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Darren Lockyer says rugby league should expand but slowly

G

griff

Bench
Messages
3,322
Lockyer4President! said:
Locky has used his column to talk up a team in Mackay at least once before but tbh I can't see the NRL going for it when there are much larger population centres without a team.
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yeah I can't believe he keeps coming up with that sort of thing and worse that people are listening to him and calling for him to be CEO when he comes up with stupid statements like this:

"The west of Brisbane extending through to Ipswich or a team from Central Queensland, tapping into the mining boom and the enthusiasm for the game in cities such as Mackay and Rockhampton, would be the two best Queensland options."

really Darren? Have you been poring over statistical reports, demographic projections, junior player numbers, and catchment area mapping?

I can't believe people are saying he has a good understanding of the situation. He doesn't. Just because he is one of the best ever rugby league players doesn't mean he understands anything about expansion.

The Sunshine Coast is booming. It already has more people than Townsville and is growing much more quickly, and has more people than Mackay and Rochkampton put together, and a higher disposable income than Ipswich/West Brisbane.

The best options for expansion are Central Coast, Perth, Wellington, and Sunshine Coast.
 
Frailty

Frailty

First Grade
Messages
9,411
Eels Dude said:
Fair enough. Perth may be closer but even they are way off. I don't necessarily think they are the best area for growth though, and that's something else we should be looking at.
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I disagree, with a large amount of the Eastern seaboard moving over to the west for job opportunities, as well as large amount of English ex-pats Perth would provide a great opportunity for a league side. The city is growing faster than Adelaide, they have really created a structure which demonstrates they want a team, their junior state sides a very competive and dominant in the national competition, and they are getting some of the best crowds in the Jim Beam Cup Competition. They have gained a lot of corporate support and even Channel Nine Perth has got on board.

Remember, this is for a team who plays in a competition which is based in another state. Imagine the amount of support that they would gain in the National Competition.

I would be moving quickly on Perth because unlike other cities, Perth has already done the hard work.
 
Perth Red

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
67,139
Thanks for the vote of confidence everyone! No one is suggesting we should start a NRL team in Perth in 2009 but we should be planning for one by 2012/2013 when the new TV deal is on line. Part of our bargaining tool for a better deal should be an expanded league and reality is the State with the biggest and richest population with NO NRL presence at the moment is WA.

There are a stack of other reasons why Perth makes sense but I have done them to death so won't bother repeating myself. At the end of the day for me the fact EVRY prof sport in Australia has a Perth team EXCEPT RL should tell you something!
 
_Johnsy

_Johnsy

Referee
Messages
27,678
Brycey said:
No QLDer will go within 50 miles of any team that has NSW blood running through it.

QLD can hold another team, Sunshine Coast or Ipswich. Probably both.
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Sunshine Coast, Are you taking the piss ?

Ipswich/Springfield, in the future, without a doubt.
 
L

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,968
Perth for sure, agree with sunshine Coast. No team should be moved from Sydney, if they are struggling help them. A strong Sydney is the key to our game being strong. Do some research as to what is beneficial to the clubs and work on better stadiums with great corporate facilities. Take Cronulla if they were to play during the day they would average 15-20,000 however they play most games at night and average 10-13,000.

Also if we want to deal the AFL a blow and put them back bring back the Bears, this would have a huge benefit for league. It gives an area (north shore/CC) of 800,000 a team, hurts AFL and union and brings godwill, something league has lost in huge amounts since the SL war.
 
_Johnsy

_Johnsy

Referee
Messages
27,678
Take it easy fellas, I am looking at infrastructure, population growth, and ability to build a purpose built RL stadium, perspective. IMO Ipswich/Springfield (West Brisbane ????) would be the smarter move. Springfield is predicting a population in excess of 100,000 people. I had a squizz at the Springfield website and it states by 2030 Greater Springfield’s planned 320-hectare CBD will be twice the size of Brisbane’s CBD. The greater springfield population of 15,000 will rise to over 100,000 residents by 2030 with a regional residential catchment of 500,000. That’s more than the current population of the Gold Coast. The QLD Government have started the duplication and extension of the Centenary Highway and the development of a new rail line through the Springfield CBD by 2015.

I have not been to this area for a few years, but looking at the cost to build a stadium and the needed infrastructure for a purpose built stadium (Robina is the perfect example), it make sense that it would be this area.
 
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