What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

18th club, whose next?

Steel Saints

Juniors
Messages
1,049
Mergers are comprises. I'm with the dolphins CEO, Perth Bears are a disaster waiting to happen.

Mergers or stand alone have their own cautionary tales. With the mergers, both clubs haven't made a tough decision. IMO, if Kogarah isnt upgraded, then the Dragons home grounds should be Allianz and Win. The Tigers conducted a review, and it stated that the club should focus more on the south west.


However what is crazy is that both have won a premiership.

We could look at Melbourne Storm as a standalone entity. Their journey has been an unorthodox one. In the Storm's first decade, they played out of an athletics track and field venue. Melbourne's inaugural owner was News Ltd, a media company with deep pockets. But under their wing occurred the salary cap scandal.

The one person who has held the club together is Craig Bellamy, who has been head coach for well over 20 years. Where would the Storm be without Bellamy? The "big 3" have retired and they are still top of the ladder.

Today the Storm are established and appear to look stable. But they had some hairy moments too.

Ideally you would bring back the Western Reds. But would they be fortunate to have a coach like Bellamy?

If it's Perth Bears, I like to see the details on how the club will function. So in the meantime, it is probably best to reserve judgement.
 

Centy Coast

Juniors
Messages
1,751
I think you're right about the QRL not allowing the Dolphins to use the same name.

You cannot deny that the game's administration is Sydney-centric?

If it wasn't then the Chairman wouldn't be trying to revive a dead Sydney club and force it on a market that doesn't want nor need it.

There's no reason for a Perth-based club to be tied with the Bears. It's just a narrowminded ploy by a corrupt and delusional Sydney-centric administration to make everything about Sydney. If you cannot understand why people outside of Sydney object to this then maybe you should ask your GP for a referral to a psychiatrist.
Sydney teams with the NSWRL added Canberra and Illawarra in 1982 and then added Brisbane, Newcastle and Gold Goast Giants in 1988 then became the ARL then went on to become the NRL with others teams being added, merged and being discarded over the years.
The Hostplus QLD Cup is the alternate to the Knock On Effect NSW Cup but in all honestly their top teams just don’t measure up to the standard of the NSW Cup.
I have spoken to players who have played in both and this is their opinion.
They say the NSW Cup is more professional and that the QLD Cup is like a Country Competition in comparison.
I know plenty of players in the Hostplus Competition having coached them and against them at club and representative level Cooper Page-Wilson (Wynnum-Manly Seagulls), Jaron Purcell (Redcliffe Dolphins), Bennett Leslie (Brisbane Tigers), Nicholas O’Meley (Burleigh Bears), Ryan Jones (Burleigh Bears), Corey Fenning (Clydesdales), Kyle Schneider (Northern Pride), Morgan McWhirter (Townsville Blackhawks), Jacob McCudden (Tweed Seagulls), Tom Steadman (Tweed Seagulls), Harry Croker (Tweed Seagulls), Toby Marks (Tweed Seagulls) and Jakob Kernick (Tweed Seagulls).
I personally look forward to the State Championship match every year on NRL Grand Final day.
There have been 8 matches, NSW Cup have won 6 to QLD Cup 2, QLD Cup won the first two which were close games, NSW Cup teams with the exception of 2019’s Newtown Jets v Burleigh Bears 20-16 result have won by an average of twenty points.
 
Last edited:

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
33,591
Sydney teams with the NSWRL added Canberra and Illawarra in 1982 and then added Brisbane, Newcastle and Gold Goast Giants in 1988 then became the ARL then went on to become the NRL with others teams being added, merged and being discarded over the years.
The Hostplus QLD Cup is the alternate to the Knock On Effect NSW Cup but in all honestly their top teams just don’t measure up to the standard of the NSW Cup.
I have spoken to players who have played in both and this is their opinion.
They say the NSW Cup is more professional and that the QLD Cup is like a Country Competition in comparison.
I personally look forward to the State Championship match every year on NRL Grand Final day.
Those last paragraphs are going to cause a meltdown from a certain person lol
 

Bukowski

Bench
Messages
2,649
Mergers or stand alone have their own cautionary tales. With the mergers, both clubs haven't made a tough decision. IMO, if Kogarah isnt upgraded, then the Dragons home grounds should be Allianz and Win. The Tigers conducted a review, and it stated that the club should focus more on the south west.


However what is crazy is that both have won a premiership.

We could look at Melbourne Storm as a standalone entity. Their journey has been an unorthodox one. In the Storm's first decade, they played out of an athletics track and field venue. Melbourne's inaugural owner was News Ltd, a media company with deep pockets. But under their wing occurred the salary cap scandal.

The one person who has held the club together is Craig Bellamy, who has been head coach for well over 20 years. Where would the Storm be without Bellamy? The "big 3" have retired and they are still top of the ladder.

Today the Storm are established and appear to look stable. But they had some hairy moments too.

Ideally you would bring back the Western Reds. But would they be fortunate to have a coach like Bellamy?

If it's Perth Bears, I like to see the details on how the club will function. So in the meantime, it is probably best to reserve judgement.
Fair call
 

Bukowski

Bench
Messages
2,649
At least the Perth Bears won't split their home games in the mad way that Wests Tigers are, trying to appease fans who prefer Leichardt, those who prefer Campbelltown AND those drawn to the modern facilities at Parramatta (including corporates).

The current proposal looks to be for one home game per year at NSO. ONE only.

Ideally it'd all be Perth home games, but one at NSO is tenable.

You can't compare Wests Tigers & Perth Bears (as the bud appears to be shaping up now) as there's increasing awareness from the Norths side that it needs to be Perth-focused.
You can compare them though. Split board, split fan base.
Most Perth league fans will have them as their 'second club', some are dead set against it. Not a great way to start anew club.
To use your political analogy. It's like pollies in Canberra making decisiond for communities 4000klms away that they have no knowledge of.
It's risky when it doesn’t have to be.
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
15,020
Perth Bears wouldn't be a merger but a relocation. Same way the Sydney Swans are relocated South Melbourne, but the Brisbane Lions are the result of a Fitzroy/ Brisbane Bears merger.
Yes this, for there to be a merger, you need someone to merge with, There is no perth, not right now, there was in the period of 95-97, but that's non existent now, they can throw back to it, as if it was the Giants of 88 for the Titans of today, but there's no merger, just the out of town bears
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
33,591
FMD wests and Balmain had two identities

they merged those into one

Perth has no identity

it’s nothing like the three jv that were tried in Sydney

it’s basically what the swans did

except they have a leagues club on top
 

Iamback

Referee
Messages
20,283
At least the Perth Bears won't split their home games in the mad way that Wests Tigers are, trying to appease fans who prefer Leichardt, those who prefer Campbelltown AND those drawn to the modern facilities at Parramatta (including corporates).

The current proposal looks to be for one home game per year at NSO. ONE only.

Ideally it'd all be Perth home games, but one at NSO is tenable.

You can't compare Wests Tigers & Perth Bears (as the bid appears to be shaping up now) as there's increasing awareness from the Norths side that it needs to be Perth-focused.

Long term Perth makes sense but I can see a brand new team in a new market without the leg ups Storm got being risky.

Perth bid are talking to Bears directly, It is up to those 2 parties to get a deal done to is good for both.

If they can get that done and get it past the relevant club doubts then the club will be very strong
 

Bukowski

Bench
Messages
2,649
NZ is still a new club though. I am talking IF the risks of a brand new club is seen as too high. That pushes Perth and NZ to further away while they get stuff sorted.

Brisbane Easts are the most complete bid team we have
Well that's expansion versus consolidation. Expansion comes with risks. Getting the locals 100% behind the new club is the best way to start.
 
Messages
14,822
There isn’t two sides

Donk is exaggerating because the bears joining with Perth has riled him up

pvl literally ruled out the bears being based in Sydney because Sydney has enough teams
If fhe Bears got a controlling stake in the licence then they could shift the club to Sydney. There's nothing the ARLC could do about it.
 

Latest posts

Top