Easts Tigers Enter Expansion Race

[Perth Red]

About 55% of Australia's population live in nsw-qld-act. That percentage is growing every year. That's why afl is going hell for leather adding teams to north. NRL has advantage of geography

of course they are, you expand into new markets. So what's NRL doing in the other 45% of the country?
Very little other than the work with the Storm and even that is a pittance compared to the investment in growth of new markets AFL is pumping in.
Reality is AFL now has major presence in 80% of the country whilst NRL still has only 55% plus a little bit in Melbourne. Look at the media coverage of AFL in Sydney media compared to NRL in Melbourne media for just how stark the difference is in growth markets.

 

[Pippen94]

of course they are, you expand into new markets. So what's NRL doing in the other 45% of the country?
Very little other than the work with the Storm and even that is a pittance compared to the investment in growth of new markets AFL is pumping in.
Reality is AFL now has major presence in 80% of the country whilst NRL still has only 55% plus a little bit in Melbourne. Look at the media coverage of AFL in Sydney media compared to NRL in Melbourne media for just how stark the difference is in growth markets.

Storm in Melbourne out rate Swans & other team in Sydney. Don't believe all the hype

 

[Perth Red]

Storm in Melbourne out rate Swans & other team in Sydney. Don't believe all the hype

AFL rates higher on FTA in Sydney than NRL in Melbourne most games. Media presence is much greater for AFL in Sydney, more kids play the game in Sydney than NRL in Melbourne, AFL produces more players from NSW than NRL players from Victoria, AFL teams have higher memberships than NRL teams in respective cities, and so it goes on. Its not by chance, or that AFL is a better game, just that they have a better strategy and more money they choose to invest in growth markets.
I mean could you imagine the AFL chairman coming out and saying rusted on NRL states are a waste of money??????
Leaving strategy and ambition aside, the reality is AFL earns a sht load more money than NRL does. Imagine how the NRL could grow the game if it closed the $260mill a year revenue gap!
With $260mill extra we could have a 20 team comp and be spending $100mill a year on Vic, SA and WA and really taking the fight to AFL, and still have $160mill left over to keep the heartlands happy! But its chicken and egg, can we close the gap whilst we carry a perception of being a 2 state game in this country? It would seem unlikely.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

The $$$ the NRL would get from national sponsors having Adelaide and Perth would pay for those clubs.

 

[Perth Red]

The $$$ the NRL would get from national sponsors having Adelaide and Perth would pay for those clubs.

yeh thats why I said we are in a bit of a chicken and egg, we dont have the funds to expand, but we wont get the revenue unless we grow the game. In reality we need about an extra $100mill a year on top of our current revenue to take the game to the next level. Alongside Brisbane2 bringing in Perth, Adelaide and NZ2 over the next decade or so and relaunching with a 2 conference competition. It needs an early 90's style kick up the arse!
Around $60mill for club grants for the 4 new clubs plus $40mill a year to invest in game promotion and grassroots growth in those cities plus a big investment in PNG and PI to generate more player depth.

Problem is if the revenue grew by $100mill (it has grown by a lot more in last 9 years since going independent) you still need an ARLC with ambition, vision and strategy to use the money in this way. Otherwise the extra revenue just disappears in the black hole of salary cap increases, extra existing club grants, bunkers and god knows what else the NRL spends the extra $370million a year it now gets compared to just a decade ago!!

 

[Pippen94]

The $$$ the NRL would get from national sponsors having Adelaide and Perth would pay for those clubs.

Channel 9 & fox want a Brisbane club but are indifferent to Perth or wherever else. Ppl are overstating the value of teams in city where nobody watches game

 

[Pippen94]

AFL rates higher on FTA in Sydney than NRL in Melbourne most games. Media presence is much greater for AFL in Sydney, more kids play the game in Sydney than NRL in Melbourne, AFL produces more players from NSW than NRL players from Victoria, AFL teams have higher memberships than NRL teams in respective cities, and so it goes on. Its not by chance, or that AFL is a better game, just that they have a better strategy and more money they choose to invest in growth markets.
I mean could you imagine the AFL chairman coming out and saying rusted on NRL states are a waste of money??????
Leaving strategy and ambition aside, the reality is AFL earns a sht load more money than NRL does. Imagine how the NRL could grow the game if it closed the $260mill a year revenue gap!
With $260mill extra we could have a 20 team comp and be spending $100mill a year on Vic, SA and WA and really taking the fight to AFL, and still have $160mill left over to keep the heartlands happy! But its chicken and egg, can we close the gap whilst we carry a perception of being a 2 state game in this country? It would seem unlikely.

Are you talking about the extra team in Sydney totaling more viewers?? Look at finals ratings for storm compared to swans vs other team. Throughout season for regular games there might be a under 10k difference & Melbourne games always on secondary channel & premium matches also always not aired. Don't believe the hype

 

[Perth Red]

Are you talking about the extra team in Sydney totaling more viewers?? Look at finals ratings for storm compared to swans vs other team. Throughout season for regular games there might be a under 10k difference & Melbourne games always on secondary channel & premium matches also always not aired. Don't believe the hype

They are closing but Sydney continues to draw more for both finals and regular season games that dont feature a respective cities team. Storms GF rating are huge in Melbourne though and have overtaken the Swans recent GF Sydney audiences. Missing Storm out of this years GF will hurt our audience number and may tip it under the AFL GF audience.
And yes Ch9's terrible job of promoting the game, coverage and burying on secondary channels in growth markets hasnt helped! It would be interesting to see metro city breakdowns of PTV and streaming numbers. I suspect many RL fans in growth markets consume their NRL via these channels due to CH9's shthouse coverage.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Channel 9 & fox want a Brisbane club but are indifferent to Perth or wherever else. Ppl are overstating the value of teams in city where nobody watches game

Look at what Coles does with AFL or Woolies does with W/BBL. There is a team in every city. National ad campaigns can be created for all cities.
The NRL need Perth and Adelaide for those $$$s.
Plus it’s true expansion.
Plus a new supporter base. New fans. New players.
Brisbane 2 is essential now for the rivalry and during up the market. The next 2 have to be P & A.

 

[Perth Red]

Channel 9 & fox want a Brisbane club but are indifferent to Perth or wherever else. Ppl are overstating the value of teams in city where nobody watches game

You think ch7 and fox wanted another club in Sydney and the Gold Coast? Yet they paid for the extra game.

 

[Perth Red]

Look at what Coles does with AFL or Woolies does with W/BBL. There is a team in every city. National ad campaigns can be created for all cities.
The NRL need Perth and Adelaide for those $$$s.
Plus it’s true expansion.
Plus a new supporter base. New fans. New players.
Brisbane 2 is essential now for the rivalry and during up the market. The next 2 have to be P & A.

Yep, if you are a national company do you choose to sponsor a sport with 55% coverage of the country or one with 80% plus coverage?

 

[Pippen94]

Look at what Coles does with AFL or Woolies does with W/BBL. There is a team in every city. National ad campaigns can be created for all cities.
The NRL need Perth and Adelaide for those $$$s.
Plus it’s true expansion.
Plus a new supporter base. New fans. New players.
Brisbane 2 is essential now for the rivalry and during up the market. The next 2 have to be P & A.

I support Perth & Adelaide - can't just preach to converted, but NRL would know score & where money is

 

[Pippen94]

You think ch7 and fox wanted another club in Sydney and the Gold Coast? Yet they paid for the extra game.

They wanted extra game. Afl wanted NSW & qld because their part of the country is becoming increasingly smaller

 

[Perth Red]

They wanted extra game. Afl wanted NSW & qld because their part of the country is becoming increasingly smaller

Exactly my point. you are selling them the extra game, then its up to the code to decide where is strategically more important to put the two new teams. We shouldn't be asking media if they want a team here or there, that should be for the ARLC to decide.

 

[MugaB]

Brisbane 2 is essential now for the rivalry and during up the market. The next 2 have to be P & A.

P & A? Yeah dude! right on, bring on
Papua New Guinea & Auckland2 ?

Yep thats exactly what ive been saying all these year's, those are two great markets, and will easily bring in Haeps of playing talent, more Olam's and more Fisher-Harris'sz

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Have any of you visited PNG?

By all means continue to develop the area. Get in to bed with Fed Govt and AustAid but can’t see a team based there…yet.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Yep, if you are a national company do you choose to sponsor a sport with 55% coverage of the country or one with 80% plus coverage?

We really need to stop with this myth. Firstly, they don't reach anywhere near 80% of the population and advertisers care about population centres, not dots on a map. Again, here are the top 15 population centres in Australia and the NRL utterly dominates. They would kill for the geographical heartlands to be switched which is why they are wasting millions to get a small foothold in ours.

Yes, we need to do more to sure up our heartlands, no doubt. We also need to get better at negotiating with TV, sponsors and Governments because we are shit at it. But they are the reason we are behind, not because we are missing a Perth and Adelaide dot on the map.

Top 10 Population Centres:
1. Sydney - NRL
2. Melbourne - AFL
3. Brisbane - NRL
4. Perth - AFL
5. Adelaide - AFL
6. Gold Coast - NRL
7. Canberra - NRL
8. Newcastle - NRL
9. Central Coast - NRL
10. Wollongong - NRL
11. Sunshine Coast - NRL
12. Hobart - AFL
13. Townsville - NRL
14. Geelong - AFL
15. Cairns - NRL

Bonus round: We have a good foothold in New Zealand's biggest market, Auckland. That is just fantasy for the AFL. We dominate and it's not even close. We just need to get better at translating that into dollars.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

If we agree Brisbane 2 is team 17, Perth will be 18 and Sydney is over saturated, I believe Adelaide and NZ2 will be two relocated Sydney teams.

 

[MugaB]

If we agree Brisbane 2 is team 17, Perth will be 18 and Sydney is over saturated, I believe Adelaide and NZ2 will be two relocated Sydney teams.

Perth would suit a relocation moreso, than nz2, they would be better of as an own identity, especially since its more likely going to be direct rival to Auckland's warriors

 

[flippikat]

Perth would suit a relocation moreso, than nz2, they would be better of as an own identity, especially since its more likely going to be direct rival to Auckland's warriors

Also, factor in that AFL's two relocations (well one being a rare merger/relocation) were both to non-AFL cities.

That suggests AFL cities- namely Perth & Adelaide - may be the best candidates for NRL club relocation... in the unlikely event it ever happens that is.