Adelaide Rams Bid

[Zigwaa]

I'm disappointed we (Adelaide) lost our only NRL game this year to Mackay and that Perth got 2 games. The ARLC should have some vision to start up again in SA.

Perth is the 4th largest City at 1.7 million people and Adelaide 5th at 1.2 million. Surely that would make them a target for expansion as well?

How do you start a bid?

1. Big money backing
2. ARLC Backing
3. Junior base
4. NRL game attendance

We have none of those at the moment, so there's something to focus on.

What else does a bid need to demonstrate a strong case for inclusion in the NRL?

 

[Perth Red]

One of two ways. Either top down ie get a billionaire to commit to funding it or grass roots way. SARL builds from the ground up. Gets jnr game sorted out, works with govt and nrl to get games and fill the ground and eventually build up enough momentum to have a bid developed. First is quicker but second more sustainable. The Perth bid began in 2005 so it will have been 10 years in the making by the time we ko.

 

[Zigwaa]

I'll start looking for a billionaire then. The game here is going backwards if you ask me. The SARL are working hard but are struggling to make any ground on the other sports. It seems those sports with a professional pathway such as AFL and soccer will always win. That and some questionable administration decisions from the SARL as well isn't helping.

 

[Perth Red]

The catalyst for us was a change in the board of the warl with new blood coming in and the appt of John sackson as CEO. That was around 2003/4 and we haven't looked back. If the SARL can get its act together the Arlc is going to have funds available from next year. Convince them you have the right people and structures and they will come up with the $'s.

 

[whall15]

Adelaide should be lining up for the end of this decade alongside Wellington.

 

[Perth Red]

Not so convinced. Reality is, alongside the great work of the warl, we have had a massive influx of migrants to Perth from traditional RL areas. Estimated nearly 250k people from nsw, q'land, NZ and north of England in last decade. That has given us a ready made RL audience in an AFL city. Adelaide will need to work even harder than we have. Not impossible but lot of hard work needed at all levels of the game.

 

[Flapper]

There is a dormant RL market in Adelaide but when the joint cant even sustain two
AFL sides without substantial handouts to one when it is arguably just as passionate about AFL as Melbourne you have to wonder.

 

[GAZF]

Not impossible but very unlikely for at least another 15 years. Would be cool to revive the Rams brand.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Adelaide should be the top priority after Perth and Bris2 come in. ARL need to get the game back there.

Not impossible but very unlikely for at least another 15 years. Would be cool to revive the Rams brand.

Needs some yellow

 

[Perth Red]

Why did they drop the gold for the SL jerseys? The all gold with red and blue colour was best IMO.

 

[WayneBennett]

looks fantastic.

Would love to see the Rams back in, I loved Graeme Appo

 

[CC_Roosters]

Not so convinced. Reality is, alongside the great work of the warl, we have had a massive influx of migrants to Perth from traditional RL areas. Estimated nearly 250k people from nsw, q'land, NZ and north of England in last decade. That has given us a ready made RL audience in an AFL city. Adelaide will need to work even harder than we have. Not impossible but lot of hard work needed at all levels of the game.

Never mind north of england, every pom i know at work and socially who is not from the heartland loves the game after being introduced to it after arriving in australia.

Not so sure of immigration inter state to adelaide but i would think its international statistics are heavily skewed towards the UK?

 

[GAZF]

Why did they drop the gold for the SL jerseys? The all gold with red and blue colour was best IMO.

These?

 

[Perth Red]

Yep that's the one. The SL jersey looked like a Newcastle kit.

 

[st george dragons]

Eventually, an Adelaide team will be in the competition, but i think it may be a while though. There hasn't been a ''push'' for a team in a while.

The expansion bids from Perth, Central Coast, Brisbane #2 and Wellington have been going on for a while, and i can see a Perth team join before Adelaide does.

Was it the Sharks who took a game a year to Adelaide in recent years, or am i mistaken? The NRL should take a game a year to Adelaide, every year, until a team from there joins in. One game a season isn't that hard, is it?

 

[Perth Red]

I think the nrl should push for a struggling club like Cronulla to adopt SA as its second home. Play three a games a season there, big membership push. Work with SARL to set up Jnrs programme and eventual second SG ball southern sharks side in Adelaide. Dangle a $1 mill carrot to Cronulla to make the partial shift. Everyone wins, the game grows and Cronulla become more sustainable.

 

[GAZF]

Yep that's the one. The SL jersey looked like a Newcastle kit.

They wore the yellow in 1998 after SL, against Newcastle.

 

[docbrown]

If Perth is a success and growth in the NRL kicks off overall, it won't be long before a local consortium puts something together.

 

[Bro Bear]

Still waiting for rugby league to kick off in Victoria after 13 years. The game there is huge now, heaps of juniors coming through Victoria.

 

[Dogs Of War]

Still waiting for rugby league to kick off in Victoria after 13 years. The game there is huge now, heaps of juniors coming through Victoria.

It just highlights how the 2 different models work. With a grassroots approach like WA's, you will see juniors quicker, cause that was part of your focus.

The Melbourne top down approach sees a disconnect between the grassroots as the focus for many years is on the top of the tree. You are now just seeing the roots starting to spread and bring those rewards.

If you had a choice, you should always take the grassroots approach. Some areas like the Central Coast and Queensland already have this part, others like Adelaide need this built before they should even start to think of doing it.