3 month countdown.........

[Perth Red]

The wealthier RL playing nations could provide support to those other countries but yes, you do make a fair point.

As for your last comment; our differences of opinion reminds me of that eternal question; what came first, the chicken or the egg?

Aussie Rules will always be the dominant sport in W.A. I just don't see it being able to support an NRL team without eternal financial support.
One must take into account not only the long flights involved [Like travelling from NZ to W.A. being the longest or Townsville to Perth for that matter] the cost to the clubs would be yet another drain on resources.

Thanks to expansion we've lost the traditional under 23's & reserve grade games that were played prior to the 1st grade match. That set-up was good for the building of club loyalty [which is now almost non-existent] & a great way to develop future 1st graders.
It's something that I really miss on game day.

As I said to @Perth Red , I fully understand why RL supporters out west would love to have a local team & I do have some empathy. But, I don't see it as being good for the overall competition.

Although you both make some good points, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

Mate you didn't even know of we had any RL clubs in WA, no disrespect but you hardly seem qualified to pass opinion on the WA sporting landscape lol.

 

[Perth Red]

Well the commission met and no expansion news so I guess we hold our breath for another month.

 

[Legion]

Or we could just focus on expanding the game in Australia first.

It isn't a Chicken or the egg question at all, in fact it's pretty straight forward: you can't buy something if it's not for sale, and the NRL isn't for sale in WA.

Taking into account that it isn't for sale in WA (and other large parts of country) it's ridiculous to suggest that you won't sell it to them until they are already buying lots of it, because it's impossible for them to buy lots of it because you refuse to sell it to them. By refusing to sell it to them you are artificially creating a problem and then using that manufactured problem to refuse to sell to them.

Back in the 20s-70s ish people said the same thing about Baseball in the US, these days both American Football and Basketball are bigger sports than Baseball in the US. . .

But expansion isn't (necessarily) about dominating a new market, it's only about catching a reasonable share of a market. For example you'd only need to catch 1% of the Chinese sports market and it'd be more valuable than all of the NRL put together, and I think that we can both agree 1% isn't close to dominating.

The NRL is already propping up most of the league through their ridiculous grants, and a good portion of the league are way less "deserving" of it then your Perth's and Adelaide's of the world. So I don't get why you are concerned about the expense when it comes to expansion clubs, but you are totally fine with it when the NRL is propping up the smaller clubs (particularly the smaller clubs in Sydney) through grants.

Secondly, when somehow the smallest of minority sports, like Ice Hockey and Baseball for example, can mange to organise national competitions, expensive flights and all, when they are averaging attendance in the hundreds, ratings in the lower thousands, and have minuscule TV contracts (if they have a tv contract at all), then I think that the multi-billion dollar high flying NRL can manage it as well.

What the hell has expansion got to do with the NRL getting rid of reserve grade?

This is just a crappy argument form tradition anyway. Just because we always did it that way doesn't mean that it should always be done that way.

And yet Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Wellington, Christchurch, etc, would all be much better for the competition overall then your average smaller Sydney club, and yet I don't hear you complaining about the smaller Sydney clubs presence in the competition. . .

I think that you are being highly selective with you're concerns about what is in the best interests of the competition overall!

It IS a Sydney competition. Why should a long established Sydney club be ditched for some Johnny-Come-Lately?
Without the Sydney clubs there would be no competition.

Before the expansion & big money, the best players from Qld & many from England & NZ would come here to play to test themselves in the worlds toughest competition.

Sydney is the foundation of the NRL whether you like it or not.

You must not have ever attended a game when there were 3 fixtures; under 23s, reserve, then 1st grade. Only ever watch the game on the TV huh? Yeah, sound like a real footy fan.

We are not basketball, baseball & it is not America.

You sound like one of these entitled Millenials who grew up in the 'Every childs a winner. Everyone wins a prize' era. I want I want gimme gimme gimme because I want.

Well we don't want a stinking Perth club or no pissy Adelaide club nor any Chinese club for that matter. Now run along to your mummy & have a sook about the bad man on the internet who dared tell you that you can't have.

 

[Legion]

Mate you didn't even know of we had any RL clubs in WA, no disrespect but you hardly seem qualified to pass opinion on the WA sporting landscape lol.

That's right because I'm not bloody interested. None of us are interested if you really must know.
Any Perth club would be a dud. We're not interested thanks all the same.

 

[Perth Red]

That's right because I'm not bloody interested. None of us are interested if you really must know.
Any Perth club would be a dud. We're not interested thanks all the same.

And there we go, the flat earther shows us his true colours lol. You're not interested in RL? you are in the wrong place mate!

 

[Legion]

And there we go, the flat earther shows us his true colours lol. You're not interested in RL? you are in the wrong place mate!

Look, I'm really sorry if you've got comprehension issues but really, this is a Rugby League forum, not a reformatory for the not too bright that gives tutorials on basic English.
I've neither the crayons nor the patience to put it any simpler. Get one of your nurses or a fellow patient to explain.

 

[The Great Dane]

And there we go, the flat earther shows us his true colours lol. You're not interested in RL? you are in the wrong place mate!

Even Stallion wasn't as ignorant about the sport as this one...

 

[The Great Dane]

It IS a Sydney competition. Why should a long established Sydney club be ditched for some Johnny-Come-Lately?
Without the Sydney clubs there would be no competition.

The Sydney Shield is the Sydney competition, the NRL is the National competition.

It's in their names mate...

Why should a long established Sydney club be ditched for some Johnny-Come-Lately?
Without the Sydney clubs there would be no competition.

Because the NRL doesn't need 9 clubs in one city, and having 9 clubs in one city is a bad situation for everyone involved.

It's holding the growth of the sport and the competition back, it's stunting the growth of the lower tiers, it's forcing the NRL to invest resources better used elsewhere into Sydney to prop up clubs that can't support themselves because of overcrowding, it isn't even good for the clubs themselves, they'd be much better served playing in a tier where they are actually independently sustainable.

Before the expansion & big money, the best players from Qld & many from England & NZ would come here to play to test themselves in the worlds toughest competition.

Only because of an accident of history, but again this is a red herring that has nothing to do with the discussion at hand.

Sydney is the foundation of the NRL whether you like it or not.

Again this is a crappy argument from tradition, just because it always was doesn't mean that it should always be.

You must not have ever attended a game when there were 3 fixtures; under 23s, reserve, then 1st grade. Only ever watch the game on the TV huh? Yeah, sound like a real footy fan.

LOL, Mister "I don't know or care about anything in the sport outside of the confines of my favorite f**king suburb" is saying that I'm not a real fan!

For your information I've attended hundreds of games, maybe even thousands, I'm not sure of the exact number as I haven't kept count, but frankly people look back on reserve grade with rose tinted glasses (nostalgia is a potent drug) and I still fail to see what reserve grade has to do with discussion about expansion in this context!

We are not basketball, baseball & it is not America.

I fundamentally disagree with your stance that RL is an inferior sport to Aussie Rules, and that it's incapable of capturing the interests of people outside of it's "heatlands".

With the right people in charge and a bit of determination, RL is definitely capable of mirroring what American Football and Basketball have achieved in the US, and what the AFL is slowly achieving in Australia.

You sound like one of these entitled Millenials who grew up in the 'Every childs a winner. Everyone wins a prize' era. I want I want gimme gimme gimme because I want.

Well we don't want a stinking Perth club or no pissy Adelaide club nor any Chinese club for that matter. Now run along to your mummy & have a sook about the bad man on the internet who dared tell you that you can't have.

You are literally saying that Sydney clubs have a divine right to a spot in the NRL and you seriously think that I'm the one that sounds entitled?

 

[flippikat]

Secondly, when somehow the smallest of minority sports, like Ice Hockey and Baseball for example, can mange to organise national competitions, expensive flights and all, when they are averaging attendance in the hundreds, ratings in the lower thousands, and have minuscule TV contracts (if they have a tv contract at all), then I think that the multi-billion dollar high flying NRL can manage it as well.

THIS. Absolutely, positively THIS.

If sports with a fraction of the NRL's profile and/or money can have truly national competitions - including a NZ-based team in quite a few examples too (Basketball, Bowls, Baseball etc) - then we really need to question why the NRL DOESN'T have a nationwide footprint.

 

[flippikat]

You sound like one of these entitled Millenials who grew up in the 'Every childs a winner. Everyone wins a prize' era. I want I want gimme gimme gimme because I want.

Yeah, as opposed to wanting half the clubs in a national competition representing suburbs of one city. THAT'S not entitled, eh??? ;-)

 

[MugaB]

Without the Sydney clubs there would be no competition.


Well we don't want a stinking Perth club or no pissy Adelaide club nor any Chinese club for that matter.

"We" is not a good term use here especially on this section of this expansion forum, WE all want a National footprint achieved.

"I" want to see new teams added to the competition, Perth, Central Coast, being the first, 2-3 more BRL clubs and possibly another NZ and an Adelaide side too
"I" again want all these plus what we have without any current club folding
I think "we" can see a furure of the NRL where if we are represented in every state and moreso in the heartland like brisbane, we will also be more sustainable as our code will overlap AFL eventually, as Rugby League is a better product, its only held back by its own agendas, I have faith in Peter V'landy's, im sure he will knvive his way thru all the bullsht and red tape and have all our sydney teams covered and self sufficient, before hunting down the best expansion areas. I dont have faith in Todd Greenburg to carry on that vision, as i feel he is more of a reactionary presence in the NRL leadership, waiting on dominos to fall, instead of future planning for an expansion area like perth or adelaide, which every code in Australian sport has a team in those two cities but us, it must be a priority to go there, the sponsorship dollars alone should demand that.
As for you comments on Sydney Competition, that's half true, as much as AFL is a melbourne comp.
But as soon as we let in Brisbane and Nz and now Melbourne in that decade of expansion between 1988-1998 thats where we became the elite pacific game, not just sydney, but the great thing about it, is Sydney is still well represented even now 20+ years later
(But thats not coz we wanted it that way)
Expansion to growth areas has been a back burnt idea since the titans entered.


P.s. i dont want a Chinese team either
But i do want 4 more Clubs, in WA, SA, B2 & CC

 

[Legion]

"We" is not a good term use here especially on this section of this expansion forum, WE all want a National footprint achieved.

"I" want to see new teams added to the competition, Perth, Central Coast, being the first, 2-3 more BRL clubs and possibly another NZ and an Adelaide side too
"I" again want all these plus what we have without any current club folding
I think "we" can see a furure of the NRL where if we are represented in every state and moreso in the heartland like brisbane, we will also be more sustainable as our code will overlap AFL eventually, as Rugby League is a better product, its only held back by its own agendas, I have faith in Peter V'landy's, im sure he will knvive his way thru all the bullsht and red tape and have all our sydney teams covered and self sufficient, before hunting down the best expansion areas. I dont have faith in Todd Greenburg to carry on that vision, as i feel he is more of a reactionary presence in the NRL leadership, waiting on dominos to fall, instead of future planning for an expansion area like perth or adelaide, which every code in Australian sport has a team in those two cities but us, it must be a priority to go there, the sponsorship dollars alone should demand that.
As for you comments on Sydney Competition, that's half true, as much as AFL is a melbourne comp.
But as soon as we let in Brisbane and Nz and now Melbourne in that decade of expansion between 1988-1998 thats where we became the elite pacific game, not just sydney, but the great thing about it, is Sydney is still well represented even now 20+ years later
(But thats not coz we wanted it that way)
Expansion to growth areas has been a back burnt idea since the titans entered.


P.s. i dont want a Chinese team either
But i do want 4 more Clubs, in WA, SA, B2 & CC
View attachment 35922

If we expanded any further, we would need to split the comp into 2 divisions.
The season is already starting & finishing in months that can have days way too hot to play RL [That RU game last week between the ACT & Qld was sheer insanity]

Teams already do not play each other twice. Some, through the luck of the draw, get an easier ride than others by facing more bottom 8 teams than the stronger teams.

My biggest concern regarding expansion is that we are already low on quality FBs & halves.
A watered down competition for the sake of expansion is far from being a good idea.
This is why RL needs to spend resources at the ground level to build & foster local talent in the areas where they wish to expand.

These merkhins who are bleating 'I want I want gimme gimme gimme' are quite happy to have talent from traditional RL areas plundered without lifting a finger towards the betterment of the game.

AFL has done an excellent job of expansion simply because Aussie Rules already had a big supporter base & active competitions in the areas to where they expanded. It was there ready to go.
What has Perth & Adelaide done to further the game of Rugby League? Sweet-f#@k-all is what.

Shit, I was in Adelaide one year on GF day, so I went to a sports bar. They had absolutely no clue about league & I needed to put forward my best arguments as to why it would be reasonable to tune at least one of their many TV screens to the GF [replacing a replay of an AFL game]
"This is a sports bar, right? There are other sports besides Aussie Rules, right?"
These 'sports fans' frequenting a 'sports bar' were totally disinterested. A small cross-section to go by sure but it gives us a fair indication of their interest in RL.

If we had enough quality players to go around, then I wouldn't be so against the idea of expansion.
Each club should have a minimum number of juniors that they've nurtured through the grades. [Rather than poaching 100% of their players from every other club like leeches]
If the competition expanded any further I'd like to see two divisions;
Division 1; Sydney clubs.
Division 2; Clubs outside of Sydney.

 

[Legion]

And there we go, the flat earther shows us his true colours lol. You're not interested in RL? you are in the wrong place mate!

You think that the Earth is flat? Ever thought of getting help for that?

 

[Perth Red]

You think that the Earth is flat? Ever thought of getting help for that?

What has Perth & Adelaide done to further the game of Rugby League? Sweet-f#@k-all is what.

mate your the one who didn’t know that RL has had a competition in perth since 1950! That perth has an elite youth program, that perth has produced two nrl first graders from its sg ball side, that perth has sold out hbf park on 5 occasions, got 34k to a double header and sold out Optus stadium last year for origin, has a schools scholarship program, has consistently won the affiliated states championship for the last two decades, rep team beat the nsw country bulls rep side, has a strong growing club scene with 8 new junior clubs start up in last few years, has over 3500 registered RL players and 20,000 touch footy players etc etc,

but yeh we are the ignorant ones about our game lol.

 

[Wily Ole Dog]

And there we go, the flat earther shows us his true colours lol. You're not interested in RL? you are in the wrong place mate!

Yep, old legion’s been taking the moral high ground of late. Now exposes himself as some who can’t stand anyone else’s views. As I knew from his very first attack on me.

love how he uses the royal “We're not interested” & “we don't want a stinking Perth club. “None of us are interested if you really must know.

The finishing off with a personal attack on the Great Dane who’s crime was to offer a civil discussion and some well thought out ideas
Quality work legion and thanks for exposing yourself with your sign off of.......

”Now run along to your mummy & have a sook about the bad man on the internet who dared tell you that you can't have.”

 

[Wily Ole Dog]

mate your the one who didn’t know that RL has had a competition in perth since 1950! That perth has an elite youth program, that perth has produced two nrl first graders from its sg ball side, that perth has sold out hbf park on 5 occasions, got 34k to a double header and sold out Optus stadium last year for origin, has a schools scholarship program, has consistently won the affiliated states championship for the last two decades, rep team beat the nsw country bulls rep side, has a strong growing club scene with 8 new junior clubs start up in last few years, has over 3500 registered RL players and 20,000 touch footy players etc etc,

but yeh we are the ignorant ones about our game lol.

great post Red

 

[Legion]

Yep, old legion’s been taking the moral high ground of late. Now exposes himself as some who can’t stand anyone else’s views. As I knew from his very first attack on me.

love how he uses the royal “We're not interested” & “we don't want a stinking Perth club. “None of us are interested if you really must know.

The finishing off with a personal attack on the Great Dane who’s crime was to offer a civil discussion and some well thought out ideas
Quality work legion and thanks for exposing yourself with your sign off of.......

”Now run along to your mummy & have a sook about the bad man on the internet who dared tell you that you can't have.”

Wondered where the stench was emanating from .......... Wily ol' Coot, who else?

You really need to get those chips off your shoulders & do something about your persecution complex.
If you actually paid attention I was being rather polite stating my opinion.
If others, like yourself, don't appreciate respect for what it is & choose to insult others simply because they disagree, then don't whine & sook when you get a little of what you dish out in return.

 

[Legion]

great post Red

If you try a little harder you might be able to tickle Reds tonsils with that probing brown tongue.

 

[Wily Ole Dog]

Polite

once again you resort to personal attacks. Why are you so insecure in other people having views

 

[Wily Ole Dog]

If you try a little harder you might be able to tickle Reds tonsils with that probing brown tongue.

Oh dear, you really have embraced your inner child.

Red has played you off a break. Exposed that you don’t even have a clue what you’re talking about and look how you react