being a Sydney team playing in another state at the time, thats to be expected... captain obvious here..
NOrth Sydney obviously didnt think so at the time, and neither did many other people. Especially those who believed there was a huge i hate broncos sentiment.
Like it or not, Brisbane is a broncos town. And if any team is to succeed in Brisbane, they will need to be as successful as the broncos and a chance of winning the comp. Brisbane wont put up with winning every second week, like most sydney supporters will, because any new team will have to win enough to take supporters away from a team that they already support. Brisbane already rejected the crushers when they became losers, and will reject any new team that doesnt succeed immediately, for a decent enough stretch to gain loyalty. It is a very tough market to crack and being an ex sydney team would not help. Personally, i would love to see the Wests Panthers relocate up here and merge with the real panthers but that is not likely.
Look - the obvious merits of re-establishing the Bears in Brisbane (or any existing team) are many - ie - established club structure, juniors, sponsorship, brand etc
I see those things as very valuable to Perth and Adelaide and perhaps even Wellington or christchurch, but Brisbane already has clubs that fit those bills, without the bears I dont see this as that much of a benefit to a brisbane club.
And long term, would NOrths feel like much more than a feeder club anyway?
look at the AFL - the Lions survived, and only became competitive, through a merger with Fitzroy (ironically they used to be called the Bears!).
Lol. The return of the Brisbane Bears, not really likely to bring too much enthusiasm from Brisbane. The Bears needed Fitzroy, because nobody in Brisbane plays or watches AFL and it was the only way they could get a competitive team.
The Qld NRL teams are all successful because they service a niche market and feed off the 'identity' of the region - ie, Gold Coast hates to be compared to Brisbane (even though they are the little brother), and so a public perception exists that they want their own identity.
HUh? Gold coast are successful, because they are the 5th largest and fastest growing city in Australia. They have recently overtaken Newcastle and being basically a bit more than an extension of Brisbane, they are a Rugby league city. They are much bigger than Ipswich Toowoomba and Sunshine coast. That is why they were successful and were always going to be successful.
likewise for NQ - rightfully having their own team as they are isolated geographically and find it difficult to support a Sth Qld team.
I agree, but i remember when people said they were too small and would have no support. Central Qld are in a similar situation, maybe there should be a central Qld Bears?
the Western suburbs is a great option. Don't forget the fans from out West that will embrace the team - ie Toowoomba and the further west country areas - all huge NRL supporters.
It is growing, but it is nowhere near ready. Toowoomba would support a team, but it is miles too far away really and simply too small. Dont forget that they dont even have a Qld Cup team anymore. I think we are 10 -20 years from a team in this area, but when it does come, it will be huge. If it joins now, it will be similar to the Chargers, unless of course they try to become Crushers mark II.
however Nth Brisbane is also a strong option.
Really they would be nothing more than Crushers mark II. They might work, they might not. They would need on field success badly. The area is growing, but like Ipswich, they are at least another 10 years away from becoming a titans like success. I would rather wait, to be honest as there are more important areas.
for those suggesting that Qlders would reject a Sydney club relocating, I would disagree and argue that there are a great many Brisbane people desperate for a new team to support other than the Broncs.
As with the Lions, blending interstate with local identity can work very well.
It is possible that i could work, i will admit that, but it is a lot of hard work, and it has already failed and could easily do so again. I would say a Sydney relocation has as much chance of success as a start from Scratch New Team and slightly less chance than a reincarnation of the Crushers or some other former Brisbane team such as Valleys, Brothers, Devils etc.
