Eels and Warriors bid for Pacific S12 team

[The Observer]

Parramatta Eels RL Chairman Denis Fitzgerald has stated today that he wants to host a Pacific Islands S12 team in Western Sydney at Parramatta Stadium.

This comes a few months after NZ Warriors RL CEO Mick Watson expressed interest in forming a Pacific Islanders franchise to play out of Ericsson Stadium in South Auckland.

This makes the Very interesting - both the Greater West of Sydney and South Auckland both have large PI communities.
Both have decent stadia that are very similar in standard.
Both teams have good financial backing.

So who should get the franchise? The Eels? The Warriors? Can/should both share it?

This is a hard one to pick!

 

[DIEHARD]

If Parramatta mess with Union, Ill be deadset furious. Disloyal bastards. May lose every game if it's true. #### Parramatta. Scum in every sense of the word!!!

 

[southern warrior]

Whats with the whole hate Union thing cant both the sports just get along?

 

[ibeme]

Whats with the whole hate Union thing cant both the sports just get along?

Whilever John O'Neill throws out comments about taking over league, the two codes will always be enemies.

You don't endear yourself to the majority of football supporters in your target area by saying that you want to replace the sport that those supporters love.

League supporters are happy for union to exist, but not at the expense of league, so league will always have the lion's share of supporters whilever union keeps issuing takeover warnings.

A lot of toffs have just been bred to put down anything to do with league, and always look down their nose at it.

Makes it very difficult to co-exist when these two factors are in place.

 

[Dean Moriarty]

A lot of toffs have just been bred to put down anything to do with league, and always look down their nose at it.

A lot of Australians have been bred to love one code only and to put down anything to do with the others, often without any reference to the facts. ;-)

 

[southern warrior]

You don't endear yourself to the majority of football supporters in your target area by saying that you want to replace the sport that those supporters love.
.

In the area I live no Other winter sport will ever compete with Union in my lifetime.

 

[russ13]

Should not the team be based in one of the Island nations they represent?

FitzGerald has not got a good record promoting other codes. The Power -the NSL club he instigated/promoted now must be running at losses of approaching $10 million in less than 3 years.(6-7 million after year 2 which was last year).

Will there be any money from the TV rights to support an expansion or will the Super 12 even continue after 2004?

 

[ibeme]

You don't endear yourself to the majority of football supporters in your target area by saying that you want to replace the sport that those supporters love.
.

In the area I live no Other winter sport will ever compete with Union in my lifetime.

That's why I singled out John O'Neill. His target area is NSW and QLD

 

[ibeme]

A lot of toffs have just been bred to put down anything to do with league, and always look down their nose at it.

A lot of Australians have been bred to love one code only and to put down anything to do with the others, often without any reference to the facts. ;-)

There's a fair bit of truth to this comment, although, the cross-code appreciation between AFL and League is growing (more leaguies are appreciating what AFL has to offer, considering the games are so different).

One of the big issues leaguies have with union is that we see a game full of penalties, stoppages and negative play, and wonder if the union world know what they're missing out on.

Mike Gibson's analogy was a good one. He said that union supporters are like a guy walking down the street with the plainest woman you've ever seen under his arm. Everyone else looks at her and fails to see the attraction, while the guy is brimming from ear to ear at the prospect of marrying her. It's an extreme rose-coloured glasses mentality.

Basically, you can't appreciate league if you don't have an appreciation for some of what union has to offer, and visa versa. It's all of the ugly bits in between the good bits in union that annoy the crap out of most leaguies.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If the PI team is supposed to represent the pacific islands, then it needs to play home games where as many of the PI population can attend them and show support. Therefore the team should play some home games in Sydney, some in Auckland, and some in the islands if possible. I can't see why at least a split between Auckland and Western Sydney isn't feasible, although I appreciate playing in the Islands could be difficult. However assuming that there are six home games per season (12 games in total in a 13 team comp), two in Sydney, two in Auckland and one each in Apia and Suva wouldn't seem out of the question. The cost of games in the islands could be largely offset by the sale of tourist holiday supporter packages, which given that Fiji and Samoa are both popular destination in winter when the games would be played would be quite popular. If marketed right each match could turn into something of a festival occaision. The sides training base would be Auckland as that is where the majority of players would probably be drawn from.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

when is parramatta going to wake up and dump that loser fitzgerald?

all the other codes he trys to push all seem to have the arse fall out of them,all the money he has waisted on the power annoys me,if it wasnt for the parramatta eels rlfc he wouldnt have shit.

hey fitz,why not use that money and mouth of urs to make the eels a good team again,also if he thinks that just because a person goes for the eels,that doesnt make us support anything with parramatta in it.hell they have had the two blues for yrs,but i wouldnt care if they fell over and died tomorrow as i follow the eels not union or the power.

would the little worm make the eels play an away game if his stupid 12 team was penciled in at the same time just as they do with the raiders?

 

[Marcus]

West Sydney sounds real good. Sydney has got a huge islander population and a team would attract good crowds. The Warriors get good support when they are in sydney, and I can see them turning out for a rugby side.

Seems weird to place a pacific islands side in Australia, when they should really be based in Fiji. But commercial reasons would say it would be better off outside the pacific. Maybe SANZAR could schedule 2 home games in Suva, Fiji, and the rest in West Sydney. At least that way the pacific fans in Fiji can watch some of their own.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

West Sydney sounds real good. Sydney has got a huge islander population and a team would attract good crowds. The Warriors get good support when they are in sydney, and I can see them turning out for a rugby side.

Seems weird to place a pacific islands side in Australia, when they should really be based in Fiji. But commercial reasons would say it would be better off outside the pacific. Maybe SANZAR could schedule 2 home games in Suva, Fiji, and the rest in West Sydney. At least that way the pacific fans in Fiji can watch some of their own.

What about Auckland Marcus? It does just happen to have the largest single population of pacific islanders on the planet, don't they deserve to see their side more than once every two years?

 

[..::ERIC::..]

Auckland for sure. Islands can't afford it and Auckland is full of PIs.

 

[kiwi04]

Solely Auckland. Largest PI city in the world. Super 12's bigger in Auckland than Parramatta as well (isnt it?).

I like the idea of a pacific team based in auckland. They would bring alot of flair to the game.

 

[ripper]

That way all the Proffisonal Island Players who missed out on the World Cup because of the English clubs can still be professional, and play in the world cup still..

Which might help Manu Samoa finsih England off instead of having to field Auckland Club Players

 

[Twizzle]

Should not the team be based in one of the Island nations they represent?

FitzGerald has not got a good record promoting other codes. The Power -the NSL club he instigated/promoted now must be running at losses of approaching $10 million in less than 3 years.(6-7 million after year 2 which was last year).

Will there be any money from the TV rights to support an expansion or will the Super 12 even continue after 2004?

Problem on the Islands is that they don't have the facilities.

Won't get the big crowds and there would be logistics like TV cameras and replay technology for referees.

Its all about money and woiuld need to be in australia or NZ to make it pay.

Personally I think a PI team would be competitive. They would need to have a long therm plan and a suitable faciclites to host these games.

Start building now.

 

[kiwi04]

They could have north harbour stadium as a home ground...

 

[SpaceMonkey]

They could have north harbour stadium as a home ground...

Ericcson makes more sense. Its far closer to the main PI population in South Auckland (North Harbour stadium is at the other end of the city) and will be a much better stadium than North Harbour once the new Eastern stand is built.

 

[southern warrior]

Why cant the Pacific Islands just have a combined team for internationals.
Their best players have got professional contracts anyway, so why can't we just let them play where they are living.