NRL Expansion. Ideas and opinions.

[MrE_Assassin]

Are you really suggesting that people that live in Northern Sydney are NOT aware of the existence of the NRL?

Exactly what I was thinking. Have they been living in a cave? (hibernating bear pun there for you, Stallion.) Do they not have 4G or Wifi on the Central Coast? Re-establishing the bears does not make sence in the modern era unless it's outside of NSW.

 

[Peet]

Well done Siv. Think you have alluded to the population figures very well. It's clear that the combined populations of northern Sydney and Central Coast (about 1.4million)can accomodate two top flight clubs. Having the popular Manly Warringah and a Central Coast Bears is the common sense means of catering to such a population and area.

Exactly. And remember, there are more people & League fans on the Central Coast than there are in Canberra.

 

[Vee]

Just read that article. Colin Smith seems to be a bit of a dill. PNG? Second Melbourne team? Third Brisbane team? Was he p!ssed?

Rent-a-quote.

 

[Pippen94]

Rent-a-quote.

Rent-a-quote.

3rd Brisbane would add more value to NRL than a team like gold coast.

 

[The Great Dane]

Exactly. And remember, there are more people & League fans on the Central Coast than there are in Canberra.

Canberra's population is 403,057 (plus an extra 40k when you add in Queanbeyan), the CC's is 311,843, so no there aren't more people on the CC then in Canberra.

And how you could possibly know which has more "league fans" without having surveyed the entire population of both I don't know, but one thing I do know for sure is that there's more corporate support in Canberra, more sponsorship opportunities in Canberra, and the population in Canberra has much more disposable income, which leads to Canberra being able to support an NRL team while the CC can't even support an A-league team.

 

[Stallion]

Canberra's population is 403,057 (plus an extra 40k when you add in Queanbeyan), the CC's is 311,843, so no there aren't more people on the CC then in Canberra.

And how you could possibly know which has more "league fans" without having surveyed the entire population of both I don't know, but one thing I do know for sure is that there's more corporate support in Canberra, more sponsorship opportunities in Canberra, and the population in Canberra has much more disposable income, which leads to Canberra being able to support an NRL team while the CC can't even support an A-league team.

Valid comments on Canberra . I suggest a combined number of the north Sydney population and the Central Coast under a Central Coast Bears franchise would dwarf the Canberra population. But Canberra does or should service southern NSW to an extent. So both clubs should be at play. But they are not.

 

[Bojackhorseman]

Valid comments on Canberra . I suggest a combined number of the north Sydney population and the Central Coast under a Central Coast Bears franchise would dwarf the Canberra population. But Canberra does or should service southern NSW to an extent. So both clubs should be at play. But they are not.

So you’re suggesting a bears franchise? Really? When did you think of this? Gee willikins!

 

[The Great Dane]

Valid comments on Canberra . I suggest a combined number of the north Sydney population and the Central Coast under a Central Coast Bears franchise would dwarf the Canberra population.

You can try to throw NS and the CC together all you like, but just because you'd combine them on paper doesn't mean that they'd actually be combined, and no matter how hard you tried to actually combine them in a meaningful way you're never going to get a situation where both the NS fans and the CC fans all support the club in big numbers, because by their very nature they are two separate groups, and anything that you do to appeal to one group is going to get the other offside.

But Canberra does or should service southern NSW to an extent. So both clubs should be at play. But they are not.

How about instead of that the Raiders just focus on representing Canberra and the surrounding region.

Southern NSW and the ACT are two culturally distinct areas, and the people from Southern NSW don't like the ACT (mainly because of ignorance that is fueled by the media, and not because of anything that "Canberra" has actually done). So a Canberra based team trying to represent all of Southern NSW doesn't work because the vast majority of people from Southern NSW just outright refuse to support a Canberra based team just on principle.

Just look at the Brumbies. Their current predicament is partly caused by their delusions of appealing to both the ACT market and Southern NSW market. While they've wasted years trying to get people from country towns to follow them their fan base back home has quickly shrunk to almost nothing.
They had more success getting people from Victoria to follow them before the Rebels were formed then they've had in Southern NSW, that is how much of a failure it has been.

 

[Stallion]

You can try to throw NS and the CC together all you like, but just because you'd combine them on paper doesn't mean that they'd actually be combined, and no matter how hard you tried to actually combine them in a meaningful way you're never going to get a situation where both the NS fans and the CC fans all support the club in big numbers, because by their very nature they are two separate groups, and anything that you do to appeal to one group is going to get the other offside.

How about instead of that the Raiders just focus on representing Canberra and the surrounding region.

Southern NSW and the ACT are two culturally distinct areas, and the people from Southern NSW don't like the ACT (mainly because of ignorance that is fueled by the media, and not because of anything that "Canberra" has actually done). So a Canberra based team trying to represent all of Southern NSW doesn't work because the vast majority of people from Southern NSW just outright refuse to support a Canberra based team just on principle.

Just look at the Brumbies. Their current predicament is partly caused by their delusions of appealing to both the ACT market and Southern NSW market. While they've wasted years trying to get people from country towns to follow them their fan base back home has quickly shrunk to almost nothing.
They had more success getting people from Victoria to follow them before the Rebels were formed then they've had in Southern NSW, that is how much of a failure it has been.

We dissagree. If the West Tigers is deemed to be working then Central Coast Bears can work. Remembering the code is regaining a lost fanbase which is located not only just in northern Sydney. It has historical significance and generational support. The Central Coast would welcome a Bears franchise for various reasons. Some including : having a side in the Big League, a massive economic boost to business and tourism, increased pathways for juniors both in that region and the north part of Sydney. etc......We dissagree. And rugby league is a far more attractive sport to watch and play than union,so the union referencing only serves to publicise that 'dodgy' code nothing else. And if you think that fans just relate to the Canberra Raiders from just the ACT area then you are not acknowledging fans that have followed that club that do not come anywhere near that area. There are plenty of those . Rugby league is popular culture ( sexy). Union is not!

 

[Bojackhorseman]

We dissagree. If the West Tigers is deemed to be working then Central Coast Bears can work. Remembering the code is regaining a lost fanbase which is located not only just in northern Sydney. It has historical significance and generational support. The Central Coast would welcome a Bears franchise for various reasons. Some including : having a side in the Big League, a massive economic boost to business and tourism, increased pathways for juniors both in that region and the north part of Sydney. etc......We dissagree. And rugby league is a far more attractive sport to watch and play than union,so the union referencing only serves to publicise that 'dodgy' code nothing else. And if you think that fans just relate to the Canberra Raiders from just the ACT area then you are not acknowledging fans that have followed that club that do not come anywhere near that area. There are plenty of those . Rugby league is popular culture ( sexy). Union is not!

‘Dissagree’? Teacher?

 

[MrE_Assassin]

We dissagree. If the West Tigers is deemed to be working then Central Coast Bears can work. Remembering the code is regaining a lost fanbase which is located not only just in northern Sydney. It has historical significance and generational support. The Central Coast would welcome a Bears franchise for various reasons. Some including : having a side in the Big League, a massive economic boost to business and tourism, increased pathways for juniors both in that region and the north part of Sydney. etc......We dissagree. And rugby league is a far more attractive sport to watch and play than union,so the union referencing only serves to publicise that 'dodgy' code nothing else. And if you think that fans just relate to the Canberra Raiders from just the ACT area then you are not acknowledging fans that have followed that club that do not come anywhere near that area. There are plenty of those . Rugby league is popular culture ( sexy). Union is not!

Don't you continually spout off how Rugby Union is taking over in North Sydney because of a lack of an NRL team there? I'm pretty sure you've said that a myriad of times in amongst all the other broken record-style arguments you make. Wouldn't this mean that you too are publicising that "Dodgy code"?

To be fair, apart from the one premiership in 2005, I'd say the Wests Tigers hasn't worked all that well to date. Their club(s) were a shambles for a long time with the Balmain share basically going bust, Their back of house has been disorganised with continual CEO changes and in fighting, their football operations has been terrible (look at how many coaches they have punted, especially with the players having the key say in who stayed/left), and despite being called 'Wests' they have a significant identity problem because they represent distinctly different areas and bounce between 3-4 home grounds (Campbelltown, Leichhardt, ANZ and now Bankwest).

NS/CC already tried the whole amalgamation of areas in the Northern Eagles and whilst this was marred by the NS/Manly power struggle destroying the club, you can't exactly say the split between Gosford and Brookvale helped them. Their on field performance from memory, wasn't exactly dazzling either and I'd argue was a reflection of how bad things were with the back of house.

 

[Perth Red]

The solution for NS is dropping Manly and using the license for a brand new NRL club representing the whole area. Problem is NRL doesnt have the balls to do it, there is no suitable stadium for the new club and RL in Sydney is so stuck in the past it cant see a different future. So no Bears, no NS NRL representation, Manly bumbling along in a terrible ground with 10k crowds and no real progress for the game.

Gosford is a hard one. NQ seem to be making it work which gives some hope for smaller regional centres but if there is fanbase and corporate support to give log term usstainability without a big pokie club is the unanswered question. I'd save it for a full or partial relocation of a club with pokie or alternate funding.

 

[Wily Ole Dog]

No Sydney club should be axed. I hate manly but we’ve learnt our lesson

 

[Stallion]

Don't you continually spout off how Rugby Union is taking over in North Sydney because of a lack of an NRL team there? I'm pretty sure you've said that a myriad of times in amongst all the other broken record-style arguments you make. Wouldn't this mean that you too are publicising that "Dodgy code"?

To be fair, apart from the one premiership in 2005, I'd say the Wests Tigers hasn't worked all that well to date. Their club(s) were a shambles for a long time with the Balmain share basically going bust, Their back of house has been disorganised with continual CEO changes and in fighting, their football operations has been terrible (look at how many coaches they have punted, especially with the players having the key say in who stayed/left), and despite being called 'Wests' they have a significant identity problem because they represent distinctly different areas and bounce between 3-4 home grounds (Campbelltown, Leichhardt, ANZ and now Bankwest).

NS/CC already tried the whole amalgamation of areas in the Northern Eagles and whilst this was marred by the NS/Manly power struggle destroying the club, you can't exactly say the split between Gosford and Brookvale helped them. Their on field performance from memory, wasn't exactly dazzling either and I'd argue was a reflection of how bad things were with the back of house.

Innapropriate comparison. The locals of north Sydney have been abandoned by rugbyleague with the loss of a top flight club. THE Northern Eagles was never going to work. Why? Because two archrivals are exactly that : two arch rivals! The Central Coast Bears would absolutely regain plenty of disaffected and lost Bears fans as well as giving the Central Coast it's place in the NRL sun. It's win/win. Some can see this. Others don't.

 

[flippikat]

To be fair, apart from the one premiership in 2005, I'd say the Wests Tigers hasn't worked all that well to date. Their club(s) were a shambles for a long time with the Balmain share basically going bust, Their back of house has been disorganised with continual CEO changes and in fighting, their football operations has been terrible (look at how many coaches they have punted, especially with the players having the key say in who stayed/left), and despite being called 'Wests' they have a significant identity problem because they represent distinctly different areas and bounce between 3-4 home grounds (Campbelltown, Leichhardt, ANZ and now Bankwest).

NS/CC already tried the whole amalgamation of areas in the Northern Eagles and whilst this was marred by the NS/Manly power struggle destroying the club, you can't exactly say the split between Gosford and Brookvale helped them. Their on field performance from memory, wasn't exactly dazzling either and I'd argue was a reflection of how bad things were with the back of house.

You hit on a good point about the identity issue with Wests Tigers.
Playing at a jumble of home venues does not help - just as NOT wearing mainly orange jerseys (their biggest point of difference from ALL other NRL teams) does not help. Now Wests pretty much ARE the Wests Tigers (RIP

While spiritually it may have made sense for two ailing foundation teams to join forces, the Magpies 1980s relocation to Campbelltown made it geographically ridiculous. They need to figure out where they fit in Sydney’s map, and fast.

As for the Northern Eagles, in hindsight the split between Gosford & Brookvale was part of the problem. If the animosity between the Bears and Sea-Eagles factions wasn't there, maybe they could have turned out like St George-Illawarra... unfocused, spread between two home grounds, and under-achieving.

I used to think that super-regional teams like the St George-Illawarra Dragons, and a re-booted Northern Eagles-type team (North Sydney/Manly/Central Coast) were the way to go, but now I think a club needs ONE home ground, ONE main base.

Move Dragons to the 'Gong, move Manly or Roosters or whoever to Gosford.

The "Sydney plus a region" experiment has failed. Time to move teams out full-time.

They'll play enough away games in Sydney anyway....

 

[Stallion]

You hit on a good point about the identity issue with Wests Tigers.
Playing at a jumble of home venues does not help - just as NOT wearing mainly orange jerseys (their biggest point of difference from ALL other NRL teams) does not help. Now Wests pretty much ARE the Wests Tigers (RIP

While spiritually it may have made sense for two ailing foundation teams to join forces, the Magpies 1980s relocation to Campbelltown made it geographically ridiculous. They need to figure out where they fit in Sydney’s map, and fast.

As for the Northern Eagles, in hindsight the split between Gosford & Brookvale was part of the problem. If the animosity between the Bears and Sea-Eagles factions wasn't there, maybe they could have turned out like St George-Illawarra... unfocused, spread between two home grounds, and under-achieving.

I used to think that super-regional teams like the St George-Illawarra Dragons, and a re-booted Northern Eagles-type team (North Sydney/Manly/Central Coast) were the way to go, but now I think a club needs ONE home ground, ONE main base.

Move Dragons to the 'Gong, move Manly or Roosters or whoever to Gosford.

The "Sydney plus a region" experiment has failed. Time to move teams out full-time.

They'll play enough away games in Sydney anyway....

Suggest you watch a great game of footy and save your trash thinking for quiet times! That stuff is nonsensical . But you have a right to put it out there! Sydney needs its clubs and even moreso . And so does the code of rugby league!

 

[Bojackhorseman]

Suggest you watch a great game of footy and save your trash thinking for quiet times! That stuff is nonsensical . But you have a right to put it out there! Sydney needs its clubs and even moreso . And so does the code of rugby league!

This is your best post so far. I’ll sum it up for you ‘jhffgtfzzvhvcxgjbv’bnnhhgg!

 

[The Great Dane]

We dissagree. If the West Tigers is deemed to be working

I (and most reasonable people) don't deem the West Tigers to be working, which makes responding to the rest of your premise pointless.

And if you think that fans just relate to the Canberra Raiders from just the ACT area then you are not acknowledging fans that have followed that club that do not come anywhere near that area.

I didn't say that at all. . .

Also if you are unwilling to learn from the mistakes that RU has made simply because of a misplaced hatred of them then more fool you!

 

[flippikat]

This is your best post so far. I’ll sum it up for you ‘jhffgtfzzvhvcxgjbv’bnnhhgg!

Hilarious AND accurate.

 

[Bojackhorseman]

Hilarious AND accurate.

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