How stadium allocation should look like in Sydney

[The Mad Hatter]

There is quiet work going on behind the scenes to get a Shire A League team up and running.

That would be perfect IMO. Summer and winter gates, crowds, walk up to the LC.

If it all sorts itself out, will be an enviable club.

Parra coulda had this with NRL / A League combo. Missed a trick there.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

Broadens the Sharks appeal IMHO, but I'm not often right either.

I also think since they own their own ground, are building all this rad development and the NRL will look to target 2-3 Sydney teams to 'move' or 'kill', I reckon the Sharks are now in an enviable position whereby they have bottomed out, are moving out of that 'down' cycle, are on the improve and should be cashed up and will be moving up the curve, they may as well broaden their base by being called the Sydney Sharks (more of a psychological thing).

Bro, that doesnt work. It didnt work with the bulldogs, Tigers, nor Roosters (despite having a semi plausible claim to that name). Go into the Roosters forum and you'll see fans wanting to revert to Easts.

-There is no sense of community engagement or tribalism.
-There is already a 'Sydney'
-Its confusing.
-Why not go all out and call themselves NSW Sharks? See how it doesnt make sense?

 

[joshreading]

The raiders are rich as hell and we have been failing for years. All being rich as a club means is that the nrl is happy to let you plod along for eternity.

I think this is part of the issue in these discussions that people do not pay attention to. Having money does not actually make you a successful football team nor always grow your crowds to a sustainable level for top flight footy in the long term.

The Sharks are surrounded by St George Illawarra and have the constant competition from other traditional NRL sides in the City. That is why I still think they (and most teams including my own) need to consider broadening their fan base by playing games elsewhere. If the Sharks even tweaked their identity and moved Four low drawing games (eg. Cowboys / Warriors / Titans / Raiders) to Adelaide and got ten thousand fans average, that would be atleast ten thousand EXTRA Sharkies fans attending games (without considering the potential to speak to sponsors etc about the possibility of accessing a market of up to 1.6 million)

I do think that sides like the Sharks (who have the potential for an amazing brand around Australia/South Pacific) are absolutely positioned for huge growth but only by considering how they can position for broad appeal not just local sustainability.

 

[Timbo]

In many ways it's a shame the Sharks don't have a venue they could adapt for a BBL side (as much as I loathe multi-purpose venues). It's been mooted for the Dragons to do a Southern Dragons BBL side out of Kogarah.

There are heaps of BBL acceptable venues (Drummoyne, Blacktown, Kogarah) but really the south would have been an ideal area for one to be placed.

 

[Frank Discussion]

I think this is part of the issue in these discussions that people do not pay attention to. Having money does not actually make you a successful football team nor always grow your crowds to a sustainable level for top flight footy in the long term.

The Sharks are surrounded by St George Illawarra and have the constant competition from other traditional NRL sides in the City. That is why I still think they (and most teams including my own) need to consider broadening their fan base by playing games elsewhere. If the Sharks even tweaked their identity and moved Four low drawing games (eg. Cowboys / Warriors / Titans / Raiders) to Adelaide and got ten thousand fans average, that would be atleast ten thousand EXTRA Sharkies fans attending games (without considering the potential to speak to sponsors etc about the possibility of accessing a market of up to 1.6 million)

I do think that sides like the Sharks (who have the potential for an amazing brand around Australia/South Pacific) are absolutely positioned for huge growth but only by considering how they can position for broad appeal not just local sustainability.

You are correct in your assertion that money doesn't guarantee success. The only real cagtegoric guarantee is that no money = no success.

Its' easy to say "oh you should take games here there and everywhere to grow your brand" but everytime you do it you give the existing supporters the shits for the sake of potential supporters. The sharks have been to Gosford/Taupo/Adelaide/ Perth and it didn't really do that much at all other than disaffect the existing supporter base.

 

[Rabbits20]

Are you about 17?

That would explain the shortness of your memory.

Bunnies were shit for years.
Their game attendance figures are nothing to be excited about either if you consider the
membership numbers they claim to have.

A few lean years on the field and they will be back where there were .

Good to see you got fired up as it was a joke

Souths attendance figures are still very good. Getting too Friday Night games is very hard and this is what Souths get most off. A lot of Souths friends I know plus relatives struggle to make Friday Nights. This Friday I'm working back and won't be able to make the game.

Souths rarely get Saturday and Sunday games which is disappointing.

No matter how Souths go I'll always renew my membership every year.

I agree though that currently Souths do have some bandwagon Members who will not stick solid when the going gets tough.

 

[Rabbits20]

I think there are a few Souths folk wandering around with very, very short memories.

On another note - with this development - do you ever see and/or consider the Sharks should rebrand as the Sydney Sharks?

My memory is perfect.

I do feel bad for what the Sharks have been through too.

 

[Pierced Soul]

Bro, that doesnt work. It didnt work with the bulldogs, Tigers, nor Roosters (despite having a semi plausible claim to that name).

exactly. dunno why the idea of naming the team "sydney" or any RL team for that matter "sydney" keeps croping up

i find it funny that perth red keeps trolling sharks fans who keep losing their shit and arguing with him

 

[Lambretta]

wah wah wah

already been over this with you.

You know they have plans to renovate the stadium in the future.

Yes, we can see that - they're building structures on the pitch

Can anyone explain what those things on the pitch actually are?

 

[Ojlovednicole]

exactly. dunno why the idea of naming the team "sydney" or any RL team for that matter "sydney" keeps croping up

i find it funny that perth red keeps trolling sharks fans who keep losing their shit and arguing with him

I also hate vague nods to geography like 'Wests' or 'Western'.

Super rugby lost my Namibian friend when SA did that.

Why not change NSW Waratahs to South Eastern 'tahs. Gay.

And wests what?

Western Suburbs? Western Australia? West Ryde?

I feel that the people of campbelltown are alienated by that vagueness. And a club would be kidding themselves if they think that will pick up west coast fans. Penrith people would be more inclined to stay loyal to the Panther as its defined.

 

[carcharias]

Yes, we can see that - they're building structures on the pitch

Can anyone explain what those things on the pitch actually are?

yeah you only need to read back about 1 or 2 pages.

nevermind I'll just tell you.

They are talking about holding growers markets there trough the off season.
Not like anyone is playing footy there then.

 

[carcharias]

exactly. dunno why the idea of naming the team "sydney" or any RL team for that matter "sydney" keeps croping up

i find it funny that perth red keeps trolling sharks fans who keep losing their shit and arguing with him

Losing our shit or paying out on a pommie stuck in Perth with no footy team to support?
If you look into it you'll see Poor old Perth red was on the vinegar stroke at the thought of the sharks folding...then the development got approved.

I love it when he tries to justify a team in bumf**k perth at the expense of a Sydney team.

 

[rabbitohs95]

Auckland Warriors
Eastern Suburbs Roosters

Both need to be rebranded names imo.

Only one I'm having trouble with is the Tigers. Who even thought it was a good idea to merge Balmain and Wests? The Dragons and Steelers go hand in hand right down to the colour combination but Wests Tigers is just such an awkward brand, and most supporters agree. Part of me wishes they'd revert back to their original clubs but in this day and age that wouldn't work unfortunately. F*ckin Super League...

 

[carcharias]

mate if super was still going souths may never have been kicked out.

Ironically it may have been a blessing disguise.
the NRL kicked them out.
If they weren't kicked out maybe holmes a court and rusty wouldn't have needed to take control and you'd be still coming last every year.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

Auckland Warriors
Eastern Suburbs Roosters

Both need to be rebranded names imo.

Only one I'm having trouble with is the Tigers. Who even thought it was a good idea to merge Balmain and Wests? The Dragons and Steelers go hand in hand right down to the colour combination but Wests Tigers is just such an awkward brand, and most supporters agree. Part of me wishes they'd revert back to their original clubs but in this day and age that wouldn't work unfortunately. F*ckin Super League...

What also burns is in the end it was found that the Balmain Tigers couldve gone standalone in the end. Onto last spot with the Illawarra merger.

'Inner West Tigers' or 'Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers'.

Now THATS a team to support!

 

[rabbitohs95]

What also burns is in the end it was found that the Balmain Tigers couldve gone standalone in the end. Onto last spot with the Illawarra merger.

'Inner West Tigers' or 'Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers'.

Now THATS a team to support!

Best I could think of was Balmain-Wests Tigers and Western Sydney Tigers.

 

[beave]

What also burns is in the end it was found that the Balmain Tigers couldve gone standalone in the end. Onto last spot with the Illawarra merger.

'Inner West Tigers' or 'Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers'.

Now THATS a team to support!

Really? I could have sworn that the main source of cash is from the Wests Magpies Leagues clubs for the Wests Tigers.........

 

[Mogsheen Jadwat]

They should merge NQ and Brisbane - call them the Brisbane Broncos, it's the only source of success in the NRL for Qld'ers and they have all that 2nd team business anyway.

*jt laugh*

 

[The Mad Hatter]

mate if super was still going souths may never have been kicked out.

Ironically it may have been a blessing disguise.
the NRL kicked them out.
If they weren't kicked out maybe holmes a court and rusty wouldn't have needed to take control and you'd be still coming last every year.

You are 100% right it was a blessing in disguise.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

Really? I could have sworn that the main source of cash is from the Wests Magpies Leagues clubs for the Wests Tigers.........

In todays 2015 world you are on spot.

Back in the day, there was an NRL set criteria all teams had to match to A) avoid the chop, and B) make it into the 14 team rationalized comp.

I'm slightly hazy on the details (in case some know all wanker dots an I and crosses my T) but at the time it was widely tipped that Balmain, Souths, Wests, Crushers,perth, rams,mariners were headed for the tampon bin, with the Storm coming in.

21 into 14.
The writing was on the wall.

Whilst Manly,Illawarra and ST were struggling a bit, the gulf between my 7 mentioned clubs issues and those three were high.

Then an interesting thing happened.
STG and Illawarra hopped in bed together and created STGI

Then when the NRLs report was commissioned it was found that Balmain actually then made it onto number 14 of that list, scraping into survive on the back of the STGI merger.. Meaning back in 1998 they had a stay of execution, however at that point they already announced they merged with the Pies. Just came too late.