Good job were not relying on Gallop!

[Perth Red]

Thanks to Brutus for transcribing the radio interview:

Taken from the David Gallop talkback session on 2SM last Wednesday.

Caller David: David, quick question for you...and that is what are doing to promote the game in cities like Perth and Adelaide?

Mr Gallop: Umm Perth is making some pretty good progress, they've come into the Jim Beam Cup umm this year which is a big step forward, having been out of the main competitions for a number of years and the local league is going pretty well. Souths look like taking some games over there every year for the next few years, but there's a fair way to go.
One of the things we need to be really careful about when the debate comes around for Perth and Adelaide and the fact that the AFL have put teams in Perth and Adelaide is when they did that, the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and the SANFL were big thriving local competitions that were supporting thousands of people interested in the game. We don't have that yet in Perth and Adelaide. We've got a team in Melbourne that is making progress, but is still costing millions of dollars to support. We're not in a position at the moment to go back into Perth and Adelaide with rugby league. But I certainly hope we are one day and ahh that will be a good thing, but it won't be a good thing if we do it and fail."

Gallop seems to think the WARL will magically grow into a major sporting comp with no finances or support from the NRL. I wonder if he believes in the tooth fairy and giant beanstalks as well?

Good job the WARL will make sure the NRL can't ignore us come 2012, it could be 2050 if we waited for the NRL to get their act together!

 

[Alehana]

yeh, this is a joke, in a few yers, well be so big that it will be hard to ignore us, unless the person in charge is a joke, agree that it will take a few more years, but popularity will come with reds.

 

[Perth Red]

Noticed he conveniently didn't mention the fact the ARU started the Force up despite little RU presence in Perth beforehand! Of course the AFL had a strong local comp, it's AFL country ffs!

As long as the WARL don't get despondent by the lack of support from the NRL we will make it so they can't ignore us!

 

[Loudstrat]

Can Perth guarantee average crowds of over 16k, plus 60k watchiong on TV?

If not, there's no point going to Perth.

 

[Perth Red]

I would suggest yes (as much as anybody can guarantee anything in sport!). We have had 14,000 for trial games and we get over 100,000 for Tv viewing of SOO. And that is with RL having a very very low profile here at the moment. 50,000 people a year are moving into Perth, we only need to attract 2% a year of those to add to the 10-12,000 RL fans and before too long we will be pushing the 15-20,000 mark.

 

[b0rt]

i know plenty of union boys who have said they would go to NRL matches if WA had an NRL team, but wont go to JB cup matches

 

[Alehana]

yeh same, heaps of interest here for nrl from union, but jim beam cup, they dont really take an interest in.

 

[KalgoorlieRed]

Gallop is a dick. He has no real desire does he?

 

[Perth Red]

Interesting to see the number of Force shirts at yesterdays game. There does seem to be plenty of fans who will support both codes of "rugby".

Great to see less and less NRL shirts and more and more people wearing reds gear as well.

 

[Nuke]

I was there in my number 5 WA Reds jersey! I wore a Knights hat to keep representing my beloved Knights though!

 

[KalgoorlieRed]

How many there?

 

[Alehana]

r u a newcastlian nuke?

 

[b0rt]

r u a newcastlian nuke?

i believe they prefer 'nova castrian'
and why wouldnt they

 

[Nuke]

I am a proud Novocastrian, yes ... in case you can't tell by my sig!

That's also the reason for my nickname here (Newcastle!). It was a nickname I had briefly in year 12, so I decided to use it here when I signed up.

 

[Nuke]

You just beat me to it Bort!

 

[b0rt]

haha
only just!
i guess i got the spelling wrong but
oh well lol