Expansion, Manly and the Coasts

[adamkungl]

.... People are so dense.

There is a major difference between a team dying and a team being relegated to their respective state competition.

Not in Australian sport there isn't. No one gives a shit about state comps.

 

[Loudstrat]

.... People are so dense.

There is a major difference between a team dying and a team being relegated to their respective state competition.

One difference that stands out is that one is going to bring a lot of bad publicity to the NRL, and the other will reflect a professionally run operation.

Predict when the next club will fold.

The last one was in 99, and that was because they built a stadium and didn't get a return on it.

As I said, there have only been 4 in the last 80 years, and two of them were because of Super League.

I hardly think we have to worry about a bad new story that is likely to ocurr one in the next quarter of a century.

 

[bobmar28]

Effectively one and the same. Manly fans have already suffered the effects of moving games away from Brookvale Oval, and that time it was just up the F3. Thousands of fans will be lost to the game if they are moved interstate. The whole idea of moving a NSW team out of NSW in order to add a new team in NSW is beyond stupid.

Yes, merger is a much better idea.

 

[Joker's Wild]

While I dont really agree with moving Manly anywhere, the point has to be made that NSW =/= Sydney

Even if the Bears are proposing to play some games at NSO (which is nuts imo when Bluetongue is a far superior ground), they would be a regional club and deserve to be recognised as such

There are too many teams chewing on the Sydney market looking at it from a pure business perspective. However far more damage would be done to the games overall fan base if any of the current clubs folded.

 

[Loudstrat]

Very true. It's about people, and Sydney is the biggest League population base on the planet.

I also agree with keeping the Bears to Bluetongue - the NSO idea only weakens their argument for being a regional club. Which they are. Anyone who thinks otherwise should do the train trip up from Hornsby (which I did just before Christmas). The run through the national parks down to the Hawkesbury and up through all the tunnels and the rugged isolated bushland is a huge barrier between the two areas.

 

[firechild]

Yes, merger is a much better idea.

Good idea, merge Parra and the dogs and bring back the bears.

 

[dangerousdave]

Good idea, merge Parra and the dogs and bring back the bears.

Those cluubs are both bigger than Manly or Norths have ever been ...

If Manly arnt able to survive in the long, its their own fault for not making the merger work. Really they should have been marketing toward the Central Coast since the Northern Eagles fell over. Would have given the Bears ample time to sort out another suitable location for their bid

 

[Beowulf]

The North Sydney Oval game is for 1 game only v Manly. I hardly think anyone can complain about 1 game, especially when its closer for Manly fans to get to, the CC population can get there fairly easily by train and more importantly, it will be part of a membership package for Sydney based Bears fans who will get that match and another 5 or 6 as part of a Sydney membership option.

The cc Bears need to remain connected to their northern Sydney fan base so the NRL can expand the game back into northern Sydney - its one of the crucial selling points of the bid. Having 1 game at NS Oval so juniors etc at Willoughby Roos, Lane Cove Tigers and NS Brothers can get involved is important for the growth of the game. The nrl have told the Bears bid they must be convinced this team will reconnect with northern Sydney. The report that came out prior to Christmas confirms they will.

On another note, with the nrl now talking about a Sunday nt live game as the extra game (NFL ratings for Sunday nts are excellent and it will catch far more viewers than other options), the CC Bears are looking forward to a very happy new year.....

 

[Beowulf]

Those cluubs are both bigger than Manly or Norths have ever been ...

If Manly arnt able to survive in the long, its their own fault for not making the merger work. Really they should have been marketing toward the Central Coast since the Northern Eagles fell over. Would have given the Bears ample time to sort out another suitable location for their bid

They had their chance and blew it, but they were never going to be welcomed in Gosford. Instead, they've sat on their hands thinking they'd killed the Bears off. 3 clubs in northern Sydney have folded with their absentee landlord approach. Lane Cove Tigers are being reformed this year through the work of the Bears as proof of rekindling interest in the game with the prospect of the Bears coming back.

 

[dangerousdave]

True.

Looking forward to the battle of the North. Manly dont necessarily need to fold to make me happy... just become the new Cronulla

 

[Beowulf]

True.

Looking forward to the battle of the North. Manly dont necessarily need to fold to make me happy... just become the new Cronulla

I don't want them to fold either - the northern derby was strong enough in the past - it takes on epic proportions in the future - possibly the biggest rivalry. Great for all fans of the game.

 

[seaeagle sam]

They had their chance and blew it, but they were never going to be welcomed in Gosford. Instead, they've sat on their hands thinking they'd killed the Bears off. 3 clubs in northern Sydney have folded with their absentee landlord approach. Lane Cove Tigers are being reformed this year through the work of the Bears as proof of rekindling interest in the game with the prospect of the Bears coming back.

Oh f**k off, The Bears killed the Bears.

 

[bobmar28]

Good idea, merge Parra and the dogs and bring back the bears.

I'd be ok with that.

 

[Loudstrat]

F*ck off. That's like merging with anthrax. Canterbury can die like scum.

The North Sydney Oval game is for 1 game only v Manly.

I know, I read the article. But making it easier for Manly fans should be on ones priority list somwhere between drinking acid and putting ones penis in a blender.

 

[Lambretta]

I know, I read the article. But making it easier for Manly fans should be on ones priority list somwhere between drinking acid and putting ones penis in a blender.

I once took acid after sticking my penis in a Brenda.

I'd recommend it.

 

[dangerousdave]

I once took acid after sticking my penis in a Brenda.

I'd recommend it.

Stuck penis in the blender after taking acid seems more likely

 

[Beowulf]

Oh f**k off, The Bears killed the Bears.

Have you forgotten the Bears were promised a regional license by moving to Gosford? They spent $6m on the stadium. Continual rain for 7 months during stadium contruction, then roof issues, then constructors being pulled off the project by the State Govt to work on the Olympic site ensured we had to play 1 full season with no home ground and therefore no decent income. We were still only $2m in cash shortfall which was fine as they would have traded easily out of that within a season at Bluetongue (full home games at Bluetongue at the time generated around $2-300K profit). Even the Northern Eagles drew 18K+ in year 1. The Bears were the third richest NSW club in 1995 - they weren't broke or ever going broke, unlike some current NRL teams who have been living on handouts for years.

Then a rampant News Ltd, a weak NRL, an opportunistic Manly and a weak Bears Board all combined to put the Bears in hibernation in possibly the most shortsighted decision in RL history....but we didn't die.

Isn't it fascinating that an administrator was put in days before a decision was made on criteria, and that some Bears Board members ended up on Manly's board??? That meant Bears members couldn't tell the NRL to jam any JV, which they were going to do probably unanimously, a la Souths - this would have meant Manly may have gone broke which Arthurson's mates at NRL hqtrs wouldn't allow. So the Bears would likely have been culled and gone to court alongside Souths and be back in the comp.

So drop the 4 letter words and be thankful you have a team. Many good people are fighting to correct a palpable injustice and we would hope all decent people would empathise. Indeed quite a few of our members are decent Manly fans who know we were dudded and want the rivalry back.

 

[seaeagle sam]

Nothing to forget, nothing there has anything to do with MWRLFC, the North Sydney board at the time had no frigging money. They weren't even considered.
I will stop using the '4 letter' word when arseholes like you stop blaming Manly for the ineptitude of the North Sydney Board, the fact you were f**kING broke and the fact the majority of former members, supporters didn't give a rats..
I did empathise with Norths for a while until all the whiney supporters from your old non-existent team started to blame us for the fact that your club was on its knees then took two .22 to the back of the head by its own broke and desperate club.

 

[firechild]

I did empathise with Norths for a while until all the whiney supporters from your old non-existent team started to blame us for the fact that your club was on its knees then took two .22 to the back of the head by its own broke and desperate club.

Pretty much this. I loved the Manly v NS rivalry and I loved going to NS Oval to watch manly belt the bears but the way Bears fans have behaved for the last 10 years or so I really couldn't care less if they never made it back into the comp. Rockin Ronny is an extreme example but his feelings are shared by far too many NS fans. Manly didn't kill NS, they simply pulled the plug on the life support system, the Bears were pretty much already dead. I have no problem with the hatred aimed at the NRL and News Ltd but several clubs, including Manly, Wests, Balmain and Souths were put in a potision that meant they had to do anything possible to survive. Thankfully Manly had the upper hand in the JV and managed to make it back on their own, look at Illawarra and Wests who are losing their identity because St George and Balmain have taken control of their JVs.

 

[Fingerbang]

look at Illawarra and Wests who are losing their identity because St George and Balmain have taken control of their JVs.

You have no idea on the stance the Illawarra side were prepared to take when the JV was first proposed. You have no idea how quickly and how often they were prepared to bend over for St George. Best you don't make assumptions, methinks.

Speaking as someone from the Illawarra region, I can assure you more league fans in that area are just glad they still have a team in the NRL, compared to those against the St George dominance in the JV. The Illawarra identy would have been long gone from the NRL arena already if not for the JV.

I can't speak for Wests Magpies because I don't know enough about the deal they nutted out with Balmain Tigers. I do get the impression that the Illawarra juniors are look after a lot better than the Campbelltown juniors. Maybe the links between St George and the Illawarra region being in place for the last 50 years has helped that JV work better. Maybe if the Balmain Tigers weren't so hellbent on weakening the Magpies NSW Cup team, or if they also merged the two teams in that comp, it would work better for them.