Expansion plans cloudy: NRL

[El Diablo]

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/nrl/story/0,27074,25075140-5016545,00.html

Expansion plans cloudy: NRL

By Russell Gould | February 19, 2009 12:00am

ESTABLISHING a second Melbourne team would fall a distant fifth behind places such as Perth and Adelaide if the NRL goes ahead with plans to expand the 16-team competition.

Despite the success of the Storm both on and off the field, NRL boss David Gallop declared other areas a bigger priority for any possible new teams.

Gallop said the current economic climate was clouding any plans to expand the NRL beyond the current competition but wouldn't rule it out down the track.

With a new TV rights deal being brokered for 2012 and beyond, Gallop said the NRL had considered hot spots for extra teams.

News also surfaced yesterday that the Papua New Guinea Government had put $250,000 towards a bid to enter a PNG team.

But Gallop said securing the financial future of the current clubs was paramount, putting any expansion on the backburner.

"I think it is critically important that the 16 clubs that we have got are not going to easily deal with expansion,'' he said. "I think you always have to be looking at that when you talk about expansion. I don't see it in our short-term plans.

"But we are looking at places like the Central Coast, like the areas west of Brisbane, like Perth, like Adelaide, some time in the future but we are not prepared to put a date on those.''

Gallop was in Melbourne yesterday for a question and answer session with Storm players at which skipper Cameron Smith told him the season was too long.

Smith, who plays up to five extra games for Queensland and Australia during the year, said the NRL was risking star burnout if the 26-round home and away fixture was not shortened.

"Every time I'm in a camp with Origin or Australia it's always brought up between the team,'' he said. "We love playing the game and would like to play it for our whole lives but we have only got a certain amount of time to go and you can only play as long as your body lets you.''

 

[KalgoorlieRed]

Gallop doesnt want his paymasters giving the NRL more money if expansion went ahead, which they would have to under a new tv deal with 2 extra clubs. They arent stupid.

 

[The Tank]

I hadn't heard anything about a second Melbourne team. Is this because it's a Vic paper or is there another group interested in joining the league?

 

[Miller was a legend]

Build a bridge Cameron Smith. Soft c*ck

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Current 16 + West Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Central Coast. Now that'd be a nice looking comp, even if it is still far too NSW centric with 12 of 20 teams coming from NSW and the ACT.

Is this because it's a Vic paper

I'd say so.

 

[Loudstrat]

Ahem, ACT is not NSW. 11/20 is roughly half - representing roughly half of the LEague market.

Nice to see he mentioned the Central Coast first. Lets see knobs like Gallagher and Perth Red choke on that one :lol:

 

[Southern Rooster]

There won't be any new teams un the NRL unless at least two current teams fall over. Relocation to central coast won't work either.

 

[Stormwarning[c]]

I hadn't heard anything about a second Melbourne team. Is this because it's a Vic paper or is there another group interested in joining the league?

A second team has never been heard off or discussed down here in Melbourne. In fact a push to the other states and the central coast is all I've heard league fans talk about for a long while.

The biggest thing League supporters want down here is better broadcasting of games and not the rubbish being dished out at the moment.

There are plenty of NSW and QLD team supporters as well as Storm supporters living in Melbourne and when games aren't shown until after mid-night on Friday and Sunday nights by Channel Nine it is no wonder League hasn't been growing the way it should and being over taken by AFL, Union and soon to be Soccer.

Now for those that still have got over a bridge that Melbourne is in the comp (remember Ken Arthurson rised putting a team in Melbourne in 1991 so it wasn't a Super League idea) League's coverage use to be first class with the two main games for the round being shown LIVE throughout Victoria.

We all, as League supporters should be contacting the NRL to push for a better TV deal which in the end helps all clubs raise the cost of their sponsorship value due to the team being shown at a decent hour to more people.

The leadership shown by the NRL on the braodcast issue has been kindergarten stuff for over a decade.

 

[Bulldog Force]

TBH there are many areas the game can expand, but for the time being, there game or world economy and major businesses for that have no money to sponsor new clubs. IMO, the game can expand (perhaps in a few years time), in:

• Central Coast
• Perth
• Adelaide
• 2nd NZ team

 

[Bluebags1908]

I have mentioned this a couple of times in my previous posts - a 2nd Melbourne team should be established as a feeder club in the NSW Cup, with a seperate name, logo, colours, identity, etc. This club then establishes itself over a number of years within the local commuity. If on 20+ years a team in Melbourne is warranted then this club can then make the step up. The good thing about this plan is that the club is already establish at a lower level and isn't a nothing 'franchise' when it enters the comp.

 

[Panadol]

The NRL need to negotiate with news limited, whether or not they would pay more in the next round of the TV deal for an extra two clubs. Of course this is difficult because they own half the NRL, so really we will probably always get an undervalued TV deal.

Saying that, I would expand the comp to 18 Teams in 2012, with an AUS based side and a NZ based side, only because it would make a 18 team comp with 16 AUS / 2 NZ clubs (AFL has 16 AUS teams, why can't we?)

 

[LESStar58]

With a new TV rights deal being brokered for 2012 and beyond, Gallop said the NRL had considered hot spots for extra teams.

If we sell ourselves short in the TV rights yet again I can't see any expansion for at least another 10 years.

Call me a pessimist but it's just how I feel.

 

[LESStar58]

On expansion I'm still in favor of Perth and Central Coast next up... as for a second Melbourne/Victorian team in the NRL....I'd like to see it but it won't happen, at least not in my lifetime....

 

[Rastus_in_Melbourne]

Give Penrith,Souths and Cronulla the arse. Manly hopefully can fold too. Replaced with Adelaide and Perth.

 

[Vossy]

Give Penrith,Souths and Cronulla the arse. Manly hopefully can fold too. Replaced with Adelaide and Perth.

:roll: lose thousands of fans to other codes simply by pissing them off to the degree they wont support the NRL any more

losing NSW teams cannot happen if league wants to survive in this country

 

[Brutus]

If we sell ourselves short in the TV rights yet again I can't see any expansion for at least another 10 years.

Call me a pessimist but it's just how I feel.

I agree. I have no doubt Gallop will sell us short again and then bring up the same, tired old excuses to justify it.

 

[macavity]

losing NSW teams cannot happen if league wants to survive in this country

don't agree. if they die of natural causes (ala Newtown), I dont believe the majority of supporters will be lost to the game.

if they are killed, they will be.

the GFC has come at the perfect time for News to again shortchange us.

 

[Nemesis]

don't agree. if they die of natural causes (ala Newtown), I dont believe the majority of supporters will be lost to the game.

if they are killed, they will be.

the GFC has come at the perfect time for News to again shortchange us.

For once, I have to agree with Vossy... As we are the only country on the planet with 4 football codes all competing for supporter dollars, it makes no difference whether some RL clubs die a natural death or are euthanased, their supporters will be lost to other codes.

 

[Joker's Wild]

For once, I have to agree with Vossy... As we are the only country on the planet with 4 football codes all competing for supporter dollars, it makes no difference whether some RL clubs die a natural death or are euthanased, their supporters will be lost to other codes.

So your saying if Uncle Rus pulls out on the Bunnies and they can no longer afford to stay in the NRL, you will sign up for a Swans/Waratahs membership?

 

[Nemesis]

So your saying if Uncle Rus pulls out on the Bunnies and they can no longer afford to stay in the NRL, you will sign up for a Swans/Waratahs membership?

I don't follow AFL, so I wouldn't, but a lot probably would. Whenever a void appears, there will always be someone tryng to fill it. Do you honestly think that AFL for example wouldn't try to move in on a RL club's territory if that club folded? Of course they would... they'd be after all the juniors they possibly could and once they take hold at the grass roots level those supporters will be gone forever.