Brisbane Jets

[Perth Red]

I don't see what's in a merger for the Firehawks. Unless it's basically just the Bombers backers becoming minority owners in the Firehawks and Ipswich becoming a glorified feeder it'd just result in a confused shitshow of a club.

This shit in the media about Easts having less assets than the Dolphins is crazy as well. The difference is negligible for the purposes of supporting an NRL club, and there's more to running a successful footy club than just having a lot of money behind it.

I think thats about it in regards to how the relationship will work.
Yeh its interesting how the media keep talking up Dolphins with their $100mill asset base, I have yet to see anyone say how much cash they can put on the table?
Firehawks have clearly stated they have an asset base of $80mill and $25mill cash (which is the most important bit) yet the media (particularly the news ltd media interestingly) keep talking up Redcliffes bid. I suspect Dolphins will be less of a threat to Broncos hence why they are talking them up.

 

[Pippen94]

I think thats about it in regards to how the relationship will work.
Yeh its interesting how the media keep talking up Dolphins with their $100mill asset base, I have yet to see anyone say how much cash they can put on the table?
Firehawks have clearly stated they have an asset base of $80mill and $25mill cash (which is the most important bit) yet the media (particularly the news ltd media interestingly) keep talking up Redcliffes bid. I suspect Dolphins will be less of a threat to Broncos hence why they are talking them up.

Because tigers like bombers have no point of difference & trying to use Jet's geography to their advantage. Dolphins already tick all boxes as I've said all along

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Unsure about another Super League as Murdoch actually does run the game now.

But right now the game has many parallels to the super league era..

Dominant and cannon fodder clubs
Blowouts and lopsided contests
Many clubs making losses n relying on support from the governing body.

Yesterdays Magpies are todays’ Tigers.

Yesterday’s Steelers are today’s Dragons (although the Steelers were at least competitive)

Yesterdays Chargers are today’s Titans

For many clubs the scenery might look a bit different but the basic situation hasn’t changed. They are inherently struggling each and every year to make a single dollar… it’s more like trying to stop the bleeding of losses..

Ive still got a club to follow, but now that I’m living outside Sydney I’ve got a different perspective on the NRL. Many things are the same as 25 years ago..

Geez, even Netball has a proper National competition…

I understand what you're saying. For 28 years I've loved this game as if it were part of me. I've watched it, supported it and defended it from those who take pot shots at it. When I was a kid I hoped to see it become national and international so other kids could enjoy it too. Over time I gave up on that dream ever happening as another year would pass and low and behold, we would be stuck in the same place, if not further behind with Great Britain / England going backwards over the last 20 years, which is the biggest set back in the game as we need them to be strong for Tests to be relevant.

I threw the towel in and accepted our position as a two city sport, started attending Queensland Cup games and watched video after video of the old BRL and read archives of the The Courier Mail and Albert & Logan News archives on microfilm at the State Library to learn about the short history of the Logan City Scorpions. I fought tooth and nail to get the club resurrected, but no one cared.

Last year I was willing to accept minority status around the rest of Australia on the condition that the NRL recognised the history of the game in Brisbane, gave us equal status and admitted a few BRL teams so people from NSW could see our competition was just as important to the game's growth as theirs. PVL gave me a glimmer of hope, but his double standards show the Sydney-centric administration will never treat us as equals and just wants us to feed players and money into their teams. The sad thing is he's the best hope we'll ever have as no one else has touched Brisbane 2.

Greenberg not allowing us to share the GF and keeping us a 1 team town, despite our dedication to the game for over a 100 years, was a real kick in the guts. PVL has been a massive improvement, but with the Sydney-centric administration wanting us to have just 2 teams while Sydney retain its 9, with fans down south wanting a 10th in North Sydney, has killed the little hope I had in the game.

Seeing posts from you and @Perth Red over the last 12 months opened my eyes to how much potential our game has to be national. It made me realise I was being selfish for wanting 4 teams in Brisbane while other cities have none. I changed my views knowing I would be attacked by the suburbanites, but it was the right thing to do.

To be fair, it's not just Sydney's RL administration that pisses me off. The QRL are just as stupid and short-sighted for abandoning Logan 20 years ago. They never gave us a fair chance in 1988, which I learnt from reading the Albert & Logan News. The Scorpions were handicapped as they entered the BRL just as bad as the Western Reds were during the most volatile time in the BRL'S history, and the QRL were responsible for it. Broncos through Wayne Bennett f**ked the club around by not letting us play Alan Cann in A Grade. Our game is run by pricks and always will be.

 

[mongoose]

Back to the thread. I find the merger idea interesting. How will the ownership be split? Will they be Jets or Firehawks or something else? Id have thought $80mill assets and $25mill start up cash would have been more than enough for the Firehawks to show low finanical risk to the NRL? Mind you Sattlers comments seem very vague and that it MAY be an option down the track. Sounds like Jets havent got the financial backing they need.


The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel is reporting that the Brisbane Jets and Brisbane Firehawks have sensationally opened merger talks to become the NRL’s 17th franchise.

The Jets and Firehawks are currently two of the three bidders hoping to become the next NRL club, alongside the Redcliffe Dolphins, but Badel believes they’re set to combine to take on the powerful Dolphins’ bid.

Having presented to the ARLC board earlier this week and with the Dolphins considered favourites, it’s believed that the Jets and Firehawks could combine to form a ‘super-bid’ as Badel puts it.

As a member of the Jets bid, SEN host Scott Sattler told listeners to “watch this space” on merger talks on SEN’s Pat and Heals.

“Everyone is looking at every option,” Sattler said.

“The Brisbane Jets’ first option is to first and foremost secure the financial guarantees.

“The meeting with the ARLC probably came a little earlier than we anticipated.

“That’s the first port of call for the Brisbane Jets, to solidify those injections of funds.

“Outside of that we’ve got to look at Plan B or Plan C.

“You’ve always got to have fall back solutions, and maybe talking to the Firehawks – we’re singing from the same hymn sheet and talking about the growth of the game in the Western corridor – so we’ll look at all options at the moment for the betterment of the game.

“Watch this space.”

Talks are expected to continue on Friday, with the decision to be potentially finalised before an ARLC board meeting early next week.

Sattler says “watch this space” as Brisbane Jets and Firehawks begin merger talks

Scott Sattler is an integral stakeholder in the Jets bid.

www.sen.com.au

I guess someone told the Jets that there is no "western corridor" and Coorparoo is closer to Logan than Ipswich is....

 

[The Axe of Druss]

I think thats about it in regards to how the relationship will work.
Yeh its interesting how the media keep talking up Dolphins with their $100mill asset base, I have yet to see anyone say how much cash they can put on the table?
Firehawks have clearly stated they have an asset base of $80mill and $25mill cash (which is the most important bit) yet the media (particularly the news ltd media interestingly) keep talking up Redcliffes bid. I suspect Dolphins will be less of a threat to Broncos hence why they are talking them up.

"Today, the Dolphins Leagues Club, Dolphins Fitness and Aquatic Centre, Dolphin Central Shopping Centre and office space, and the 10,000-seat Moreton Daily Stadium account for an annual revenue stream in excess of $30 million"

https://www.espn.com.au/nrl/story/_/id/31689643/nrl-17th-team-bids-meet-redcliffe-dolphins

 

[Perth Red]

Because tigers like bombers have no point of difference & trying to use Jet's geography to their advantage. Dolphins already tick all boxes as I've said all along

no point of difference to what? If you mean to the Broncos then that's great. I want to see another team with a 30k crowd avg and turning a profit most clubs could only dream of!

 

[Perth Red]

"Today, the Dolphins Leagues Club, Dolphins Fitness and Aquatic Centre, Dolphin Central Shopping Centre and office space, and the 10,000-seat Moreton Daily Stadium account for an annual revenue stream in excess of $30 million"

https://www.espn.com.au/nrl/story/_/id/31689643/nrl-17th-team-bids-meet-redcliffe-dolphins

thats revenue not profit, I'm interested in what cash asset they have that they can spend on start up and initial running of a new club. Firehawks have $25mill on the table, whats Dolphins got?
$30mill revenue isnt that big, panthers group, for example, has a revenue of $130mill plus a year.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I think thats about it in regards to how the relationship will work.
Yeh its interesting how the media keep talking up Dolphins with their $100mill asset base, I have yet to see anyone say how much cash they can put on the table?
Firehawks have clearly stated they have an asset base of $80mill and $25mill cash (which is the most important bit) yet the media (particularly the news ltd media interestingly) keep talking up Redcliffes bid. I suspect Dolphins will be less of a threat to Broncos hence why they are talking them up.

The Coles Supermarket they own hit the jackpot when all the fat bastards of society went off their nut and stocked up big on toilet paper last year.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

I understand what you're saying. For 28 years I've loved this game as if it were part of me. I've watched it, supported it and defended it from those who take pot shots at it. When I was a kid I hoped to see it become national and international so other kids could enjoy it too. Over time I gave up on that dream ever happening as another year would pass and low and behold, we would be stuck in the same place, if not further behind with Great Britain / England going backwards over the last 20 years, which is the biggest set back in the game as we need them to be strong for Tests to be relevant.

I threw the towel in and accepted our position as a two city sport, started attending Queensland Cup games and watched video after video of the old BRL and read archives of the The Courier Mail and Albert & Logan News archives on microfilm at the State Library to learn about the short history of the Logan City Scorpions. I fought tooth and nail to get the club resurrected, but no one cared.

Last year I was willing to accept minority status around the rest of Australia on the condition that the NRL recognised the history of the game in Brisbane, gave us equal status and admitted a few BRL teams so people from NSW could see our competition was just as important to the game's growth as theirs. PVL gave me a glimmer of hope, but his double standards show the Sydney-centric administration will never treat us as equals and just wants us to feed players and money into their teams. The sad thing is he's the best hope we'll ever have as no one else has touched Brisbane 2.

Greenberg not allowing us to share the GF and keeping us a 1 team town, despite our dedication to the game for over a 100 years, was a real kick in the guts. PVL has been a massive improvement, but with the Sydney-centric administration wanting us to have just 2 teams while Sydney retain its 9, with fans down south wanting a 10th in North Sydney, has killed the little hope I had in the game.

Seeing posts from you and @Perth Red over the last 12 months opened my eyes to how much potential our game has to be national. It made me realise I was being selfish for wanting 4 teams in Brisbane while other cities have none. I changed my views knowing I would be attacked by the suburbanites, but it was the right thing to do.

To be fair, it's not just Sydney's RL administration that pisses me off. The QRL are just as stupid and short-sighted for abandoning Logan 20 years ago. They never gave us a fair chance in 1988, which I learnt from reading the Albert & Logan News. The Scorpions were handicapped as they entered the BRL just as bad as the Western Reds were during the most volatile time in the BRL'S history, and the QRL were responsible for it. Broncos through Wayne Bennett f**ked the club around by not letting us play Alan Cann in A Grade. Our game is run by pricks and always will be.

Mate, great post.

 

[flippikat]

Mate, great post.

Agree here too.

I think there's a great deal of kinship between Queensland & fans over here in New Zealand, basically because of our shared history of being mistreated & taken for granted by NSW.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Before PVL became Chairman, he demanded the ARLC keep the Sharks when they were broke, but says Brisbane 2 must sink or swim. Hardly a promising sign that everyone is equal.

Sydney clubs are demanding an entrance fee to join the competition. Only the Dolphins and Firehawks can meet those demands, so that rules out Adelaide, Perth and NZ 2.

So where does the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th licence go?

NZ2 will probably get a pass because of a bump in the NZ TV rights. I don't think the NRL cares where the money comes from as long as someone pays it.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Yeah Ok PR, but who's number 10?
Wait Alice Springs..... we can call them the baby eatin' dingos

Are we talking top 10 cities by population in Australia?

1. Sydney - tick
2. Melbourne - tick
3. Brisbane - tick
4. Perth - cross
5. Adeaide - cross
6. Gold Coast - tick
7. Newcastle - tick
8. Canberra - tick
9. Sunshine Coast - cross but very much a RL area
10. Wollongong - tick

The NRL covers 7 out of 10 and RL well and truly covers 8 out of 10.
The AFL on the other hand covers 6 of the 10 with a very tenuous hold on the Gold Coast

It's not all about putting dots on the map. I'm all for a Perth and Adelaide team in the NRL but the AFL is everywhere myth is very much that. RL is the number 1 game in the most populous places in the country and we need to make sure that remains. When you then throw Auckland in the mix who would slot in 5th position on the above list below Perth and above Adelaide, we are in an even stronger position.

There is a reason why the AFL is investing so heavily in our heartlands, because they need to, we don't need to put anywhere near that mount of effort in theirs other than Melbourne.

 

[MugaB]

Are we talking top 10 cities by population in Australia?

1. Sydney - tick
2. Melbourne - tick
3. Brisbane - tick
4. Perth - cross
5. Adeaide - cross
6. Gold Coast - tick
7. Newcastle - tick
8. Canberra - tick
9. Sunshine Coast - cross but very much a RL area
10. Wollongong - tick

The NRL covers 7 out of 10 and RL well and truly covers 8 out of 10.
The AFL on the other hand covers 6 of the 10 with a very tenuous hold on the Gold Coast

It's not all about putting dots on the map. I'm all for a Perth and Adelaide team in the NRL but the AFL is everywhere myth is very much that. RL is the number 1 game in the most populous places in the country and we need to make sure that remains. When you then throw Auckland in the mix who would slot in 5th position on the above list below Perth and above Adelaide, we are in an even stronger position.

There is a reason why the AFL is investing so heavily in our heartlands, because they need to, we don't need to put anywhere near that mount of effort in theirs other than Melbourne.

All correct, but i was talking about in 1998 when they named the competition the "NRL" how nationwide were we then, well only missing Perth, Hobart and Darwin, throw in Sunshine Coast that youve added, and yeah 8 out of 10 on your list, but didn't stay that way, i know, had they kept Perth, and Adelaide going, maybe this discussion is moot

 

[The Great Dane]

I think thats about it in regards to how the relationship will work.

I'd bet you anything that Ipswich go into the discussions demanding equal representation on the board and representation in the brand (maybe even for the team to be called the Jets), and that the Bombers guys want strong control as well.

Whether or not those positions are non-negotiables IDK, but this is RL, they'll definitely be pushing for a better deal than they deserve.

 

[The Great Dane]

All correct, but i was talking about in 1998 when they named the competition the "NRL" how nationwide were we then, well only missing Perth, Hobart and Darwin, throw in Sunshine Coast that youve added, and yeah 8 out of 10 on your list, but didn't stay that way, i know, had they kept Perth, and Adelaide going, maybe this discussion is moot

The NRL went into 98 knowing that Adelaide, GC, and the Steelers wouldn't be around in 99. Let's also keep in mind that two of those teams had money in the bank when they were wrapped up.

So does it really matter what the geographical spread was in 98 when there were no plans to maintain it? I don't see how it does.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I guess someone told the Jets that there is no "western corridor" and Coorparoo is closer to Logan than Ipswich is....

Here's the distance and travel time from Coorparoo to Logan Central, Ipswich CBD and rural Logan. It's quicker to get from Coorparoo to rural Logan than Ipswich CBD. Logan Central, which is the administrative centre of Logan, is half the distance and time.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Agree here too.

I think there's a great deal of kinship between Queensland & fans over here in New Zealand, basically because of our shared history of being mistreated & taken for granted by NSW.

A smart ARLC would really try to muscle in on NZ now that RU is financially weak.

The Grand Final needs to be rotated between Auckland, Brisbane and Sydney. The NZ Gov would love the money it generates from tourism, so they will promote the hell out of it, despite their preference for RU.

I really do think a 2nd and 3rd team in NZ should be on the ARLC's agenda.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

NZ2 will probably get a pass because of a bump in the NZ TV rights. I don't think the NRL cares where the money comes from as long as someone pays it.

We've gotten as much as we ever will from the Australian broadcasters with our limited footprint. Our next goal has to be growing the game in NZ so we can command money from New Zealand's broadcasters. This is one area where we have a massive advantage over AwFuL and need to make the most of it. Three NZ teams will bridge the gap between RU and RL and give kids more of a reason to play our game.

 

[MugaB]

The NRL went into 98 knowing that Adelaide, GC, and the Steelers wouldn't be around in 99. Let's also keep in mind that two of those teams had money in the bank when they were wrapped up.

So does it really matter what the geographical spread was in 98 when there were no plans to maintain it? I don't see how it does.

Yes but by then it had been already named, they probably could have kept the reds another season to round off the pinpoints on the map

 

[Pippen94]

no point of difference to what? If you mean to the Broncos then that's great. I want to see another team with a 30k crowd avg and turning a profit most clubs could only dream of!

Don't bet on the tigerhawks then or whatever they're called