Central Coast Bears, 2013.

[firechild]

It has the population, interest, and while it's close to an area overrepresented in terms of the amount of teams it's still NOT Sydney and never will be.

It is part of Sydney as long as they are claiming the area from Neutral Bay to Berowra. Either they are not a Sydney club and they forgo this area or they become another Sydney club, you can't have it both ways. They are simply a North Shore club playing on the Central Coast for the purposes of re-admission. This is precisely why so many on the Central Coast want nothing to do with them. If the CC are to have their own team, it should be theirs in its entirity, it should be the CC Centurions or another club that want to build a club without a history of failure attached to it.

 

[_MayMoo 2]

It is part of Sydney as long as they are claiming the area from Neutral Bay to Berowra. Either they are not a Sydney club and they forgo this area or they become another Sydney club, you can't have it both ways. They are simply a North Shore club playing on the Central Coast for the purposes of re-admission. This is precisely why so many on the Central Coast want nothing to do with them. If the CC are to have their own team, it should be theirs in its entirity, it should be the CC Centurions or another club that want to build a club without a history of failure attached to it.

Welcome to 2011.

Hogwash - The bid is the Central Coast Bears. Your claim that many want nothing to do with them is bulldust. This bid is strong.

North Shore club playing on the Coast for readmission - Please - The Bears were encouraged to move to the CC in the late 90's and did so.

The NRL will not touch a CC bid with no connection to the Bears; Time and again Gallop has indicated this is one of the strengths. The sooner the IC gets up and decides on expansion the better, and the sooner fools like you will be silenced.

The link to the Bears is a major strength of the bid.

 

[Rockin Ronny]

You fail to see beyond your own interests again.

What of the Queensland cup without any outside NRL sides? The Broncos Titans and Cowboys are not enough.
What of developing juniors in Perth?
What of local pathways within SE Queensland?
Club per population figures?
What of the importance of revenue from TV rights and sponsorship by national expanion?
What of our national market share relative to our competitors? Super Rugby and AFL have had a huge leg up from our tiny efforts in Queensland.

Yet you seem to think a 12th NSW side is in our best interests? There are bigger fish to fry. North Sydney and the Central Coast can easily be absorbed by neighbouring teams like Manly, Parramatta, Sydney and Newcastle. Brisbane is a city of 2.1M with one side, and satelite towns with populations total exceeding 1.5m.

The Bears are not in the best interests of the game.

You're a big talker, buddy.
But tell us - which club do you follow?

 

[age.s]

It is part of Sydney as long as they are claiming the area from Neutral Bay to Berowra. Either they are not a Sydney club and they forgo this area or they become another Sydney club, you can't have it both ways. They are simply a North Shore club playing on the Central Coast for the purposes of re-admission. This is precisely why so many on the Central Coast want nothing to do with them. If the CC are to have their own team, it should be theirs in its entirity, it should be the CC Centurions or another club that want to build a club without a history of failure attached to it.

Just curious, what does "claiming that area" mean anyway? Junior support would probably be covered by Manly if there are no Bears, but having the Bears isn't really a negative per se?

Anything else other than historical links? If not then the historical links should be embraced frankly. The league loses absolutely nothing by holding on to it, and neither does the CC as a community. They make any club on the CC stronger than it would be without them, and that's a good thing.

The part you quoted me on referred to the CC though, not the Bears just the CC as an area that deserves an NRL team. The only question about the links to the north of Sydney are simply questions about how much value it adds. I don't see how you could possibly construe it as a negative.

 

[firechild]

They are claiming the junior base in the area, despite the fact that Asquith has played in the Manly-Warringah A-Grade competition for years. Currently clubs like Souths and Manly draw from the talent pool in the North Shore area and any move by a proposed new club that will negatively affect any existing club has to be a negative. This is precisely the reason that no new Sydney club would be considered and a large part of the reason it was Sydney clubs that were forced to merge or fold in the post-super league years. Southern Queensland can handle a spreading of the talent pool, many Queenslanders have to move to Sydney clubs due to lack of opportunity at the current QLD clubs.

 

[age.s]

They are claiming the junior base in the area, despite the fact that Asquith has played in the Manly-Warringah A-Grade competition for years. Currently clubs like Souths and Manly draw from the talent pool in the North Shore area and any move by a proposed new club that will negatively affect any existing club has to be a negative. This is precisely the reason that no new Sydney club would be considered and a large part of the reason it was Sydney clubs that were forced to merge or fold in the post-super league years. Southern Queensland can handle a spreading of the talent pool, many Queenslanders have to move to Sydney clubs due to lack of opportunity at the current QLD clubs.

The CC as an area doesn't have any pathways at all though. My point is even if you take the North Shore out you still are left with an area that can support a team. Parochial squabbles over which club controls the junior base of Asquith shouldn't come into a decision on expansion, and frankly highlight how tasty a potential Bears-Eagles grudge match at Brookie would be anyway.

No one is saying that SEQ shouldn't have another team mind you, it a question of when and who, like it is with the CC.

 

[jason taylor]

That's what I don't understand. Bear champions are arguing that if a team was relocated to the central coast that the public won't be behind them. Isn't the bears franchise just relocated anyway? Why would the public support them? It would be Northern Eagles all over again.

 

[age.s]

That's what I don't understand. Bear champions are arguing that if a team was relocated to the central coast that the public won't be behind them. Isn't the bears franchise just relocated anyway? Why would the public support them? It would be Northern Eagles all over again.

I think that's what the multitude of posts in here by CCB volunteers about membership drives and numbers is trying to disprove.

 

[Rockin Ronny]

I think that's what the multitude of posts in here by CCB volunteers about membership drives and numbers is trying to disprove.

Why is this so difficult to understand?

The Bears were promised a regional licence in the mid 90's if they left North Sydney and relocated to the Central Coast. The only club that proactively moved to ensure its future - whilst other clubs like Cronulla just begged handouts to survive.

The Bears instigated and contributed millions to building Gosford Stadium - and have spent massive enegy, effort, money and years to finish what was commenced.

For anyone to deny this - or to think that the Bears should just be discarded - is simply a complete f**kwit or, more usually, a Manly supporter still pissed off that the takeover by stealth never worked.

 

[BDGS]

It is part of Sydney as long as they are claiming the area from Neutral Bay to Berowra. Either they are not a Sydney club and they forgo this area or they become another Sydney club, you can't have it both ways. They are simply a North Shore club playing on the Central Coast for the purposes of re-admission. This is precisely why so many on the Central Coast want nothing to do with them. If the CC are to have their own team, it should be theirs in its entirity, it should be the CC Centurions or another club that want to build a club without a history of failure attached to it.

Bullshit claim, about the 5000th time this argument has been used, each other time it has been proven to be wrong.

 

[Bluebags1908]

It is part of Sydney as long as they are claiming the area from Neutral Bay to Berowra. Either they are not a Sydney club and they forgo this area or they become another Sydney club, you can't have it both ways. They are simply a North Shore club playing on the Central Coast for the purposes of re-admission. This is precisely why so many on the Central Coast want nothing to do with them. If the CC are to have their own team, it should be theirs in its entirity, it should be the CC Centurions or another club that want to build a club without a history of failure attached to it.

Wollongong isn't a part of Sydney either, but the St.George-Illawarra Dragons seems to work pretty well. Embraced by Kogarah diehards and Wollongong tragics.

If the Dragons can claim a base in Sydney and also just outside of Sydney then so can the Bears.

And unlike St.George/Illawarra, North Sydney/Central Coast share a geographical boundary.

Not that I am against a 2nd Brisbane team either - I have long said Brisbane needs a 2nd team.

 

[Beowulf]

Bye bye Bears. Thanks for the arrogance.

Bit arrogant to assume we're history, princess..

Sorry to disappoint you but we're only getting stronger - big announcements coming in coming weeks.

 

[Beowulf]

That's what I don't understand. Bear champions are arguing that if a team was relocated to the central coast that the public won't be behind them. Isn't the bears franchise just relocated anyway? Why would the public support them? It would be Northern Eagles all over again.

The CC were part of the NSDRL from 1908 to abt 1947, CC reps played in red and black till 1982 I think.

The historical link is AT LEAST as strong as between St George and Illawarra, with the advantage as posted by others of a joint boundary.

The Bears started investigating moving north in the 80's and were set to go in the early 1990's but the CC Clubs were fearful of becoming small fish. In 1997 the NS members voted to change the name of the Club to the Central Coast Bears and to relocate to a purporse built stadium we were jointly funding with NRL encouragement and private guarantees of support.

Crowds averaged 18000 as the Northern Eagles till the Bears realised the JV was just a Manly attempt to get the JV cash and remain to all purposes "Manly".....when that became public knowledge the crowds dropped to 3,000 - the Manly supporter base. Won't respond to any comments to the contrary because thats what all Bears involved tell me went down!

The Northern Eagles were based in Sydney, training in Hornsby, no community engagement on the Coast, and when it fell apart, Manly said they couldn't wait to get out of Gosford.

But the Bears didn't die thanks to Greg Florimo and a few dedicated fans. offices opened there, community engagement every week, charities, schools etc. The Bears ARE the Central Coast now, and have been in mindset and reality for 8 or 9 years now, with historical roots to the north shore that ensure corporate and fan support from their old stomping ground. Its a reversal of the historic importance of the northern and southern part of the catchements due to demographic changes.

It will work and be successful, like St George Illawarra. Is this so hard to understand?

Any relocation to the Coast will be pointless - Cronulla for example would not get any fans travelling to Gosford, would not have any corporate support on the Coast because it isn't big enough and the only candidate, John Singleton, will never go near RL again if this CC Bears bid fails.

THe same issues affect a stand alone CC team, even harder.

Neither reconnects with northern Sydney who have either abandoned the game since the Bears were shafted or are sporadic watchers at best, following AFL or Union more keenly.

A CC Coast team needs the corporate support of northern Sydney behind it, and THEY will only support the Bears. Its that simple.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

The NEXT Central Coast Bears membership drive is on @

SATURDAY 6th AUGUST
EVENT: North Sydney Bears Vs. Balmain Ryde Eastwood
TIME & LOCATION: 3pm, North Sydney Oval

SUNDAY 7th AUGUST
EVENT: Top Ryde Shopping Centre Membership Drive
TIME: 10am - 3pm

 

[Perth Red]

John Singleton, will never go near RL again if this CC Bears bid fails.

.

Singleton owns Bluetongue, he wouldn't bat an eyelid to do a good deal with any team that would be willing to use his stadium and pay a decent rent.

 

[lturner]

This. No one believes there shouldn't be another team in SE QLD - there should and will be at least one more. But now is not the right time. Not only because the Bears and Perth bids are far better, but to give the Titans the necessary time to establish themselves.

Bears and Reds, 2014.
Brisbane/Ipswich and Wellington for the next TV deal.

Sorry but are you the full quid?

The Titans are stronger than probably than 3 or 4 Sydney clubs.

So please explain how establishing another team in Brisbane will be a disaster for the Gold Coast, which is 75kms away, but re-admitting the Bears on the Central Coast will have NO effect on struggling Sydney teams which are 75kms away?

Of all the reasons for not bringing in another Brisbane club, this is by far the least credible.

 

[RedVee]

It is part of Sydney as long as they are claiming the area from Neutral Bay to Berowra. Either they are not a Sydney club and they forgo this area or they become another Sydney club, you can't have it both ways. They are simply a North Shore club playing on the Central Coast for the purposes of re-admission. This is precisely why so many on the Central Coast want nothing to do with them. If the CC are to have their own team, it should be theirs in its entirity, it should be the CC Centurions or another club that want to build a club without a history of failure attached to it.

You may as well just give the CC to the Knights.

 

[adamkungl]

Sorry but are you the full quid?

The Titans are stronger than probably than 3 or 4 Sydney clubs.

So please explain how establishing another team in Brisbane will be a disaster for the Gold Coast, which is 75kms away, but re-admitting the Bears on the Central Coast will have NO effect on struggling Sydney teams which are 75kms away?

Of all the reasons for not bringing in another Brisbane club, this is by far the least credible.

The Titans may be better placed financially than a couple of Sydney clubs. However they are one of few teams to have encountered notable financial difficilties in the last few years and their crowds have dropped significantly. however that is not really my point. The Titans lack the generational support that Sydney teams have due to being so new. Give them a few more years to keep getting young new fans before introducing another nearby option. I'm not saying it will be a disaster if a new team is introduced, I think it will be more benficial long term if they can solidify their position.

 

[LeagueXIII]

If the TV deal was to be affected by expansion, wouldn't the league be announcing officially when and who the clubs were BEFORE the deal was done? Afterall that's what they do in all other sports.

 

[Noname36]

If the Bears bid goes through, how far exactly are their parameters supposed to extend? The Newcastle local competition extends as far down as Wyong, a competition that gets funding from the Knights. Wyong have already said that they refuse to play in the CC comp because it's a lot weaker than the Newcastle comp. What would happen if the bid goes through in terms of junior rugby league? Places like Wyong would be firmly in the Bears' area, however from everyone I've talked to, those local CC clubs playing in the Newcastle comp consider their players Knights juniors because they play in the Newcastle competition. I could imagine there would be similar issues with the Bear's southern boarders as well.