18th club, whose next?

[titoelcolombiano]

Thanks to all that commented positively. I am in my late 50s and have followed the Dragon's all my life (also follow Collingwood - we all have sinned sometime in our lives). I like the banter and have pissed my pants laughing at some of the witty comments on the forum (no, not incontinence due to my age) but not when it gets abusive just because you don't agree with someone's view.

Agree that putting nil fee was silly on behalf of the consortium. I get the Dolphins had asset backing and established pathways but to pay a nil fee and then ask another entrant just a couple of years later to pay millions is not right and just looks like a cash grab by the NRL. If the NRL was looking for a bank guarantee in case the shit hits the fan then say so and nominate a figure in the document so all potential bidders know what is required of them and they can budget accordingly. The WA consortium means a new market and an extra game to sell to the broadcasters, so surely that is worth something.

Is there a hidden agenda and the NRL doesn't want Cumins? Who knows. But if the NRL wants to put a team in WA, let's see if anyone else puts a proposal forward as you would assume there is no one at this stage as the NRL would have just moved on and started discussing with them and we have not heard anything during this process of another interested party for WA.

From outside looking in it looks unprofessional from both sides.

Fox covered the Dolphins' fee. $75M

 

[Wb1234]

Fox covered the Dolphins' fee. $75M

Plus it was to keep origin competitive which Perth are irrelevant too

Origin is worth around 100 million pa to game

Anyone comparing the dolphins with Perth has rocks in their head

One is crucial one isn’t

 

[Mother Nature's Son]

Now any proper tender or bid document would then say what the amount required is, not simply saying pay as much as you want. If the NRL wanted a licence fee or a guarantee to be paid then they should have specifically written it in the document that we want X amount, that's what a proper bid document has. Anyone arguing otherwise or saying that the NRL spoke with the consortium and told them verbally so that is enough, simply is being argumentative and has no knowledge how bids/tenders work in the real world.

This had crossed my mind as well, however considering that this was meant to be a competitive tender process between several bids perhaps there was no stipulated amount because it was meant to be the most competitive bidder.
WA either knew that the other bids (exc. PNG of course) were in no financial situation to be offering a licence fee or they felt confident enough with other aspects of their bid, the $30m raised and $450m WA Gov`t investment that they could forgo offering one.
So they may have asked the NRL and the NRL came back to them and said that is up to you to decide, we can`t tell you an amount as that would be revealing implicitly what other bids have offered.
Seems like the NRL may have been trying to ignite a bidding war by misleading the WA tender that there were other competitive bids, that aligns with V`landys "we`ve got several very strong bids" statement and the whole thing has backfired because there were none and Cumins and co. called their bluff.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Keep origin competitive?

Queensland have dominated NSW over the last 20 odd years.

There's a lot of reasons for the Dolphins coming into the comp but that isn't one of them.

 

[Vlad59]

Keep origin competitive?

Queensland have dominated NSW over the last 20 odd years.

There's a lot of reasons for the Dolphins coming into the comp but that isn't one of them.

Yep that one confused me.

 

[MugaB]

Yep that one confused me.

1st grade clubs, create 1st grade players

 

[Trifili13]

1st grade clubs, create 1st grade players

Not at the Dragon's. Unless we are not considered a 1st grade club.

 

[Maximus]

Keep origin competitive?

Queensland have dominated NSW over the last 20 odd years.

There's a lot of reasons for the Dolphins coming into the comp but that isn't one of them.

Yeah but you weren't in the negotiations like tiktok.

 

[Scootsie]

It would make a lot of sense (geographically and strategically) for a team from New England/Mid North Coast to join The NRL. from Tamworth to Moree, Armidale, Inverell, right through to Taree and Coffs Harbour - massive RL base.

 

[MugaB]

Thanks to all that commented positively. I am in my late 50s and have followed the Dragon's all my life (also follow Collingwood - we all have sinned sometime in our lives). I like the banter and have pissed my pants laughing at some of the witty comments on the forum (no, not incontinence due to my age) but not when it gets abusive just because you don't agree with someone's view.

Agree that putting nil fee was silly on behalf of the consortium. I get the Dolphins had asset backing and established pathways but to pay a nil fee and then ask another entrant just a couple of years later to pay millions is not right and just looks like a cash grab by the NRL. If the NRL was looking for a bank guarantee in case the shit hits the fan then say so and nominate a figure in the document so all potential bidders know what is required of them and they can budget accordingly. The WA consortium means a new market and an extra game to sell to the broadcasters, so surely that is worth something.

Is there a hidden agenda and the NRL doesn't want Cumins? Who knows. But if the NRL wants to put a team in WA, let's see if anyone else puts a proposal forward as you would assume there is no one at this stage as the NRL would have just moved on and started discussing with them and we have not heard anything during this process of another interested party for WA.

From outside looking in it looks unprofessional from both sides.

Seriously the WA bidder is bidding

That's unprofessional,

and yeah I'm fairly sure nobody wants cumins involved, why would he be told NOT to talk to the arlc by his own people, this was atleast 6-9months ago....

This WA govt wants a team there, NRL wants team there, Bears want to be there, how can you fk this up? By saying we'll offer you zero, coz we have our own costs to deal with FFS

I can't see why the other NRL clubs would want to expand, when you got a bidder who just wants to reap the benefits of the NRL profits, but won't put in now, just to be part of it, what fkn joke

 

[AlwaysGreen]

It would make a lot of sense (geographically and strategically) for a team from New England/Mid North Coast to join The NRL. from Tamworth to Moree, Armidale, Inverell, right through to Taree and Coffs Harbour - massive RL base.

Gold Coast Titans
Newcastle Knights

 

[MugaB]

Gold Coast Titans
Newcastle Knights

Yes titans should be looking after the northern rivers to about Grafton, and Newcastle does north to about Port Macquarie

 

[Vlad59]

Yes titans should be looking after the northern rivers to about Grafton, and Newcastle does north to about Port Macquarie

Junior development

Junior development

www.titans.com.au

 

[MugaB]

It would make a lot of sense (geographically and strategically) for a team from New England/Mid North Coast to join The NRL. from Tamworth to Moree, Armidale, Inverell, right through to Taree and Coffs Harbour - massive RL base.

New England Bears = stadiums based in Coffs Harbour and Tamworth