18th club, whose next?

[Western Melbourne]

WA still has more registered players than Victoria despite your bigger population, successful nrl club and recent growth.

Adelaide and dockers are akin to admitting dolphins ie heartland cities. Melbourne2 would be akin to admitting gws. People on here have for years mocked gws. Now it’s a good idea apparently according to Vlandys lol

Perth definitely deserves a team. But we're looking at the broader expansion picture of 20 teams by 2032 and giving reasons why people should look into a 2nd Victorian team more closely.

 

[Perth Red]

Perth definitely deserves a team. But we're looking at the broader expansion picture of 20 teams by 2032 and giving reasons why people should look into a 2nd Victorian team more closely.

I wouldnt read too much into the 20 teams thing. It was literally a tabled idea by a club chairman a few months ago which leaked out and NRL did its usual 'yes we'd be interested to look at it' response. There is no strategy or plans in place for 20 teams by 2032 despite the media turning a Politis idea into a confirmed NRL plan!

Its not about 'deserving' its about what grows the game, what supports the NRLs strategic plan and what helps NRL achieve its goals, as well as what's sustainable and adds value in different ways to the NRL comp.

 

[Pneuma]

Perth definitely deserves a team. But we're looking at the broader expansion picture of 20 teams by 2032 and giving reasons why people should look into a 2nd Victorian team more closely.

You are doing a great job. Keep pushing the pins in the cushion.

 

[The Great Dane]

A good sign is the regional field is nearing its completion. I reckon it'd be in the best interests of both Western Melbourne Group and Wyndham City Council to at least consider the prospect of working together with the NRL to open up revenue and financial growth of the main stadium.

I'm sorry but the fact that Western United have built a glorified training field doesn't fill me with confidence that they're capable of pulling off an NRL standard 15k stadium any time soon. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by 'working together with the NRL' either, but I can't see what would be in it for the NRL to cooperate with them.

If the stadium gets built as described on schedule, and that's a big if, it'll still be on the small side for an NRL side, and it won't have as good facilities or public transport options are other options in the city.

Nothing is stopping Western United or another consortium from the region putting in a bid for an NRL license, but realistically the talk of a second Melbourne/Victorian side is little more than a thought bubble at the moment and there're multiple better expansion options in other markets at the moment.

 

[Stormy weather]

GWM to become the NRL’s GWS

 

[Western Melbourne]

I'm sorry but the fact that Western United have built a glorified training field doesn't fill me with confidence that they're capable of pulling off an NRL standard 15k stadium any time soon. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by 'working together with the NRL' either, but I can't see what would be in it for the NRL to cooperate with them.

If the stadium gets built as described on schedule, and that's a big if, it'll still be on the small side for an NRL side, and it won't have as good facilities or public transport options are other options in the city.

Nothing is stopping Western United or another consortium from the region putting in a bid for an NRL license, but realistically the talk of a second Melbourne/Victorian side is little more than a thought bubble at the moment and there're multiple better expansion options in other markets at the moment.

Well it'd depend on how much the NRL would be willing to work with Wyndham City Council & Western Melbourne Group to secure the venue. Not saying they would but hypothetically, they may be willing to at least talk with said groups about the progress of the stadium and look into it. There are other options out there but Wyndham/Tarneit Stadium would be the #1 choice if the planned precinct comes to fruition.

 

[The Penguin #6.]

I’d argue that’s because they had nowhere else to go. There are no major regional centres except for Geelong in WA, SA and VIC. Whereas the NRL had Canberra, Illawarra, Newcastle, Gold Coast and North Queensland. If a meteor hit Melbourne that’s most of the AFL universe wiped out in an instant.

We live in hope.

 

[MugaB]

Pasifika 2 or a second team in Cronulla.

2nd team in cronulla already exists.... they are called the dragons

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I wouldnt read too much into the 20 teams thing. It was literally a tabled idea by a club chairman a few months ago which leaked out and NRL did its usual 'yes we'd be interested to look at it' response. There is no strategy or plans in place for 20 teams by 2032 despite the media turning a Politis idea into a confirmed NRL plan!

Its not about 'deserving' its about what grows the game, what supports the NRLs strategic plan and what helps NRL achieve its goals, as well as what's sustainable and adds value in different ways to the NRL comp.

It's a wonder the Sydney media hasn't used it to push for the return of North Sydney, Newtown and Glebe.

 

[Wb1234]

Melbourne can't maintain two NRL teams: Storm boss

Melbourne Storm boss Justin Rodski says Victorian rugby league isn't strong enough to support a second NRL team...

www.canberratimes.com.au

Don’t you love the selfishness of rugby league clubs

 

[greenBV4]

Melbourne can't maintain two NRL teams: Storm boss

Melbourne Storm boss Justin Rodski says Victorian rugby league isn't strong enough to support a second NRL team...

www.canberratimes.com.au

Don’t you love the selfishness of rugby league clubs

tbf, you'd get a similar response from any ceo in the same position from any sport

Its the NRLs job to ignore this if its in the best interests of growing the game

however for team 18 he's not wrong, Storm are going through a significant growth phase at the moment and you wouldn't want to risk undercutting that until it at least starts to plateau, melb 2 could be a smokey for team 20 though

 

[greenBV4]

and here in lies the problem re: Victorian grassroots (and to the same extent the other affiliate states), woeful funding and support from the commission that's supposed to be charged with running the game

"The challenge has been around junior development and participation and we share that responsibility with the NRL but we've been disappointed with the lack of funding to put more resources into junior pathways and participation in Victoria," he added.
"As a result of that I don't think the grassroots and the community rugby league is anywhere near strong enough to support (another) team."

 

[Wb1234]

tbf, you'd get a similar response from any ceo in the same position from any sport

Its the NRLs job to ignore this if its in the best interests of growing the game

however for team 18 he's not wrong, Storm are going through a significant growth phase at the moment and you wouldn't want to risk undercutting that until it at least starts to plateau, melb 2 could be a smokey for team 20 though

Yep

a few weeks ago it was the warriors owner saying no to another nz team

league isn’t strong enough or have deep enough pockets for a 2nd team in Victoria for a long time

 

[Wb1234]

and here in lies the problem re: Victorian grassroots (and to the same extent the other affiliate states), woeful funding and support from the commission that's supposed to be charged with running the game

"The challenge has been around junior development and participation and we share that responsibility with the NRL but we've been disappointed with the lack of funding to put more resources into junior pathways and participation in Victoria," he added.
"As a result of that I don't think the grassroots and the community rugby league is anywhere near strong enough to support (another) team."

Storm (and the warriors) should get an extra 2 million pa on the proviso it’s spent on juniors

 

[Perth Red]

Melbourne can't maintain two NRL teams: Storm boss

Melbourne Storm boss Justin Rodski says Victorian rugby league isn't strong enough to support a second NRL team...

www.canberratimes.com.au

Don’t you love the selfishness of rugby league clubs

It’s not selfish, it’s a cold hard dose of reality.

 

[AdelaideRLFC]

We're all for a 2nd Vic team but not at the expense of an Adelaide or Perth team.

 

[The Great Dane]

It’s not selfish, it’s a cold hard dose of reality.

Yeah as a vocal supporter of a second Melbourne side it'd be mad to attempt it anytime soon.

 

[Vee]

Its scheduled for completion in 2026. The 5,000-capacity regional training field is going to be opened later this year with Western United hosting fixtures there, while the main stadium and the "world class sport, entertainment, business and residential precinct" is built with the new train station.

According to the Wyndham City website, Wyndham City Council has partnered with Western Melbourne Group to deliver the project, which will feature:

• A 15,000-capacity multisport stadium which will be the future home to the Western United Football Club and will host men and women’s A-League matches as well as other events.

That being said, I think it'd definitely be possible and ultimately ideal for all parties to consider hosting a potential NRL team.

Multi sport is the bit that worries me. In Victoriania, does that mean oval?

 

[Centy Coast]

Melbourne 2, omg, may as well bring in the Central Coast, yes it is another NSW team but atleast it is rugby league heartland and the 3rd largest rugby league area in NSW.
Melbourne should just concentrate on what they’ve got now, 25 years and they’ve got a few juniors coming through let’s get a 2nd side ffs, a 2nd side would be a train wreck.
Perth has to be next, Bears or no Bears, it’s the NRL as in NATIONAL, forget Pacifika, forget PNG, forget NZ2, these sides are years away from being viable, as for Melb2 wtf that would be like another 30 years away going by the Storms foray into Melbourne lol.

 

[Perth Red]

Melbourne 2, omg, May as well bring in the Central Coast, yes it is another NSW team but atleast it is rugby league heartland and the 3rd largest rugby league area in NSW.
Melbourne should just concentrate on what they’ve got now, 25 years and they’ve got a few juniors coming through let’s get a 2nd side ffs, a 2nd side would be a train wreck

Best everyone calm down and see it for what it is, Vlandys up to his usual childish tricks. Im sure its just coincidence he starts talking about Melb2 the same week Tassie is announced as club 19 for AFL! With Perth double header coming up no doubt it'll all be about Perth in a few months. Juts a bit of fodder for the news ltd crew.