More Sydney clubs will merge within the next decade - Gould

[I Bleed Maroon]

https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/brad-f...-for-nrl/c0bdd8ce-9a5f-439d-afed-8dbeec735c67

Phil Gould has predicted that two more Sydney NRL clubs will be forced to merge within the next decade.

Gould, Brad Fittler and Peter Sterling were asked to make a prediction for the next 10 years of rugby league on Nine's The Greatest.

Gould, the general manager of Penrith Panthers until last year, believes that having nine Sydney clubs won't be possible into the future.

"My news isn't so great. I think we'll see two Sydney clubs, two more mergers in Sydney," Gould said.

"I think we'll see a reduction of teams in Sydney over the next 10 years. It's unsustainable and clubs won't survive. They'll either die or have to merge, they'll be in that situation."

Phil Gould, during his last tenure with Penrith Panthers. (AAP)
Sydney clubs should have a fighting chance with plans to relaunch the NRL on May 28. When the league was facing the potential of a lost season, meaning a $500 million black hole, Gould warned that not every club would survive.

Most Sydney clubs have been hit hard by the closure of leagues clubs during the COVID-19 lockdown, putting even strong organisations like Parramatta, Penrith and Canterbury under strain. Manly owner Scott Penn, long rumoured to be seeking a buyer for the Sea Eagles, has been outspoken about the risk of NRL clubs going under.

South Sydney is in a sound position, with Russell Crowe and James Packer sharing a 75 per cent private ownership stake. So too are Sydney Roosters, backed by Easts Group but with Nick Politis as their wealthy and powerful chairman.

Which clubs will enter 2 head mode? I'm thinking Manly and Cronulla fans might wanna get their sphincters ready.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Not gonna happen.

Clubs don’t WANT to merge, so the coincidence of two desperately NEEDING to merge at the same time just isnt happening.

If a club does become that desperate, the ARLC will take over (as with Knights, Titans) and either let them find a new Sydney owner or force the licence to move (and probably rebrand)

 

[Perth Red]

Not with Vlandys “it’s all about suburban grounds” in charge

tbh clubs are in an arms race with each other so financial sense goes out the window. There should be no reason a club needs to be spending more than $22million running it’s operations. Cap them and get them to a point of viability and all the talk of mergers or relocations can be buried for good. Every club can generate $22mill of revenue.

 

[some11]

Won't happen.

We've had the same 15 clubs over the last 18 years with a new team being added.

If anything they will add another club or two down the road, this is probably baked into the new broadcast rights somewhere.

Souths, Cronulla, GC and Newey have knocked on deaths door and all managed to dig themselves out.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Won't happen. Perth Dread said so.

 

[Last Week]

Predictable. New TV deal about to be signed, clubs are crying poor again.

f**k off.

 

[kdalymc]

happy to see GC die (i live there, and do not know a single fan) and chuck in WA or another state

 

[GongPanther]

Have to start with the solid stayers. (In alphabetical soup order)

Wests Tigers: Big and expanding player nursery, backed by wealthy club in Wests Ashfield.

Parra: Big club premises coupled with new stadium should prove a fruitful income stream to keep them viable. Huge nursery to keep the steady flow of talent flowing.

Panthers: 6 clubs, another big nursery. All they really need to compliment this club is a proper stadium.

Canterbury: With the backing of the leagues club, they should be solid.

Souths: With Rusty's help, they'll never die. In fact they really have their club in order. All this without pokies.

Easts: Uncle Nick will see them right.

So would it be Manly and the Sharks who are balancing on a high-wire as some would say? Or should one of these clubs get the jump on anyone else and sneak out of town and take the Pot O' Gold and relocate to Perth?

 

[grouch]

I'd like Phil Gould to merge with retirement

 

[The Mad Hatter]

Manly already merged with Warringah. More a take over as no one remembers Warringah. ..even salty ch 9 viewers who write to Rabs to remind him to call them Manly-Warringah.

 

[Silent Knight]

Manly already merged with Warringah. More a take over as no one remembers Warringah. ..even salty ch 9 viewers who write to Rabs to remind him to call them Manly-Warringah.

I prefer to call them Warringah with my mates. Rolls off the tongue...Warringaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!

 

[Diesel]

Doesn’t this story get rehashed every 12 months and nothing will happen.
I’m sure if Gus really cared, he would’ve merged Penrith and Easts when he was there.

 

[King hit]

happy to see GC die (i live there, and do not know a single fan) and chuck in WA or another state

I don’t understand why all sporting codes are so obsessed with the Gold Coast. How many more awful clubs need to exist there till they finally understand that nobody on the Coast cares about sport.

 

[taipan]

Interesting the clubs Gus has been strongly associated with, are never mentioned in his regular merge or relocation tirade.Nothing to see here.I'll get my crayons out Gus and draw a picture.
Maybe he should look at clubs that rely heavily on poker machine revenue,which looks like dropping off in large amounts, post COVID-19.

 

[TheFrog]

Parra: ..... Huge nursery to keep the steady flow of talent flowing.

This must be why 13 of the 17 players from their round 1 side were developed elsewhere.

 

[T-Boon]

I don't believe in mergers. Relocate.

 

[magpie_man]

De-merge Wests and Balmain and merge the Magpies with Canterbury and the Tigers with Parramatta.
Amalgamate St George Illawarra and Cronulla to form a Southern Sydney-Illawarra behemoth.
Resurrect the Bears and amalgamate them with Manly to form a Northern Beaches-North Shore-Central Coast monstrosity.

 

[Reflector]

I don’t understand why all sporting codes are so obsessed with the Gold Coast. How many more awful clubs need to exist there till they finally understand that nobody on the Coast cares about sport.

They just see the population and the chance to put another flag in Qld and that's it, convincing themselves that "this time will be different"

It won't.

 

[10$ Ferret]

Tired and predictable rehash crap by a tired predictable old moron

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

Have to start with the solid stayers. (In alphabetical soup order)

Wests Tigers: Big and expanding player nursery, backed by wealthy club in Wests Ashfield.

Parra: Big club premises coupled with new stadium should prove a fruitful income stream to keep them viable. Huge nursery to keep the steady flow of talent flowing.

Panthers: 6 clubs, another big nursery. All they really need to compliment this club is a proper stadium.

Canterbury: With the backing of the leagues club, they should be solid.

Souths: With Rusty's help, they'll never die. In fact they really have their club in order. All this without pokies.

Easts: Uncle Nick will see them right.

So would it be Manly and the Sharks who are balancing on a high-wire as some would say? Or should one of these clubs get the jump on anyone else and sneak out of town and take the Pot O' Gold and relocate to Perth?

I thought Canterbury were in trouble?