Expansion plans cloudy: NRL

[Perth Red]

Do you think if a Melbourne team folds then all its 30,000 fans will switch to RL?

 

[macavity]

scare mongering

nailed it in one.

selling the game short in an attempt to save their club.

threats shouldn't (but with this admin, just might..) work - how about being proactive instead?

 

[adamkungl]

Who the f**k would go to AFL? Example, Sharks supporters aren't going to become AFL fans if there team is cut. No chance. It isn't a situation of people going "Oh I don't have a RL team anymore, I'll buy a swans membership now!". Nor will they go to the nearest club, as loudstrat said, mortal enemies. So those claiming that is a ridiculous situation would be correct, if it wasn't for the fact that none of us are suggesting that.

The current fans would just be lost to the game. Probably won't bother with either league, union, or afl. But when the AFL's infinitely better school program comes along and the kids start wanting to go to swans games, are parents going to completely refuse to ever take their kids to a game? Doubt it...

 

[youngun]

As much as we all love the game of RL I really believe that with the current amount of Sydney based teams that the League is only strangling itself. Sure there are the arguments of tribalism and the fact that we would lose some die-hard supporters if their club folded.
However when you have a look at the bigger picture we would all still follow the game of RL. How many of you would watch every game on TV that is available every week regardless of who is playing?? I do, whether it is the Tigers or not I watch as much as I can and even though my team has already merged and it hurt, my first love for the game itself, is still as strong as ever.
Ask any kids that are 10-14 who the Newtown Jets or North Sydney Bears are and I guarantee that 95% (if not more) wouldnt have a clue. As much as we may not like it they are the future of RL and if clubs were to fold it wouldnt mean the end of our game, just an evolution.

 

[Nemesis]

Ive never disputed the expansion plan mate. All I have commented on is the scare mongering from fans like you about how we'll lose fans/players/juniors to AFL if a Sydney club folds.

Ill try and go slower next time so you wont get so confused.

Mate you're slow enough as it is. Newcastle is a one RL team town and their team (who I assume you support) only entered the NSWRL comp in 1988. Hence you wouldn't appreciate or understand the tribal nature of the Sydney based teams, some of which have been around for 100 years and have hundreds of thousands of fans, many of whom are now dispersed all around Australia as well as overseas.

I have supported Souths my entire life and I can assure you that if they folded, I would not... I repeat NOT follow or become a member of any other RL club, merged or otherwise. I would no longer attend any games, buy merchandise, subscribe to Foxtel etc, so Rugby League would not be getting any more money from me. Likewise if Newcastle folded, would you switch to supporting Manly or Brisbane?... I think not. Most fans who have supported their club for their entire lives would feel the same way.

Are you that naive to think that if a number of Sydney clubs folded or were culled, that there would be no impact on the game or that AFL would not attempt to capitalise on the situation? It is not scare mongering, it is simply a business reality.

As I said before, the experiment of culling/merging Sydney clubs was tried before during the Super League years and was a monumental failure that took years to recover from, with many fans being lost from the game. To attempt to go down that path again would be insane and would not be supported by Gallop nor any other RL administrator or club CEO for that matter (with the exception of Ribot).

Yes, we should continue to expand the game nationally, but not at the risk of losing Sydney clubs that have been around for several generations and have hundreds of thousands of fans.

It's quite simple really... if a club disappears, the fans disappear, the juniors disappear and a void is left for the 3 other football codes to exploit... it's called business. Get it now?

 

[Joker's Wild]

Mate you're slow enough as it is. Newcastle is one RL team town and their team (who I assume you support) only entered the NSWRL comp in 1988. Hence you wouldn't appreciate or understand the tribal nature of the Sydney based teams, some of which have been around for 100 years and have hundreds of thousands of fans, many of whom are now dispersed all around Australia as well as overseas.

So because Im not from Sydney means I dont get the concept of tribalism? I grew up in Wollongong mate and I have an intimate understanding of Sydneys culture when it comes to RL. Tribalism is important to our game that is true but not to the extent that the game will be run into the ground due to the governing body trying in vain to prop up clubs run by usless businessmen who cant seem to think of a better way to supply money to their club outside of pokies and chook raffles.

Stop assuming you know everything about a username on a forum champ, it makes you look even more of a tool.

I have supported Souths my entire life and I can assure you that if they folded, I would not... I repeat NOT follow or become a member of any other RL club, merged or otherwise. I would no longer attend any games, buy merchandise, subscribe to Foxtel etc, so Rugby League would not be getting any more money from me. Likewise if Newcastle folded, would you switch to supporting Manly or Brisbane?... I think not. Most fans who have supported their club for their entire lives would feel the same way.

There you go again, assuming that just because you feel a certain way that everybody else must. Well to answer your question mate, yes I would support another club if the Knights folded because I love the game above all else and while it would gut me to lose the team I have supported since I was 9, I would not turn my back on the game that has given all of us so much. It saddens me that you put such a low value on that but its really not surprising.

Are you that naive to think that if a number of Sydney clubs folded or were culled, that there would be no impact on the game or that AFL would not attempt to capitalise on the situation? It is not scare mongering, it is simply a business reality.

I have never suggested that there would be no impact but the RL world would certainly not come tumbling down as some posters on here would have everyone think.

As I said before, the experiment of culling/merging Sydney clubs was tried before during the Super League years and was a monumental failure that took years to recover from, with many fans being lost from the game. To attempt to go down that path again would be insane and would not be supported by Gallop nor any other RL administrator or club CEO for that matter (with the exception of Ribot).

Ill say it one more time mate, listen carefully : I AM NOT NOR DID I EVER SUGGEST ANY MERGERS OR CULLING. Ann you have the hide to call me slow :roll:

Yes, we should continue to expand the game nationally, but not at the risk of losing Sydney clubs that have been around for several generations and have hundreds of thousands of fans.

*Sigh* See above and my last 3 posts.

It's quite simple really... if a club disappears, the fans disappear, the juniors disappear and a void is left for the 3 other football codes to exploit... it's called business. Get it now?

Ok mate, Ill tell the 1000s of Steelers fans who managed to still support the game that they simply dont exist. Where did you go during 2000 - 2001? Disappear did you? How about the dozens of Magpies and Bears fans who post on this very forum?

 

[macavity]

Mate you're slow enough as it is. Newcastle is one RL team town and their team (who I assume you support) only entered the NSWRL comp in 1988. Hence you wouldn't appreciate or understand the tribal nature of the Sydney based teams, some of which have been around for 100 years and have hundreds of thousands of fans, many of whom are now dispersed all around Australia as well as overseas.

I will put aside the fact this is pretty insulting, and say that 99.9% of Knights fans born before say 1982 supported a Sydney team before 1988. I supported the Dogs, for example.

Some merkins who live here (I refuse to call them Novocastrians) still support Sydney clubs (or even worse, a few even support Brisbane).

We also have hundreds of thousands of fans dispersed around the world - if you are a Novocastrian, you are a Knights fan for life.

if we ever folded, the Real NRL would become mighty popular. I would be a Souths fan. Go the Mighty Lions.

 

[joshreading]

I just love how people will tout tribalism (which is a true element) but then say "its called business" Sorry but you can't have it both ways, if it is just business then some of the Sydney teams are unviable as it presently stands.

I am not suggesting cutting any teams but clubs and their fans need to be realistic. Tribalism and the relatively few fans some clubs have is worth little if it can not financially sustain an NRL club.

I will still stir some with the option that some Sydney Clubs should consider becoming ''Dual City Clubs" - eg. Southern Sharks 8 Cronulla home games/ 4 Adelaide. The same could potentially happen with other clubs. (eg. Western Panthers 8/4 split with Perth?) If this is then incorporated with a Sydney based conference with Sydney Season tickets for your club then fans lose very little.

The NRL would need to support such a venture committing to it long term but it might help Sydney maintain its base whilst it expands as well. Consolidation and Expansion in one swipe.

 

[GC_Gladiator]

I'd admit both a Central Coast and Ipswich/brisbane side over the next couple of years. Both strong league area's and both would sustain teams. Leave the tougher expansion area's til a time when money isn't such an issue. No worries for me about the quality of the league with two new teams, we always have great young players coming through.

 

[Cloud9]

I have supported Souths my entire life and I can assure you that if they folded, I would not... I repeat NOT follow or become a member of any other RL club, merged or otherwise. I would no longer attend any games, buy merchandise, subscribe to Foxtel etc, so Rugby League would not be getting any more money from me. Likewise if Newcastle folded, would you switch to supporting Manly or Brisbane?... I think not. Most fans who have supported their club for their entire lives would feel the same way.

Mate i see where you're coming from, but seriously, if your missus passed away, you'd go through a grieving process but you wouldn't abstain from having a relationship with a another woman again. The sky won't fall. One day another sheila would catch your eye, and you're back on the dating scene again.

Its the same with footy clubs.:lol:

I follow several clubs depending how frisky i am, but Storm's my first team.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

I could never ever ever understand how a true league fan could turn to another code (AFL ..You are fkn kidding) if their team no longer existed.
As well as being a mad cowboy fan ,i love to watch other teams ...
If the Cows ceased to exist ,i would still love to watch footy .
How any fan could watch fumbleball instead of league is bewildering.

 

[Perth Red]

Amazingly despite having no NRL team I still don't support RU or AFL or soccer. geez there must be something wrong with me!

 

[Nemesis]

So because Im not from Sydney means I dont get the concept of tribalism? I grew up in Wollongong mate and I have an intimate understanding of Sydneys culture when it comes to RL. Tribalism is important to our game that is true but not to the extent that the game will be run into the ground due to the governing body trying in vain to prop up clubs run by usless businessmen who cant seem to think of a better way to supply money to their club outside of pokies and chook raffles.

"intimate understanding of Sydney's culture"... lol. Since when has Wollongong been part of Sydney? You're just a RL fan who grew up in Wollongong who thinks they're more qualified and knowlegeable than any administrator in the NRL or all the various RL club owners/CEOs.... but you have NFI.

There you go again, assuming that just because you feel a certain way that everybody else must. Well to answer your question mate, yes I would support another club if the Knights folded because I love the game above all else and while it would gut me to lose the team I have supported since I was 9, I would not turn my back on the game that has given all of us so much. It saddens me that you put such a low value on that but its really not surprising.

If you choose to be a rugby league team whore, that's fine, however, we are not all like you either and many of us would not give up on our team. If all Souths fans were like you, the Rabbitohs wouldn't have made it back into the comp, as according to you, we should have just accepted our fate and all become Roosters supporters. If the Bears fans were like you, they'd all be Manly supporters now, instead of mounting a bid to be readmitted into the NRL. Grow some balls dude.

I have never suggested that there would be no impact but the RL world would certainly not come tumbling down as some posters on here would have everyone think.

Oh really.... were you asleep between 1995-1998? The damage that was done to Rubgy League during that SL period, set the game back 20 years.

Ill say it one more time mate, listen carefully : I AM NOT NOR DID I EVER SUGGEST ANY MERGERS OR CULLING. Ann you have the hide to call me slow

Yes you are a bit slow, as it's not all about you precious, so don't flatter yourself. My comments in relation to the culling of Sydney teams were not directed at YOU, they were in response to the subject matter of this thread, i.e "But Gallop said securing the financial future of the current clubs was paramount, putting any expansion on the backburner"... a statement that I and many RL administrators, CEO's, sponsors and fans happen to agree with, despite calls from others on here that want fewer Sydney teams.

*Sigh* See above and my last 3 posts.

Ditto...

Ok mate, Ill tell the 1000s of Steelers fans who managed to still support the game that they simply dont exist. Where did you go during 2000 - 2001? Disappear did you? How about the dozens of Magpies and Bears fans who post on this very forum?

So where are all those thousands of Steelers fans dude.... have SGI crowd attendances and memberships increased by "thousands" since the merger? No they haven't. As for the "dozens" of Magpies and Bears fans in here, I admire their loyalty. At least they are remaining true to their clubs, unlike yourself, who would simply support another club if the Knights failed.

 

[Miller was a legend]

Mate i see where you're coming from, but seriously, if your missus passed away, you'd go through a grieving process but you wouldn't abstain from having a relationship with a another woman again. The sky won't fall. One day another sheila would catch your eye, and you're back on the dating scene again.

Its the same with footy clubs.:lol:

I follow several clubs depending how frisky i am, but Storm's my first team.

So your first preference is the s**tty type?

 

[bartman]

Really? Do you honestly think if a team goes under then kids in those traditional suburbs of that team (although lets be honest many teams fans now move around a fair bit in this day and age) where RL will still be the No1 code on TV, in the papers, in the schools and on the playing fields will take no interest in RL because there isn't a team named after their suburb?

Pretty much. If there's no local top level team to go and watch easily, it starts to effect everything in the schools and playing fields from the top down as the years pass.

It seems many fans have such a low opinion of the sport that they feel having 7 or 8 teams in the sports heartland city will somehow give a wide open door for lesser sports to take over. Do you really feel our sport is that weak in Sydney?

Yes. Have you seen the hammering league gets in the general press here? The slide in broadcasting coverage here in the last 20 years, from when we used to have four radio stations calling the games on weekends, sometimes three of them doing the same game! The number of (especially female, but also male) friends in Sydney who now have no interest in league at all, but previous to (perhaps Coffs?) would have called themselves a casual fan and had a "team" but now disown the code entirely?

Cutting out a traditional team would be suicide, and Gallop is right to be getting behind the survival of all remaining Sydney clubs (admittedly even the Sharks).

ps has anyone found an answer to what Gallop meant by this? I am intrigued!~
"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."

It means what it says... When you talk about expansion, you have to remember that the the risk is that it would make survival for the 16 clubs we have got very difficult in the current climate. And above I have explained why we need to keep the Sydney clubs we have from going bust.

 

[Miller was a legend]

Pretty much. If there's no local top level team to go and watch easily, it starts to effect everything in the schools and playing fields from the top down as the years pass.


Yes. Have you seen the hammering league gets in the general press here? The slide in broadcasting coverage here in the last 20 years, from when we used to have four radio stations calling the games on weekends, sometimes three of them doing the same game! The number of (especially female, but also male) friends in Sydney who now have no interest in league at all, but previous to (perhaps Coffs?) would have called themselves a casual fan and had a "team" but now disown the code entirely?

Cutting out a traditional team would be suicide, and Gallop is right to be getting behind the survival of all remaining Sydney clubs (admittedly even the Sharks).


It means what it says... When you talk about expansion, you have to remember that the the risk is that it would make survival for the 16 clubs we have got very difficult in the current climate. And above I have explained why we need to keep the Sydney clubs we have from going bust.

Hard to say I am sure, but thank you for saying it. Nice to see it is not all bash Cronulla.

 

[Nemesis]

Mate i see where you're coming from, but seriously, if your missus passed away, you'd go through a grieving process but you wouldn't abstain from having a relationship with a another woman again. The sky won't fall. One day another sheila would catch your eye, and you're back on the dating scene again.

Its the same with footy clubs.:lol:

I follow several clubs depending how frisky i am, but Storm's my first team.

Another RL team whore ffs. I know a few of them... they support a different team from one year to the next, depending on who's winning or who's "cool" or which suburb they're living in at the time. They tend not to be financial members of any club, they don't buy merchandise and they don't attend games regularly. Not my scene, I'm afraid. ;-)

 

[Miller was a legend]

FMD I am starting to like you Nemisis. You better start bashing me so we can get back to the hate.

 

[Nemesis]

FMD I am starting to like you Nemisis. You better start bashing me so we can get back to the hate.

Millsy, we're both just huge supporters of our respective clubs and the rivalry gets pretty intense at times. But deep down we all respect one another and we can have a beer and a laugh together.... that's what makes Rugby League so great. And that's exactly what the folks on here who want fewer Sydney teams don't understand.

 

[Cloud9]

Another RL team whore ffs. I know a few of them... they support a different team from one year to the next, depending on who's winning or who's "cool" or which suburb they're living in at the time. They tend not to be financial members of any club, they don't buy merchandise and they don't attend games regularly. Not my scene, I'm afraid. ;-)

I take umbrage at being labelled a whore. I've been with the Storm since their inauguration mate. Once Souths die, you won't have anything, you'll remain a celibate with no team to support..boo hooo...