Central Coast Bears - Stand Aside

[umina panther]

imagine if we had a coast team here 16- 18 average i think we could get..... f**k that makes panthers crowds look poor

 

[LeagueXIII]

The Bears and Perth WILL be back, just wait until the next TV deal is sorted and then it will happen, afterall NewsLtd (NRL) don't want to add value otherwise they will have to pay alot more.

 

[Perth Red]

Great crowd today, stadium looked good with the full stand. Presuming the majority where RL fans from the coast (as opposed to Wests and Manly fans who travelled for the game) it augurs well for the success of a CC team.

 

[Bay City]

Gallop and the NRL should just give the green light now for expansion into western Australia and to bring in the bears. Use the sure entry as a bargaining chip for the tv rights rather then the other way around which is what they're doing now. Give w.a. reds a salary cap exemption of 300, 000 to 500, 000 but not to the bears as we are in a rugby league state already.

Then get a current nrl team to play a few games in adelaide a year and another team to play in southern nz. Use pre season games to shore up NT, png, central qld, Ipswich, sunny coast/redcliffe. Let's get the bloody ball rolling. Us fans want to know what's happening with the game here in aus!

I'm for expansion but at what cost in terms of the quality of teams we watch each weekend. Are there really 34 first grade players not playing each weekend that could make two more competitive teams or do we merely dilute the spectacle by spreading existing talent more thinly and evalute guys either not yet ready or not at the desired standard?

Fix the structure of the game (ie revenue and therefore salary cap) and yes i think their are plenty of guys gone to Super League in England that could still be a force in the NRL. Get that right and then look to expand

 

[Perth Red]

I'm for expansion but at what cost in terms of the quality of teams we watch each weekend. Are there really 34 first grade players not playing each weekend that could make two more competitive teams or do we merely dilute the spectacle by spreading existing talent more thinly and evalute guys either not yet ready or not at the desired standard?

Fix the structure of the game (ie revenue and therefore salary cap) and yes i think their are plenty of guys gone to Super League in England that could still be a force in the NRL. Get that right and then look to expand

To fix the salary cap you need more TV $'s. To get more TV $'s you need more games into new markets. It's chicken and egg. Yes there are enough players for two new teams, we just need to get the salary cap up to $6mill and we can bring them all back from AFL, RU and SL.

 

[Alex28]

TYes there are enough players for two new teams...

Where are these 50 (2 x squads of 25) NRL standard footballers that are so unlucky that they are not playing in the NRL at present? There are a few in the UK but not 50...

The talent is spread pretty thin at the moment and the NYC is not developing the talent that it should be.

I'm all for expansion but I honestly don't think the competition is ready.

 

[oval]

I was at the tigers v manly game yesterday and it had a great atmosphere - its a good ground to watch the footy at. Big crowd, although I reckon a lot of fans (myself included) came up from Sydney. On the way up and back there were A LOT of cars with tigers or eagles fans in them, and getting back on the F3 after the game was bumper to bumper. But still, itd be great to see the CC get their own team. PS. Farah has a vagina.

 

[bobmar28]

20k at gosford. Twice that that went to adelaide. But we should put a team in adelaide and not gosford so we can get bigger crowds...............

Fmd!!!!!!!

qld.

 

[seaeagle sam]

PS. Farah has a vagina.

Yes, yes he does indeed.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-coast-fans-forgive-manly-20100725-10qmu.html


A full house in Gosford as Coast fans forgive Manly

DANIEL LEWIS

July 26, 2010
FOR the first time since it hosted its debut game in February 2000, the Central Coast's Bluetongue Stadium had the ''full house'' sign up yesterday as 20,059 spectators crammed in to watch Manly play the Wests Tigers.


The capacity crowd will no doubt be advanced as more evidence that the Central Coast deserves its own NRL team, although the vast majority of the crowd appeared to be rusted-on Sea Eagles and Tigers supporters.


It was a Manly home game, but the Sea Eagles decided to play at Gosford because they know the Tigers have a huge supporter base on the Central Coast. Coming into the weekend, Manly had the fourth worst average home crowds in the NRL of 13,020 and yesterday was their best home crowd of the season.


Bluetongue was once one of the home grounds of the short-lived Northern Eagles (2000-2002), the failed joint venture between Manly and the North Sydney Bears.
The previous capacity crowd was the first NRL game of the Northern Eagles franchise. They beat the Newcastle Knights that day 24-12 and since then no game of NRL, A-League soccer or World Cup rugby union has been able to fill the picturesque stadium in Gosford.


The Tigers' Chris Heighington grew up on the coast playing for the Umina Bunnies and coach Tim Sheens joked the sea of gold and black might have all been part of Heighington's personal fan club.


''We've got a lot of [fans] up this way, and people who travel up as well,'' Sheens said. ''The three odd games before today we've been here there's been good crowds as well. It's a good venue. There's certainly a lot of Tiger people up this way.''


The four other NRL games at Bluetongue this season were: round three Sea Eagles v Knights 12,138; round five Rabbitohs v Knights 16,098; round 10 Roosters vs Knights 10,018; round 17 Sharks v Bulldogs 9826.


Yesterday's was the last NRL game at Bluetongue for the season, and businessman John Singleton - who owns the management rights to the stadium - was there to see the massive crowd. Among those turned away were shocked Manly fans who had caught chartered buses up without buying tickets first.


The stadium's managing director, Monique Marks, said that despite the failure of the Northern Eagles, Manly had developed a ''huge'' supporter base on the Central Coast and attracted good crowds there.


But seachangers from inner Sydney mean the Tigers are the top drawcard around Gosford, a view confirmed by Tigers chief executive Stephen Humphreys ''We have strong support in lots of regional areas, and particularly here on the Central Coast,'' he said.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

John Gibbs and Brandy.



Bluetounge Stadium (the Central Coast Bears DEN packed out, can't wait for the day the BEARS run out for the 1st time)


Central Coast Bears merchandise now available @ local retail stores.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Shane Hayne.. (hopefully once the C.C.Bears are in, we'll get some 50/50 calls going our way!)





Darryl Brohman



Cliffy Lyons (who would've thought he'd finally have a bears jersey back in his hands)

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Akuila Uate




Mitchell Pearce




Sinbad Kali




Ryan Tandy



Grant Millington

 

[Red&BlackBear]

NRL superstars & the C.C. Bears (most below are CC juniors by origin)




Keiran Foran




Tim Moltzen




Chris Heighington

 

[Red&BlackBear]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...ed-house-and-1bn/story-e6frg7mf-1225896766993

Bear essentials: a packed house and $1bn

CENTRAL Coast officials have a meeting with the NRL this week.

Their timing is impeccable. Yesterday, 20,059 people - matching the ground record - crammed into Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium to watch Manly beat Wests Tigers.

In terms of the Central Coast's case for inclusion to the NRL in 2013, this was compelling. Less than an hour before kick-off, the "house full" sign went up. While financially-strapped Cronulla struggles to attract 9000 people to Toyota Stadium, people were turned away from Gosford.

The Bears already have their coach David Fairleigh. They have earmarked a captain - local product Chris Heighington. They even have a major sponsor in Mortgage House. And they have had their cause pushed in Parliament House by federal member for North Sydney, Joe Hockey.



Their list of ambassadors include golfer Nikki Garrett, V8 Supercar champion Mark Skaife, country singer Gina Jeffreys, surfer Adrian Buchan and Planet Ark founder Jon Dee. They have rallied locals and garnered corporate dollars.

Yesterday, demonstrated they have their fans as well. This is an area crying out for an NRL team.

"It's a great stadium, there was a great crowd today," Heighington said. "They obviously deserve their own team. They showed it today. Hopefully, it can come in the near future. They just love rugby league here. People just want to watch footy and they want to support their own team."

There was no question who the locals were cheering for. The Central Coast hasn't forgotten the failed Northern Eagles experiment, which lasted only two years before the merger between Manly and North Sydney was dissolved.

The Sea Eagles remain on the nose as a result. With backrower Heighington in their side, the Tigers were clear crowd favourites. It didn't help their cause. They led early, but beyond that it was all Manly as the Sea Eagles ran out comprehensive 38-20 winners.

The NRL is likely to make a decision on expansion early next year. NRL chief executive David Gallop is making the right noises he has publicly spruiked the merits of the Central Coast and Perth - but the final decision is likely to rest with the Independent Commission, which aims to be established by November 1.

Money will be the over-riding factor. By early next year, the NRL should have begun negotiations over its next television deal. If they get what they want - $1 billion has been mentioned - expansion will be on the agenda. If not, it won't have mattered how many people turned out yesterday.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/n...-for-coast-hopes/story-e6frfgbo-1225896815204

DAVE Fairleigh's eyes were on the Warriors but his hopes, well, they drifted some 80km back up the F3.

For if ever there was a game Central Coast fans would avoid, surely it's one where all the proceeds go to Manly. Going into the coffers of that same joint whose bastardised Northern Eagles venture, way back in 2000, was the worst case of exploitation outside Chinese sweat shops.

This was a club, remember, who tried to claim Gosford as its own while living, working, training out of Sydney. Crossing Hawkesbury River only for the rarest primary school and shopping centre visits. Even cut local boy Matt Orford in favour of Brett Kimmorley.

By the end of their tenure, the Eagles would've killed for a crowd of 20,000. Yesterday, they got that many, another 59, then had to shut the gates with an hour still to go before kick-off.



Which is why, down at ANZ Stadium, Fairleigh was the only bloke celebrating a win in the Warriors coaching box.

"A shut-out? That's great news. Outstanding," enthused the retired Kangaroo who works part time for the Warriors and full time on a 2013 Central Coast bid.

"It's a crowd that simply validates everything we're already saying. And the NRL, they know that. They know we've got 6000 juniors, 300 teams, that the Central Coast is a real rugby league area. All we've really got to prove is that we can pay the bills."

Which is exactly what Fairleigh and co plan to do when they front the NRL again this Thursday.

"We're well advanced with our business plan," he continued. "And as for people saying we won't be able to find the money, it's rubbish.

"Our catchment area from North Sydney to Lake Munmorah takes in a million people. That's 20 per cent of the state.

"We've got Central Coast fans who can't wait to have a team playing, training and living there fulltime, while Bears supporters can't wait to see a team they also consider theirs back in the competition. It's why a Sydney company like Mortgage House is promising $1 million a year."

About the only downside yesterday was for those Manly fans who travelled north with memories of the bad old Northern Eagles days. Arriving in two or three busloads with only a handful having even thought it necessary to pre-purchase a ticket.

For them there were long waits. Then shut-outs. Most choosing to watch the game from that other great cauldron where so many local footballers have had their greatest triumphs ... Central Coast Leagues Club.

 

[Perth Red]

Where are these 50 (2 x squads of 25) NRL standard footballers that are so unlucky that they are not playing in the NRL at present? There are a few in the UK but not 50...

The talent is spread pretty thin at the moment and the NYC is not developing the talent that it should be.

I'm all for expansion but I honestly don't think the competition is ready.

there are over 100 former 1st grade NRL players playing Rl in England + RU and AFL. If you had the $'s you could easily make two competitve teams out of that.

On top of that you would hope the NRL IC would support grass root development in WA so that in the next decade we were producing our own.

and on top of that you would hope NRL clubs eventually got the financial point where they could be turning the tables and signing top class players from other codes.

 

[Billythekid]

With all this momentum surely the NRL have no choice but to expand now. It's pretty damn exciting to think that we will have 18 teams within the next few years.

 

[forward pass]

They will do a great disservice to the Gosford area if they start with David Fairleigh as coach. That would be a bad bad move.

 

[applesauce]

fmd that Mortgage House logo with the white "billboard sticker" on the CC jersey is a massive eyesore. Would rate it up there with the Broncos WOW sponsorship.