NRL: Lets talk about relocating teams, says QRL boss.

[Stallion]

Can you explain why the game is growing in Perth with no nrl team yet you claim it is declining in north Sydney despite it being a rl city with 9 nrl clubs within spitting distance? Are the ns bears/nswrl really doing such a bad job in sustaining grass roots in the region?

You have touched on a few things that WA rugby league is doing right. The scheduling of local comp games on Saturdays is one major reason. This has enabled rugby league to become both socially and culturally accepted. Ignoring that I do support a NRL club in Perth is a theme from ignorant posters on this topic. Rugby league in Northern Sydney is in decline. Their are a number of reasons for this and not having the Bears in the top flight is a major one.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

How ignorant. If their was a place for a relocation that makes sense it is North Sydney Bears on the Central Coast. Their is a train line that directly transports fans to the stadium from North Sydney. Their is also a need for more top flight rugby league in the Central Coast. Gaining back something that has been.lost and increasing the codes exposure on the Central Coast is a smart and prudent move. Far be it from me to encroach on the capabilities and logic I'm witnessing for some on this site. You are dumb if you can't see the merits! ?

Firstly, few fans will travel from North Sydney to the central coast if they can just wait to watch the bears play an away fixture in Sydney. Secondly, the Central Coast is already a RL area that gets NRL matches. There will be very few additional fans brought to the game that don't already follow it by putting the bears up there. Perth on the other hand...

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Apologies for the poor texting. SHOLD HAVE BEEN "thick scull" And the population is far greater in the places you have mentioned . Not to mention a massive tyranny of distance in Australia. Go figure?

The NRL is a professional sport that flies professional athletes to different cities all the time and attract airline sponsorship. If tyranny of distance is your reason not to expand that we may as well disband the NRL and return to amatuerism under the NSWRL and QRL. Then you can have your 11 Sydney teams, Canberra and Illawarra playing in front of small crowds at suburban grounds just like pre 1988. Would you be happy with that?

 

[titoelcolombiano]

You have touched on a few things that WA rugby league is doing right. The scheduling of local comp games on Saturdays is one major reason. This has enabled rugby league to become both socially and culturally accepted. Ignoring that I do support a NRL club in Perth is a theme from ignorant posters on this topic. Rugby league in Northern Sydney is in decline. Their are a number of reasons for this and not having the Bears in the top flight is a major one.

If the bears and NSWRL have dropped the ball at grass roots level in North Sydney, then they simply don't deserve a spot in the NRL. QLD cup clubs successfully grow the game at a suburban / community level from the second teir. Many other NSW Cup teams do also.

 

[Timmah]

The code is in decline in northern Sydney!

Oooooh a lone anecdote from one single-minded individual on an internet forum. It must be a decline!

 

[Stallion]

Firstly, few fans will travel from North Sydney to the central coast if they can just wait to watch the bears play an away fixture in Sydney. Secondly, the Central Coast is already a RL area that gets NRL matches. There will be very few additional fans brought to the game that don't already follow it by putting the bears up there. Perth on the other hand...

Lol. I'm sure a train trip straight to the Central Coast Stadium is not a big ask considering the alternative of no top flight recognition at all! They would travel and the people of the Central Coast would turn.up. You are so negative! It's amazing how innept your thinking and logic is!?

 

[Stallion]

Oooooh a lone anecdote from one single-minded individual on an internet forum. It must be a decline!

Lol. So participation is down. TV Audience for rugby league is down. No genuine local derby to keep the locals interested? Other codes like AFL and union increasing in participation and crowds (local union games) at rugby league’s loss? Crowds down at the now isolated northern Sydney club of Manly Warringah? Yeah sure my anecdotal observations can be predictably ridiculed by some on this site. But they are valid observations. And if you believe rugby league is flourishing in northern Sydney you are truelly not with reality.

 

[Timmah]

Lol. So participation is down. TV Audience for rugby league is down. No genuine local derby to keep the locals interested? Other codes like AFL and union increasing in participation at rugby league’s loss? Crowds down at the now isolated northern Sydney club of Manly Warringah? Yeah sure my anecdotal observations can be predictably ridiculed by some on this site. But they are valid observations. And if you believe rugby league is flourishing in northern Sydney you are truelly not with reality.

Do you just say stuff and hope it's true?

Participation grew 3.5% in 2018.

TV audiences for the NRL grew 4% in 2018.

No genuine local derbies? Nine teams in Sydney and you wanna tell me there's no derbies? I reckon Dragons, Sharks, Bulldogs, Eels, Panthers fans would all beg to differ. Roosters v Rabbitohs? Come on.

Rugby union participation increasing to the detriment of rugby league? Where is this information?

Crowds down at Manly - their home average has been floating between the 10-15k mark for decades, often corresponding with the clubs' form.

And predictably you bring in another straw man argument - at no point did I suggest rugby league is 'flourishing in Northern Sydney'.

The code is not in decline - you are manufacturing a rubbish argument based on your opinion and it's not backed up by facts. Rugby league doesn't need a new (or old) team in the northern Sydney region to 'recapture the game' or anything of the sort.

 

[TheEroticGamer]

I'm all for Central Coast getting a team.

But not before Perth, Moreton Bay, Wellington, Adelaide, Ipswich, PNG, Fiji then Perth and Adelaide get a second each.

 

[MugaB]

If ever there is a city in Australia that should have another NRL club it's Brisbane. The fact that the Broncos have continued this monopoly within this Rugby league city is an abomination of logic and reeks of greed and lack of feel for the code . Some well marketed new franchise called perhaps Brisbane Dolphins? would be successful and a plus for even the Broncos and especially the code in Brisbane.It's astonishing that the Broncos have got away with such a monopoly for such a long time! If I were the NRL I would be adding/reintroducing two clubs/franchises within a few years. These clubs would be the Central Coast Bears with strong affiliation to the North Sydney club and the Brisbane Dolphins with strong links to the Redcliffe/Sunshine coast and surrounds area . These two additonal franchises would consolidate the code in heartland areas and then positive expansion plans into traditional non rugby league areas like Perth, Adelaide and maybe Melbourne 2 should be strategically worked from an 18 team comp going forward. The set up costs/infrastructure advantage is already there for the two "consolidation " clubs. (ie grounds & juniors, plus rugby league savvy market)

Also dont forget relcation of 1-2 struggling sydney teams would ease the case of both too many teams in the sydney region, and having a heritage link to a new city mentioned above (Perth, Adeliade or melbourne 2)

 

[Stallion]

they’ve got two teams in each of their smaller heartland cities, 9 very well supported clubs in their main city heartland, two clubs in Syney and two clubs in Queensland. Regardless of how you think their expansion performing they have the national footprint they want whilst we are probably 30 plus years to getting close to it. They are decades ahead of us and with our Sydney overstauration and weak leadership it’s doubtful we’ll ever catch up.

The first half of your comment was good . Then you ruined your whole stance with a destructive stance instead of genuine growth with established clubs!

 

[Stallion]

Also dont forget relcation of 1-2 struggling sydney teams would ease the case of both too many teams in the sydney region, and having a heritage link to a new city mentioned above (Perth, Adeliade or melbourne 2)

I would suggest that only clubs that have been merged would be in that scenario. Only a club like Wests Magpies could be a reasonable relocation choice. This club has lost its identity and could have "life" in West Australia as West Australian Magpies. Having the iconic Balmain name back as the Balmain-Campbelltown Tigers would make good sense as well. Sydney's clubs are full of heritage and generational support which matters to the credibility of any competition. You throw that away you throw the substance of the NRL. I suggest genuine growth without imploding existing supporter bases which are widespread and not just in the Sydney area.

 

[Stallion]

Are these the same bears fans that won't watch the NSW cup team play? Why would they travel to the central coast? Or WSS? Or Cronulla? Or Penrith?

Many of the benefits that you mention could be gained by relegating Manly to NSW Cup whilst freeing up space in the NRL for Perth that would start at a similar level to Manly in terms of crowd average but with a much better stadium, a much higher ceiling for growth and would give us a national footprint, a new TV slot and opens us up to sponsors that want a national reach. Norths would open us up to..... the Central Coast. No offense to our friends on the Central Coast, but most already follow another NRL team and the NRL play multiple games up there a year anyway. Plus they have access to multiple NRL games every week just an hour and a quarter down the road or an hour and a half up the road. A luxury many RL fans in Australia don't have.

You just don't get it do you! ? They are Bears fans. That's their club and probably their culture as well. This can be said for all these well established Sydney based clubs you show a genuine disregard for. They matter to people and have done so for generations.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

You just don't get it do you! ? They are Bears fans. That's their club and probably their culture as well. This can be said for all these well established Sydney based clubs you show a genuine disregard for. They matter to people and have done so for generations.

Who is they? Are you talking about the people of the Central Coast? Also, you failed to address any point in my post.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Lol. I'm sure a train trip straight to the Central Coast Stadium is not a big ask considering the alternative of no top flight recognition at all! They would travel and the people of the Central Coast would turn.up. You are so negative! It's amazing how innept your thinking and logic is!?

Why would bears fans attitudes be any different to other Sydney NRL fans in terms of travelling to games?

Stop with the personal insults and address my points. You are just making yourself look like a poor debater because when you don't have an answer, you respond with your usual catch phrases followed with insults.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Lol. So participation is down. TV Audience for rugby league is down. No genuine local derby to keep the locals interested? Other codes like AFL and union increasing in participation and crowds (local union games) at rugby league’s loss? Crowds down at the now isolated northern Sydney club of Manly Warringah? Yeah sure my anecdotal observations can be predictably ridiculed by some on this site. But they are valid observations. And if you believe rugby league is flourishing in northern Sydney you are truelly not with reality.

• Participation is up
• TV ratings are up and in fact outrated the AFL this year
• The union crowds that you refer to are Shute Shield - are you admitting that if a club makes an effort it can make an impact from the lower teirs of a sport? Can you please tell North Sydney Bears that

 

[Timmah]

Who is they? Are you talking about the people of the Central Coast? Also, you failed to address any point in my post.

Stallion ignored my post completely lol... probably because it contained factual information.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Stallion ignored my post completely lol... probably because it contained factual information.

I've noticed that when the facts wear away at his arguments, there is either no reply or he will loop back to the beginning of his list of catch-phrases like an AI bot that is confused.

 

[Stallion]

Who is they? Are you talking about the people of the Central Coast? Also, you failed to address any point in my post.

No. You are just warped ! "They" are the North Sydney Bears fans! Not only based in northern Sydney but elsewhere dodo!

 

[Stallion]

Stallion ignored my post completely lol... probably because it contained factual information.

Lol. I wasn't allowed to reply!