investments for juniors and to pick up marquee signings/first grade squad. So for example NZ 2 and Perth they can start headhunting their best 15-18 year olds (RU and RL) particularly in those areas, build up junior nurseries and they are not in this constant rush to fill a 30 man roster.

With the Dolphins, every time a player has knocked them back more pressure is placed on them by the media/fans alike because of the timeframe, which then feeds into a perception, which then makes it even more difficult to sign players.

 

[Colk]

I wasn't impressed with the colors, it was South Queensland Crushers carbon copy... and GC Titans are Navy, Blue and OrangeyGold...Cowboys often use Navy & Gold (USE MORE GREY DARN IT!) i was happy it would have been a primarily Orange team, as the NRL is lacking gold at the forefront of its teams, but another club with blue in it.... FACEPALM

Perhaps. I didn’t mind the alternate which was mostly yellow/gold from memory (or maybe I’m imagining it) It would have been interesting to see them merge with the Jets, to see what colours/logo they would have come up with.

The biggest thing though was the logo. I don’t why they just didn’t call themselves the Hawks or the Raptors. It was the same thing. It just seemed like they were trying too hard to be ‘unique’. Unique is not always good

 

[MugaB]

I get where you are coming from. The biggest thing though (and this is the same whatever area they decide to go with) is to give them more lead time. The Dolphins have only been given 18 months to assemble a squad and that’s why they are struggling

Give the 18th team (and any teams beyond that) 3 years. That gives them time to build investments for juniors and to pick up marquee signings/first grade squad. So for example NZ 2 and Perth they can start headhunting their best 15-18 year olds (RU and RL) particularly in those areas, build up junior nurseries and they are not in this constant rush to fill a 30 man roster.

With the Dolphins, every time a player has knocked them back more pressure is placed on them by the media/fans alike because of the timeframe, which then feeds into a perception, which then makes it even more difficult to sign players.

Seems you guys are reading t oo much media bullshit... yes we would love to see the dolphins competitive day dot, even a longer lead in time wouldnt change whats happening now, clubs are out bidding each other and paying overs for mediocre players, media suggesting dolphins missing out on everyone... its really player managers floating the idea of the dolphins scalping the other 16 clubs, who then resign either more money or longer contracts to their existing players.. RCG, paulo, ponga, etc...munster will be next, its a ploy!
now im hearing moses is "on the hit list" seriously overrated wanker is lucky eels need a halfback...
Dolphins will be fine, look at the comp now, theres about 10 clubs who are just not up to the standards of the top 6... dolphins wont run last, but thet certainly wont be higher than 7th, not 1st year anyways

 

[Perth Red]

Ideally if its Perth Id like to see 3 year lead in time with grant funding starting to flow from announcement. Lets say its the Pirates owned by a private consortium/ Id like to see a licensing agreement that the Pirates pay the NRLWA $2mill a year for use of the license.
So Year 1 Pirates would get $5mill NRL grant so they can build a NSW cup side, improve the quality of the Sg ball team, appoint the coaching squad, properly launch memberships and build profile and pay the NRLWA the $2mill license fee so they can improve jnr numbers.
Year 2 grant goes up to $7.5mill so they can be singing decent player squad number 20-32 who will play in the NSW cup team that year and the club can really build its presence in Perth.
Year 3 full $13mill grant so al the clubs infrastructure is in place ready for KO
Yr 4 club kicks off in NRL.
Thats what the NRL should be doing, but wont.