Divided rugby league fell 25 years ago – but united has it conquered? by Steve Mascord.

[Ozzi_78]

Well played BBB.

 

[flippikat]

West Coast BEARS
Adelaide Rams
NZ 2

...Then maybe if they want to go past 20
PNG
QLD5
VIC2
In 1997 there was 22 RL clubs, (in 2 comps)

In 1998 there was 20 teams, albiet they planned to cull them down even moreso, but it still existed...with the money at play now they can all be sustainable, back then its wasn't set up to do so, the game is going forward and on the up, getting rid of brands would be the last thing they would do

West Coast Bears is an interesting one - there looks to be a big difference in what both sides expect (and more importantly, what each sides bottom lines are).. so unless the NRL step in and explicitly say "if this goes through, you're guaranteed the next license", I can't see that happening though.

PNG is EXTREMELY ambitious. On a security, infrastructure & sheer financial level, they're not there right now.... I know in your scenario, you're probably looking to the 2030s for going past 20 teams, but still.. VERY tall order for them, even in that time frame.

Vic 2 is interesting.. and if we choose to "double down" on an AFL city, it surely comes down to Vic 2 (population) or WA 2 (timezone).

 

[MugaB]

West Coast Bears is an interesting one - there looks to be a big difference in what both sides expect (and more importantly, what each sides bottom lines are).. so unless the NRL step in and explicitly say "if this goes through, you're guaranteed the next license", I can't see that happening though.

PNG is EXTREMELY ambitious. On a security, infrastructure & sheer financial level, they're not there right now.... I know in your scenario, you're probably looking to the 2030s for going past 20 teams, but still.. VERY tall order for them, even in that time frame.

Vic 2 is interesting.. and if we choose to "double down" on an AFL city, it surely comes down to Vic 2 (population) or WA 2 (timezone).

If Perth goes well... double down of both cities
Perth Pirates and Geelong Rangers (ned logo) AFL won't care, coz they think we are inferior, its why they don't give a f**k about the storm

 

[Wb1234]

Otside of the name "Tigers" what would Balmain actually bring to the table for any Qld based side? All the money resides in the wests side of the joint venture, as do many of th eir biggestr junior league catchment (i.e. Campelltown area).

Brisbane easts get to use the tiger

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I don't like calling for teams to be culled but there are definitely too many teams in Sydney IF you want to be optimising the amount of support and money that comes into the game. Sydney might be increasing in population (all state capitals are) but the demographics have changed a lot over the last 25 years - there is not the level of support for the game there was 30 years ago, especially amongst people under 30. A place like Perth might be an AFL city but there is still potentially a much bigger market there for an RL team than there is in Sydney for some of its current teams. I do understand that teams like Manly, Wests and Cronulla have fans all over the country from decades of exposure on TV which can't be discarded so easily....

It’s funny how NSWRL fans laugh at my suggestion that we should expand into Singapore within the next 20 to 30 years, yet they reckon Sydney should have 10 teams because a lot of East Asians and South Asians have emigrated there over the last 40 years. All of this despite Singapore having a larger population than Sydney.

Ideally, a team like the Dragons, Sharks or Tigers would start taking a game to Singapore each year to test the waters, similar to what the NFL does with their NFL LONDON series. I'd go with St George Dragons as there's a large British and Australian expatriate community in Singapore and it's part of the Commonwealth of Nations. It makes far more sense to start the season in Singapore than the USA. Australia and Singapore share the same time zone. America is on the other side of the world. There's a large gambling market in Singapore.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

West Coast Bears is an interesting one - there looks to be a big difference in what both sides expect (and more importantly, what each sides bottom lines are).. so unless the NRL step in and explicitly say "if this goes through, you're guaranteed the next license", I can't see that happening though.

PNG is EXTREMELY ambitious. On a security, infrastructure & sheer financial level, they're not there right now.... I know in your scenario, you're probably looking to the 2030s for going past 20 teams, but still.. VERY tall order for them, even in that time frame.

Vic 2 is interesting.. and if we choose to "double down" on an AFL city, it surely comes down to Vic 2 (population) or WA 2 (timezone).

I cannot see Melbourne supporting a second team. It would cannibalise the Storm's fanbase and leave us with a poorly attended Melbourne 2. The introduction of Melbourne Heart/City showed us what will happen. Perth could support two teams. Storm are successful because it's them versus Sydney.

PNG is no chance due to the violence and poverty that's rampant in that part of the world. A PNG based team in Cairns won't work as the infrastructure isn't there to support it..We're more likely to get a PNG team based in Singapore than one in Cairns. Singapore has a world class stadium and a thriving corporate sector to support a team made up of Papuans. Cairns does not.

 

[Pippen94]

Morons value Adelaide vs Canberra over Penrith vs parra - that sums up debate

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Morons value Adelaide vs Canberra over Penrith vs parra - that sums up debate

Penrith vs Parramatta produced the lowest rating for an NRL GF in history.

The Raiders vs Roosters GF drew a better rating.

What does that tell you?

Don't take my word for it.

According to MediaWeek, 2,367,000 fans tuned in nationally for the one-sided match, making it the smallest NRL grand final television audience on record.

It marks the first time the overall television audience for an NRL season finale has dipped below 2.5 million viewers in the history of OzTam ratings data.

These numbers are substantially lower than 2020 and 2021, when most of Australia was stuck in lockdown, but also the 2019 grand final between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders.

Only 252,000 people tuned in from Melbourne, the second-lowest viewership from the Victorian capital since 2000.

The numbers for other metro markets were 391,000 in Brisbane, 77,000 in Adelaide and 114,000 in Perth, according to MediaWeek.

However, it was one of the largest Sydney TV audiences of the year, with 837,000 people watching from the New South Wales capital.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-grand-final-ratings-sink-to-historic-low/news-story/b2d6b753f59c0ef9161e7541b6a44008?amp

 

[mongoose]

Morons value Adelaide vs Canberra over Penrith vs parra - that sums up debate

sums up debate? you type good

 

[Captain Apollo]

Brisbane easts get to use the tiger

That is not much at all, and hardly an incentive to the Balmain side of the current Wests Tigers JV.

 

[Perth Red]

I think it will all depend on where the next area is and how well its received, plus the broadcast deal, if it makes a significant rise, and all goes well, should see 19 & 20 come in sooner than that

Based on what? Certainly not on history of expansion.

 

[MugaB]

Based on what? Certainly not on history of expansion.

Why put off the cash cow, when it can get milked now, this administration has made its mission to grow RL in this country, its not sitting on its arse like the previous admins did, it's building roads for the womens game, and expanding the comp to 18 teams, whether it goes further than that, remains to be seen, but at it current trajectory, im expecting 20 teams by 2032-2035 at this rate... i suppose it depends on whether there is clubs willing to branch out to new areas like east tigers or north sydney bears, or if there's another solution, but one thing is for sure, they wont be funding a brand new team from scratch, unless its in NZ or PNG etc... they'd rather have prospective bids they can promote who have already got mostly everything in place, much like the dolphins did

 

[Wb1234]

That is not much at all, and hardly an incentive to the Balmain side of the current Wests Tigers JV.

Balmain get their colours back

easts tigers or easts firebirds

names mean a lot for branding

i hate the joint venture it has no identity

plus wests get back the magpie so I’d argue we can two foundation clubs again

 

[Mr Angry]

Could be worse, could be FIFA.

Just saying, corruption at the country level.

Anyways, league players no longer have to build houses before training.

 

[Mr Angry]

I do love to remind my daughter, when she hears an NFL, Baseball or soccer player getting many millions, that some guy owns that team and pays for them all.

Sport the original and best reality TV, owned by the rich, as is all else, our sports people have short careers, some inherited an entire team.

 

[MugaB]

Balmain get their colours back

easts tigers or easts firebirds

names mean a lot for branding

i hate the joint venture it has no identity

plus wests get back the magpie so I’d argue we can two foundation clubs again

Most would say their identity is still western suburbs magpies

 

[BunniesMan]

I'll never understand the obsession with growth and going international. Who cares if the game you love is played in Puerto Rico? If your favourite sport earns enough money to field a reasonable number of teams full of professional players, what more do you need? Everything beyond that is just greed.

 

[Wb1234]

Most would say their identity is still western suburbs magpies

Imo most of the fans are Balmain. But money wise it’s all wests and I think they own 90 percent now of the jv

 

[MugaB]

Imo most of the fans are Balmain. But money wise it’s all wests and I think they own 90 percent now of the jv

I don't disagree, but at the same time, stop pretending to be the ol loser magpies.. embrace the tiger, dont dress up your mascot in some old magpie colors and pretend your serving both identities

 

[mongoose]

I'll never understand the obsession with growth and going international. Who cares if the game you love is played in Puerto Rico? If your favourite sport earns enough money to field a reasonable number of teams full of professional players, what more do you need? Everything beyond that is just greed.

The sport needs growth, otherwise its going backwards. This is a very competitive market and there is still 25% of the country that doesn't have access to the game at a professional level - other than events.

The game is international and needs nurturing in whatever countries its played in.