Central Coast Bears ready if Sharks fall

[Blind Freddy]

http://www.nrl.com/NewsViews/Latest...Coast-Bears-ready-if-Sharks-fall/Default.aspx

The Central Coast Bears say they'll ensure they are ready to step up and fill the void should crisis-stricken Cronulla not make it to next year's NRL season.

Serious doubts over the Sharks' future deepened on Thursday when major sponsor LG announced it would not be renewing a deal worth in excess of $700,000 a year.

Having lost three sponsors last week in the wake of the club's involvement in the group sex scandal and already $9 million in debt, the outlook appears bleak.

Bears bid committee chairman, former North Sydney great Greg Florimo, said that while the consortium was eying a start in an expanded NRL in 2013, they would be ready to go next season if the opportunity presented itself.

"I've got to take the position that yes, we'd make ourselves ready," Florimo said.

"It's not our preferred option but going on the momentum and the rate at which this thing has built over the last six months, it wouldn't surprise me that we could get on the field in another six months.
"We'd certainly have a real crack at it.

"We're in a process of building our franchise with a view to coming into the competition in 2013 - that was in line with the renewal of the broadcasting rights and some indications that the NRL may be looking at expansion at that time.

"The contingency plan is if someone doesn't make it to the line in the meantime."

Asked whether the Central Coast bid team should start readying themselves to replace the Sharks, NRL chief executive David Gallop on Thursday said: "No, we are not at that stage yet."

Florimo's biggest fear over the short time frame is his ability to put together a competitive side ahead of the 2010 season.
The biggest headache for the NRL is the fact they are contractually obligated to provide eight matches a weekend through to the end of the 2012 season as part of their television rights deal.

Gallop on Thursday said there was "no blank cheque" to help any club out of a financial hole, meaning the NRL could be forced to look beyond the 16 teams currently in place should their investigation of the Sharks books show no prospect for recovery.

 

[Parramatta_Power]

Ready already??? Wow.

 

[LESStar58]

It makes sense and it's a tad ironic. Sharks went to SL to ensure their survival and Bears almost did the same thing and got shafted royally.

 

[Parramatta_Power]

It makes sense and it's a tad ironic. Sharks went to SL to ensure their survival and Bears almost did the same thing and got shafted royally.

News brainwashed them... Cronulla's fans never deserve to be shafted either. It was a terribel decision by the club.

 

[hillbillyjazzer1954]

that would be right, bloody, death riding vultures

i like this part though........"Asked whether the Central Coast bid team should start readying themselves to replace the Sharks, NRL chief executive David Gallop on Thursday said: "No, we are not at that stage yet."

dashed again HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!

 

[Parramatta_Power]

that would be right, bloody, death riding vultures

i like this part though........"Asked whether the Central Coast bid team should start readying themselves to replace the Sharks, NRL chief executive David Gallop on Thursday said: "No, we are not at that stage yet."

dashed again HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!

Are they conspiring against the Sharks or what...:x

 

[gong_eagle]

Ronnie will be cumming in his pants again

 

[t-ba]

That'd be just about the final insult. Replaced by a club they tried to kill during the Super League War.

 

[Follow Me Up To Carlton]

That'd be just about the final insult. Replaced by a club they tried to kill during the Super League War.

The coup de grace?

So the NRL would lose a mistake of a club and regain a foundation team in a new, growing district. Good for Rugby League, good for the NRL and also good for Manly (who arent exactly going strong) as well to have their old rival back.

 

[Dogs Of War]

that would be right, bloody, death riding vultures

i like this part though........"Asked whether the Central Coast bid team should start readying themselves to replace the Sharks, NRL chief executive David Gallop on Thursday said: "No, we are not at that stage yet."

dashed again HA HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!!

What do you expect him to say? Once they have looked over the books, and realise that they are screwed, only then will they approach the Bears.

I for one welcome the Central Coast Bears if they are replacing the sharks.

 

[herbert henry1908]

It sucks for the fans , but really they will just be another in a long line of failed first grade rugby league teams.


North Sydney
Wests
Balmain
Newtown
Glebe
Newcastle (c1908)
Cumberland
Annandale
University
Illawarra
Gold Coast (c1988)
Western Reds
Sth QLD
Adelaide
Hunter
Northern eagles

teams come and go , rugby league will always move forward though.

Im not trying to down play it. I know the hurt the fans are going through , I lost my NBA team last year ( Seattle) and it sucks. But the good news is rugby league will go forward.

 

[Timbo]

Whoa.

I bet if you'd even asked the most optimistic Bears fan three months ago what their chances of being in the league in 2010 was you could have written your own odds.

 

[steven_tiger]

I know the hurt the fans are going through , I lost my NBA team last year ( Seattle) and it sucks.

No offence, but how can you compare losing your local football side to losing a basketball team on the opposite side of the world?

 

[Will De Ness]

As you sow so shall you reap.
Cronulla whored themselves to superleague and funded the purchase of a thousand international/rep players in the yrs since. Ross, Stevens, Barrett, Tupou, Maitua, Kimmorley etc etc etc despite having to go cap in hand every 5 yrs or so to the NSWRL, ARL, SL, NRL

They, and the bogan, insular, white robe wearing, burning at the stake lynch mob shire bogans deserve everything they get.

What these ute driving, gumboot wearing, panel van honeymooning gimps need is a yr in the Jim Beam cup watching players the ilk of John McKelleher and ken Ebb tpo remind them of their place in the food chain

 

[qldseaeagle96]

No offence, but how can you compare losing your local football side to losing a basketball team on the opposite side of the world?

Says the man with the Spurs shirt in his avatar :shock:

 

[herbert henry1908]

No offence, but how can you compare losing your local football side to losing a basketball team on the opposite side of the world?

they may have been on the other side of the world but I supported them for about 20 years so it wasnt like i was just a casual supporter.

Also not all sharks fans live in the local area , so i can identify with them at least.

 

[Blind Freddy]

Whoa.

I bet if you'd even asked the most optimistic Bears fan three months ago what their chances of being in the league in 2010 was you could have written your own odds.

To be honest the hardest part would be getting the players. The structure and foundations have been in place since 99. It would be just applying the finishing touches.

If need be for a start in 2010 i'd love to get my boots out. Florimo might have to again too

 

[t-ba]

To be honest the hardest part would be getting the players. The structure and foundations have been in place since 99. It would be just applying the finishing touches.

If need be for a start in 2010 i'd love to get my boots out. Florimo might have to again too

Souths built a squad from scratch in July 2001. I think Manly retained about 5 players so pretty much were building from scratch from august 2001.

 

[Marshall_magic]

Souths built a squad from scratch in July 2001.

not a very good one looking back at their results.

 

[bad boy bubby]

I've heard tonight that in actually the Bears and Gallop are having a meeting on tuesday in regards to this fact.
Source is extremely good.