Expansion plans cloudy: NRL

[Joker's Wild]

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.

So you wouldnt jump to another code but your saying others would? I dont think so champ.

If we lost clubs like Souths, Cronulla and Parramatta it is more likely that the clubs around them would pick up the junior base or sides like Melbourne will link up with feeder clubs in the area rather than fumble ball magicly converting 1000s of fans and juniors.

The arguement of "If we lose any Sydney teams we will lose 1000s of supporters" hold little water and is increasingly becoming the catch cry of panicy supporters of those clubs. I dont want to see clubs forcibly merged, relocated or killed off but if they cannot survive long term then they should be allowed to die.

Yes I would still think the same if it were my Knights who were in the same situation.

 

[Rockin Ronny]

So you wouldnt jump to another code but your saying others would? I dont think so champ.

If we lost clubs like Souths, Cronulla and Parramatta it is more likely that the clubs around them would pick up the junior base or sides like Melbourne will link up with feeder clubs in the area rather than fumble ball magicly converting 1000s of fans and juniors.

The arguement of "If we lose any Sydney teams we will lose 1000s of supporters" hold little water and is increasingly becoming the catch cry of panicy supporters of those clubs. I dont want to see clubs forcibly merged, relocated or killed off but if they cannot survive long term then they should be allowed to die.

Yes I would still think the same if it were my Knights who were in the same situation.

You're talking out of your arse.

The loss of North Sydney has killed rugby league on the north shore. Juniors have been decimated, AFL has moved in and most ex-fans despise the NRL for what they did.

Fact is - we should have another criteria. At least 6 clubs would be kicked out.

Why are we so protective of clubs now when the Bears were backstabbed out of existence 10 years ago?

 

[Nemesis]

So you wouldnt jump to another code but your saying others would? I dont think so champ.

If we lost clubs like Souths, Cronulla and Parramatta it is more likely that the clubs around them would pick up the junior base or sides like Melbourne will link up with feeder clubs in the area rather than fumble ball magicly converting 1000s of fans and juniors.

The arguement of "If we lose any Sydney teams we will lose 1000s of supporters" hold little water and is increasingly becoming the catch cry of panicy supporters of those clubs. I dont want to see clubs forcibly merged, relocated or killed off but if they cannot survive long term then they should be allowed to die.

Yes I would still think the same if it were my Knights who were in the same situation.

So you're saying that if Souths folded for example, it's likely that the Roosters would pick up their juniors? If you remember a couple of months ago, as a cost cutting measure the Roosters said that they weren't even going to field Harold Matts or Ball sides this year (until they did a backflip after copping a heap of flak). What makes you think the Roosters could suddenly afford to pick up South's 3,500 juniors? It all comes down to simple economics... AFL has the cash and the will to do it, RL doesn't.

 

[Nemesis]

You're talking out of your arse.

The loss of North Sydney has killed rugby league on the north shore. Juniors have been decimated, AFL has moved in and most ex-fans despise the NRL for what they did.

Fact is - we should have another criteria. At least 6 clubs would be kicked out.

How can you say on the one hand that AFL has killed RL on the nth shore, then suggest we kick out another 6 clubs? Don't you think their territories would suffer the same fate as the nth shore?

Why are we so protective of clubs now when the Bears were backstabbed out of existence 10 years ago?

Because we've learned from our past mistakes...

 

[Joker's Wild]

You're talking out of your arse.

The loss of North Sydney has killed rugby league on the north shore. Juniors have been decimated, AFL has moved in and most ex-fans despise the NRL for what they did.

Fact is - we should have another criteria. At least 6 clubs would be kicked out.

Why are we so protective of clubs now when the Bears were backstabbed out of existence 10 years ago?

Nth Sydney were kicked out of the comp (or forced to merge depending on your point of view), not allowed to die as I suggested mate so the situation is entirely different. If fans dont support their teams by showing up to matches, buying memberships and merchandise etc then they will have nothing to whinge about as their club will remain viable.

Try actually reading my post next time mate instead of talking out of your arse

So you're saying that if Souths folded for example, it's likely that the Roosters would pick up their juniors? If you remember a couple of months ago, as a cost cutting measure the Roosters said that they weren't even going to field a Harold Matts or Ball side this year (until they did a backflip after copping a heap of flak). What makes you think the Roosters could suddenly afford to pick up South's 3,500 juniors? It all comes down to simple economics... AFL has the cash and the will to do it, RL doesn't.

They are more likely to than the Swans taking over the junior league clubs thats for certain. AFL has one team in the Sydney area and they have a massively inflated public image of their true power in the harbour city. Economics or not mate the AFL simply doesnt have the pulling power in Sydney required to compete with 9, 6, 3 or even 1 rugby league team.

 

[Nemesis]

They are more likely to than the Swans taking over the junior league clubs thats for certain. AFL has one team in the Sydney area and they have a massively inflated public image of their true power in the harbour city. Economics or not mate the AFL simply doesnt have the pulling power in Sydney required to compete with 9, 6, 3 or even 1 rugby league team.

I wouldn't be too sure about that. The Swans are right in heart of both the Roosters and South's territories and already have a strong eastern suburbs junior base. If either the Roosters or South's were to fold, where do you think their juniors would go... Parramatta? They would be a prime target for the AFL, no two ways about it.

 

[LeagueXIII]

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

I agree LESStar58, as much as I would love to see it, there won't be another team before the next TV deal. Putting extra teams in as the AFL want to do and soccer are doing does one major thing, that is, increase the value of your game for TV. This is the crux of the problem, we could easily put teams in Perth and CC and push for what we deserve from the television companies, divide our game up and maximise our revenue. But hey we don't and why is that? Because News Ltd don't want league to increase it's value thus undercutting what they take out of the game. It's a pathetic joke I know but why else does Gallop always pour cold water on expansion or have no clear plan when it will happen?

Hopefully after the next TV deal is done on the cheap again can RL climb to it's rightful place.

 

[Joker's Wild]

I wouldn't be too sure about that. The Swans are right in heart of both the Roosters and South's territories and already have a strong eastern suburbs junior base. If either the Roosters or South's were to fold, where do you think their juniors would go... Parramatta? They would be a prime target for the AFL, no two ways about it.

We'll have to agree to disagree mate because I dont think they are as much of a threat as they like to make out. The AFL has a history of being all smoke and mirrors when it comes to junior figures in non heartland areas.

Besides, young blokes who play and love league generally have no time for AFL so they will not simply be converted because the NRL team above them folds.

 

[d3@t3h]

Why not the swings and roundabouts of p/r ?
Offer p\r from the NSWCUP and QLDCUP, what you lose in some areas you gain in other areas where teams have been promoted
in the following season you could gain those areas that have lost back if the teams could make it back. No actual loss and would open league up to new areas

 

[LeagueXIII]

Economics or not mate the AFL simply doesnt have the pulling power in Sydney required to compete with 9, 6, 3 or even 1 rugby league team.

I wouldn't be so sure about that. They have played 22 games at ANZ and average 47,000 over the last few years hardly figures to be sneezed at.

 

[El Diablo]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. They have played 22 games at ANZ and average 47,000 over the last few years hardly figures to be sneezed at.

how many were at their last home final?

 

[Timbo]

Jesus christ Cameron. Harden the f**k up. How much money do you get to play a game?

All this bullsh*t, 'I'm an origin player, I play extra games'. No you f**king don't. You're rested from your club the week before origin.

If it's so tough, retire from rep footy and focus on your club. Oh, then you wouldn't be worth as much money, would you...

The season hasn't started yet an already we've got princesses whinging how hard their life as a footballer is.

 

[LeagueXIII]

I watched a game from the 80's recently and Gavin Miller backed up from an Origin game the next night in a KB Cup game and probably played the following weekend in a premiership match.

how many were at their last home final?

True, but how many were there for the previous 21 games?

 

[Joker's Wild]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. They have played 22 games at ANZ and average 47,000 over the last few years hardly figures to be sneezed at.

Got a link for these figures?

 

[LeagueXIII]

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/crowds/vn_stadium_australia.html

 

[Nemesis]

We'll have to agree to disagree mate because I dont think they are as much of a threat as they like to make out. The AFL has a history of being all smoke and mirrors when it comes to junior figures in non heartland areas.

Besides, young blokes who play and love league generally have no time for AFL so they will not simply be converted because the NRL team above them folds.

Burying ours heads in the sand won't make the AFL threat go away. The threat is very real and getting rid of Sydney RL teams will only make it easier for AFL to spread it roots here.

You seem to forget that the Rugby League clubs fund both junior teams and many of the NRL teams (at least the ones that aren't privatised), so if a Leagues club or it's football club folds, the junior teams associated with that club will also disappear.... and if those juniors no longer have a career path to the elite level of the sport, their only choice is to switch codes, play another sport entirely, or not play any sport at all.

 

[Bluebags1908]

Whilst I wish the NRL would be a lot more positive and open about expansion, and keep us fans updated on their plans, we need to take Gallop's comments and the NRL's general stand-offish and negative attitude to expansion with a grain of salt.

In that article he didn't rule anything in or out. Let's not forget that when the Titans were admitted (and the Wellington Orcas and Central Coast Bears were bidding with them) the NRL at no stage made any announcement that they were going to expand. There were no grand announcements. In fact, when the bids first started out they knocked expansion on the head outright. They showed little interest in expansion throughout the whole build-up and then suddenly 3 franchises were seriously bidding and it was big news and the NRL suddenly became sort of interested, but even then they still gave nothing away and no guarantees for inclusion, but the Gold Coast Titans were finally accepted into the NRL.

I could be wrong, but I feel the NRL may be doing this deliberately so that the NRL bids take absolutely nothing for granted and to ensure that their submissions that are finally put to the table are of the highest order.

 

[Miller was a legend]

Ok I am going to buy in on this one and say something I never thought I would.

I agree with Nemesis on this one.

I cannot speak for others directly but the sentiment I have generally heard and my own is that if our club folded, I may watch games but I will never be a member, buy other club gear or pay to go to a game. It just would never be the same again when you have spent the best part of your life supporting, defending and loving one club.

No matter what anyone says, if you cannot get excited and look forward to your team running out to take on those clubs with which history has created significant rivalry, the game will have lost it's appeal to many of us fans.

RL without Souths v Roosters, Cronulla v Dragons or Manly, Parra v Penrith etc etc, will have lost it's appeal and will have to create whole new generations of fans from scratch. Parents with no passion for the club will not be creating impressions on their kids and love for their club / team.

Don't underestimate the impact of clubs disappearing

 

[macavity]

Burying ours heads in the sand won't make the AFL threat go away. The threat is very real and getting rid of Sydney RL teams will only make it easier for AFL to spread it roots here.

You seem to forget that the Rugby League clubs fund both junior teams and many of the NRL teams (at least the ones that aren't privatised), so if a Leagues club or it's football club folds, the junior teams associated with that club will also disappear.... and if those juniors no longer have a career path to the elite level of the sport, their only choice is to switch codes, play another sport entirely, or not play any sport at all.

irrespective of whether Sydney fans are soft or not, its up to those fans of Sydney clubs to keep their clubs alive, isn't it?

ironic that its the fans of non-Sydney clubs giving sydneyoids a bit of credit, and the sydwegians are the ones basically admitting their ilk have no dedication to the greatest game.....

 

[KHunt]

west brisbane :lol: