Battle of the Codes

[nqboy]

I'm not too sure about the order but Perth, Wellington and the CC all have to come in. A 3rd SEQ team (Redcliffe/Sunshine Coast?) should be in before Adelaide.

One of the posters here mentioned Cairns. Forget Cairns, NQ is big enough (in population, juniors and sponsorship) for only one team.

 

[magpie_man]

order of priority:

gold coast titans
central coast bears
perth reds
southern orcas
redcliffe dolphins (2nd brisbane team)
*daylight*
adelaide rams

 

[Hoops]

All this talk on expansion I find amusing, Do you realise that only one NRL team(Brisbane) made a profit last year, How the hell do you expect an Aussie Rules mad town like Perth will be able to support an NRL club when Melbourne which has about 3 times the population of Perth, is only surviving due to News Ltd propping them up.

Adelaide :lol:

 

[The Tank]

We're talking in the future Hoops, not today.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

Personally I don't think Adelaide is worth pursuing for a good while yet. I'd be look at
2007 - GC
2010 - Perth
2012 - 2nd Brisbane
2015 - Wellington

 

[Hoops]

We're talking in the future Hoops, not today.

2010 is not that far away in the scheme of things

 

[Big_Bad_Shark_Fan]

Id go

2007 - GC
2009 - Perth
2010 - Central Coast
2013 - Flemington
2015 - Wellington

The only issue is, so many people talk about cutting melbourne out when many of these areas could be teh same

 

[Perth Red]

Why would you cut melbourne? It would be basically be very publicly putting up the white flag and saying our sport isn't good enough to be a success outside of NSW and Q'land. The NRL has to get itself in a position by the next TV deal to sell itself at a much higher price. Only way to do that is to continue to build on the strength of the heartlands mixed with an expansion program that means that our sport is played at the top level in every major state in the country (and NZ).

Don't care how long it takes just want to see the NRL come up with a strategic plan rather than the current malaise where they look like they haven't got any clue about the long term strategic direction of the sport.

 

[Nook]

The NRL has an important and difficult decision to make with regards to expansion.

A second NZ team/second Brisbane team/Perth team would all be very valuable, for various reasons.

For mine Wellington has to come first. It'll help to provide opportunities for many Kiwi league players to play from home rather than for Australian or English clubs. Crucially it will also provide another real, local option for many of the talented young guys who play both codes - Piri Weepu and Tana Umaga spring to mind as guys from this area who have strong league ties but ended up with the All Blacks. Plenty more where they came from.

Another SE QLD team would be great but will probably be on the backburner for a few years now after the admission of the GC. Perth is also pressing, but with a congested market there at the moment the NRL will be in no rush - when it goes in it has to do it right, there won't be any second chances.

So its Wellington for mine.

 

[Thomas]

What about Christchurch Nook?

 

[Nook]

Don't think its viable for an RL team in the near future Thomas.

Maybe a Wellington team with a few games in ChCh but thats as close as they will get.

 

[MayMoo]

Central Coast Bears are the only one anyone has mentioned that has a good chance of financial viability.

Melbourne wil be dropped like a hot spud soon. Unless anyone wants to take them off News Ltd's hands (including the ongoing annual debt that is getting worse not improving), they will be folded compltely.

 

[Perth Red]

Only concern with wellington is in the running of the club. the warriors administration over the years has been downright shocking and i wonder if there is the corporate support/administration ability/support from NZRL to run a second franchise? On the playing front you would have to say NZ and CC are the most viable, on the "our game is good enough to be a national sport" front you would have to go for Perth and Adelaide.

Melbourne will survive as it would be a disaster for RL to lose them. We just have to keep our fingers crossed that news ltd keep supporting them (along with Cronulla and Nth Q'land for that matter!) and that the (at long last) development work by the NRL pays off in the long run.

As said some tricky decisions but lets at least have some stratergy from the NRL on what direction it is heading in.

 

[Nook]

Melbourne will survive.

As you say the question will be the strategic direction the NRL takes.

For mine NZ 2 is crucial in terms of tying up players and sustaining the recent boost in the international competitiveness of the Kiwis. There are probably enough first grade standard born-and-bred Kiwis running around in the NRL and ESL for 3 first grade teams - it'd be criminal not to consider a second NZ franchise the next time expansion is mooted.

 

[nqboy]

Someone posted a while ago that future expansion should be timed to coincide with increased TV deals, suggesting two teams be brought in each time the contracts are renewed. That would give hopefuls a definite timeline to work to and help measure and stagger their progress.

 

[sharkadelic]

Melb is doing ok considering Ch9 has never given them a free moment of airtime nor shown the Origin at a reasonable time.

The NRL is finally kicking some publicity their way, and now that 9 has lost the AFL rights, lets see what they do in these league starved territories...

I would like to see Perth come back. There are a few juniors running round now looking promising...

 

[KniGhTs BaTTLeR]

I'd like to see a Darwin (NT) side. They have a good comp up there. Alot of aboriginal talent. I know a few guys who have been playing A grade on the Gold Coast have gone to Darwin to play. I wouldn't mind seeing a good black line runnin around.

 

[Knightmare]

Concerning a second Brisbane team and a second New Zealand team- we need to wait a while before considering either. Apart from 2 great seasons, the Warriors haven't been strong enough in the NRL yet to warrant making it harder for them to succeed by adding another team so close. And it took the Cowboys, located over 1000k'ms north of Brisbane 10 years to really get going in the comp. It will take the Gold Coast at least 3 years to truly get up and running, we don't want to flood the market.

 

[Mr. Fahrenheit]

well, i think the NRL's expansion should involve a forcible relocation to CC of either the sharks, or the rabbitohs.

2007 - GC
2009 - Announcement of Perth and Relocated CC team.
2010 - CC Team
2011 - Perth Team
2014 - Wellington Team
2016 - 4th (posibbly redcliffe) Qld team
2020 - Adelaide Team

 

[nadera78]

If at least one World Cup game is played in Perth in 2008, it would make sense for a new team to enter the NRL a few months later at the start of the 2009 season.

As for a name? Can I suggest Perth Avengers, as in seeking vengance for being so disgracefully kicked out a few years back?

Definately need a 2nd NZ team, maybe playing half their games in each of Wellington and Christchurch.

Both of those teams would be ahead of Central Coast, unless someone like Cronulla relocates.