For the North Sydney Bears fans.....

[The Tank]

Yeah I hope CC isn't a relocation. The Bears are perfect for the NRL. CC supporters and NS supporters. There's no reason why CC Bears, WA, Wellington, and SEQ3 can't all compete in the NRL.

 

[magpie_man]

the sydney-based NRL clubs' inept management shouldn't be mistaken for an overcrowded market. moving a club away from it's base just opens up another hole for a rival code to gain a foothold, it's like pulling your finger out of one hole to plug another. there is no indication that the north shore, one of the most affluent parts of the country, has adopted another NRL team to replace the bears. similarly, there is no indication that the Central Coast as a whole has adopted an NRL team of their own, and why would they? you can't expect to play one or two home fixtures in a region and suddenly have everyone adopt you as their team.
reinstating the bears into the NRL as the central coast franchise is essential if the NRL want to sew-up the region as bona-fide rugby league territory. nothing else will do.

 

[NthKnight]

CC and Perth surely have to be in the NRLs expansion model. Wellington is also important but I have serious doubts about a 2nd Brissy/Sunny Coast/Ipswich side coming into the comp any time soon. Reason #1. The Broncos have a strangle hold on the Brissy area and any team moving into that region would likely lose the "hearts and minds" battle. Reason #2. While the population growth of Qld has been strong over the last 5-10 years most of that growth has been NSW/Vic expats that bring their own footy alligances with them and wouldnt convert for geographical reasons.

Now before everyone brings up the Titans to counter my reasoning, the GC has has a national team before and the rivalry between people from the GC and Brissy has been the biggest key to their success which other areas in SEQ dont have (Sunny coast maybe but not anywhere near the same scale as the GC)

Bring back the Bears, the game needs them and the game certainly needs the CC

 

[Paullyboy]

My old man was as passionate about the Bears as I am for the Raiders and I was heartbroken for him when they "merged" with Manly (Norths were also my 2nd team and I loved what they stood for).

Unfortunately I dont think even if the Bears were brought back in he'd be able to support them in the same way, and I doubt he'd be the only one. Having said that I'd rather see them come back into the competition rather than trying to convert AFL wankers from other states.

I used to be all for rugby league expansion, but then realised what's the point if it means you are recruiting one half AFL fan/half NRL fan whilst at the same time losing one born and bred league fan because their team got the axe.

In closing - F*ck Manly.

 

[Blind Freddy]

Worse, the CEOs of the NRL Clubs, who should be looking to grow the game, have instead blocked entry for a CC Bears game because they fear its likely success.

This the part that doesn't sit well with me the most.

The CC Bears would have regained the money they were down into profit in next to no time had the move to the CC was given its chance. And to this day if the CC vision had happened the club would be the financial juggernaught of NSW clubs in the NRL.

The latest Bears bid was also financially brilliant. The investors were Singo 60% NS league 20% and CC leagues 20%. Ontop of this they would have owned their ground, so all gatetakings were just about purely to the club.

Yet there are a number of clubs currently IN the NRL now who should be rolling in the dough themselves but aren't. But due to bad management aren't and therefore are hold back what would be a highly successful team being admitted.

 

[dallymessenger]

David Gallop has said that:
We were close last time.
It would reconnect the code with the North Shore.
It would heal the last wound from the Super League War.

Others realise the vast territory unrepresented by a league side at the top level being the whole North Shore and Central Coast, and the potential there.

There is a great stadium sitting there with 2 supporting regions and disenfranchised fans.

However self interest from Politis and co are the enemies against the common sense of this. They need to be converted, or Gallop stands up.

exactly why they should be brought back.

how many people that liked the bears started following onion and AwFuL.

as a foundation club they have to come back in at gosford.

a game every year at NSO would be nice as well.

 

[dallymessenger]

While sad that a foundation club such as the Bears was mismanaged to bankruptcy, I don't see how they can re-enter.


1. Gallop has stated that the NRL sees Perth, Wellington, the Central Coast and SE-QLD (again) as likely bases for future NRL clubs.

2. He has stated that 18 teams is the highest the NRL can accommodate.

3. He has stated (numerous times) that the NRL believe there are too many Sydney based clubs.

4. There is an $8 million dollar offer for an existing team to relocate to the Central Coast.

5. The available sponsorship and corporate support in the greater Sydney area is strongly contested, the 10 clubs within driving distance won't want yet another competitor, especially given the financial concerns of NSW clubs over the coming years.

6. It is becoming more and more apparent that most Suburban Parks/Stadiums are not fit to host NRL clubs (Leichhardt , Campbelltown, Brookvale, Toyota Park, OKI) making Blue Tounge stadium more attractive proposition.

7. An additional Central Coast team won't provide the increase in TV revenue that Perth or Wellington can.

8. A relocation to the CC is a far easier sell then to Perth or NZ or QLD. Fans can still get to the stadium relatively easy.



Read between the lines, a Central Coast team is likely, but it will be a relocation. An NRL license is far too valuable a commodity to be wasted on yet another NSW club within driving distance of 10 existing teams.

When (and it is when, not if) a Sydney club relocates to the CC the NRL will be able to easily cover 3 of their desired expansion locations by raising the number of clubs to 18.

foundation club
both north shore and central coast behind them

bring em in ASAP

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Huge Respect for all you Bears fans still loyal to the cause

Would love to see the Bears back in the comp, would be sensational for the game

Bring back the Bears !!!

 

[mightybears]

and also this blurb:

"The Club was put into administration for one reson only - Beattie and his lackeys knew that David Hill and the members would roll the Board about merging with Manly. There was to be a vote a couple of days later about the merger. Beattie had no chance of winning this vote.

The big advantage of Administration for the Directors was that the members no longer control the club and had no voting rights. Donnelly gained total power to make decisions for the Club.

And according to the script, Donnelly, two minutes after he was appointed, without any research or investigation, stated that the only option for the Football Club was to merge with Manly. He knew what the deal was and he complied.

Indeed, before Norths were emasculated, Manly didn't want to merge because they knew Norths would dominate any merger given their financial assets and strength with the CC licence.

However, after Norths were in Administration, Manly was able to call the shots and thus we ended up with the Manly Jersety with the red and black armpits, the merger team being exclusively referred to as the Eagles and the flicking of Norths' coach in favour of the Manly loser.

When it became obvious the merger was a complete dud, Donnelly brought in SIngo and gave him the CC Stadium and gave Manly the NRL Licence.Norths were left to die.

Norths lost everything and Donnelly got his place on Singo's board.

Beattie was flicked by everyone - ending up the sucker of the whole fiasco. He thought he was going to be CEO of the most powerful NRL team and he ended up walking round the Olympic Staduium with some bemuised Africans.

Bellew was the big winner. After being appointed a Director of Norths (never elected), the first thing he did was vote for the Administration and then he gets on the JV board, does everything he can for Manly and as a reward ends up on the NRL Board.

As the whole sorry history of the NRL shows, why worry about history, tradition, family and integrity when sucking up to Rupert pays such big silken dividends."



I don't understand. Who is this Donnelly person, and why did he want Manly to merge with Norths? Did he hate Norths, did he intentionally try to kill them off? He sounds like Iago (the devil in disguise) in Othello (if you studied Othello at school). Why did the club go into administration, when they had the resources to pay off the small debt? How could it go into administration? Why would the other Norths board members let this person do what he did? Its like, if you know youre going to get 90% of your mum's will, and then all of a sudden, you let someone take 80% of it.

I agree with nearly all of the quote, in essence:

Donnelly was the administrator appointed, you would be right to think or dare i say suggest that it was remarkable the speed in which he was appointed at a key time and LATER that an asset worth something became singo's 80% leasehold, blink and we missed it, a bit of law reform needed re administator disclosure and openess needed!

The other obvious disgrace was the clean thinking clowns [hello to Ray Beattie, 2 first grade games 1968] of the LEAGUES CLUB BOARD who decided not to 'vouch' for a FOOTBALL CLUB debt, but within weeks of that op being lost [in otherwords the last lifeboat for the CC Bears to the brisbane waters] decided even more precious LEAGUES CLUB money should be pumped into a JV in the bizarre belief that thought they could 'control' the JV, ignoring:

1. the fact that the licence would revert to brookie if it went wrong, [i'm sure that was always the case]
2. the manly faction had the board numbers, that the NORTHERN PHOENIX NAME just never got up should have been a clue!
3. Team admin, coaching, management was controlled by manly muppets out of brookie, and
4. That blind freddie could see Manly was only just [financially] above the waves, and needed the JV dosh to keep the engine idling until St Max of Delmege arrived and they could escape

The above quote does highlight the subsequent positions that Messrs Donnelly, Bellew and Beattie took/were given/granted, i say no more.

 

[gong_eagle]

Just a question...

If the CC Bears were to join the NRL (or rejoin) would CC people be against them playing a game or 2 at NSO every year?

For sure
Norths V Manly Derby rekindled