Brisbane Bombers Bid

[The Great Dane]

You think TheGreat Dane thinks he has psychic powers, you must think it also. No one knows whether the Sunny Coast or people living on Moreton Bay would support the Dolphins. Your just guessing like everyone else,
One thing that I know is all my former teammates (that I’m still in contact with) can’t stand Redcliffe. There are about 56 junior clubs in Brisbane & a lot of those clubs wouldn’t like them either.

I don't need psychic powers, I have the history of every time something like this has been attempted on my side.

 

[Santino Patane]

We don't have to agree on everything. It'd be no fun if we did.

I don’t know if it came across as it should have, but that was meant to be a compliment. In this current thread you have been the reasonable and logical person that makes valid arguments without presuming dumb ideas or opinions that you think are facts. That’s hard to find on the internet these days.....

 

[Santino Patane]

1

You think TheGreat Dane thinks he has psychic powers, you must think it also. No one knows whether the Sunny Coast or people living on Moreton Bay would support the Dolphins. Your just guessing like everyone else,
One thing that I know is all my former teammates (that I’m still in contact with) can’t stand Redcliffe. There are about 56 junior clubs in Brisbane & a lot of those clubs wouldn’t like them either.

100% on the money re the Sunny Coast’s thoughts on Redcliffe. It was true back then, it’s even more true now.

 

[Jimmy Wiggle]

I don't need psychic powers, I have the history of every time something like this has been attempted on my side.

No one needs psychic powers, some people will like them some won’t.
I hope we get another team in Brisbane but it needs to appeal to as many as possible. If that’s Redcliffe so be it, I just want whoever it is to be a big city club & not just a suburban club

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

So to clarify to those sane people that aren’t all over Rugby League in SEQ in this thread, it’s time to take “Get rid of the Donkeys” at face value- ie read his name and realise how ridiculous his ideas are. For a while I thought he had some reasonable points, but lately I realise how far off the reservation he is. When any sane League supporter considers disbanding one of the most successful clubs in Australian sport for any reason that won’t send the game back to the 70’s is their main idea, you need to figure they are either a troll (which I initially thought) or delusional.

If the Broncos are so great then why are they hated by so many people in Brisbane?

The Crushers actually got their name from one of the more successful clubs on the old “North Coast League” (now known as Sunshine Coast) in Nambour. Their logo was a Cane Locomotive as there were a lot of Cane Farms around the area in the 20th century. I know this for two reasons- 1. I grew up on the Sunshine Coast and was a proud Caloundra Shark player 2. My family became Cane Farmers when we came to Australia. There are still a few cane farms left in the Yandina area. Also, the greater Beenleigh area is one of Queensland’s larger micro cane producers, directly contributing ingredients for Beenleigh Rum. I know this as I’ve lived in Beenleigh for 18 years now. Finally, with the Crushers connected with the Brisbane region through the fact they used Brisbane’s formal colours of Blue and Gold. Is is documented fact that the Crushers failed in their go due to white-anting from Newscorp/Broncos. I was there- I saw it in person as a fan.

So the club was named after a team from the Sunshine Coast, played many KMs away at Brisbane and used colours that were different to the City of Brisbane's flag, yet you claim they were the same?

City of Brisbane flag.

Crushers logo.


There's no red in the City of Brisbane flag and it's a different shade of blue.

A few cane farms on the Sunshine Coast and the suburb of Beenleigh, which was part of Gold Coast in 1995, was never going to appeal to people from Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich and Redlands in 95. There is no sugar mill in Brisbane, Redlands, Logan, Ipswich or Sunshine Coast. Go read the link I provided earlier if you don't believe me.

Do you not believe the logo was a steam engine train carrying cane, as I said it was?

Take a closer look at it and you'll see steam rising from its funnel. The classic feature of a steam engine train.

Very few people in SEQ care or support the QRL teams. I say this as a huge ISC fan (go the Falcons!!) and would struggle to support a suburban team. Not to all the multiple arguments put forward how this would negate any support outside of the suburban region with the team. This is the exact reason the NRL is choking with too many teams in Sydney. Success in great national comps never brand to locals (eg Lakers and Clippers or United and City, and I realise the folly of comparing our sport to the big boys). But the fact is Redcliffe are the only team with a whole chance of gaining entry to the NRL, even though I would rather see the Firehawks up.

Finally, any talk of the Dolphins as a Redcliffe team being supported by the Sunny Coast is absolute falsehoods perpetuated by people that only know the area via a map. Sunny Coast people think of Redcliffe in a worse light than the Gold Coast thinks of Logan (at least Goldies have to drive through Logan, which you don’t need to up the coast). There is genuine distain between the two locations.

There's genuine disdain between Ipswich, Logan, Brisbane, Redlands, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. I mentioned this when I first joined the board.

It doesn't mean an established brand like Dolphins cannot gain support in these areas. Yes there will be people like you who hate their guts, but not everyone thinks just like you. Plus you've just contradicted yourself by saying few people care about the ISC, then claiming there's no chance of the Dolphins being accepted by the Sunshine Coast. For a start, the Dolphins have said the club will not be called Redcliffe, so your point is moot.

I am my own person with my own ideas, and could be wrong as anyone else in this forum, but I’ve actually based my ideas in real facts, not personal wish my washy emotions.

Your facts, such as the colours of Brisbane being blue and gold and there being some cane farms in Sunshine Coast and Beenleigh, which was part of Gold Coast at the time the Crushers entered the ARL, don't prove shit.
Logan's colours are also gold and blue, but the Broncos would have been the go to team for its residents between 95-98 as the Crushers were based on the northside in Grange, former Pastoral Brothers Leprechauns territory, and played their games on the north side at Lang Park. Broncos played their games at QEII Stadium in Nathan, which is on the southside. At the time, there was an effort to bill the Broncos as the southern team and the Crushers as the northern team. Now that is a fact.

Naming the Crushers after a team from the Sunshine Coast was never going to win over the people of Brisbane. If you think the majority of people who lived in Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan and Redlands back in 95 were going to identify with Crushers because there were some cane farms in Sunshine Coast and a suburb that was part of Gold Coast, and before that the Shire of Albert, then you're crazy.

 

[pennywisealfie]

LOL. This shit is the same every time I come back to it. The Great Dane talking sense and everyone else is batshit insane.

GROTD, you said you live in Logan. Why don't you just go for the Titans? The train ride from Loganlea to Robina is 35 minutes. That's nothing.

 

[jim_57]

There is no sugar mill in Brisbane, Redlands, Logan, Ipswich or Sunshine Coast. Go read the link I provided earlier if you don't believe me.

Used to see this every day when I worked in the area.

https://www.google.com/search?clien...source=sh/x/kp/local&entrypoint=sh/x/kp/local

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

No one needs psychic powers, some people will like them some won’t.
I hope we get another team in Brisbane but it needs to appeal to as many as possible. If that’s Redcliffe so be it, I just want whoever it is to be a big city club & not just a suburban club

I don't dispute that the club will probably be disliked by as many people it is liked. The same already holds true for the Broncos. But that's good, as it will create tribalism.

I've lost count of the amount of people from my generation who've adopted the Cowboys as their team in the 90s because they hated the Broncos. That's a fact I observed from being raised in the southeastern suburbs of the City of Brisbane during the 80s and 90s. I don't know of anyone from that area who supported the Crushers back then. I adopted the Cowboys, not the Crushers, because I loved the Cowboys' brand and thought the Crushers sucked. I heard plenty of people refer to the Crushers' jersey as blue and "baby poo".

Do you honestly think kids growing up in Brisbane, Logan, Redland City, Ipswich or Moreton Bay in the 90s resonated with cane farmers?

From my lived experience of growing up in southeastern suburbs of City of Brisbane during the 90s, kids had a low view of farmers and viewed them as rednecks because Brisbane is a major metropolitan area mostly made up of "city slickers".

There is farming in Redlands and Logan, but most of it is dairy cattle, poultry and fruit. Redlands has a lot of horses but is mostly produce. Logan has a fair bit of dairy in its southern areas. Up until Rochedale was redeveloped a few years ago, there were lots of dairy, poultry, strawberry and corn farms.

There are plenty of horses in the semi-rural suburbs of outer eastern Brisbane, just south of Wynnum.

Cowboys would have resonated more with kids from these areas as they saw horses and cattle.

Used to see this every day when I worked in the area.

https://www.google.com/search?clien...source=sh/x/kp/local&entrypoint=sh/x/kp/local

Rocky Point Sugar Mill
5.0
(1)
Mill in the Woongoolba, Queensland

Woongoolba is a coastal rural locality in the northern part of City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woongoolba,_Queensland

GROTD, you said you live in Logan. Why don't you just go for the Titans? The train ride from Loganlea to Robina is 35 minutes. That's nothing.

I've caught the train from Loganlea to Robina. It took longer than 35 minutes. On the Saturday nights I took the train to see Cowboys vs Titans games I wouldn't get back home until after midnight.

 

[jim_57]

Rocky Point Sugar Mill
5.0
(1)
Mill in the Woongoolba, Queensland

Woongoolba is a coastal rural locality in the northern part of City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woongoolba,_Queensland



I've caught the train from Loganlea to Robina. It took longer than 35 minutes. On the Saturday nights I took the train to see Cowboys vs Titans games I wouldn't get back home until after midnight.

Fair enough, wouldn't have thought that area would fall under Gold Coast but there you go.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Fair enough, wouldn't have thought that area would fall under Gold Coast but there you go.

What are your thoughts on the Crushers' brand?

Did you think it represented Brisbane and the south-east well?

Growing up in Easts Tigers territory in the 90s, I failed to see anyone wearing Crushers jerseys. The part they were trying to build a base, the northside of Brisbane at Pastoral Brothers Leprechauns' old stomping grounds, Grange, was well built up and didn't have any cane farms to my knowledge. I was under the impression, from articles I've read in the paper, they were created by Arthurson and Quayle as a "f**k you" to the Broncos in 1992. I wouldn't be surprised if Arthurson and Quayle thought of Brisbane as a country town full of hillbillies.

The fact is cane farming was not a major industry in south east Queensland at the time, and it certainly wasn't a thing in the northern suburbs of the City of Brisbane, which is where the Crushers were based.

I can see how people would resonate with "Broncos" as there is the horse racing industry at Albion, which isn't too far from Red Hill. There are horse paddocks all over the semi-rural areas of greater Brisbane. I just wish they had of called themselves the Brumbies, as people at the time resented the non-Australian term "Broncos". ACT RU took advantage of this and called themselves the Brumbies.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

1


100% on the money re the Sunny Coast’s thoughts on Redcliffe. It was true back then, it’s even more true now.

You said the Queensland Cup isn't well supported. Then you go on to say there's massive hatred of the Redcliffe Dolphins on the Sunshine Coast.

Make up your mind, FFS.

How can a team from a competition that isn't well supported, in your view, be hated by so many people?

In order for a brand to be hated outside of its base there has to be recognition and support for its rivals.

I've watched the Queensland Cup enthusiastically from its inception and, I can safely say Redcliffe, Wynnum and Easts have always been the biggest and best supported clubs. When Lang Park was demolished in 2001 the GF was moved to Dolphin Oval.

The Dolphins aim to take one game a year to Sunshine Coast. They obviously think they can resonate with the people up there.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

DOLPHINS "NRL READY"

South-East Queensland is one of the fastest growing regions in Australia and findings from a report, authored by Bernard Salt and the KPMG group highlights the population of the Greater Brisbane area has been growing at a rate of 3.2% pa over the last 9 years. Between now and 2027 it is predicted Brisbane’s population will increase by 400,000 to a total of over 2,848,000. This increase is likely to continue past 2027 at an average rate of 46,000 people pa.

According to Neilson Research in 2018, 39% of Brisbane’s population listed Rugby League as their main sport of interest. These figures remain the same when expanded to include all of Queensland. Queensland is home to 1.6 million Rugby League fans, accounting for one third of all Australian Rugby League fans. Brisbane is home to the 2nd largest concentration of rugby league fans in Australia and is home to only 1 single NRL team. By comparison Sydney, has 9 NRL teams.

The Dolphins NRL Bid is committed to building a club that will be immersed in the SEQ community and also appeal to QLD in general. The Dolphins will have a brand strategy that positions the NRL entity as a South Queensland team that plan to play their home games at Suncorp Stadium as Brisbane’s second team. The Dolphins have already begun negotiations with Suncorp Stadium management about hiring the venue as a home ground and will also investigate options to potentially play a small number of the games at Dolphin Stadium and the Sunshine Coast Stadium each season.

Brisbane’s impressive predictive growth coupled with the popularity of Rugby League within Queensland makes it hard to resist a second team and when coupled with the Dolphins strategic plan, structure and history of business over the past 70+ years, it leaves an undeniable option for the NRL to include the Dolphins as the next Brisbane team.

Unlike other bids, the Dolphins foundations are in place and they are “NRL READY” while also being set up to see future growth and investment once granted entry into the NRL competition.

The Dolphins are the genuine Brisbane-expansion bid and bring the below key elements to ensure they can compete in the NRL and will not fail:

1. A powerful brand who has strong support and historic roots in the game of Rugby League in Queensland.
2. Assets and Business Diversification to be a viable NRL team. The Dolphins have a very strong balance sheet that includes a successful 40,000+ member Leagues Club, Shopping Centre, Leisure Centre, Leased Office space and a 10,000 seated stadium which provides great diversity of income.
3. Infrastructure already in place with Stadium, pool, gym, rehab facilities, meeting rooms, offices which can offer a better comparative set up when compared to a number of current NRL clubs.
4. The Dolphins core goal and reason for being is for the club to play rugby league at the highest level available. The Dolphins have been investing in their community and facilities to be in a position to once again play Rugby League in the highest level of competition (NRL) for the benefit of the region, players and supporters.
5. A true local derby between the Brisbane Broncos and the Dolphins
6. Dolphins base and position as a SEQ team situated in the Moreton Bay region which is only 25 mins from the Brisbane Airport and 30mins from Suncorp Stadium will provide further partnership opportunities with multiple regional councils but especially with the Moreton Bay Council which is Australia’s 3rd largest council.
7. Junior teams from under 6 to QCUP and a desire to partner with multiple affiliate teams over and above the clubs QCUP team the Redcliffe Dolphins which will further grow and enhance pathways and the grassroots of the game in QLD.
8. Great history of playing success and developing players to play rugby league at the highest level.
9. A very stable and progressive board who have a history of getting things done for the growth and sustainability of the Dolphins and rugby league in the region

Planning has been comprehensive, and investment has already been made in necessary infrastructure to have the Dolphins “NRL READY”. Key commercial modelling that is necessary to bring the Dolphins NRL entity to life is happening and when coupled with the clubs already strong position and initial conservative business case for commercial revenue generation in formative years, it highlights that the Dolphins will be ready to go whenever the NRL calls for an expansion team to play out of Brisbane. A detailed commercial model is currently being drafted with realistic commercial targets and goals.

http://www.dolphinsnrl.com.au/credentials/​

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

BELOW ARE KEY ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN RELATION TO THE DOLPHINS POSSIBLE ENTRY INTO THE NRL AND HOW THEY WILL BE SET UP AND ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL:

Will the team be playing Home games at Suncorp Stadium?
Suncorp Stadium is one of the best rectangle stadiums in the world and the Dolphins NRL team intend to have Suncorp Stadium as its main HOME ground. This is an important element and consolidates the Dolphins position as Brisbane’s second team. The Dolphins Stadium which holds 10,000 people seated will likely host some games and there is also the potential to look at playing a game at the Sunshine Coast Stadium each season. The Dolphins inclusion into the NRL will ensure that Brisbane has Live NRL Rugby League on offer nearly every week during the NRL Season.

What is the Dolphins NRL team’s business model for ownership?
The Dolphins NRL Bid has a model for long-term sustainability and just like the club’s current set up, the NRL entity will be community owned by the members. The club will also be supported by the Dolphins other entities and assets. These include the Dolphins Shopping Centre, Dolphins Leisure Centre, Dolphin Stadium and the 40,000+ member strong Dolphins Leagues Club. The club will be guided by a separate Dolphins NRL club board of directors. The Dolphins will also ensure they have the ability to seek private investment into the club if necessary, during the bid process.

Will the Dolphins NRL team be called the Redcliffe Dolphins and will they wear the same colours and jersey as the Redcliffe Dolphins QLD Cup team?
The new Dolphins team will represent Brisbane and the whole of SEQ and be positioned as a second Brisbane team. The club intend to work with the community to look at what the club is to be named in reference to Brisbane and the SEQ region it will play out of as part of the bid process. The team will represent not only, Brisbane but also the Moreton Bay, Redlands, Logan and Sunshine Coast areas and the larger SEQ region. The NRL team will NOT be called Redcliffe. The team will have its football and administration operations based at the Redcliffe Headquarters which is only 25mins from Brisbane airport and just over 30mins from the Brisbane City.

The Dolphins NRL team will keep the Red and White colours but will add an additional colour to the NRL team. The plan is to engage the local SEQ community to help decide what additional colour should be added for the new Dolphins NRL team.

Where will the Dolphins NRL Team club facilities be based?
The Dolphins will have their training and administration base at Redcliffe. The Dolphins have already constructed facilities over the last 10-15 years in readiness to be in a position to operate an NRL team. The Dolphins have a multi-use training facility, gymnasium, pools, training fields, administration offices, Stadium and medical facilities already constructed and ready for the Dolphins NRL team to operate out of almost immediately.

What can the Dolphins provide to the NRL in relation to the grassroots of the game that make their SEQ Expansion bid unique?
The Dolphins have a plan to partner with 2 to 3 Queensland Cup clubs under the Dolphins affiliate/feeder team banner which will enable the Dolphins to provide financial and playing support to the QRL competitions. The Dolphins can have the biggest effect by aligning with some teams that are not currently aligned with an NRL side which will benefit the game in QLD.

The Dolphins want to ensure they have a footprint stretching all around the SEQ region and into regional QLD. The Dolphins junior set up currently has 40 teams and over 800 players playing for the Redcliffe Dolphins and also an affiliate system that links with an additional 3000 junior players in the region where if granted entry into the NRL, that would grow with initiatives put in place to promote rugby league and participation all over SEQ rather than only in the North of Brisbane where their QRL catchment zone is designated.

How do the Dolphins add value by being the next SEQ NRL team?
The Dolphins are “NRL READY”. An NRL team needs to be built around commercial foundations and the Dolphins already have many important elements in place. Starting a team based 30mins from the CBD and having access to not only established commercial partners but strong support from local councils especially in the Moreton Bay region provides the Dolphins with a wonderful advantage and the ability to compete long-term. Many of the significant establishment costs have been eliminated given the Dolphins current set up which puts a big gap between the Dolphins and the other bids. It is worth noting that those significant start-up costs and infrastructure needs facing the other bids have proved an extreme obstacle to succuss for recent expansion teams across multiple codes.

Many NRL clubs in Sydney rely on leagues club’s revenue to survive but the Dolphins while still having access to a successful Leagues Club and Leagues Club funding if required, have other revenue generating assets like the Dolphins Shopping Centre, Leisure Centre, Office space and the Dolphins Stadium. These will provide great foundation and the necessary support and a safety net in the early years of operation.

Brisbane is the largest market outside of Sydney and there are many potential partners within Brisbane and the surrounding regions to support the club. There is also an ever growing fanbase all over the South-East corner who love rugby league and don’t have a local NRL team. The Dolphins who have junior teams from under 6 age to Queensland Cup are a significant community partner and provide ongoing support to many community causes, particularly junior sport in the region. Within the last financial year, the Dolphins group gave more than $1.3 million in contributions to local sporting and community groups.

With Broncos and Titans already established in SE QLD can a new NRL team be a success?
SEQ currently only has two teams and effectively a 3,000,000-person population, a third NRL team will help to strengthen and grow Rugby League in Queensland. The local derby concept will for the first time since the SQ Crushers in 1995 offer a true Brisbane derby twice a year at Suncorp Stadium and of course other QLD Derbies during the season. In the Dolphins main target area of greater Brisbane and both the Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast Regional Council areas which will have in excess of 500,000 people each over the next decade, providing a total catchment of almost 4,000,000 people to build support of the team.

In 1995 with the introduction of the South Queensland Crushers, it was the first time Brisbane was home to two major Rugby League clubs. The Crushers had impressive attendance figures in their first season before the Super League war ended the Crushers hopes of remaining in the competition and it should be noted that the Crushers reached an average crowd of 21,029 in 1995 with the ARL average crowd at the time only 13,000. The Brisbane Derby reached a maximum crowd size of 49,607 when the Crushers played the Broncos in round 4 1995. The Broncos also experience impressive attendance figures during this season with an average 1995 home crowd of 35,902. This example further highlights the public’s appetite even 25 years ago for a second Brisbane team.

Derby games across all codes see impressive uplifts in crowds and become focal points for other events surrounding the games. The Broncos v Cowboys derby’s at Suncorp Stadium see a 43% increase in attendance and the Broncos v Titans sees a 15% increase when compared to the Broncos average home crowds. The Melbourne Storm’s QLD player influence has seen that ignite a rivalry that sees a 20%+ increase on the average crowd for the Broncos over the last 10 years. These numbers are reflective across all codes for derby matches and larger in other markets like soccer that sees the Sydney 0derby in the A-League grow by over 100% when compared to their average crowd attendance.

http://www.dolphinsnrl.com.au/credentials/​

 

[mongoose]

What are your thoughts on the Crushers' brand?

Did you think it represented Brisbane and the south-east well?

Growing up in Easts Tigers territory in the 90s, I failed to see anyone wearing Crushers jerseys. The part they were trying to build a base, the northside of Brisbane at Pastoral Brothers Leprechauns' old stomping grounds, Grange, was well built up and didn't have any cane farms to my knowledge. I was under the impression, from articles I've read in the paper, they were created by Arthurson and Quayle as a "f**k you" to the Broncos in 1992. I wouldn't be surprised if Arthurson and Quayle thought of Brisbane as a country town full of hillbillies.

The fact is cane farming was not a major industry in south east Queensland at the time, and it certainly wasn't a thing in the northern suburbs of the City of Brisbane, which is where the Crushers were based.

I can see how people would resonate with "Broncos" as there is the horse racing industry at Albion, which isn't too far from Red Hill. There are horse paddocks all over the semi-rural areas of greater Brisbane. I just wish they had of called themselves the Brumbies, as people at the time resented the non-Australian term "Broncos". ACT RU took advantage of this and called themselves the Brumbies.

The Crushers got 21,000 in their first year which is nothing to sneeze at... and that's all you can go by because Super League changed everything from 1996 onwards.

 

[Perth Red]

We know redcliffe dont have a stadium fit for nrl, and unlikely to have one for many many years. We know RL fans don’t to travel far to watch games. Do people really think that people will travel from Moreton bay and Sunshine Coast every other week to Suncorp to watch the dolphins?
any new team has to represent Brisbane as a whole, not just a far flung outer suburb region Imo. Everyone will see dolphins as a Redcliffe club no matter what they call themselves or how many colours they add to the jersey. That will be their limiting factor. Also contradicts saying they will play some games at Redcliffe and some on Sunshine Coast then saying there will be a game in Brisbane every week!

 

[MugaB]

We know redcliffe dont have at stadium got for nrl, and unlikely to have one for many many years. We know RL fans sod to travel far to watch games. Do people really think that people will travel from Moreton bay and Sunshine Coast every other week to Suncorp to watch the dolphins?
any new team has to represent Brisbane as a whole, not just a far flung outer suburb region Imo.

I actually think thats the plan, not to be a redcliffe team, but to be a dolphins team for SEQ, based out of suncorp, so stadium in redcliffe is moot, no matter how many it fits, it might just get used for a trial match or two, sunshine coast is the interesting one, due to why rope them in, if your only taking the one off game there a season.. but i suppose its moreso strength in numbers f r om a feeder point of view, as norths bears are aligned with the Roosters, same/same..
Im not sure they'll have an issue due the distance of their junior catchments, directing away from the titans area, (although i did see mention of logan, which borders on close) and the other bids basically directly affect both broncos and titans in that regard..
Most of the talk here has been about who they represent, but if they are a Suncorp based team that already says north brisbane right? Not redcliffe, or moreton bay, i see it more like south sydney, started in redfern, plays at homebush, for the money and centralised crowd, also straight up rival to the broncos... but only if they remain a Suncorp based team

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

The Crushers got 21,000 in their first year which is nothing to sneeze at... and that's all you can go by because Super League changed everything from 1996 onwards.

That shows just how desperate people were to have a team other than the Broncos. We all know how the Broncos reacted.

I want to know your thoughts on the actual brand.

I was a kid and still deciding who to follow in 1995. Crushers did not impress me at all. Their mustard, blue and red colour scheme didn't match. They ran TV ads in the lead up to their debut of an old cane farmer saying he had a team ro represent him, if I recall correctly. Growing up in Easts Tigers' territory I failed to see the relevance, as there were no cane farms anywhere in Brisbane, which is where they were based and played their games.

There aren't any sugar mills in the Greater Brisbane area and just one in the rural parts of Gold Coast, so it's obviously not a major industry in SEQ.

A few farms in Beenleigh, which was part of Gold Coast back then, and some up on the Sunshine Coast, was never going to resonate with people from Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and Redlands. The old steam engine train on their logo might have appealed to kids who liked Thomas The Tank Engine and weirdos who have toy trains in their bedroom, but I doubt they are the sort of men who watch RL.

Successful brands are based around something that is meaningful to the region it represents. Illawarra were the Steelers because there are is a lot of steel produce there. Souffs were the Rabbitohs because people hunted rabbits for meat in Redfern around the time the team was created.

Western Reds was a great brand as red kangaroos live in WA. Auckland Warriors was also a great brand because it represented Maori culture. North Queensland Cowboys was also a great brand because there is a strong beef cattle industry in North Queensland and cowboys tame horses to round up livestock, so it was a great foil against "Big Brother" Broncos.

I chose Cowboys as my team because they were from Queensland and their colour scheme, jersey and logo captured my attention. Their crowds remained strong in 96 and 97.

I do see the irony in NQ not going with "Crushers", despite the sugar industry being so strong in that part of the world and important their economy. I think that shows just how shit the Crushers' brand was and still is, as the only part of Australia that relies heavily on its sugar industry shunned it as their brand.

 

[Perth Red]

Anyway after yet another GTRD derail (no crushers pun Intended ) back to the Bombers bid which this thread is for........

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I actually think thats the plan, not to be a redcliffe team, but to be a dolphins team for SEQ, based out of suncorp, so stadium in redcliffe is moot, no matter how many it fits, it might just get used for a trial match or two, sunshine coast is the interesting one, due to why rope them in, if your only taking the one off game there a season.. but i suppose its moreso strength in numbers f r om a feeder point of view, as norths bears are aligned with the Roosters, same/same..
Im not sure they'll have an issue due the distance of their junior catchments, directing away from the titans area, (although i did see mention of logan, which borders on close) and the other bids basically directly affect both broncos and titans in that regard..
Most of the talk here has been about who they represent, but if they are a Suncorp based team that already says north brisbane right? Not redcliffe, or moreton bay, i see it more like south sydney, started in redfern, plays at homebush, for the money and centralised crowd, also straight up rival to the broncos... but only if they remain a Suncorp based team

That's exactly their plan, to appeal to the eastern part of SEQ. It makes sense as dolphins do swim up the Brisbane River, Logan River, Moreton Bay and Coral Sea. People from all of these areas will have a cute and cuddly mascot that is endemic to their neck of the woods. Dolphins are one of the most loved animals in the world.

I don't get the hate from some people on here for the Dolphins. The arguments they use against it don't stack up. They say it's because they hated playing against Redcliffe, but how many people would have the same mentality?

The team isn't going to be called Redcliffe, so their argument is moot.
The "I hated playing against Redcliffe" factor only applies to the old buggers who have a chip on their shoulder and the contrarian bunch who'll nitpick whichever bid gets the nod.

We've got one bugger from Canberra who says everyone in Moreton Bay and Sunshine Coast will never support them and some cane farmer from the Sunshine Coast, but now lives in southern Logan and supports the Titans, saying everyone in Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay hates Redcliffe, yet the club has already won over the Moreton Bay Regional Council and its adjacent councils, which include Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, so I think they're full of shit. I very much doubt the opinions of a Titans' fan from the southern suburbs of Logan and, a Raiders' fan from Canberra, are the sort of people who will support Brisbane 2.

Yes there will be people who hate them. That's a given regardless of which bid is given the licence. There's no guarantee that a neutral brand will win over the cane farmer or any of the other Redcliffe haters. Every bid that has been named has been ridiculed by some people for one reason or another. All that matters is the Dolphins have the infrastructure to thrive, and that's all the ARLC cares about.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Anyway after yet another GTRD derail (no crushers pun Intended ) back to the Bombers bid which this thread is for........

Bombers is shit, like the Crushers. End.