Door now open for Perth

[Perth Red]

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25665752-5005401,00.html


Implications of large Perth turnout not lost on NRL

Nick Taylor, rugby writer
June 20, 2009 06:30pm

FIFTEEN thousand fans went a long way towards letting the NRL know they want their own side in Perth.
"The impact was not lost on anyone. Everybody took notice of what happened," an NRL spokesman said after Melbourne Storm scraped home 28-22 over South Sydney Rabbitohs last week.

"There's been universal acceptance that it was a success."

But the NRL said, and the WA Rugby League accepts, that the one-off game was just the start of a long campaign to get a team in Perth.

"We're looking very closely at Perth's involvement, but the fact is that we aren't about to throw another team into the competition," the spokesman said.

"We aren't about to throw anything open and we're a long way from calling for submissions for an expansion side."

The NRL wants to expand its competition to 18 teams in 2013 and Perth is expected to battle Adelaide and a second NZ team for a spot. The other team is likely to be based on the NSW Central Coast.

But league fans can look forward to more top-flight games next season, with the Rabbitohs looking at bringing two games to Perth and St George Illawarra hosting a pre-season trial.

WARL chairman Geoff Baldwin said hosting last week's game had been enormously satisfying.

"We proved we can get a crowd and we've had corporates telling us they're prepared to commit after what they saw," he said.

Baldwin said the WARL would need to be able to show the NRL that it could attract 10,000 members and $4-5million in corporate sponsorship.

"We're realistic enough to know that those are the figures we need to talk about," he said.

The WARL's NRL steering committee chairman, John Sackson, will be having talks with the national governing body during the next few weeks.

"The NRL knows we have our own aspirations and goals and I'd say the door has moved from being ajar to being opened on the back of that game," Baldwin said.

"We'll be getting stuck into putting our bid together, but there are many months of hard work ahead."

There has been talk of the NRL offering $8million to a current club to relocate to Perth.

Baldwin said he would listen to any proposals but added: "We wouldn't close the door on any talks, but our whole energy is going into establishing our own team.

"A team that was likely to want to move is likely to have baggage, otherwise it wouldn't be moving.''

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[Timmah]

Excellent news

Good to see the NRL talking the talk with expansion.

 

[gallagher]

'an NRL spokesman'. Is that the best the NRL can do when the media are after some sort of reaction to the game in Perth and expansion.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Action is required, a definate plan. I've heard all this BS before. Put it on the table and call for submissions with a time line. Let's get on with it...............oh that's right not until after the TV rights are sewn up at a cheap rate.

 

[mightybears]

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,25665752-5005401,00.html


Implications of large Perth turnout not lost on NRL
</H1>

"The NRL wants to expand its competition to 18 teams in 2013 and Perth is expected to battle Adelaide and a second NZ team for a spot. The other team is likely to be based on the NSW Central Coast."

we can but hope

 

[Nuke]

This is twice in recent weeks that I've read that the NRL will be expanding to 18 teams by 2013. Neither times (and I've read them carfeully to make sure I'm not misreading them) has the articles said the NRL are looking to expand or anything like that. They both say the NRL wants/plans to expand by 2 teams by 2013.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

I havent really heard anything about a potiential bid from Adelaide or Wellington. All the talk has been coming out of the Central Coast and Perth with a few snipits from Queensland.

 

[Perth Red]

yeh, not sure where they got them from.

PNG has officially expressed an interest
Perth has a bid team
CC has the Bears bidding
CQ has expressed an interest

those are the only solid expressions of interest I know of.

 

[Timbo]

Is a bit random...

Especially when you hear things like a second Brisbane team being a front runner.

Good if true though.

 

[thommo4pm]

The AFL's push into West Sydney and the Gold Coast is all about the TV rights $$$$.

Those areas don't want an AFL team.

The move to Perth will drive our tv rights $$$ or bargaining power for the $$$ up.
Difference being, there is actually a few people in Perth who want an NRL team there.
The crowd for Souths v Melbourne shows there is support for it there right now.

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

I agree, I know that Rugby League is the better product because there is greater demand for it. There is only one place in the world that wants an AFL team and that is Tasmania. Rugby League on the other hand has had interest from Perth, Central Coast, Central Qld, Sunshine Coast, SE Qld, Brisbane, PNG, Fiji and another NZ team. 9 areas that want one, only 6 could realistically get a licence.

 

[herbert henry1908]

yeh, not sure where they got them from.

PNG has officially expressed an interest
Perth has a bid team
CC has the Bears bidding
CQ has expressed an interest

those are the only solid expressions of interest I know of.

Wellington has something together. I have heard the guy who is in charge of the bid , he's an expat aussie living in Wellington.

Although it would be fair to say its nowhere near the stage that Perth or the central coast is at.

But at risk of upsetting many bears fans Wellington is much , much more important for the future of rugby league. I'd love to see the bears back , but i'd love it even more if we start taking it up to our rivals in the other codes in cities like Perth and wellington.

 

[Noa]

'an NRL spokesman'. Is that the best the NRL can do when the media are after some sort of reaction to the game in Perth and expansion.

The leader only speaks when we are faced with such massive issues as pissing in the street.

 

[DINGb@T]

10,000 members.

That'd give it one of the healthiest membership bases in the comp right out the gate.

Probably not that hard in AFL territory because it's part of the sporting culture but still.....

Also, now that they've proven they can draw a crowd the bid will probably rest completely on their ability to get a suitable square field stadium to play out of. Time to get together with the A League and even the Force and get that field upgraded etc.

 

[Fraser]

I wonder how long it will be till Perth Red creates another 25 threads demanding Perth Reds get a team.

Central Coast Bears. Bring back my bears.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

when they use the words spokesperson, it means someone who either didnt want to be named, or someone who is a no one, or someone who does not exist.

its a planted line, surely.

lets face it, a story with just the guy from perth speaking is nice, but you need someone close to the admin to make the story a real worthy read.

It was probably based on quotes and facts, but its probably a fake story mostly. I doubt they spoke with the nrl, and if they did, they most likely got some down the chain media officer with some pre-defined statement.

I think its funny that they MIGHT want teams in 2013, and everyone is clamoring for one, but the nrl have not said much about it.

I would think they wont be saying much with any degree of certainty until late next year (thats late 2010, meaning its prime for a 2 year lead in for the bids).

ALL this rumour and half truths is very good for the game.

I want this to be some massive positive spin for the nrl.

Look at it: we have the entire country covered in nrl teams OR bids atm, AND NZ PLUS PAPUA N....its great....pretty good spin already IMHO.

 

[Perth Red]

I wonder how long it will be till Perth Red creates another 25 threads demanding Perth Reds get a team.

Central Coast Bears. Bring back my bears.

tick tick tick!

from a bidding team that put out the Kidman story that is very funny!

 

[LeagueXIII]

when they use the words spokesperson, it means someone who either didnt want to be named, or someone who is a no one, or someone who does not exist.

its a planted line, surely.

lets face it, a story with just the guy from perth speaking is nice, but you need someone close to the admin to make the story a real worthy read.

It was probably based on quotes and facts, but its probably a fake story mostly. I doubt they spoke with the nrl, and if they did, they most likely got some down the chain media officer with some pre-defined statement.

I think its funny that they MIGHT want teams in 2013, and everyone is clamoring for one, but the nrl have not said much about it.

I would think they wont be saying much with any degree of certainty until late next year (thats late 2010, meaning its prime for a 2 year lead in for the bids).

ALL this rumour and half truths is very good for the game.

I want this to be some massive positive spin for the nrl.

Look at it: we have the entire country covered in nrl teams OR bids atm, AND NZ PLUS PAPUA N....its great....pretty good spin already IMHO.

Big deal if it doesn't translate into big TV bucks.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

Big deal if it doesn't translate into big TV bucks.

ok, and so? i prefer fans myself...

care to disambiguate in your reply?

 

[Loudstrat]

tick tick tick!

from a bidding team that put out the Kidman story that is very funny!

And which celeb has Perth lined up to draw attention to it's bid again.....?

when they use the words spokesperson, it means someone who either didnt want to be named, or someone who is a no one, or someone who does not exist.

No, dumb sh*t, it means the NRL's official line has been explained by someone delegated by the organisation to liaise with the media - which isn't a CEO's job. Seems like too many insecure people need Gallop to hold their hand.....