Having a 16th team will suck. Why?...

[Knightmare]

Alot of you will know that I am a staunch supporter of the bears bid for a team on the Central Coast. I remember well in 1998 when it first came about that the Bears were going to move to Gosford full-time, and they started laying the foundations for the stadium. I knew I would always be a Knights fan, but there was still such an excited vibe up here- we were finally going to have our own team, playing NRL football at our own home ground every second week against the best teams and players in the country. There was such a feeling of anticipation.

But somehow that dream fell apart. First there was news that the Bears might be merging with Manly, then it became a reality. :twisted: As a Manly hater, it was like a living nightmare. It was like having a dream about meeting the girl of your dreams, taking her home then finding out that she was actually a 'he' in a mini-skirt. :shock: :evil: The Northern Eagles were never accepted up here by anybody other than Manly fans and people who desperately wanted to believe we really had our 'own' team. Even now sometimes I can't believe how everything was going so great then it turned terrible overnight. It's as frustrating as the Superleague war. Ever since, I have tried to explain on here why the Bears should be accepted ahead of the Gold Coast, all the reasons they should be the 16th team. :blahb:

Then, last week I moved up here to the Gold Coast. While I have only seen one car with a Broncos sticker on it, I have seen several with Brisbane Lions stickers or number plate surrounds, or people walking round with Lions shirts or jumpers on. At my new church, I was talking to a guy about why the Bears should be let into the NRL as the 16th team, and he explained to me the problem that lies with the ex-pat Victorians in the church who are bringing the children up to follow AFL.

Then just the other day, walking through Surfers Paradise, I went by yet another person wearing a Lions jumper, and it struck me at once-
The Gold Coast needs a team just as badly.
It is for these reasons that the idea of a 16th team sucks, because while the NRL would win by admitting the Gold Coast or the Central Coast, it will lose just as much by knocking the other one back. If we let one area have it's own NRL team, we surrender the other one to the beast that is trying to raid our junior base and it's support- Aussie Rules on the Gold Coast and Rugby on the Central Coast. :evil: I vented this grievance in the Big League Fans Poll last year, and they seemed to find it such a valid point they printed it in a corresponding issue.

We need 17 teams- the Central Coast and the Gold Coast- for the good of the game. We can deal with a bye, we have done for the last 3 years, the team that's not playing could go to a country area that weekend and promote our great game, while the Dolphins and the Bears did the same in their areas. I an't believe that these two areas have to fight eachother for the right to play this game at the top level. Can anybody else understand my rant? :?

 

[Southern Rooster]

I can sort of. The Gold Coast we need a team now. But the Central Coast isn't so important at present. We have 11 of the 15 teams in a National comp based between Canberra and Newcastle. We need less there before we move into other areas. Union is funded so that most of the dollar goes to the top end of the game and they are less of a worry to league especially on the coast. The game can't sustain more than 16 teams in the current environment where we have clubs that aren't financial as others at present. Those clubs though have to get with it because we can't hold the game back waiting for them forever.

 

[thommo4pm]

I can understand your rant, but I don't think the inclusion of 2 new teams is the way to go.
We need to move away from the bye. I think the G/Coast need a team, without doubt.
The Central Coast I still believe will come from a relocated Sydney side.

Expansion too quickly is not what is needed just yet, expand yes by all means but lets make sure we have all the right tools in place to make sure the game and clubs can support themselves.
We(Rugby League) are finally back on our 2 feet and fighting the good fight after the horrors of the war, we need continued stability and growth.

 

[Knightmare]

You're right- the Central Coast should get a relocated Sydney side- the Bears! They've been waiting 5 years now to get the nod, but I'm starting to think the NRL has an agenda against them or something. The Central Coast has the third biggest League nursery in the country, and has been making noise to the NRL about getting our own team for 5 years. The Gold Coast have been the Johnny-come-lately's, 3 years ago there was no more than a murmur from them about getting a team in. I just think it sucks that both these areas have such a good case for a team, yet whoever gets in (if either of them get in at all), the other area will miss out just as much. Why does the NRL make simple things so difficult? :roll:

 

[Kaz]

I say we Gold Coast people should sign a petition to make ex Victorians to leave QLD.

 

[CC_Eagle]

While I disagree big time about your opinion that the only people who embraced the NE were Manly fans (example 1 - my Dad a Manly hater, become a NE fan). The GC needs a team before the CC everyone knows that.

 

[CC_Eagle]

You're right- the Central Coast should get a relocated Sydney side- the Bears! They've been waiting 5 years now to get the nod, but I'm starting to think the NRL has an agenda against them or something. The Central Coast has the third biggest League nursery in the country, and has been making noise to the NRL about getting our own team for 5 years. The Gold Coast have been the Johnny-come-lately's, 3 years ago there was no more than a murmur from them about getting a team in. I just think it sucks that both these areas have such a good case for a team, yet whoever gets in (if either of them get in at all), the other area will miss out just as much. Why does the NRL make simple things so difficult? :roll:

The Bears are near dead buddy. Their leagues club slashed their funding again, I believe its down to $350K a season now. Their NRL hopes are just about dead imo, their only hope of ever aquiring a premiership trophy is through the Jim Beam Cup.

As a Central Coastian I'd rather have a Central Coast team starting from scratch,not a relocated club brought back from the dead. I'm sure most have the same sentiments.

 

[Bulldog-Power]

yeah if they want to follow afl

good luck to the idiots, its a shit game

 

[melon....]

After Brisbane Bronco's comment that the QLD juniors are "All ours", Id say bring on the Gold Coast just to shut their arrogant mouths.

Otherwise give me North Sydney, so I can walk to the ground to see the Roosters belt them. But Id rather the Gold Coast steal some draught orse thunder.

 

[melon....]

I say we Gold Coast people should sign a petition to make ex Victorians to leave QLD.

Like the poor bastard who was stupid enough to sell 4 victorian investment properties to fund 2 on the Golad Coast. Face it without Victorians, the GC would be Toukley with meter maids.

 

[Chippo Raiders]

you might need a few exaggeration pills melon........a lil over the top.....why do you think they move form Melbourne fool.....its a hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooole

 

[Misanthrope]

I'm a Bears' fan (after my Knights, that is), but even I've given up all hope of them ever coming back. If they'd been able to follow Souths' example and put up a fight, maybe they'd already be back on the park, but the fans and management were complacent- and now they've got no money to fund it, and the fans have drifted away.

The Central Coast needs a team, but as many have said, relocating a team with no real ties to Sydney would be the best bet. Cronulla, for example. Although if I had my choice, they'd be relocated to Antarctica and asked to forge their own competition. Maybe they'd be able to win a premiership against a team of penguins.

As for the Gold Coast, they need a team. AFL hasn't made southern Queensland its own yet, but if the NRL continues to sit on its hands, that won't be far off. A Gold Coast side would capture a currently ignored market, and make for some interesting signing arguments for the Broncos.

 

[melon....]

you might need a few exaggeration pills melon........a lil over the top.....why do you think they move form Melbourne fool.....its a hoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooole

Dont get me wrong....to sell 4 places to buy 2 proves Victorians are morons....its just that they "belong" on the GC. :lol:

 

[Chippo Raiders]

id sell four places in Melbourne to move into two in NSW or Qld no probs..maybe even one in NSW

 

[Knightmare]

John Singleton has stated that as long as the NRL is interested in expansion, he's ready to back the Bears. I wouldn't say they're dead. 5 years ago, who was talking about bringing another Gold Coast team in? They were supposedly "done and dusted", but look at them now, look at their bid! I also know people who were willing to support the Bears- even people who currently support other teams. The only reason the Bears bid might look dead in the water is because the NRL keep knocking them back. Norths would get a to move to the Coast long before Cronulla ever do (or even win a Grand Final for that matter!).

 

[MightySharks]

The Central Coast needs a team, but as many have said, relocating a team with no real ties to Sydney would be the best bet. Cronulla, for example. Although if I had my choice, they'd be relocated to Antarctica and asked to forge their own competition. Maybe they'd be able to win a premiership against a team of penguins.

Wanker

 

[mightybears]

norths are still having discussions with singo
when the 16th is called for, we will be in there again
as the central coast bears, full time at gosford as per the 1998 plan

the relocation plan from sydney of an nrl team
even with the nrl bribe,who do you think are going to make the move?

the only team that left sydney to grow the game on the central coast were the north sydney bears-leaving behind the ground that had seen continious top flight football since 1910 [still a record]

it was a big step-it will still happen

and cc eagle
get over your norths pathology-your sounding like cliffy gc
ya wouldn't have graham park/northpower/express advocate without the bears-simple
the bears at pl level aren't dead-never will be
asquith magpies play jbc

 

[Misanthrope]

Wanker

Nice to see you mustering all of your wit to make a rebuttal. Should I brace myself for a repeat? Or did that exhaust today's mental capacity?

 

[dimitri]

gold coast first

then cc later

 

[Dogboy]

Yes we need another team in SE Qld.

Yes it would be great to see the Bears back in the comp at the Central Coaat.

But we need a second team in NZ as well, for the benefit of the Kiwi game, and by extension the international game.

If we brought them all in, it would satisfy everyone and get rid of the bye. Of course we've seen problems arising in the past from expanding too rapidly, so I'd bring in one team straight away (probably the Gold Coast) , then the other two in three or four years' time.