iSelect Gold Coast Titans granted new license

[bobmar28]

Time to piss off from the Gold Coast. The AFL can have it. If they can make it viable when rugby league has failed 4/5 times and soccer as well, then good on them. If they bail this lot out it seems it'll only be time before they have to do it again.

Time to go to some places where expansion will work like Perth. And make sure they have a proper corporate governance structure.

As for the fans. When have the NRL given a cr@p about them?

So rugby league heartland (Gold Coast) won't work but AFL heartland (Perth) will?

 

[Mong]

Storm are going ok.

 

[bobmar28]

I've never said we should get rid of NRL on the gold coast. Earlier I said that relicensing to someone else and rebranding might possibly be the best long term option. But unlike a few others I never argued for giving up on the Gold Coast. A population of a million in a rugby league state has to have a team. No ifs or buts about it.

As for his "vision", just as important as having the vision itself is getting the timing and execution right. He's failed miserably at that.

Doing something unnecessary like the CoE to the scale it was done should never have happened during the GFC. There's a reason so many business have scaled back investment in the last 3-4 years. Because risk has gone through the roof.

They have a team. The Titans.

 

[bobmar28]

Was it the Chargers that were the one success on the Gold Coast and got f**ked over by SL? I know one of those GC teams in the 90s was killed while having millions in the bank.

If it was the Chargers why not rebrand to "Chargers" (if the situation comes to that), the only brand that was a financial success up there in the last 20 odd years

Are you telling me that all Titans fans would suddenly become Chargers fans? You must be joking.

 

[Eelectrica]

Titans fans have pretty much lost faith in Searle. I know I have, and a quick look at the official Titans forum indicates the same.
Titans FC have my support, and I'd like to see the Titans continue with new management.

Who were the boys claiming that Searle should take on Gallop's position?

OK so those so a lot of people were wrong about Searle, he's lost the genius tag. Happy now? Has it made your day, week, month, year?
Searle has done some good things for the game tbh.
- Bringing in a GC team
- Independent commision
- Indigenous all-stars
He's just not great at economics it would seem.

 

[ShaiGuY]

The NRL should prevent any Football Clubs from giving guarantees to non-core related activities. This is really BS.

 

[Eelectrica]

The NRL should prevent any Football Clubs from giving guarantees to non-core related activities. This is really BS.

Probably never happened before. Probably didn't think anyone would be silly enough to do it.
Maybe Searle could get a few of these internet jobs that pay $97/hr?

 

[CapitalRaider]

The NRL should prevent any Football Clubs from giving guarantees to non-core related activities. This is really BS.

Agreed and with the private ownership of the club the full picture hasn't started to emerge until after legal proceedings are well along.

Visibility in club operations is absolutely neccesary for the NRL, it seems some can't be trusted without oversight

 

[BunniesMan]

Stop death riding the Titans and go back to AFL.

Lol. I'm not deathriding anyone. I'm giving my opinion on what would be the best option to continue to have a strong presence on the Gold Coast.

My idea has been to rebrand. You realise some people have suggested we do away with a team on the GC all together? That would be a terrible idea.

Instead of the NRL throwing good money after bad and spending millions on interest and debts etc, or to buy a CoE that is underwater, just to save a brand that has created bad blood among many small businesses in the area. Small businesses that are owned by footy fans, worked for by footy fans, who came into contact every day with footy fans. Pissing them off doesn't create good will.

Either we spend millions to save Searle from himself. Or we tell him to get f**ked and deal with his bankruptcy like he deserves. Take the license off him. Give the license to someone that won't dive head first into debt, that will have a proper governing structure and that will get to start again as a brand without the bad blood.

 

[docbrown]

just to save a brand that has created bad blood among many small businesses in the area. Small businesses that are owned by footy fans, worked for by footy fans, who came into contact every day with footy fans. Pissing them off doesn't create good will.

They're pissed off with Searle, not the Titans.

They're grown up enough to know the difference. And honestly, given that all this started with those very same types of businesses collapsing and affecting the Titans, some of them need to look at themselves in the mirror as well.

 

[BunniesMan]

They're pissed off with Searle, not the Titans.

They're grown up enough to know the difference. And honestly, given that all this started with those very same types of businesses collapsing and affecting the Titans, some of them need to look at themselves in the mirror as well.

Searle owns 80% of the Titans. There is no board. Searle is the Titans.

 

[docbrown]

Searle owns 80% of the Titans. There is no board. Searle is the Titans.

I'm talking about something deeper than money.

The fans own the club as soon as they invest in it emotionally.

So again I will repeat, their issue is with Searle, not the Titans. :roll:

 

[El Diablo]

never ever listen to Bunniesderp

 

[docbrown]

Hmm... it seems to me that the millionaires behind the Brisbane Bombers bid are mainly wanting their own team to spite the Broncos.

I'd say that unless to reshift their focus to the South/West areas of Brisbane though they're probably not going to get the licence.

Perhaps they could buy out the Titans then.

 

[Goddy]

The Bombers were always intended to exist just to bane the Broncos, but I would argue these days that the hate surrounding the Broncos which the Bombers would appeal to is starting to becomed a minority.

In a Rugby League diehard state like QLD where we have 2/3 clubs that struggle to perform consistentally, it's natural the majority would get behind the club that delivers results.

If the Bombers want to buy out the Titans, let them. The club will be worth a smokeo come mid season at this rate.

 

[hellteam]

Anything that makes sure there is no Brisbane "Bombers" in the NRL is a good idea. Still can't believe that name...

 

[bobmar28]

Lol. I'm not deathriding anyone. I'm giving my opinion on what would be the best option to continue to have a strong presence on the Gold Coast.

My idea has been to rebrand. You realise some people have suggested we do away with a team on the GC all together? That would be a terrible idea.

Instead of the NRL throwing good money after bad and spending millions on interest and debts etc, or to buy a CoE that is underwater, just to save a brand that has created bad blood among many small businesses in the area. Small businesses that are owned by footy fans, worked for by footy fans, who came into contact every day with footy fans. Pissing them off doesn't create good will.

Either we spend millions to save Searle from himself. Or we tell him to get f**ked and deal with his bankruptcy like he deserves. Take the license off him. Give the license to someone that won't dive head first into debt, that will have a proper governing structure and that will get to start again as a brand without the bad blood.

Without the Titans brand rugby league will decline on the Gold Coast and the Suns will gain support. Judging by your previous sig you probably wouldn't mind that anyway.

 

[BunniesMan]

Without the Titans brand rugby league will decline on the Gold Coast and the Suns will gain support. Judging by your sig you probably wouldn't mind that anyway.

It's bullshit that support for the NRL on the Gold Coast begins and ends with the "Titans".

If and when the Tits go belly up in the next few weeks you'll be proven wrong.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...-ailing-nrl-club/story-e6frep5x-1226310753820

Queensland consortium preparing to buy Titans' NRL licence and save ailing NRL club

Peter Badel
The Courier-Mail
March 27, 2012 12:00AM

THE Titans' fight for survival has taken a dramatic twist with a high-powered consortium drawing up plans to buy the NRL licence and save the club from a $35 million debt.

The Courier-Mail can reveal a group of Queensland-based businessmen have begun due diligence into a takeover of the Titans, whose future in the NRL appears perilous as an independent auditing firm continues its inquiries into the club's finances.

Under the multi-million dollar buyout plan, Titans managing director and majority owner Michael Searle would be swept aside as part of a systematic overhaul of the ailing club.

The NRL has been notified of the looming takeover bid.

It is believed the consortium will step up plans this week with a view to submitting a formal proposal to NRL lawyers.

The development comes as:

- The Storm officially slapped a deadline on star halfback Cooper Cronk, who is tipped to join the Titans on a four-year, $3.2 million deal; and

- Former ARL supremo Ken Arthurson offered to help rebuild the embattled Titans in a consultancy role.

A defiant Searle is determined to keep the Titans afloat, but the code's governors may have little choice but to strip him of an NRL licence if the Gold Coast boss cannot procure millions in the coming months to salvage the Titans group.

Searle has previously valued the Titans' NRL licence at $20 million.

That figure is debatable, given Souths' Hollywood owner Russell Crowe paid just $3 million to buy the Rabbitohs in 2006.

As majority owner, Searle would naturally oppose any move to strip him of an NRL licence but he may be left powerless if the Titans' empire drowns in a sea of red ink.

As revealed by The Courier-Mail, a confidential Commonwealth Bank document showed the Titans' NRL team is liable for at least $13.4m in debts as a guarantor on the club's property arm.

Should the NRL approve a licence buyout, the Gold Coast team is likely to require a new nickname as Searle's web of companies own the Titans' intellectual property.

However, any new regime would not be expected to swallow existing debts as they would fall to the Gold Coast Titans (Property) Pty Ltd, of which Searle is the sole director.

Scott Sattler, the Titans' foundation football manager in 2007, yesterday called for Searle to magnanimously hand control to the NRL.

"I just think the Gold Coast is too important to be living under a cloud of controversy," Sattler said.

"I take my hat off to Michael Searle and the passion and sacrifices he made to bring a team back to the Gold Coast. But, if his passion for the cause is as great as he protests, he would allow the NRL to take the reins from here and guide this club into its next chapter."

Arthurson, the ex-ARL boss who admitted the Gold Coast to the premiership in 1988, offered to help save the club. "I'll do whatever it takes to ensure the Gold Coast has a team to support," he said.

 

[BunniesMan]

I called it. I said they would rebrand and that's what would happen if this mob takes over. It is the best long term option. Short term pain, long term gain.