Gold Coast Bears/Nth Sydney/Gosford

[mave]

Two pretty obvious additions to the competition would be the Central Coast Bears and Brisbane/Sunshine Coast teams. Both areas full of juniors and fans. However the stagnant approach of current NRL administration is both perplexing and dissapointing.

Everyone on the CC has a team already.
It would take a generation for new fans to follow a CC team as their own.
There is no reason for the CC to have its own team.
More games up here by Manly, Roosters, etc would be good. But I guess that is dependant on the Council stumping up the $$.

The Roosters service the junior footy up here quite well imo.
There are elite junior squads training again in January, and there has been plenty of involvement throughout the last few seasons already.
Wyong provide a direct pathway through to NRL level for locals.


Sunshine Coast/Brisbane and Perth are the obvious ones for me.

 

[Stallion]

Everyone on the CC has a team already.
It would take a generation for new fans to follow a CC team as their own.
There is no reason for the CC to have its own team.
More games up here by Manly, Roosters, etc would be good. But I guess that is dependant on the Council stumping up the $$.

The Roosters service the junior footy up here quite well imo.
There are elite junior squads training again in January, and there has been plenty of involvement throughout the last few seasons already.
Wyong provide a direct pathway through to NRL level for locals.


Sunshine Coast/Brisbane and Perth are the obvious ones for me.

The main reason I think the Bears are a good fit for the Central Coast are numerous. The Bears already have significant and potential corporate support from their renowned CBD. They have an established colour, brand , and past link with the Central Coast. Easts should be concentrating on their own area! The distance from North Sydney to Central Coast is not that far and a train line services to the ground. Given these factors the Bears on the Central Coast can be both successful and consolidate the code in two areas. (North Sydney with many fans elsewhere) and the Central Coast area.

 

[Perth Red]

The Bears are simply scavengers these days.
They are shameless in jumping on any bandwagon to try and remain relevant.

Sad thing is they are relevant, this mentality of nrl club or nothing is the problem. They have an important role to play at grass roots ensuring strong jnr participationand anpathway to nrl exists for their region. We can’t have 30 nrl clubs, there needs to be a strong second tier that is seen as important and relevant and gets kids playing the game everywhere.

 

[Stallion]

Sad thing is they are relevant, this mentality of nrl club or nothing is the problem. They have an important role to play at grass roots ensuring strong jnr participationand anpathway to nrl exists for their region. We can’t have 30 nrl clubs, there needs to be a strong second tier that is seen as important and relevant and gets kids playing the game everywhere.

All good except Aussies relate to the best. And if your team is not in the top flight it's not in the top flight. That's why additional clubs with a conference set up into the future is plausible.
Anything else will implode the game as has been occurring with the forced mergers and exits of great clubs within the iconic Sydney league. Lost rusted on fans don't take to new teams too well and they surely don't follow a 2nd tier team! Thats the way it is in OZ!

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

The Bears are simply scavengers these days.
They are shameless in jumping on any bandwagon to try and remain relevant.

Yep, theyll miss out on this because of a half-ass plan (sold more on nostaligia than practical efforts). Then they will drop this idea, move to the next one and never speak of their undying "Passion for _____" again...

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

The main reason I think the Bears are a good fit for the Central Coast are numerous. The Bears already have significant and potential corporate support from their renowned CBD. They have an established colour, brand , and past link with the Central Coast. Easts should be concentrating on their own area! The distance from North Sydney to Central Coast is not that far and a train line services to the ground. Given these factors the Bears on the Central Coast can be both successful and consolidate the code in two areas. (North Sydney with many fans elsewhere) and the Central Coast area.

Nah, Roosters taking the CC is the more efficient setup. You talk about the Bears covering 2 areas, seems the Roosters could do the same and leave the few expansion spots open for new locations that dont have 10 neighbours within spitting distance...

If the Bears want back in, they need to pick a location that adds value to the comp as a whole; not take away from Sydney teams already fighting for scraps.

 

[Stallion]

Nah, Roosters taking the CC is the more efficient setup. You talk about the Bears covering 2 areas, seems the Roosters could do the same and leave the few expansion spots open for new locations that dont have 10 neighbours within spitting distance...

If the Bears want back in, they need to pick a location that adds value to the comp as a whole; not take away from Sydney teams already fighting for scraps.

Problem is the Sydney teams should not be fighting for scraps! Their is a massive amount of development work to be done within their existing areas and you talk of scraps! How negative and ignorant!
You also dismiss these very well known Sydney clubs as if it would not make a difference to the way the code is perceived if they were merged or relegated to somewhere else. Quite disturbing but then again quite consistent from you!

 

[Perth Red]

All good except Aussies relate to the best. And if your team is not in the top flight it's not in the top flight. That's why additional clubs with a conference set up into the future is plausible.
Anything else will implode the game as has been occurring with the forced mergers and exits of great clubs within the iconic Sydney league. Lost rusted on fans don't take to new teams too well and they surely don't follow a 2nd tier team! Thats the way it is in OZ!

Depending on what happens with tv in future years we could realistically end up with a smaller top tier in years to come meaning the second tier will become even more important. It’s a big world out there and the days nswrl Cup with a nrl team in every suburb are numbered.

This leads to the question what happens for those teams, Newtown, Wentowrthville and BRL clubs have shown you can carve a very positive piece of the second tier landscape out, remain an important part of RL infrastructure, play a significant role in getting kids involved in the game and ensure that RL areas remain RL areas and dont switch to afl or other codes without being in the top division. Nrl sees this as well and has pumped most of thengrassroota increased funding into the second tier in nsw and Q’land. The sooner the Bears except they will never be in the nrl and concentrate on RL grassroots in NS the better for them and the game.

 

[Stallion]

Depending on what happens with tv in future years we could realistically end up with a smaller top tier in years to come meaning the second tier will become even more important.

Not taking it in gents! The top flight is the bees knees! Nothing else will cut in the Australian sports market. You dont have a decent top flight presence you get less of the financial backing and reward. That's the market at play.

 

[mave]

Sad thing is they are relevant, this mentality of nrl club or nothing is the problem. They have an important role to play at grass roots ensuring strong jnr participationand anpathway to nrl exists for their region. We can’t have 30 nrl clubs, there needs to be a strong second tier that is seen as important and relevant and gets kids playing the game everywhere.

Maybe if the Bears would just pick 1 area to focus on, instead of scavenging all over the country, they could do a better job of offering kids these pathways.

 

[Perth Red]

Not taking it in gents! The top flight is the bees knees! Nothing else will cut in the Australian sports market. You dont have a decent topmflight presence you get less of the financial backing and reward. That's the market at play.

You do realise that the majority of people,who play RL in Australia don’t play for nrl clubs dont you? Ofthe thousands of clubs only 15 of them are in the nrl!

Of all the stupid things you have typed this is right up there with the best of them lol

 

[Perth Red]

Which leads to the question of Gosford and what happens there. I can’t see the nrl ever hav8ng a stand alone club there for a variety of reasons. It’s highly unlikely any current club will fully relocate there so what’s the best they can hope for? Partial relocation like roosters? more nrl games of a variety of clubs? Newcastle moving in as a secondary base? clubb in a revamped national second division?

 

[Stallion]

You do realise that the majority of people,who play RL in Australia don’t play for nrl clubs dont you? Ofthe thousands of clubs only 15 of them are in the nrl!

Of all the stupid things you have typed this is right up there with the best of them lol

Another idiot comment from someone whom clearly has not played rugby league in Australia. Do you understand that clubs that have existed for decades have gained hard earnt supporter bases all over Australia ? Ive been told that you are relenting in your attack on established Sydney based clubs and this is very true. I am now convinced you are an idiot or you are deliberately trying to undermine progress in the Australian rugby league scene.

 

[Perth Red]

Another idiot comment from someone whom clearly has not played rugby league in Australia. Do you understand that clubs that have existed for decades have gained hard earnt supporter bases all over Australia ? Ive been told that you are relenting in your attack on established Sydney based clubs and this is very true. I am now convinced you are an idiot or you are deliberately trying to undermine progress in the Australian rugby league scene.

Stop being a princess.
There are plenty of grass root clubs that have existed a lot longer than some Sydney nrl clubs, including in wa! If all ten can survive good on them, if they can’t drop them down into a second division. Union with no money runs a national second division, why haven’t we got one in league?

Clubs like bears and anyone else not able to hack it at nrl level could be in 14 team second division comp that would give nrl expansion areas somewhere to cut their teeth as well. Not everything g in rl has to be at nrl level, as many succesful nsw and Q’land cup teams are proving.

You must deep down hate rl to not want to see it grow and expand beyond its current east coast confines, sad for someone who claims to be a fan.

 

[mave]

Which leads to the question of Gosford and what happens there. I can’t see the nrl ever hav8ng a stand alone club there for a variety of reasons. It’s highly unlikely any current club will fully relocate there so what’s the best they can hope for? Partial relocation like roosters? more nrl games of a variety of clubs? Newcastle moving in as a secondary base? clubb in a revamped national second division?

More NRL games from a variety of clubs imo.

Council own the ground, as I understand It, so they need to come to the party $ wise as well.

 

[Stallion]

Stop being a princess.
There are plenty of grass root clubs that have existed a lot longer than some Sydney nrl clubs, including in wa! If all ten can survive good on them, if they can’t drop them down into a second division. Union with no money runs a national second division, why haven’t we got one in league?

Clubs like bears and anyone else not able to hack it at nrl level could be in 14 team second division comp that would give nrl expansion areas somewhere to cut their teeth as well. Not everything g in rl has to be at nrl level, as many succesful nsw and Q’land cup teams are proving.

You must deep down hate rl to not want to see it grow and expand beyond its current east coast confines, sad for someone who claims to be a fan.

Your insults show the shallowness of your respect for rugby league.
I know you are relentless but your rants are ridiculous! You would rather see the gane implode in areas of strength with a move to less teams . And yet their is a rival code, seen as progressive, looking to add more teams to its 18 team national footprint. And you come up with 14 teams. Please you have no respect for clubs that have widespread support and you have no regard for the benefits of additional Clubs in the NRL. Instead you make the top.flight smaller which has already seen a decline in the code in Sydney? ( Sydney was the worst affected by the slash, merge and burn philosophy you so steadfastly adhere to.)

 

[Perth Red]

Your insults show the shallowness of your respect for rugby league.
I know you are relentless but your rants are ridiculous! You would rather see the gane implode in areas of strength with a move to less teams . And yet their is a rival code, seen as progressive, looking to add more teams to its 18 team national footprint. And you come up with 14 teams. Please you have no respect for clubs that have widespread support and you have no regard for the benefits of additional Clubs in the NRL. Instead you make the top.flight smaller which has already seen a decline in the code in Sydney? ( Sydney was the worst affected by the slash, merge and burn philosophy you so steadfastly adhere to.)

They aren’t looking to add more teams in Victoria lol
for 8 years the nrl has been telling us it can’t expand due to player depth and insolvent clubs. Not my opinion, the decision makers. You don’t need nine clubs in one city when you’ve got major growth opportunities you can’t take up because of over saturation in one area. We’ve cut /merged Sydney clubs, the game hasn’t imploded, it’s got stronger. If it takes a couple more reductions to get clubs in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane 2 and any other major growth area then so be it. The game will eventually be all the better for it. Sad you dont want to see the game grow, must be a closet union fan.

 

[Stallion]

They aren’t looking to add more teams in Victoria lol
for 8 years the nrl has been telling us it can’t expand due to player depth and insolvent clubs. Not my opinion, the decision makers. You don’t need nine clubs in one city when you’ve got major growth opportunities you can’t take up because of over saturation in one area. We’ve cut /merged Sydney clubs, the game hasn’t imploded, it’s got stronger. If it takes a couple more reductions to get clubs in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane 2 and any other major growth area then so be it. The game will eventually be all the better for it. Sad you dont want to see the game grow, must be a closet union fan.

The player depth logic is bullshit! Their are thousands of great footballers out there. And their will be more if decisions to add NRL clubs are made. The AFL are looking to build to 20 teams. No more in Victoria. But definitely elsewhere. Another Qld and NSW club is envisaged into the future. They wont let the strategy out but its being planned. Meanwhile people on this site want our top flight to reduce in size ! Shear reckless lunacy !

 

[Perth Red]

The player depth logic is bullshit! Their are thousands of great footballers out there. And their will be more if decisions to add NRL clubs are made.

Tell the people running the game who consistently site this as a reason not to grow the competition.

 

[Stallion]

Tell the people running the game who consistently site this as a reason not to grow the competition.

Would have thought you gathered that the people running the game are not their for the benefit of the code. Surely you can figure that out. They have been sitting on their hands presiding over a code going nowhere fast. Just like the "bad guys" want them to!