NRL has eyes on Adelaide

[applesauce]

Gallop seems to think it isn't the NRL CEO's job to get the groundwork/plans in place for anything or for the NRL to help clubs in need or in expansion areas (eg. Storm).

Man I wish we took a leaf out of the AFL's book!!!

 

[Benchwarmer]

Put a new fresh team there and it will grow
DONT relocate ffs
Our product is the best product but a relocation has no soul to it

 

[flippikat]

Put a new fresh team there and it will grow
DONT relocate ffs
Our product is the best product but a relocation has no soul to it

Yeah, but the if we just expand (without some rationalisation of Sydney), it will keep diluting the playing strength of the teams.

Sure we can try to bring back players from Rugby Union or the Superleague (to fill the new teams rosters), but the only way to facilitate that is to increase the salary cap - and with half your teams competing in the same geographical market, surely that would seriously put the financial squeeze on them.

 

[dimitri]

Put a new fresh team there and it will grow
DONT relocate ffs
Our product is the best product but a relocation has no soul to it

Sydney Swans?

Brisbane Lions?

No soul? WTF

 

[Loudstrat]

No soul. Sydneysiders copped SOuth Melbourne relocated - who gave a toss? May as well been anyone.

If we were interested in AR, we'd probably care. I'd say a relocation to Brisbane would die in the arse - one to Adelaide wouldn't bother anyone. Wether they would turn up to games is another factor - Adelaide is at best about 6th best option we have for expansion.

 

[Jamberoo]

I am a bit of a broken record in this regard but 'Southern Sharks' playing 8 games out of the Shire with 4 in Adelaide could work. It would require specific input from the NRL, SA government etc but it could work. The moniker also works in Adelaide as well.

The home games moved can be the ones Shire people don't normally go to anyway such as the Storm, Cowboys and Warriors.

Sydney fans (as should all Sydney clubs) should be given the option for a "Sydney Season Ticket" where they can attend ALL Sharkies games in Sydney.

It would open the Sharks to a casual fan base of over a million. Even such a casual supporter base can be worth big money.

In actual fact I think numerous teams should consider the 'Dual City/Region Club' more.

Brilliant!
This could save the Sharks and grow the game in SA.
Similar to what Hawthorn have done in the AFL. They play 4 games in Tassie where they now have 8K members.

Adelaide can barely support 2 AFL teams so a full time NRL team is a long way off.

 

[IllawarraDragon]

I am a bit of a broken record in this regard but 'Southern Sharks' playing 8 games out of the Shire with 4 in Adelaide could work. It would require specific input from the NRL, SA government etc but it could work. The moniker also works in Adelaide as well.

The home games moved can be the ones Shire people don't normally go to anyway such as the Storm, Cowboys and Warriors.

Sydney fans (as should all Sydney clubs) should be given the option for a "Sydney Season Ticket" where they can attend ALL Sharkies games in Sydney.

It would open the Sharks to a casual fan base of over a million. Even such a casual supporter base can be worth big money.

In actual fact I think numerous teams should consider the 'Dual City/Region Club' more.

Interesting idea, but I don't know if a partial relocation would work, unless it was the prelude to a permanent relocation. However, with the redevelopement of Shark Park/Leagues Club, I think that if the Sharks can hold on 5 years or so, their financial situation will be very different from what it is now.

I think for Adelaide to work, it needs to be a new club and one that is aggressively marketed, similar to what the AFL is doing with GWS. But whatever you do, don't bring back the Rams!!

 

[Bluebags1908]

I am a bit of a broken record in this regard but 'Southern Sharks' playing 8 games out of the Shire with 4 in Adelaide could work. It would require specific input from the NRL, SA government etc but it could work. The moniker also works in Adelaide as well.

The home games moved can be the ones Shire people don't normally go to anyway such as the Storm, Cowboys and Warriors.

Sydney fans (as should all Sydney clubs) should be given the option for a "Sydney Season Ticket" where they can attend ALL Sharkies games in Sydney.

It would open the Sharks to a casual fan base of over a million. Even such a casual supporter base can be worth big money.

In actual fact I think numerous teams should consider the 'Dual City/Region Club' more.

I would have it the other way around - 8 in Adelaide and 4 in the Shire. So long as it's permanent arrangement then the Shire will still have a connection to the Sharks and get behind them for 4 games a year.

The only plus with having the majority of games in the Shire would be to allow Cronulla Leagues Club to have extra bumper trading days with the extra patrons on game day.

 

[Loudstrat]

For Adelaide to work, you'd need to move all 300 000 Shire residents there.

 

[IllawarraDragon]

For Adelaide to work, you'd need to move all 300 000 Shire residents there.

No point, less than half the League supporters in the Shire even like the Sharks.

 

[joshreading]

I neither think Adelaide can sustain a full time team nor think that the Sharks should leave the Shire altogether. Like has been seen with Hawthorn in the AFL a strategy like this can work for everyone.

Even if the Average crowds were only about Ten thousand in Adelaide the Sharkies would open up ten thousand more core supporters that would buy merch/watch on TV etc. not counting the potential casual supporter base by representing South Australia. It would also make the games in the Shire a must attend event. Games against all the key Sharkies rivals. In addition with growing the casual supporter base by moving some games to SA, South Aussies are more likely to watch the Sharks in general, thus increasing the sponsorship potential.

I think there should be something like a 6 or 10 year gaurantee to the initiative from both sides of the equation. Gauranteeing Adelaide the 4 games and gauranteeing the Shire they are not about to lose the Sharks.

This would also mean with the addition of the WA Reds the NRL would actually be the NRL. Which would cover ALL major TV markets both metro and regional in the country. THEN we would have NZ and Pacific tuning in as well.

 

[Brutus]

I neither think Adelaide can sustain a full time team nor think that the Sharks should leave the Shire altogether. Like has been seen with Hawthorn in the AFL a strategy like this can work for everyone.

Even if the Average crowds were only about Ten thousand in Adelaide the Sharkies would open up ten thousand more core supporters that would buy merch/watch on TV etc. not counting the potential casual supporter base by representing South Australia. It would also make the games in the Shire a must attend event. Games against all the key Sharkies rivals. In addition with growing the casual supporter base by moving some games to SA, South Aussies are more likely to watch the Sharks in general, thus increasing the sponsorship potential.

I think there should be something like a 6 or 10 year gaurantee to the initiative from both sides of the equation. Gauranteeing Adelaide the 4 games and gauranteeing the Shire they are not about to lose the Sharks.

This would also mean with the addition of the WA Reds the NRL would actually be the NRL. Which would cover ALL major TV markets both metro and regional in the country. THEN we would have NZ and Pacific tuning in as well.

I like it...a lot.

 

[jim_57]

I neither think Adelaide can sustain a full time team nor think that the Sharks should leave the Shire altogether. Like has been seen with Hawthorn in the AFL a strategy like this can work for everyone.

Even if the Average crowds were only about Ten thousand in Adelaide the Sharkies would open up ten thousand more core supporters that would buy merch/watch on TV etc. not counting the potential casual supporter base by representing South Australia. It would also make the games in the Shire a must attend event. Games against all the key Sharkies rivals. In addition with growing the casual supporter base by moving some games to SA, South Aussies are more likely to watch the Sharks in general, thus increasing the sponsorship potential.

I think there should be something like a 6 or 10 year gaurantee to the initiative from both sides of the equation. Gauranteeing Adelaide the 4 games and gauranteeing the Shire they are not about to lose the Sharks.

This would also mean with the addition of the WA Reds the NRL would actually be the NRL. Which would cover ALL major TV markets both metro and regional in the country. THEN we would have NZ and Pacific tuning in as well.

That's a good idea, though it needs to get juniors in Adelaide involved aswell. Maybe they could field Adelaide and Cronulla junior teams and the best get picked for Toyota Cup. Only disadvantage is that Adelaide will probably be very week to start.

Other question is, when Adelaide is ready for a stand alone NRL team what happens with the Sharks? relocate fully, stay with 4 games in Adelaide, move full-time back to Cronulla or move their 4 games from Adelaide into a new expansion area?

 

[Quidgybo]

I don't see why this would work any better than the Kangaroos attempts on the Gold Coast. If you're going to relocate then you have to do it heart and soul. Not a half hearted effort to convince your traditional area that you're not going anywhere while simultaneously looking like you're treating the new area as nothing more than a cash cow to be milked for all it's worth. You're either North Melbourne or you're the Gold Coast. And likewise you're either Cronulla or Adelaide (or the Central Coast or Perth or wherever). Trying to be both will only alienate both areas.

Leigh.

 

[Feej]

I neither think Adelaide can sustain a full time team nor think that the Sharks should leave the Shire altogether. Like has been seen with Hawthorn in the AFL a strategy like this can work for everyone.

Even if the Average crowds were only about Ten thousand in Adelaide the Sharkies would open up ten thousand more core supporters that would buy merch/watch on TV etc. not counting the potential casual supporter base by representing South Australia. It would also make the games in the Shire a must attend event. Games against all the key Sharkies rivals. In addition with growing the casual supporter base by moving some games to SA, South Aussies are more likely to watch the Sharks in general, thus increasing the sponsorship potential.

I think there should be something like a 6 or 10 year gaurantee to the initiative from both sides of the equation. Gauranteeing Adelaide the 4 games and gauranteeing the Shire they are not about to lose the Sharks.

This would also mean with the addition of the WA Reds the NRL would actually be the NRL. Which would cover ALL major TV markets both metro and regional in the country. THEN we would have NZ and Pacific tuning in as well.

Mate, as a Sharks supporter for 40 odd years, who is watching his club slowly and painfully dying, I would support this over the inevitable conclusion if we do nothing.

 

[Perth Red]

If for whatever reason the NRL turned around next year and said it was going to be CC and Q'land then I would hope a team would commit 4 games a year to Perth. I for one would become a member and follow that team whole heartedly if there was a genuine committment to developing the game in WA and a long period of guaranteed games.

 

[muzby]

the adelaide sharks..

has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

and just think, it ticks all the boxes..

- you can transfer an existing brand without any question of where past premiership successes would sit
- you can expand your search for a new coach to include adelaide
- if crowds are similar to melbourne, then this will already be a boost compared to current location of the sharks
- ability to end cronulla's suffering in peace (i've said it before, if the club was an animal, the RSPCA would be onto the NRL for cruelty..)
- provides the ability for those from 'the shire' to expand their horizons & travel a little bit.


bring it on.

 

[juro]

I don't see why this would work any better than the Kangaroos attempts on the Gold Coast. If you're going to relocate then you have to do it heart and soul. Not a half hearted effort to convince your traditional area that you're not going anywhere while simultaneously looking like you're treating the new area as nothing more than a cash cow to be milked for all it's worth. You're either North Melbourne or you're the Gold Coast. And likewise you're either Cronulla or Adelaide (or the Central Coast or Perth or wherever). Trying to be both will only alienate both areas.

Leigh.

Yeah, I agree. It has to be one or the other. Trying half and half will not work.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Biggest problem with Adelaide and the Sharks is the fact that it was the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks whom decided not to take anymore games to Adelaide after last year. The Bullies have since taken up a post in Adelaide and decided the city, the state, needs a rugby league presence and therefore they signed a deal to play there for the next few years.

The Sharkies had their chance to really do something in adelaide but all the dramas from last year eventually lead to rash decisions. I like the sharks, I personally best remember then from the 90's with et, peach, rogers, green, greenhill, lang, long etc. Great team. It's a shame they, like the bears were always so close to a premiership but just couldn't reach it.

The club needs to do something soon. Real soon. Theyve been struggling for quite some time and that can't be good. Adelaide is always there but then again the sharkies always have new zealands south island too.

As for Adelaide, well if the reds and bears can return as mascots then they not the rams too?

The nrl have some decisions to make and make soon about the game. Where are we heading?

 

[otori]

Exactly, the Sunshine Coast (or even Redcliffe) Sharks would kill 2 birds with one stone. It would be well received in QLD and give us the 4th team the NRL should have and have a really good shot at becoming a long term success. The cultures of the 2 areas are similar beach lifestyles, making the transition easier and if the government will build a CQLD stadium for a bid team I don't see why they wouldn't commit to a sunshine coast upgraded/new stadium.

Moving a Sydney team to QLD would not be well received by the locals. There's no cultural hang ups involving Origin with moving the Sharks to Adelaide but the argument on a team's identity is very much alive if the Sunny Coast and Cronulla share a team. The locals would rail against this due to the Sydney vs. Brisbane battle that constantly gets played out by people and the media up here.