Expansion plans cloudy: NRL

[Perth Red]

Expansion isn't cloudy, it is damn right overcast! Apart from places throwing their hat in the ring and saying they want a team the NRL has made no indication, when, how, where, or if there will be expansion.

I know where the AFL is hoping to expand into and when, I know where the A league is planning to expand to and when, where is the NRL's blueprint for growing the game?

 

[The Tank]

Even Yawnion on it's last legs is looking to expand.

 

[KalgoorlieRed]

The NRL is f**ked.

 

[Perth Red]

The NRL is f**ked.

Disagree, its a great comp and I can't wait for season kick off.

It is, however, not close to be where it could be with better leadership, management and ownership.

 

[mightybears]

It is, however, not close to be where it could be with better leadership, management and ownership.

the redman is correct.

 

[Loudstrat]

Expansion isn't cloudy, it is damn right overcast! Apart from places throwing their hat in the ring and saying they want a team the NRL has made no indication, when, how, where, or if there will be expansion.

I know where the AFL is hoping to expand into and when, I know where the A league is planning to expand to and when, where is the NRL's blueprint for growing the game?

So all the NRL has to do is to issue a press release saying they are expanding to Zimbabwe, and you'd be happy?

AFL has as much chance in Western Sydney as a snowman in Darwin.

 

[ElectricEelMan]

So all the NRL has to do is to issue a press release saying they are expanding to Zimbabwe, and you'd be happy?

AFL has as much chance in Western Sydney as a snowman in Darwin.

Yes I agree ...

Just to say you are expanding into western Sydney and Gold Coast means bugger all. Anyone who knows anything about southeast Queensland and western Sydney those two franchises will have a difficult time surviving without massive help from the AFL

OR it could even degrade the success in the Swans and Lions franchises. I heard someone say half of Lions fans come from the Gold Coast. So in effect they are halving the Lions fanbase, which could be disastrous for the Lions.

And honestly the move into western Sydney by the AFL is a extroadinarily ill-conceived idea based simply on the 'growing population of western Sydney'. I actually question if the AFL know anything about Sydney.

I hear people rave on about the AFL and their plans to expand but their plans are highly flawed. They have reached saturation in their biggest markets but they think they need to expand in their two less popular markets. If they go ahead with their plans, it could be disastrous for their competition. Think how Starbucks kept on expanding and putting in more and more franchises eventually over-saturating the market. Many of those franchises had to be culled. And having two AFL teams in Sydney and SE QLD will be over saturating those markets.

Thankfully, the NRL is undersaturated in the market, except Sydney. While the AFL have no viable place to expand, the NRL have Perth, Adelaide, Central Coast, SE QLD (whether it be western Brisbane - Ipswich, Sunshine Coast), even PNG and New Zealand. The NRL has to make sure any new franchises will have every chance to succeed.

In saying that, a plan would be nice.

 

[bobmar28]

I am constantly being told (by some people on this forum) that Sydney needs 9 NRL teams to keep AFL expansion at bay. Well I just saw some TV ratings for friday nights AFL and while Sydney had 14,000 viewers, in Brisbane 1,000 tuned in. Yes that's right 1,000, not much interest in AFL there.

Hello... Brisbane has one NRL team.

 

[Bluebags1908]

I am constantly being told (by some people on this forum) that Sydney needs 9 NRL teams to keep AFL expansion at bay. Well I just saw some TV ratings for friday nights AFL and Sydney had 14,000 viewers while in Brisbane 1,000 tuned in. Yes that's right 1,000.

Hello... Brisbane has one NRL team.

Sydney and Brisbane are different markets, you can't compare them. Like I said in my previous post, Sydney is unique in that it's geography and layout makes it several mini-cities within a city on a social level.

And besides, in my previous post I wasn't talking about TV - the Brisbane Lions and Swans get reasonably good crowds but AFL rates crap on TV. That won't change any time soon no matter the ratio of NRL & AFL teams are in Sydney and Brisbane (although you never know it could do in years to come in Sydney if teams are kicked out). In my previous post I was referring more to junior numbers, corporate, and crowd support.

Go ahead and cut 3-4 Sydney teams and see what the result is. You can't tell me with a straight face that cutting 3-4 Sydney teams would not help the AFL.

I notice your signature is a Bulldogs jersey. How about we kick out the Bulldogs?

 

[griff]

I am constantly being told (by some people on this forum) that Sydney needs 9 NRL teams to keep AFL expansion at bay. Well I just saw some TV ratings for friday nights AFL and Sydney had 14,000 viewers while in Brisbane 1,000 tuned in. Yes that's right 1,000.

Hello... Brisbane has one NRL team.

Have a think about it.

Any Sydney clubs getting cut would be a huge boost for RL's competitors. It would also lead to yet more RL is dying hysteria and mean sponsors and TV companies would pay less and less into the game, and more into our competitors. This harms all clubs, not just those in Sydney.

If you were starting from scratch, then Sydney doesn't need 9 clubs, but we aren't starting from scratch. We are where we are, and we need to do what is in the best interests of the game based on where we are now.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Exactly, this belief that a team in Adelaide is the saviour of RL is absolute rubbish. Perth yes, forget Adelaide they have forecast population growth in the next 20-30years of virtually zero.

Seems to me that Sydney Clubs 'are' dying a slow death and have been for the last 10 years.

Well guess who's been in charge for 10 years, yes that's right, our friends at News Ltd, and of course they have no hidden agendas for our game...do they?

On another point, I can remember in 1994 when our national team played at Wembley, Manchester, Leeds and Cardiff before big crowds. Now we play in Hull, Wigan, Huddersfield and Bridgend.

If we had been left to grow as we were from the 80's to the mid 90's there is no doubt we would be the number one game in this country in terms of TV, corporate etc.

 

[bobmar28]

Sydney and Brisbane are different markets, you can't compare them. Like I said in my previous post, Sydney is unique in that it's geography and layout makes it several mini-cities within a city on a social level.

And besides, in my previous post I wasn't talking about TV - the Brisbane Lions and Swans get reasonably good crowds but AFL rates crap on TV. That won't change any time soon no matter the ratio of NRL & AFL teams are in Sydney and Brisbane (although you never know it could do in years to come in Sydney if teams are kicked out). In my previous post I was referring more to junior numbers, corporate, and crowd support.

Go ahead and cut 3-4 Sydney teams and see what the result is. You can't tell me with a straight face that cutting 3-4 Sydney teams would not help the AFL.

I notice your signature is a Bulldogs jersey. How about we kick out the Bulldogs?

If the Bulldogs were to merge with another club I could go along with that.
I can tell you with a straight face that less Sydney teams would be bad news for the AFL. What we have in Sydney at the moment is not working, like playing games to near empty stadiums, financially struggling clubs etc.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Rubbish, last year's Sydney crowds were the FOURTH largest in RL's 100 years.

 

[LeagueXIII]

Do you not think if Canberra, Auckland, Newcastle, Nth Qld were to play their home games in similar sized stadiums as ANZ their crowds wouldn't look small. Would we have to kick them out also?

Remember Melbourne played their home games at Telstra Dome (55,000) and went backwards. Shouldn't they have been kicked out.

The answer is no of course not, what we need to do is look at the root causes of the games problems and build from there. Things such as games live against the gate, Saturday night games in Sydney, crap management, improving stadiums so clubs have 25000-30000 stadiums, bringing the feelgood factor back into the game, getting the media on our side etc.

Kicking teams out is VERY reactionary and does MORE damage than good.

 

[Green Machine]

Rubbish, last year's Sydney crowds were the FOURTH largest in RL's 100 years.

That tells you the problem with Sydney is far greater than just crowds alone. Parramatta Leagues club $7m loss reported yesterday may be hitting right at the problem with Sydney NRL Clubs revenue. It’s no surprised since the introduction of the full smoking ban, how barren poker machine rooms are in clubs and pubs. Throw the tax on top and things don’t look good,

 

[Perth Red]

If clubs can thrive and prosper there is absolutley no need for anyone to be culled. The NRL has clearly said they have no plans to cull anyone (wether they have any plans at all is another matter!) so why the constant focus on it? If clubs go bust and can't keep up then so be it, they only have themselves and their fans to blame. We should be planning for expansion with a clear goal of where and when we want to go to increase our games profile, $'s and reach and plan that thinking every current club will survive. If they can't then so be it we may bring in extra new clubs when they fall by the wayside.

Lets just have some plan, some idea, some strategy, some timeline and some positve spin from the NRL, god knows we could do with it! Look how much positive media is generated for the AFL, Aleague, S14 whenever they make the slightest mention of expansion.

 

[LeagueXIII]

It's political, the clubs want the support of the people in their campaign to change the tax, what better way to get the average punters attention than tell them their club is going to die. Scare mongering at it's best.

 

[Perth Red]

Exactly, this belief that a team in Adelaide is the saviour of RL is absolute rubbish. Perth yes, forget Adelaide they have forecast population growth in the next 20-30years of virtually zero.

.

Since when has population growth been a criteria for expansion? They have of over 1million people, they have a track record of interest in supporting a NRL team and they have a decent stadium to work out of. There needs to be a heck of alot of work to get Adelaide ready for a sustainable NRL team but I see no reason why in 5-8 years time they couldn't be ready if there was a committment to making it happen.

Population per pro sports team they stack up as good as most other cities, better than many in fact.

 

[LeagueXIII]

The main criteria usually is corporate funding. Adelaide is an irrelevent city. Corporate cash goes to the Power and Crows. League would be left with the left overs. we don't need them. Put them in the JB Cup let them grow there and get live TV into the state, that's it.

Use them as the AFL use Tassie.

 

[Green Machine]

It's political, the clubs want the support of the people in their campaign to change the tax, what better way to get the average punters attention than tell them their club is going to die. Scare mongering at it's best.

Is that so?