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26 June expansion meeting (Predictions?)

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
That's part of the problem - with it being left to the whims of clubs, games there can't be a reliable part of the calendar.. and can just disappear from the schedule when a club loses interest - plus there's no goal to work towards an eventual team.
Adelaide oval is a fumbler ground and a very bad footy experience. Until Adelaide takes rectangle codes seriously it’s a waste of time.
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,957
This coming from the guy that thinks the Dolphins were the wrong choice and that the ARLC should have picked the second best bid
The Dolphins were a bad choice, most just haven't realised it yet (in the beginning most wouldn't accept that the Titans were a bad choice either, but give it some time), and my position was always that none of the options in Brisbane were particularly good.

The Firehawks were probably the closest, the best of a bad lot if you will, but they weren't ready for the NRL as is either. Either they or potentially the Bombers could have been moulded into a good option if they were open to making changes though, we'll never know now. In theory the Dolphins could have as well, but in practise I highly doubt they would have accepted even the most basic changes that should have been requested of them, like playing all their games out of Suncorp and branding changes.
 
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Bukowski

Bench
Messages
2,659
That's part of the problem - with it being left to the whims of clubs, games there can't be a reliable part of the calendar.. and can just disappear from the schedule when a club loses interest - plus there's no goal to work towards an eventual team.
This is true, the NRL need to start investing in Adelaide, or send the bears there, with an aim of getting a team there eventually. Perth is only a reality because the WA Govt bringing club games and origin here.
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,957
I predict they won't be discussing Adelaide on June 26.
I guarantee they won't, but that doesn't make it right.

SA should be being discussed as a serious option for expansion, the fact that it isn't says a lot about the state of the NRL and the attitudes and biases of the people in it's administration.
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
This is true, the NRL need to start investing in Adelaide, or send the bears there, with an aim of getting a team there eventually. Perth is only a reality because the WA Govt bringing club games and origin here.
Adelaide isn’t even in the same ball park as Perth. Their junior comp has restarted thank goodness but it’s tiny. In seniors there are 6 men’s teams and the women’s folded.
 

AlwaysGreen

Post Whore
Messages
50,137
I guarantee they won't, but that doesn't make it right.

SA should be being discussed as a serious option for expansion, the fact that it isn't says a lot about the state of the NRL and the attitudes and biases of it's administration.
You can't expand everywhere all at once.
Ideally the NRL would have a strategic plan on expansion and Adelaide would be part of it.
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
For those who dont know the local comp in Adelaide fell to pieces about 7-8 years ago. Maybe a bit longer. It’s just starting to come back. Their harmony cup last year was surprisingly well supported by players. There were big numbers. However given the mess the game has been in over there I think players tend to play it safe and play union not league during the season. Last time I checked NRL vic administrators were involved in rebuilding the game in Adelaide but it wont be easy.
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,957
Adelaide isn’t even in the same ball park as Perth. Their junior comp has restarted thank goodness but it’s tiny. In seniors there are 6 men’s teams and the women’s folded.
How do you propose that the sport grows junior participation numbers in South Australia when the sport has next to no exposure in the market, South Australia has a comparatively low rate of expats from the eastern states to push growth, there's literally no money within the sport locally to advertise or invest in programs to attract new participants, and basically everybody involved is a volunteer without any experience in sports administration or junior development?!

The only way that the NRL/RL will ever compete in the South Australian market at any level is with a professional side to push publicity, anything else is putting the cart before the horse. No different to the Storm in Melbourne or Swans in Sydney.
 

flippikat

First Grade
Messages
5,222
This is true, the NRL need to start investing in Adelaide, or send the bears there, with an aim of getting a team there eventually. Perth is only a reality because the WA Govt bringing club games and origin here.
The great thing about the NRL's current position is there are enough options right away for 20 (maybe more) teams and after team 18 they can throw open places two at a time - either pre-determining the spots, or throwing one/both open to bids.

Couple that with groundwork (NRL games, lobbying for stadium upgrades, working with local leagues) in Adelaide, Fiji, PNG, Wellington, and where-ever else is considered a future expansion candidate.. and we'll have a number of strong options for each expansion phase.
 

Vlad59

Bench
Messages
4,048
How do you propose that the sport grows junior participation numbers in South Australia when the sport has next to no exposure in the market, South Australia has a comparatively low rate of expats the eastern states to push growth, there's literally no money within the sport locally to advertise or invest in programs to attract new participants, and basically everybody involved is a volunteer without any experience in sports administration or junior development?!

The only way that the NRL/RL will ever compete in the South Australian market at any level is with a well publicised professional product to push publicity, anything else is putting the cart before the horse.
The problems in the Adelaide comp have been cultural and they were reduced to a laughing stock. Two years ago their grand final was called off due to an all in brawl. Well publicised too. It’ll take 5 years or more to rebuild anything of use there including reputation. The union comp is relatively big in comparison. With proper planning there is nothing to stop league being the number 1 code there if they can control the idiots.
 

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