Easts Tigers Enter Expansion Race

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I think the carrot for them was some extra cash on the table (allegedly $10mill) connections to corporate $'s through the Bombers group of businessmen and giving Vlandys the warm and fuzzies that including Ipswich would somehow take the fight to the AFL. The fact Jets wanted 50-50 ownership isn't surprising, nor is the response of the Firehawks to laugh in their faces! Lets just hope their bid is better than Dolphins if they are going it alone.

Firehawks is the superior bid because it will provide a marketable north vs south rivalry with the Broncos. I can see 52k people at Lang Park twice a year for the Broncos vs Dolphins Derby, drawing enormous ratings on TV. All of Brisbane is covered, with Broncos having the option of focusing on the northern and western regions of Greater Brisbane through relationships with Norths Devils and Ipswich Jets at Queensland Cup level, and Western Brisbane Panthers and Fortitude Valley Diehards in the BRL. Firehawks should try to draw support from Wynnum Manly and Souths Logan.

Dolphins would make a great Brisbane 3 when they've got a better stadium and Moreton Bay has 600k permanent residents.

 

[Pippen94]

Looks like the merger idea is on the rocks! Firehawks must be pretty confident they can still win on their own.



The suggested multi-million dollar expansion bid between a merged Firehawks and Jets entity has reportedly stalled.

In an exclusive Tuesday morning report, Peter Badel of The Courier Mail stated that the combined bid between the previously opposed parties was "on the brink of collapse".

The joint effort to obtain the NRL's 17th license was reported to be worth in the vicinity of $35 million, however, the disintegration of any deal now sees a bid by the Dolphins as the clear clubhouse leader, according to Badel.
The noted journalist claimed that talks reached an impasse when the Jets reportedly refused to agree to a merger with the Firehawks so as the pair could enter the competition as one in 2024.

Although the agreement that was struck last week is not entirely dead, Badel did claim that it appeared unlikely to be repaired.

Former Rabbitohs CEO and current chief of the Firehawks' bid Shane Richardson confirmed the impasse to Badel.
“Talks have stalled,” he said.

“The bottom line at this stage is we have stalled, we haven’t been able to go forward.

“The Jets will say it’s all over red rover — but negotiations are never over.”
With the Firehawks reported to be unwilling to cede their nickname should any merged entity prove successful, tempers were said to have flared.

These flames were then stoked when it was also announced that the East Tigers backed Firehawks would seek to hold a 100 per-cent ownership status over the shared bid's license.

Although Badel suggested the Jets were said to be favouring a "50-50 investment arrangement", Richardson explained that this would never prove to be an option, as his team held the whip hand in financial negotiations.

“The reality is we won’t be doing a 50-50 split because we have the money,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we are putting all the money is.

“This is for the betterment of rugby league. We are the ones who will put the money into academies in the Ipswich region, we have tried to offer the Jets some genuine opportunities as part of a merged bid.

“We would be putting money into the Ipswich region to promote the game in the region and we will offer Ipswich one seat on our board.

“It would be a stronger bid if we came together, but there has to be a balance and that balance isn’t there at this stage.”

Richardson's counterpart - the Ipswich backed, Nick Livermore - stated that a takeover of this sort would never receive his approval.

“The Jets received a call from the Firehawks last Wednesday surrounding a potential partnership,” Livermore told Badel.

“We’ve explored that and proposed a 50-50 investment and ownership model to ensure the growth and financial sustainability of a new team focusing on the western corridor.

“We’ve left that with the Firehawks and are open to discussions, but at this stage, the response has not been for what we see as the strategic direction of the best interests of the game.”

Badel also revealed that the NRL and ARLC are set to make a decision on which of the three-bids will be granted the coveted license to enter the competition within the next fortnight.

Merged expansion bid stalls, per report

Are the Dolphins now leading the race for the league's 17th license?

www.zerotackle.com

Game over

 

[Cactus]

That's a rather loose way to characterise a "merger".

More like the Firehawks wanted a takeover in return for costs & a board seat.

 

[The Great Dane]

Looks like the merger idea is on the rocks! Firehawks must be pretty confident they can still win on their own.



The suggested multi-million dollar expansion bid between a merged Firehawks and Jets entity has reportedly stalled.

In an exclusive Tuesday morning report, Peter Badel of The Courier Mail stated that the combined bid between the previously opposed parties was "on the brink of collapse".

The joint effort to obtain the NRL's 17th license was reported to be worth in the vicinity of $35 million, however, the disintegration of any deal now sees a bid by the Dolphins as the clear clubhouse leader, according to Badel.
The noted journalist claimed that talks reached an impasse when the Jets reportedly refused to agree to a merger with the Firehawks so as the pair could enter the competition as one in 2024.

Although the agreement that was struck last week is not entirely dead, Badel did claim that it appeared unlikely to be repaired.

Former Rabbitohs CEO and current chief of the Firehawks' bid Shane Richardson confirmed the impasse to Badel.
“Talks have stalled,” he said.

“The bottom line at this stage is we have stalled, we haven’t been able to go forward.

“The Jets will say it’s all over red rover — but negotiations are never over.”
With the Firehawks reported to be unwilling to cede their nickname should any merged entity prove successful, tempers were said to have flared.

These flames were then stoked when it was also announced that the East Tigers backed Firehawks would seek to hold a 100 per-cent ownership status over the shared bid's license.

Although Badel suggested the Jets were said to be favouring a "50-50 investment arrangement", Richardson explained that this would never prove to be an option, as his team held the whip hand in financial negotiations.

“The reality is we won’t be doing a 50-50 split because we have the money,” he said.

“At the end of the day, we are putting all the money is.

“This is for the betterment of rugby league. We are the ones who will put the money into academies in the Ipswich region, we have tried to offer the Jets some genuine opportunities as part of a merged bid.

“We would be putting money into the Ipswich region to promote the game in the region and we will offer Ipswich one seat on our board.

“It would be a stronger bid if we came together, but there has to be a balance and that balance isn’t there at this stage.”

Richardson's counterpart - the Ipswich backed, Nick Livermore - stated that a takeover of this sort would never receive his approval.

“The Jets received a call from the Firehawks last Wednesday surrounding a potential partnership,” Livermore told Badel.

“We’ve explored that and proposed a 50-50 investment and ownership model to ensure the growth and financial sustainability of a new team focusing on the western corridor.

“We’ve left that with the Firehawks and are open to discussions, but at this stage, the response has not been for what we see as the strategic direction of the best interests of the game.”

Badel also revealed that the NRL and ARLC are set to make a decision on which of the three-bids will be granted the coveted license to enter the competition within the next fortnight.

Merged expansion bid stalls, per report

Are the Dolphins now leading the race for the league's 17th license?

www.zerotackle.com

That went pretty much exactly how I thought it would.

 

[The Great Dane]

That's a rather loose way to characterise a "merger".

More like the Firehawks wanted a takeover in return for costs & a board seat.

That was always going to be the deal considering what the Jets were bringing to the table.

The Firehawks had all the leverage.

 

[Pippen94]

That was always going to be the deal considering what the Jets were bringing to the table.

The Firehawks had all the leverage.

It's over arko. Tigers have all the money, focus group logo & entire central qld. Means jackshit without being in growth area

 

[The Great Dane]

It's over arko. Tigers have all the money, focus group logo & entire central qld. Means jackshit without being in growth area

Being in a growth area doesn't mean jack shit if other potential markets are already bigger than your growth area is going to be for decades...

Brisbane proper is bigger than Morton Bay, and always will be. As such there'll always be more unique commercial opportunities in the city it's self then there will be in an insular peninsula on the outskirts of the city.

It just is what it is.

 

[Pippen94]

Being in a growth area doesn't mean jack shit if other potential markets are already bigger than your growth area is going to be for decades...

Brisbane proper is bigger than Morton Bay, and always will be. As such there'll always be more unique commercial opportunities in the city it's self then there will be in an insular peninsula on the outskirts of the city.

It just is what it is.

So true - that's why afl & a leauge put new teams at Moore park with existing clubs rather than outskirts

 

[mongoose]

So true - that's why afl & a leauge put new teams at Moore park with existing clubs rather than outskirts

Different cities, different leagues.... a second NRL team playing at Suncorp should work. People all over Brisbane want to go watch sport at Suncorp, it's central (unlike Moore Park) and has amenities surrounding it. The only people who want to watch sport at Redcliffe are people who are within 10km of the place.
Anyway if Redlcliffe commit to playing most of their games at Suncorp then maybe they can become a well supported club and a true 2nd Brisbane team (I know Dane still doesn't think so, unless they completely rebrand)

 

[Pippen94]

Different cities, different leagues.... a second NRL team playing at Suncorp should work. People all over Brisbane want to go watch sport at Suncorp, it's central (unlike Moore Park) and has amenities surrounding it. The only people who want to watch sport at Redcliffe are people who are within 10km of the place.
Anyway if Redlcliffe commit to playing most of their games at Suncorp then maybe they can become a well supported club and a true 2nd Brisbane team (I know Dane still doesn't think so, unless they completely rebrand)

A team offering the same as broncos won't grow fans but simply cannibalize existing ones.

Dane doesn't know his ass from his face

 

[MugaB]

A team offering the same as broncos won't grow fans but simply cannibalize existing ones.

Dane doesn't know his ass from his face

Agreed....
On both counts

 

[The Great Dane]

Different cities, different leagues.... a second NRL team playing at Suncorp should work. People all over Brisbane want to go watch sport at Suncorp, it's central (unlike Moore Park) and has amenities surrounding it. The only people who want to watch sport at Redcliffe are people who are within 10km of the place.
Anyway if Redlcliffe commit to playing most of their games at Suncorp then maybe they can become a well supported club and a true 2nd Brisbane team (I know Dane still doesn't think so, unless they completely rebrand)

I don't just think it ... A pattern of other clubs that have attempted what the Dolphins are suggesting failing shows that.

If the Dolphins try to sell themselves as the Brisbane Dolphins it'll take generational change before they are broadly accepted outside of Redcliffe/parts of Morton Bay, and even then they may never be, and the NRL can't afford to risk waiting on another BS suburban club playing in front of two men and a dog to come good.

The NRL especially can't afford it simply because a minority of ignorant morons, so soaked in nostalgia that it's rotted what little brains they had, are incapable of excepting that change is a natural side-effect of progress.

I'm sorry, but I'm so sick of this poisonous BS, especially when it's coming from hypocritical Queenslanders whom on one hand will criticise the suburban, traditionalist, nature of RL in Sydney, and openly suggest that Sydney should be rationalised and the such, but then will defend the exact same attitudes in Brisbane to the hilt.

 

[The Great Dane]

Dane doesn't know his ass from his face

Where's my endorsement of the Bombers that you promised?

 

[Perth Red]

A team offering the same as broncos won't grow fans but simply cannibalize existing ones.

Dane doesn't know his ass from his face

But they arent. For decades we have been hearing that there is a massive RL contingent in Brisbane who WONT follow the Broncos due to a number of factors including corporate identity, SL war, damaging the BRL when they came in etc etc. The Firehawks are non of the above, it is this non Broncos following that will be the Firehawks supporter base. Firehawks are nothing like the reasons these fans arent following the Broncos. I would add a further differentiation though by calling the club South Brisbane.

 

[The Great Dane]

So true - that's why afl & a leauge put new teams at Moore park with existing clubs rather than outskirts

Western Sydney isn't the outskirts. It represents roughly half the city's population.

Kind of like South Brisbane represents roughly half of Brisbane's population...

Seeing the pattern yet?!

 

[titoelcolombiano]

A team offering the same as broncos won't grow fans but simply cannibalize existing ones.

Dane doesn't know his ass from his face

Dane was also the guy that told me about 12, maybe 18 months ago that Redcliffe had no chance... and hey, they still may not get the bid but as it stands right now they are looking pretty strong.

I don't just think it ... A pattern of other clubs that have attempted what the Dolphins are suggesting failing shows that.

If the Dolphins try to sell themselves as the Brisbane Dolphins it'll take generational change before they are broadly accepted outside of Redcliffe/parts of Morton Bay, and even then they may never be, and the NRL can't afford to risk waiting on another BS suburban club playing in front of two men and a dog to come good.

The NRL especially can't afford it simply because a minority of ignorant morons, so soaked in nostalgia that it's rotted what little brains they had, are incapable of excepting that change is a natural side-effect of progress.

I'm sorry, but I'm so sick of this poisonous BS, especially when it's coming from hypocritical Queenslanders whom on one hand will criticise the suburban, traditionalist, nature of RL in Sydney, and openly suggest that Sydney should be rationalised and the such, but then will defend the exact same attitudes in Brisbane to the hilt.

There is a huge difference between the Brisbane and Sydney situation... Firstly, Brisbane is not oversaturated and secondly our traditional clubs are willing to rebrand as Brisbane and play at Suncorp and it really won't take as long as you think to build a following from all over the city. Most NRL fans don't follow the Q Cup that closely and would be happy to jump on the Brisbane 2 train even if it was just as their second team in the beginning.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Dane was also the guy that told me about 12, maybe 18 months ago that Redcliffe had no chance... and hey, they still may not get the bid but as it stands right now they are looking pretty strong.

There is a huge difference between the Brisbane and Sydney situation... Firstly, Brisbane is not oversaturated and secondly our traditional clubs are willing to rebrand as Brisbane and play at Suncorp and it really won't take as long as you think to build a following from all over the city. Most NRL fans don't follow the Q Cup that closely and would be happy to jump on the Brisbane 2 train even if it was just as their second team in the beginning.

You are correct about Brisbane and Sydney being completely different. The situation in Sydney is one of privilege, luck, corruption and double standards that have caused irreparable damage to the game.

Sydney RL clubs had the advantage of using pokies to create a revenue stream from the 1950s. BRL clubs didn't have this luxury until the NSWRL deliberately turned it into a feeder competition, presumably because Queensland owned NSW in SOO with players who learnt their trade in Brisbane.

Since the death of the BRL as a top-grade league, the Sydney clubs have become the lepers, but instead of ruthlessly killing them off so they game could expand, the NSWRL have shown pity upon them, squandering the game's resources to keep these teams afloat. Expansion into new markets was axed and Brisbane RL was held back in the 90s just to keep park football teams in Sydney alive. The net result is AwFuL has made gains in Brisbane and Sydney that they could only have dreamed of if the NSWRL had have rationalised Sydney so that the game's resources could have been spent on funding grassroots development, which is the one area AwFuL has owned us since the 90s.

Dolphins and Firehawks are rich and powerful. Brisbane doesn't have the tribal issues that pits Sydney fans against one another.

 

[The Great Dane]

Dane was also the guy that told me about 12, maybe 18 months ago that Redcliffe had no chance... and hey, they still may not get the bid but as it stands right now they are looking pretty strong.

Here we go with the BS again.

I told you we couldn't possibly arcuately predict who the favourites were so far out, not that the Dolphins had no chance. There's a massive difference between those two statements...

I'm 99% sure that was pre-Firehawks and definitely pre-Bombers/Jets merger, we couldn't have even predicted when the NRL would start the expansion process back then. Which all proves my point that it was stupid to make pronouncements about which bid would or wouldn't get the license when we didn't even know whom would actually be bidding.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Here we go with the BS again.

I told you we couldn't possibly arcuately predict who the favourites were so far out, not that the Dolphins had no chance. There's a massive difference between those two statements...

I'm 99% sure that was pre-Firehawks and definitely pre-Bombers/Jets merger, we couldn't have even predicted when the NRL would start the expansion process back then. Which all proves my point that it was stupid to make pronouncements about which bid would or wouldn't get the license when we didn't even know whom would actually be bidding.

All I know is I was telling you back then that they would probably end up in the NRL and you were pushing back big time. Granted, they still might not end up in the NRL but as it stands now, they are much closer than you ever thought they'd be.

 

[The Great Dane]

All I know is I was telling you back then that they would probably end up in the NRL and you were pushing back big time. Granted, they still might not end up in the NRL but as it stands now, they are much closer than you ever thought they'd be.

I just told you what I said, why not address that instead of continuing with made up shit...