Do mergers and joint-ventures work?

[big hit!]

What say does Balmain have in the running of Wests Tigers? The club is now controlled by Wests Ashfield!

I said 'want'

 

[big hit!]

I think where they probably f**ked up was they tried to join 2 clubs and somehow keep the old 2 in the name.
IMO I don’t look at the dragons and see Illawarra
Same for west’s tigers
Magpies are invisible

That's probably because there's a tendency to refer to teams in the NRL by their moniker rather than their geographic name. Just look at the NRL table on nrl.com, news websites, or even type in NRL ladder in google for their version. in contrast, a league such as the AFL will refer to teams by their geographic name.

Saints have everything from St George re appearance and identity, but knowing they're based in Wollongong and watching games from Wollongong, I feel that they're an Illawarra team.

Likewise Wests. the tiger is one of the most valuable intangible of any team IMO so it was a no brainer to use that moniker at merger. but i think of the club as Western Suburbs. Balmain is never referenced anymore and you need to go down to u18s to get a club called Balmain at any level of rugby league. Even North Sydney have representation at higher levels. Balmain as a footy club is practically dead at senior level, as well as financially.

It's a massive win for Western Suburbs that they have all these old Balmain fans continue to follow the club in the belief there is still some Balmain in the joint, just because of a few games at Leichhardt, and the use of the Tiger as the moniker.

They should’ve completely rebranded them.

and basically lose the supporter base.

Dragons should make the big call and just pack up and go south.
Look at the knights and support they have.
Wollongong is a completely different place to what it was with the Steelers.
Probably wear the Steelers jersey exclusively.

Newcastle have no association to Sydney. In contrast, St George is one of the biggest clubs in the metro area. It's a difficult call for St George to make.

 

[Knuckle-dragger]

Can we please find some new metaphors. PLEEEEEEEEASE....

I guess when the number 1 qualification to run something in the game is "im a Rugby League person", you cant expect the brightest sparks to turn up.

"You spent 10 years running head first into a pile of guys the size of gorillas. Perfect!!! When can you start running my $million organisation?"

Come again?

 

[big hit!]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ti...e-in-on-balmain-takeover-20190828-p52lo9.html

1. They'll still use the Tiger moniker so dumb f**k ex-Balmain fans will still rock up to Leichhardt thinking it's half their club, and the kids who aren't Western Suburbs or Balmain but purely Wests Tigers, won't give a shit.
2. In 2019, it's a sad state of affairs that clubs in a professional national competition are still funded off the archaic model of a 'social' club system.
3. Ben Elias f**ked his beloved royally

 

[big hit!]

They are 2 separate leagues clubs ran by 2 separate boards, the original ownership model of the club was 50% Balmain, 25% Ashfield and 25% Campbelltown, so its not as far fetched as you make it sound under that ownership model and it makes more sense with the ownership changes in the years since.

The club quickly moved to 50% Balmain, 50% Ashfield ownership and is now at 25% Balmain and 75% Ashfield with Balmain having no voting rights. It is hard to argue that Wests and Balmain were 45km apart when they historically shared boundaries!

Soon to be 90% Ashfield, 10% whatever Balmain have - basically administered from the old turf in the inner west, yet growth is in the Macarthur region.

Can see them being the home ground nomads for years to come.

 

[unforgiven]

Soon to be 90% Ashfield, 10% whatever Balmain have - basically administered from the old turf in the inner west, yet growth is in the Macarthur region.

Can see them being the home ground nomads for years to come.

Wests Ashfield have basically saved Balmain from going under a number of times and are in fact again saving the Balmain football club. They are taking over the running of the juniors which will allow Balmain to still have a presence in rugby league!

 

[Perth Red]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ti...e-in-on-balmain-takeover-20190828-p52lo9.html


2. In 2019, it's a sad state of affairs that clubs in a professional national competition are still funded off the archaic model of a 'social' club system.

Thank goodness for gambling addicts or RL here would be screwed!

 

[adamkungl]

Haha some merkin writing essays up here blaming Roosters for the "criteria".

Try come up with a criteria that has broke wooden spoon clubs placing above wealthy successful clubs

Lunatic

 

[Diesel]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/ti...e-in-on-balmain-takeover-20190828-p52lo9.html

1. They'll still use the Tiger moniker so dumb f**k ex-Balmain fans will still rock up to Leichhardt thinking it's half their club, and the kids who aren't Western Suburbs or Balmain but purely Wests Tigers, won't give a shit.
2. In 2019, it's a sad state of affairs that clubs in a professional national competition are still funded off the archaic model of a 'social' club system.
3. Ben Elias f**ked his beloved royally

It’s a shame the Balmain club can’t be bought, no point Wests Ashfield keeping it afloat and dropping money in, then use the Tigers name, history and heritage of Balmain into the Pirates bid in WA.
Wests Tigers should just revert to Western Sydney Magpies

 

[adamkungl]

It’s a shame the Balmain club can’t be bought, no point Wests Ashfield keeping it afloat and dropping money in, then use the Tigers name, history and heritage of Balmain into the Pirates bid in WA.
Wests Tigers should just revert to Western Sydney Magpies

Wests have the money but Tigers have the fans. It's actually very smart business.
I don't think their all-over-Sydney home ground split is good for their future, but the branding is.

Changing to Magpies would slash their fanbase in half, or worse. Plus Magpies has the stink of decades of failure.

 

[unforgiven]

Wests have the money but Tigers have the fans. It's actually very smart business.
I don't think their all-over-Sydney home ground split is good for their future, but the branding i

We need to commit to one homeground and I believe there is support for that amongst the fanbase!

 

[Diesel]

Wests have the money but Tigers have the fans. It's actually very smart business.
I don't think their all-over-Sydney home ground split is good for their future, but the branding is.

Changing to Magpies would slash their fanbase in half, or worse. Plus Magpies has the stink of decades of failure.

Good points raised. They are thinly spreading themselves over Sydney and not sure how much is gained from it for attendances, but I don’t know the Sydney landscape as well as most here.
Brisbane works much like Melbourne in the AFL where fans travel to a central stadium, obviously this doesn’t work in Sydney for a number of reasons

 

[adamkungl]

We need to commit to one homeground and I believe there is support for that amongst the fanbase!

I've been attacked by Tigers fans for suggesting this lol

 

[unforgiven]

I've been attacked by Tigers fans for suggesting this lol

It's getting closer mate, on the Wests Tigers forum it is pretty much supported and a lot of fans I speak with would be happier with one homeground. The major sticking point at the moment would be which ground it should be!

 

[adamkungl]

It's getting closer mate, on the Wests Tigers forum it is pretty much supported and a lot of fans I speak with would be happier with one homeground. The major sticking point at the moment would be which ground it should be!

My view of where Sydney is heading, it has to be Parramatta.
Leichhardt is not fit for more than a handful of games and Campbeltown... I don't think city outskirt suburban teams are well placed for their best future in a national competition.

And if that doesn't work, you could take Perth without even changing your name. (This would actually be the best result but the least popular with the fans)

 

[unforgiven]

My view of where Sydney is heading, it has to be Parramatta.
Leichhardt is not fit for more than a handful of games and Campbeltown... I don't think city outskirt suburban teams are well placed for their best future in a national competition.

And if that doesn't work, you could take Perth without even changing your name. (This would actually be the best result but the least popular with the fans)

I would love bankwest but most of the support is for the new ANZ, which I think is stupid!

 

[adamkungl]

I would love bankwest but most of the support is for the new ANZ, which I think is stupid!

I think Bankwest is seen as the Eels true home but ANZ is seen as being more neutral (despite likely being shared with Dogs and Rabbits). Bankwest will likely be the better facility and atmosphere.

I'd set up the Tigers with
10 games at Bankwest
1 at Leichhardt
1 at Campbeltown
- both of these Sunday arvo games.
Pre-season games in Tamworth/country
NSW Cup all out of Campbeltown.

 

[unforgiven]

I think Bankwest is seen as the Eels true home but ANZ is seen as being more neutral (despite likely being shared with Dogs and Rabbits). Bankwest will likely be the better facility and atmosphere.

I'd set up the Tigers with
10 games at Bankwest
1 at Leichhardt
1 at Campbeltown
- both of these Sunday arvo games.
Pre-season games in Tamworth/country
NSW Cup all out of Campbeltown.

Yes that is what I would like to see but I am in the minority!

 

[magpie_man]

Yes that is what I would like to see but I am in the minority!

I'm on the Bankwest bandwagon too; glorious stadium.
That said, if the stadium down at Leumeah is given a Shane Warne-level facelift with the new A League team coming into play, then we should probably shift there.

 

[axl rose]

I'm on the Bankwest bandwagon too; glorious stadium.
That said, if the stadium down at Leumeah is given a Shane Warne-level facelift with the new A League team coming into play, then we should probably shift there.

With no games at Leichhardt?