Do mergers and joint-ventures work?

[unforgiven]

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.

It would be very difficult for Wests to do that now I believe!

 

[big hit!]

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!

North Sydney have a better presence than Balmain with teams in NSW Cup and under 20s. Balmain only have u18s and 16s rep sides in an area which has lost its rugby league DNA.

Hopefully Ashfield do a better job than the old mob did with Magpies Juniors which went into admin. Magpie juniors aren't something to look up to at the moment.

 

[big hit!]

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.

WSS is seen as Parra because they're the only one anchored there, IMO. If Wests Tigers did same, they could've made it their home from the outset as well. With the Tiger brand, they're threat to any Sydney metro team in the pull for future fans. Being based in the geographic centre of Sydney would be good

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.

Ideally, but can't see it happening with the Ashfield calling the shots. It needed to be done years ago. It's great to pine for Leichhardt, but nostalgia is all that was there. No future. With Ashfield the boss, WSS seems the most logical full-time home ground.

 

[unforgiven]

North Sydney have a better presence than Balmain with teams in NSW Cup and under 20s. Balmain only have u18s and 16s rep sides in an area which has lost its rugby league DNA.

Balmain still maintain ownership in an NRL team though, something that Norths do not have!

Hopefully Ashfield do a better job than the old mob did with Magpies Juniors which went into admin. Magpie juniors aren't something to look up to at the moment.

Wests Tigers now run the juniors in the Macarthur and will probably do the same in Balmain now!

 

[BuffaloRules]

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.

I think an honest assessment from a fan of another team...

There is also the fact that its not 1999 anymore, and the Wests Tigers have been around 20 years and won a premiership so I don't see how chucking away that legacy and starting again in Campbelltown is of much benefit to anyone..

The only thing the Wests Tigers need is continued success on the field...

Actually.. that's too lofty an ambition.. just make the Top 8 every second year or so like most other teams seem to manage.

 

[t-ba]

The Magpies are like the Bears without the benefit of historically being everyone's beloved loser second team.

 

[magpie_man]

With no games at Leichhardt?

One game per year at the 8th wonder.

 

[siv]

Looked like Balmain Leagues Club members have accepted merger/takeover conditions by Wests Ashfield Leagues Club

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Looked like Balmain Leagues Club members have accepted merger/takeover conditions by Wests Ashfield Leagues Club

The best thing for everyone now would be to ditch the Balmain and Magpies brands and commit to blanket use of Wests Tigers.

 

[Quicksilver]

The best thing for everyone now would be to ditch the Balmain and Magpies brands and commit to blanket use of Wests Tigers.

Nah.

 

[Wily Ole Dog]

The best thing for everyone now would be to ditch the Balmain and Magpies brands and commit to blanket use of Wests Tigers.

It’s a great opportunity for the Magpies to regain their great legacy after having it trashed by the merger

 

[greenBV4]

It’s a great opportunity for the Magpies to regain their great legacy after having it trashed by the merger

Maybe they should revert to the magpies, and use Western Sydney instead of the vague "Wests", then that allows a new expansion club the opportunity to use the marketable tiger mascot

And I don't think a magpie is all that less marketable anyway, Collingwood have done alright with it

 

[Perth Red]

Given the financial state of Balmain the merger is the only thing that has saved the Tigers name and Balmain brand. In that regard you'd have to say the merger was a godsend in the end for Balmain fans.

Do agree though they should have made WSS their home from opening day and laid claim to joint home ground status with the Eels.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

It’s a great opportunity for the Magpies to regain their great legacy after having it trashed by the merger

And piss off all of the old Balmain fans as well as every fan to join since 2000? And all just to satisfy fans of a brand that hasnt been in First Grade in 20 years?

Im glad Ashfield is taking sole control of the club, but they need to show some magnanimity to the Balmain fans here or they will lose a good chunk of their support base

 

[Knight76]

No, they don't.

All they do is disenfranchise two clubs supporters. Some will get on board with the new entity sure, but they are barracking for their half of the merger.

Then you have complete failures like St George Illawarra Dragons. As a merger, St George have completely dominated that merge, to the point Illawarra barely have an identity at all in my opinion. Most people don't say the whole name and cut it short at St George Dragons or just the Dragons which was the monicker of St George so once again the Steelers lose out. A rebrand won't be too far away with them being called the Sydney Dragons ostracising the entire Illawarra region. The jersey as well is vintage St George, zero steelers about it.

Commentators harp on about the St George Dragons premiership run, but fail to realise as an NRL team, the St George Dragons don't exist. It's as if the merger never occurred for more people, except Illawarra fans of course.

They lost their club almost entirely!

And of course there is the Northern Eagles debacle which saw North Sydney completely lose their NRL presence.

 

[Perth Red]

No, they don't.

All they do is disenfranchise two clubs supporters. Some will get on board with the new entity sure, but they are barracking for their half of the merger.

Then you have complete failures like St George Illawarra Dragons. As a merger, St George have completely dominated that merge, to the point Illawarra barely have an identity at all in my opinion. Most people don't say the whole name and cut it short at St George Dragons or just the Dragons which was the monicker of St George so once again the Steelers lose out. A rebrand won't be too far away with them being called the Sydney Dragons ostracising the entire Illawarra region. The jersey as well is vintage St George, zero steelers about it.

Commentators harp on about the St George Dragons premiership run, but fail to realise as an NRL team, the St George Dragons don't exist. It's as if the merger never occurred for more people, except Illawarra fans of course.

They lost their club almost entirely!

And of course there is the Northern Eagles debacle which saw North Sydney completely lose their NRL presence.

Your making an assumption that both of the merged clubs could have survived as stand alone entities. I think without the mergers the reality is the Tigers and Steelers would be totally gone by now and theres a good chance Magpies could have been as well. In that regards the bringing together of two failing clubs to produce one that has at least survived makes them a success.

 

[Knight76]

Your making an assumption that both of the merged clubs could have survived as stand alone entities. I think without the mergers the reality is the Tigers and Steelers would be totally gone by now and theres a good chance Magpies could have been as well. In that regards the bringing together of two failing clubs to produce one that has at least survived makes them a success.

The question was whether mergers work. It's already a subjective question from the outset, work how exactly?

My opinion is they don't work for the reasons above. Do they work if the sole criteria is to save at least some of the identity of both clubs then sure, do they work if the criteria is a harmonious, balanced merger of two clubs to form one entity then no, I don't think so.

 

[siv]

When you think Balmain remember their eastern boundary actually is George St in the city and includes the Rocks

 

[flippikat]

Given the financial state of Balmain the merger is the only thing that has saved the Tigers name and Balmain brand. In that regard you'd have to say the merger was a godsend in the end for Balmain fans.

Do agree though they should have made WSS their home from opening day and laid claim to joint home ground status with the Eels.

Wests have two options if they stay a Sydney NRL level team, imo... either basing themselves at Bankwest, or try and partner with the MacArthur A-League team to get big upgrades to Campbelltown and go for the south-west.

If they don't commit to ONE home ground or the other, I fear that long term their future will either be relocation outside of Sydney OR demotion to NSW Cup. The splitting of home games across an array of venues just doesn't give them a consistent identity.

 

[flippikat]

And piss off all of the old Balmain fans as well as every fan to join since 2000? And all just to satisfy fans of a brand that hasnt been in First Grade in 20 years?

Im glad Ashfield is taking sole control of the club, but they need to show some magnanimity to the Balmain fans here or they will lose a good chunk of their support base

Yep, this.

Start by bringing back an orange jersey as the main/primary.

I don't care if the alternate is mostly black or mostly white - the orange *is* the Tigers brand, and it's a totally unique colour in this competition. It demands to be used most of the time.