25th anniversary of expansion

[Razor]

Good reason for that- by going in numbers the people of the Central Coast would have been saying "We are gullible and really do think the Manly-run Eagles are the Central Coast's team." Central Coast people are smarter than that. If, say, a Sydney club started playing HALF it's home games at Carrara or Robina and people didn't show up, would that mean the Gold Coast didn't deserve a team of its' own?

So what if it wasn't their team. They had League in their area and they didn't go. They showed that they only care about League if it's their own team. The Gold Coast has proven that they'll go and watch anyone play even if it's not their team. That's the area that the NRL wants.

 

[Willow]

Carrara had over 21,000 for a NRL match this year - it was the second highest crowd ever at Carrara (Gold Coast v Broncos got more in 1994).

The AFL get crowds as well but the rugby league attendances are almost always higher.

The highest crowd attendances for Carrara since 2003 are:

21,012 - NRL 2005
18,356 - NRL 2004
17,823 - NRL 2005
16,591 - AFL 2005
16,155 - NRL 2005
15,257 - NRL 2003
14,574 - NRL 2004
12,127 - NRL 2003

Obviously people are screaming out for a League on the Gold Coast.

Source: http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums_crowds.php?id=31

 

[Pig Champion]

Melbourne has always been up against it. Little promotion by the NRL, coming in after so much heartache experienced by other clubs and a hostile, uncooperative media. It'll happen, support Melbourne and support Rugby League. Let go of history, take your club allegiance out of the equation. I see Melbourne RL bigger than Sydney AFL.
Let's stick together under Rugby League's banner.

 

[Knightmare]

So what if it wasn't their team. They had League in their area and they didn't go. They showed that they only care about League if it's their own team. The Gold Coast has proven that they'll go and watch anyone play even if it's not their team. That's the area that the NRL wants.

Strange that- Gold Coast people are made to believe that making an appearence at trial games will get them a team in the NRL. Central Coast people used to believe the same thing, until they saw through the total rort it was. It was all a done deal a long time ago, anyone who thinks David Gallop and the NRL woke up on D-day ths year and thought "You know, let's give the bid to the Gold Coast!" is a fool. And this is ignoring the fact that for 11 years the Gold Coast had a team (and two chances at one) but people generally didn't bother going to see them. I'd love to see where all these apparent "sellouts" are going to keep happening again and again.

 

[Misty Bee]

Have to agree - the Gold Coast has had 3 dead clubs, not just one. Sure, the argument, based on population etc is strong. So was Perths. I hope the Titans survive and become strong. Population aside, however, they have nothing that the Central Coast bid couldn't outdo.

Back on topic.....

Expansion has been great for the game. However, I get the feeling that the League originally expanded in response to AFL's expansion into Sydney. The regional barriers of Australian sport were being broken down, and soon soccer and basketball also went national (Union's attempt to go national at this time saw them expand to Drummoyne...:roll

Expansion has been reactionary - never fully planned and worked towards. But yuo can't blame the NSWRL/ARL at the time. Expansion in 1982 gave us a strong Steelers side within a few years, and a legendary Raiders outfit before the first decade was out. Expansion in 1988 completed NSW's inclusion with Newcstle, and went interstate with the Broncos and the Giants. This capitalised on the huge sucess of Origin.

People forget that the 4 teams admitted for 1995 were all consortiums that approached Rugby League. There was no such approach to AFL during that time. I agreed - still do, with the 20 team comp. Sadly, dark forces exploited the lack of control that the ARL had. We all know the rest.

Despite my misgivings about the fourth attempt at a Gold Coast side, at least the league is expanding again - here's a brief to Souths for their part in it. After the loss of so many clubs, it's nice to get back on the right path again.

 

[Razor]

Have to agree - the Gold Coast has had 3 dead clubs, not just one. Sure, the argument, based on population etc is strong.

Name the 3?

The Giants and Seagulls were exactly the same club. They just changed their name.

If you're going to criticise a decision make sure you get your facts right.

 

[Misty Bee]

From memory, the Giants organisation was taken over by the Seagulls Leagues Club in 1989 -hence the name change - and the club colours (from silver and white to red, black and white)

 

[Razor]

From memory, the Giants organisation was taken over by the Seagulls Leagues Club in 1989 -hence the name change - and the club colours (from silver and white to red, black and white)

Yes the club was sold, that doesn't mean the team died. The Broncos have been sold, and the Broncos never died. Manly was recently sold. Manly didn't die.

 

[LESStar58]

it is suprising though the storm have such low crowds, maybe if channel 9 and the media down there got off their collective a$$e$ and exposed our game a bit more the averages might go up a bit.

Theres 2 reasons. The first is Len Downes and the second is Eddie Maguire. Other than that you've got it in one....good for you

 

[LESStar58]

Melbourne has always been up against it. Little promotion by the NRL, coming in after so much heartache experienced by other clubs and a hostile, uncooperative media. It'll happen, support Melbourne and support Rugby League. Let go of history, take your club allegiance out of the equation. I see Melbourne RL bigger than Sydney AFL.
Let's stick together under Rugby League's banner.

Origin will get the AFL watching philistines back to league hopefully. Think of this...

Origin 2 2004- Slater's try

Origin 3 2005- King's hat trick

People in Melby WATCH Origin. Now if they had seen it live and seen what freakish performances these player put in then we can say "hey, these guys play for the team in Melbourne! They do this every week... GO WATCH NOW!"
We have a great team and players like Billy and Matt are marketable commodoties and in time ingliss will be as well....the media outlets in Melbourne just need to co-operate!

The Swans supporters are just the latte sipping Roosters and rugby union scraps anyway...

 

[Knightmare]

I hate Swans "fans".

 

[greg]

Razor is right, the Giants/seagulls were in effect one club which failed. The Chargers did not fail, they had a knife stuck into their back by the Bronco loving newly created NRL. That makes for one failed attempt only on the gold coast.

 

[Willow]

Strange that- Gold Coast people are made to believe that making an appearence at trial games will get them a team in the NRL.

Which Gold Coast people? Who 'made' them believe this?

Central Coast people used to believe the same thing, until they saw through the total rort it was. It was all a done deal a long time ago, anyone who thinks David Gallop and the NRL woke up on D-day ths year and thought "You know, let's give the bid to the Gold Coast!" is a fool.

There is nothing there to say why the Gold Coast should not have a team in the NRL.

No logic to your argument. Sour grapes at best.

And this is ignoring the fact that for 11 years the Gold Coast had a team (and two chances at one) but people generally didn't bother going to see them.

As I have already pointed out, North Sydney were drawing similar sized crowds as the Gold Coast. Plus the Gold Coast had money.
I'm not knocking the Bears and I hope to see them get the nod one day. But I can see the reason why the Gold Coast's admission into the NRL made more sense.

I'd love to see where all these apparent "sellouts" are going to keep happening again and again.

Where has anyone said the Gold Coast are going to have "sellouts" again and again?

Which team gets a "sellout" every match?

Are you going to lay the boot in every time the Gold Coast fall short of a "sellout"?

Get used to it. The Gold Coast have a team in the 2007 competition. The Central Coast do not.

 

[Green Machine]

Razor is right, the Giants/seagulls were in effect one club which failed. The Chargers did not fail, they had a knife stuck into their back by the Bronco loving newly created NRL. That makes for one failed attempt only on the gold coast.

David Barnhill from the ARL (the owners) closed down the Gold Coast Chargers as a trade off for News Ltd getting rid of the Rams. This was done to relive the pressure on Sydney clubs that would have to merge before the 14-team 2000 NRL season. Imagine if the Rams and Chargers stayed and two or four other sides in Sydney had to merge or be eliminated, what the public outcry would have been. The Gold Coast are back, lets move on,

 

[Willow]

David Barnhill from the ARL (the owners) closed down the Gold Coast Chargers as a trade off for News Ltd getting rid of the Rams.

And the Broncos wanted the SE Qld franchise.

The Gold Coast are back, lets move on,

Couldn't agree more. :thumn

 

[Green Machine]

And the Broncos wanted the SE Qld franchise.Couldn't agree more. :thumn

I don’t think the Broncos were given exclusive rights to SEQ post 2000, but to greater Brisbane. Personally, I thought it was a bad decision. At the end of 1997, once the peace deal was done and a 14 team competition for 2000 was agreed to between News Ltd and the ARL, there was an opportunity for the Crushers and the Chargers to merge, but the QRL run Crushers and ARL run Chargers could not find a common ground, which would have given an alternative to the Broncos in SEQ. I can understand why the ARL did what they did, to save further pain for their majority of their aligned clubs in the Sydney Metropolitan Area.
On the surface, this Gold Coast franchise looks like it has more going for it than when Penrith, Cronulla, Canberra, Illawarra, Newcastle, Tweed Heads, Broncos, North Queensland, Crushers, Perth, Auckland, Adelaide and Melbourne were set up.
Purpose built Rugby League Stadium with maximum corporate facilities in an all seater stadium, corporate support from SEQ region and generous NRL grant,

 

[Willow]

I understand the Broncos' exclusive rights were for five years and it included SE Qld (if the area of exclusivity altered during this time, I'm not sure). In any case the Gold Coast couldn't enter the NRL until after the deal expired, that being around 2003. Not that they were able and the conditions didn't allow for it.

Agree totally that they have a lot going for them. And the area has certainly produced a lot of good players over the years. Just hope the management keep on track. From what I've seen, they've got their act together.

 

[Misty Bee]

Goild Coast was axed directly as a result of the Brisbane clause. The Crushers simply folded - couldn't compete with the player market at the time.

Gold Coast had 2 merger options. Firstly, the proposed 3 way merge with Balmain and Brisbane Easts was rejected by the new NRL. Second, a merger offer by the Hunter Mariners, effectively a takeover offer by a dead club, was simply laughed at.

And for all the hype and expectation, the new Gold Coast had better be a vast improvement on the old one. It had pretty good credentials on paper too (it obviously compared pretty well with what Brisbane and Newcastle presented). On the field, however, a consortium based at Wilcannia would have done better.

 

[Green Machine]

Goild Coast was axed directly as a result of the Brisbane clause.

So the Broncos told the ARL to wind up the Chargers? The Bronco sent David Barnhill up to the Gold Coast to close down the Chargers?

The Crushers simply folded - couldn't compete with the player market at the time.

Check out a book called “The History of NRL Clubs” or
http://www.rl1908.com/Clubs/South-Queensland-Crushers.htm
“Towards the end of the season the ARL announced it would not continue the financial support that was keeping the club viable and effectively sounded the death-knell for the Crushers. Late season merger talks with the neighbouring Gold Coast Chargers faltered and when the final round game against Wests arrived, all knew it would be the Crusher's last ever game.”
Or
http://www.rl1908.com/Clubs/Gold-Coast-Chargers-Seagulls.htm
“While the Chargers thought they had another season to position themselves for the 2000 14 team competition, they ultimately paid dearly for their 1998 results. The St George and Illawarra joint venture triggered further concessions between News Ltd and the ARL. News Ltd withdrew its financial support of the Adelaide Rams, and the ARL - who were still in control of the Chargers - decided to close the Gold Coast club down.”

Gold Coast had 2 merger options. Firstly, the proposed 3 way merge with Balmain and Brisbane Easts was rejected by the new NRL. Second, a merger offer by the Hunter Mariners, effectively a takeover offer by a dead club, was simply laughed at.

I wonder what caused the ARL to pull the cash out? I wonder why the ARL did not force a merger and rationalise into one side to look after the ARL supporters in SEQ? Don’t tell me, the Broncos stopped them!
I thought the rest of the NRL clubs put the Kibewaste on Easts of Brisbane getting involved in a NRL franchise. You can’t be serious that Balmain ever considered moving out of Sydney?

And for all the hype and expectation, the new Gold Coast had better be a vast improvement on the old one. It had pretty good credentials on paper too (it obviously compared pretty well with what Brisbane and Newcastle presented). On the field, however, a consortium based at Wilcannia would have done better.

Nice bit of your usual colour Misty,

 

[mightybears]

soop,
your the "proud forum sponsor of Glen Morrison,......"

from the central coast you'll find
so run down their juniors all you want
that and sh*tting on the CC bears makes you sound a blinkered manly fan
a closet manly loving eels fan
strange days