Expansion won't happen anytime soon

[no name]

For those suggesting Wests should've merged with Panthers and Tigers with Dogs, there was no need for the SL teams to consider merging as they were backed by News.
It was all the ARL clubs that got f**ked and that's why we have this mish mash we have now.

 

[Emu01]

Look how pro active the northern hemisphere is on expansion.They Are Allowing Toronto a chance to make it to super league.

I just read Philadelphia,Russia and Possibly Jacksonville are looking to follow in Toronto's footsteps and a have a crack at super league.

It really makes you wonder how serious the Nrl are on expansion..They have filed this one in the too hard basket,while the English move at great speed.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Look how pro active the northern hemisphere is on expansion.They Are Allowing Toronto a chance to make it to super league.

I just read Philadelphia,Russia and Possibly Jacksonville are looking to follow in Toronto's footsteps and a have a crack at super league.

It really makes you wonder how serious the Nrl are on expansion..They have filed this one in the too hard basket,while the English move at great speed.

As demonstrated over the last 20 years, English Super League can also cut teams at great speed as well and that leads to competition credibility problems...( Paris, Cardiff, London come to mind - If they cant expand to these places, how are they going to expand to North America?)

Look, I agree that the NRL should have expanded long ago, but comparing to what happens in the Super League isn't a great example to follow...

 

[jim_57]

As demonstrated over the last 20 years, English Super League can also cut teams at great speed as well and that leads to competition credibility problems...( Paris, Cardiff, London come to mind - If they cant expand to these places, how are they going to expand to North America?)

Look, I agree that the NRL should have expanded long ago, but comparing to what happens in the Super League isn't a great example to follow...

The RFL isn't driving this, the Toronto Wolfpack came to the RFL with a solid bussiness plan and a promise of cover all costs so the RFL had nothing to lose. Now rumours of Montreal, Boston, New York (all mooted by Eric Perez of Toronto) plus rumours of "Florida" by an unrelated party. Just recently Philadelphia and Russia have been name dropped by Ralph Rimmer of the RFL. The RFL haven't actively sought out any of these places and the only ones that are anything more than a rumour at this stage are Toronto.

This would essentially be like a bussiness man starting up a consortium in Tokyo for an NRL team, willing to start in the lower leagues to prove themself. What it does do though is open the door to the possibility of such things if it can be proven a success. Of course Perth, Brisbane, NZ2 etc need to be looked at but if a random self funded bid from Asia or any big city close enough then the NRL would be mad to reject it outright.

 

[Perth Red]

You mean like a group of businessmen in Perth or Cc or Brisbane coming to the NRL and showing them a strong case to expand the NRL? lol

If Toronto had have approached the NRL they would have been told to go away as there is no expansion plan

 

[jim_57]

You mean like a group of businessmen in Perth or Cc or Brisbane coming to the NRL and showing them a strong case to expand the NRL? lol

If Toronto had have approached the NRL they would have been told to go away as there is no expansion plan

Apples and Oranges. Perth, Brisbane and CC all have history with professional RL and are the obvious choices for expansion.

Toronto did apply for Super League and got told League 1. Like I said NRL would likely make a similar team start in QLD or NSW Cup so not really much different and the RFL are hardly pushing expansion, they're having it pushed on them.

 

[Perth Red]

But they are open to it and have a pathway that makes it possible. NRL has no pathway, no plan and turns away opportunities that are presented to them. What would be the same would be the RFL turning around to Toronto and saying no thanks, we don't have any expansion intentions and need to spend all our money on the existing clubs regardless of what you are offering.

We were told join the Qland cup so we sunk money into a JB cup team with the intention of 2 years later joining Qland cup, and eventual NRL admission 2013. Then we told "no you need jnrs as the talent pool is too thin", so we sunk money into an elite academy, a Snr high school programme and a SG ball side, only to be told sorry no expansion. But keep up the good work.

RFL has struggled to sustain expansion at top level but at least they have had the balls, with very meagre revenue, to try it.

 

[taipan]

But they are open to it and have a pathway that makes it possible. NRL has no pathway, no plan and turns away opportunities that are presented to them. What would be the same would be the RFL turning around to Toronto and saying no thanks, we don't have any expansion intentions and need to spend all our money on the existing clubs regardless of what you are offering.

We were told join the Qland cup so we sunk money into a JB cup team with the intention of 2 years later joining Qland cup, and eventual NRL admission 2013. Then we told "no you need jnrs as the talent pool is too thin", so we sunk money into an elite academy, a Snr high school programme and a SG ball side, only to be told sorry no expansion. But keep up the good work.

RFL has struggled to sustain expansion at top level but at least they have had the balls, with very meagre revenue, to try it.

Difference is it's not a cost the RFL has to absorb.In the case of Perth,the NRL would have to fork out decent monies.
Difference is ,it's a lower Pommy division, failure is not the end of the world.Failure in Perth would be the end of any future expansion there.

 

[siv]

You mean like a group of businessmen in Perth or Cc or Brisbane coming to the NRL and showing them a strong case to expand the NRL? lol

If Toronto had have approached the NRL they would have been told to go away as there is no expansion plan

Perth should join the ESL

 

[Perth Red]

They were thinking of it until the nrl took them over and shut down the bid.

''We're looking at all options into the future given the delays with the expansion,'' Sackson said. ''The English Super League is definitely an idea we are exploring. The idea is still in its infancy, we have another board meeting coming up and we'll be looking deeper into that and start asking the relevant questions.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ay-play-in-english-league-20121110-294vr.html

 

[BuffaloRules]

RFL has struggled to sustain expansion at top level but at least they have had the balls, with very meagre revenue, to try it.

Its easy to "try it" and then bail at the first sign of trouble because you have no funds to prop up any expansion teams in financial difficulties ( see Paris, Cardiff and London)...

I think it actually reflects poorly on the competition as a whole that they have these public failures...

You want to give them a pat on the head for "having the balls for trying" where all I see is continued reasons why the competition is viewed as a third rate joke over there outside of the North...

 

[davi]

An article suggesting expansion may not happen in 2022 because Covid. The Sydney clubs are particuarly vocal against the move because their arguement there is not enough money in the game and their struggling financially. The problem is the same Sydney clubs that are calling for more money are the same Sydney clubs that have sacked coaches with a couple of years left on there contract. And given them enormous payouts and are sending players they have signed off to other teams they don't want while subsiding large portions of their salary.

The COVID outbreak has caused serious problems for the game. I just don't like to see these clubs using it as an excuse and hide behind it to prevent the NRL from pursuing expansion. I don't buy the argument there is not enough talent in the comp. The struggling Titans for example made some big signing flops (Tyrone Peachy, Bryce Cartwright, Shannon Boyd) a couple of them played state of origin football. They obvisouly were talanted enough when they were signed on those big deals.

The last part of the article there has been a suggestion of moving a sydney team via relocation. I'm fine with that providing you do it. Don't throw up an idea and then by the time we are in 2022 we still have no further progress on expansion.

The NRL’s grand plan for a 17th team by 2022 is sinking, writes Robert Craddock

Rugby league’s grand plan for a 17th NRL team in 2022 is sinking beneath the waves.

The NRL had hoped to push for another team as soon as the 2022 season but financially imperilled Sydney clubs are against the move and have said as much to each other.

There is a chance the competition may never see a 17th team.

By the time the COVID era ends – whenever that is – several Sydney-based teams will be in a parlous financial state and doing well simply to survive.

Given that environment, it would seem improper to welcome a new team, expanding when the bottom line suggests the competition should be contracting.

With 2022 flagged as the possible starting date, franchises from Ipswich, Redcliffe, Brisbane Easts and the Brisbane Bombers have been working industriously behind the scenes to ensure they are ready to push the button if the green light is given.

But the likelihood is there will be no new team.

While the Broncos, despite their on-field woes, are still riding financially high in the saddle, many of their southern rivals are struggling.

The 17th team has been slated for southeast Queensland but some question the point of it because, while it means a weekly game at Suncorp Stadium as the alternate option to the Broncos, it does not provide the competition with any extra games.

There is also a serious question of whether the spread of talented players is already too thin for the good of the competition.

All three Queensland teams – the Broncos, Titans and Cowboys – have struggled desperately this season and television ratings in Queensland have fallen accordingly.

Expansion pioneer John Ribot spoke to News Corp last year and said he felt relocation of a Sydney team to Brisbane, or another city such as Adelaide or Perth, was a better idea than starting a new side.

He said it was time for a Sydney club to adopt a Melbourne Storm-style vision and picture where they wanted to be in 20 years time.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...k/news-story/b841103019e55b30653962bbf02ebdd6

 

[Perth Red]

The only way the NRl will expand and in a timely fashion is if it brings in a total spending cap on NRL clubs. NRl clubs have shown time and time again that it doesnt matter how much money they get from the NRL they will spend more than they have in the arms race to win a premiership and then plead poverty.
Either the NRL needs to ignore their begging bowl routine or it needs to take control and stop them bleeding themselves dry. If not we will only ever hear how the game doesnt have the money.

 

[flippikat]

He said it was time for a Sydney club to adopt a Melbourne Storm-style vision and picture where they wanted to be in 20 years time.

Time for *A* Sydney club to "picture where they wanted to be in 20 years time"?

NO - time for ALL Sydney clubs to picture where they want to be in 20 years time.

That doesn't mean relocation or mergers for all, but some decisions need to be made now - to not just get through the Covid shockwaves, but position clubs for beyond that.

That may need the NRL/NSWRL to broker a re-draw of Sydney's map - as far as boundaries & jurisdictions for clubs go.. which would be well overdue. Things have been piecemeal & ad hoc for way too long.

 

[The Great Dane]

Ahh John Ribot, one of the most hated men in RL because he has the balls to tell people things they don't want to hear.

 

[mongoose]

The NRL has an opportunity here. If Covid does strike down a Sydney club or two then it can offer that club bail out money if they relocate. Is it the best thing for the game? maybe not but it might be the only way expansion will happen. I have no idea which clubs are financially imperilled.

 

[reanimate]

That may need the NRL/NSWRL to broker a re-draw of Sydney's map - as far as boundaries & jurisdictions for clubs go.. which would be well overdue. Things have been piecemeal & ad hoc for way too long.

I strongly agree with that. Surely with modern redrawn boundaries the Roosters would get their old territory back from Souths, especially given that Souths mostly absorbed Newtown's old territories. Then you have the question as to what to do with the North Shore and the North Sydney district, the status quo of not making a decision on the area’s future and taking a laissez faire approach has led to 20 years of rot that needs addressing badly.

 

[flippikat]

I strongly agree with that. Surely with modern redrawn boundaries the Roosters would get their old territory back from Souths, especially given that Souths mostly absorbed Newtown's old territories. Then you have the question as to what to do with the North Shore and the North Sydney district, the status quo of not making a decision on the area’s future and taking a laissez faire approach has led to 20 years of rot that needs addressing badly.

Yep. One thing's for sure: the current setup is not fit for purpose now - especially for those north of the bridge - let alone 10, 20, 30 years in the future when Sydney has grown even further and (league Gods willing) we've moved to a truly national/pacific footprint for the top & second tiers of the game.

IMO, the NRL & NSWRL need to take the lead here, as the clubs are unwilling to make the tradeoffs to do this. A re-draughting of Sydney may mean mergers, may mean relocations, may even mean demotion to 2nd tier for some clubs.. but until the question of "how best to organise Sydney?" is addressed, it's gonna be a confusing mess.

 

[mongoose]

The other thing is, if a club goes into administration and can't operate an NRL team anymore, won't the NRL be in breach of their broadcast contract? How will they provide 8 games a week? Would this possibly lead them to bringing in Brisbane 2 or central coast or even Melbourne 2?

 

[Nerd]

The other thing is, if a club goes into administration and can't operate an NRL team anymore, won't the NRL be in breach of their broadcast contract? How will they provide 8 games a week? Would this possibly lead them to bringing in Brisbane 2 or central coast or even Melbourne 2?

Yep. The collapse of a Sydney based team would see the immediate start of an expansion team to fill the void or they would risk the existing broadcast contract.