NRL Must Expand - Smith

[Lambretta]

As for teams in Darwin or PNG - the only way they will be able to field teams in the NRL is if they play all their home games in the same week where it isn't 30 degrees and 99.9% humidity.

Clubs already piss and moan (quite rightly) about the oppressive conditions in Townsville. You've got a gnats chuff of a chance of teams agreeing to include teams from a third World backwater or PNG in the competition.

There is more chance of Cronulla matching St George's decade plus of Premierships starting from last season than those places getting teams.

 

[CQ Italia]

CQ - as the NRL is a business and we are likely the most strongest financially and corporate wise most Sydney clubs would be envious

 

[Perth Red]

What should happen is irrelevant. The only relevance is what can happen and what will happen. The NRL is essentially owned by the existing clubs. Smith and Grant and everyone else when you really think about it all ultimately answer to the clubs. If the clubs unite they can sack anyone.

So when you understand and accept that you understand and accept that there will not be any expansion during the life of this tv rights deal. The clubs were barely above water for years. They've finally secured a deal that makes them financially comfortable. They're not about to share when 9 has confirmed that a 17th and 18th club won't improve the current deal.

They are going to get this entire deal to themselves then when we negotiate the next deal we'll be able to expand towards the end of this decade.

There is no logic to this argument. The game has more than doubled its annual income overnight. Club grants only accounted for an extra 32mill of that extra 115mill a year. There is shed loads of money in the game now, more than enough to see current clubs saved AND expand. There is no indication the arlc are going to up the club grants by an extra amount that would suck up all that new income.clubs are not running the game, another myth. If they were the salary cap would stay the same and club grants would have gone up to $10mill a year each.

 

[CowboyFuriousFury]

WA and Brisbane is a must for the NRL. I find it pathetic that the clubs out there are still relying on TV money and need more time to be viable, last I check majority of these clubs are decades old yet they still haven't got there house is order in particular the Sydney clubs pretty amateur you think from the administration of the NRL and the clubs. It's 2013 you would of these clubs would get there head down and fix up there clubs and make it viable instead of lazing around on pokies and tv revenue. All the clubs have more than enough time to get viable, how much more time do they want another 5,10,15 years,etc seriously.

The complacency and lack of action is a consquence for the clubs financial situation for not pushing memberships/getting people to attend game earlier they pay the price for it. For the clubs to just coast along like that while letting opportunities in new areas is just typical self-interest which has plagued the code since day one.

 

[The Mad Hatter]

There is some irony to the whole "Sydney clubs are holding back the game".

The same Sydney clubs voted to expand to Canberra, Newcastle, Illawarra, Gold Coast, Brisbane.

Then in 1995 they brought in Perth, Auckland, Townsville and a 2nd Brisbane team. Within a month, 3 of those teams fked off to a rival competition.

The Storm were brought in and were successful on the field whilst arguably cheating most of that time.

And the Gold Coast has been a financial basketcase too.

I agree on both cases: expansion is required and Sydney clubs need to get their houses in order.

But some of the vitriol towards Sydney clubs is unwarranted. And sure they relied on poker machine money, cigarette money and TV money over the years, but that's the way it was. May not be palatable and some clubs may still be catching up to the new market model, but FFS some of the biased diatribes on here are unbelievable. I also seem to remember certain SL clubs got big injections of cash in the range of $20m-$40m but where did all that money go - and yeah, I'm looking at Cronulla and Penrith here too.

They talk about 'agendas' in rugby league, but this website alone has plenty with LOL@souffs and Cronulla to die the biggest two. FMD, some of you need to get some new material, it's tiring come on here and sifting through so much shite just to have a decent discussion about RL issues.

The ARLC needs to get their house in order, get the existing teams in order, and if one, or some of those teams don't get in order, they get cast off, relocated or merged. A clear timeline needs to be put on the table for this. The ARLC needs to also put clear roadmaps to expansion on the table, alerting the regions with the best prospects for inclusion. They could also get interested regions who need more development on board and give them a timeline for their inclusion.

 

[applesauce]

There is some irony to the whole "Sydney clubs are holding back the game".

The same Sydney clubs voted to expand to Canberra, Newcastle, Illawarra, Gold Coast, Brisbane.

Then in 1995 they brought in Perth, Auckland, Townsville and a 2nd Brisbane team. Within a month, 3 of those teams fked off to a rival competition.

The Storm were brought in and were successful on the field whilst arguably cheating most of that time.

And the Gold Coast has been a financial basketcase too.

I agree on both cases: expansion is required and Sydney clubs need to get their houses in order.

But some of the vitriol towards Sydney clubs is unwarranted. And sure they relied on poker machine money, cigarette money and TV money over the years, but that's the way it was. May not be palatable and some clubs may still be catching up to the new market model, but FFS some of the biased diatribes on here are unbelievable. I also seem to remember certain SL clubs got big injections of cash in the range of $20m-$40m but where did all that money go - and yeah, I'm looking at Cronulla and Penrith here too.

They talk about 'agendas' in rugby league, but this website alone has plenty with LOL@souffs and Cronulla to die the biggest two. FMD, some of you need to get some new material, it's tiring come on here and sifting through so much shite just to have a decent discussion about RL issues.

The ARLC needs to get their house in order, get the existing teams in order, and if one, or some of those teams don't get in order, they get cast off, relocated or merged. A clear timeline needs to be put on the table for this. The ARLC needs to also put clear roadmaps to expansion on the table, alerting the regions with the best prospects for inclusion. They could also get interested regions who need more development on board and give them a timeline for their inclusion.

Wish LU had a like button to agree with great posts like this.

 

[LESStar58]

Spoken like a man who has no intention of a career other than League . . . either admin or media

This.

If he retires and Bellamy is still coaching he'll be a shoe in on the Storm coaching staff and be given just enough time as an assistant to be the inaugural head coach of the 2nd Brisbane side if they get in. He always talks about going back home to Queensland eventually and reckon that will eventually be his outlet.

Perth (for the timeslot alone as some have already mentioned) and Brisbane II are the no brainers but at the same time I still have a soft spot for the Bears getting resurrected on the Central Coast. A 2nd NZ team makes sense as well. PNG would be good in theory but the infrastructure and economy doesn't allow it IMO.

Look, in 1995 we went to 20 teams and I think that is a realistic number of teams to have in a new competition. In a prefect world I'd have the existing 16 plus Brisbane II, New Zealand II (based out of Wellington), Central Coast and Perth.

 

[The Great Dane]

This.

If he retires and Bellamy is still coaching he'll be a shoe in on the Storm coaching staff and be given just enough time as an assistant to be the inaugural head coach of the 2nd Brisbane side if they get in. He always talks about going back home to Queensland eventually and reckon that will eventually be his outlet.

Perth (for the timeslot alone as some have already mentioned) and Brisbane II are the no brainers but at the same time I still have a soft spot for the Bears getting resurrected on the Central Coast. A 2nd NZ team makes sense as well. PNG would be good in theory but the infrastructure and economy doesn't allow it IMO.

Look, in 1995 we went to 20 teams and I think that is a realistic number of teams to have in a new competition. In a prefect world I'd have the existing 16 plus Brisbane II, New Zealand II (based out of Wellington), Central Coast and Perth.

I agree with everything you have just said, but the world is not perfect and eventually cites like Adelaide and Christchurch (among others) may want their own NRL teams and eventually the day will come when there is more money to be made in Adelaide or Christchurch then there is to be made in Sydney for some of the smaller Sydney teams. Lets be honest none of the Sydney teams will willingly relocate on their own, so the time will come when the ARLC will have to take drastic measures to make sure that the competition is as strong as possible.

One of the simple ways to slow this process down is to merge Brisbane 2 with the Bears, making the North Brisbane Bears, which in turn opens up another expansion spot to whoever. But apart from that it gets very tricky and will certainly cause some emotions to run high.

 

[LESStar58]

I agree with everything you have just said, but the world is not perfect and eventually cites like Adelaide and Christchurch (among others) may want their own NRL teams and eventually the day will come when there is more money to be made in Adelaide or Christchurch then there is to be made in Sydney for some of the smaller Sydney teams. Lets be honest none of the Sydney teams will willingly relocate on their own, so the time will come when the ARLC will have to take drastic measures to make sure that the competition is as strong as possible.

One of the simple ways to slow this process down is to merge Brisbane 2 with the Bears, making the North Brisbane Bears, which in turn opens up another expansion spot to whoever. But apart from that it gets very tricky and will certainly cause some emotions to run high.

Okay, coming from the bloke whose club is owned by News I can appreciate the irony in what I'm about to say but...

I am by NO MEANS against a team in the city of churces but what does Adelaide actually offer our game? The only reason the Rams were in Super League was because News was based there at the time and needed a team to quantify their rebel competition. I can't see them ever having a team to be honest but as you said there may be a time when the ARLC starts merging/relocating to suit their agenda.

I hope it doesn't come to that to be honest. Why the f**k would the ARLC want to risk alienating the heartland fans any more than what Super League did? At the same time though, all of the clubs need to lift their game in regards to revenue streams so the threat of amalgamation or relocation is voided.

 

[Perth Red]

Adelaide offers a team in a capital city, in a city with one of the top 5 populations in the country and greater exposure for. National sponsors. It would need ten years hard work to prime it for a team but no reason whatsoever that it couldn't be done and would add plenty to a NATIONAL competition.

Only RL fans seem to expect our sport to be popular in non historic places for the game with no effort spent making it so.

 

[Dogs Of War]

It really just comes to the nrl taking one home game from each club and then using it to promote the game in areas which don't currently get any nrl games.

Of course they can work with clubs to ensure that they are promoted in regions they prefer. But it should be done with an overall objective that sees these areas get games when origin is on, so interest Australia/nz wide is at its highest, and attendances are at there lowest for club games.

At the end of season, they can split any profits made from these matches 16 ways so no team is better off in that aspect, and look to ensuring that major centres like Perth and Adelaide get 3 games each, with 3 game membership packs available.

It really is that easy to promote the game in areas that don't currently get any nrl, and make interest in the game grow, and maybe see some grassroots involvement growing which they can assist with.

 

[The Great Dane]

Okay, coming from the bloke whose club is owned by News I can appreciate the irony in what I'm about to say but...

I am by NO MEANS against a team in the city of churces but what does Adelaide actually offer our game? The only reason the Rams were in Super League was because News was based there at the time and needed a team to quantify their rebel competition. I can't see them ever having a team to be honest but as you said there may be a time when the ARLC starts merging/relocating to suit their agenda.

I hope it doesn't come to that to be honest. Why the f**k would the ARLC want to risk alienating the heartland fans any more than what Super League did? At the same time though, all of the clubs need to lift their game in regards to revenue streams so the threat of amalgamation or relocation is voided.

I hope it doesn't come to that either, but I think it probably will.

BTW, Adelaide was just an example I am not sure what they would bring to the NRL.

 

[DJShaksta]

Reading between the lines this is simply an extravagant plan by Smith to enable his old brown paper bag payments to recommence.

 

[LJC]

Putting off expansion till at least 2017 is one of the worst decisions the games officials have made in the last 20 years.

The game has to expand from its present boundaries. But to go along with expansion to other areas of Australia we need to look at cutting back the number of teams playing out of Sydney.

The above comment is where the problem is!

Sydney is the jewel in the crown!
If we further dilute the clubs playing out of Sydney we dilute the games market strength within Australasia largest city!

No need to dilute ! An extra 2 teams will give the game a greater presence Australia wide. And perhaps another two new clubs after that! Ideally another South QLD based team and WA Pirates would be good. The Central Coast Bears are a given! and take a pick between NZ South Island or Adelaide for the other.

Ultimately, a 20 team comp will serve for expansion to greater markets,consolidation and give the juniors further incentive to play the game!

Cropping your strength(curent established clubs is marketing suicide!)

 

[LESStar58]

Reading between the lines this is simply an extravagant plan by Smith to enable his old brown paper bag payments to recommence.

With posts like this, there's no doubt as to who the reigning premier is.

 

[Perth Red]

The above comment is where the problem is!

Sydney is the jewel in the crown!
If we further dilute the clubs playing out of Sydney we dilute the games market strength within Australasia largest city!

No need to dilute ! An extra 2 teams will give the game a greater presence Australia wide. And perhaps another two new clubs after that! Ideally another South QLD based team and WA Pirates would be good. The Central Coast Bears are a given! and take a pick between NZ South Island or Adelaide for the other.

Ultimately, a 20 team comp will serve for expansion to greater markets,consolidation and give the juniors further incentive to play the game!

Cropping your strength(curent established clubs is marketing suicide!)

Nsw and q'land are the jewels. I still fail to be convinced that you need nine teams in one city to attract 1million viewers. Having said that I would not wish the loss of their club on any fellow RL supporter so I am all for a 20 team comp but I don't believe the arlc are and therefore you have to admit that the over saturation in one city is restricting the games growth elsewhere. No easy answers sadly!

 

[DJShaksta]

With posts like this, there's no doubt as to who the reigning premier is.

Of New South Wales?
Barry O'Farrel

 

[Parraletic]

Perth & a 2nd QLD/Brisbane team must come in next. Then expand to places like NZ & Adelaide or Darwin. You could then have a 27 round league where the comp is split in 2 conferences.All the NSW teams in one & the rest in another. You play everyone in your conference twice & the other once. The derby games would be awesome! Plus imagine the revenue from 10 games every week.

 

[POPEYE]

Can hardly expect a smart man like Grant to commit to any scheme that would directly go against the wishes
of backers who have made an agreement with the ARLC. If however popular consensus demanded he examine
expansion, which would also alert backers of an opportunity to make money, it would force his hand . . .
something imo he would welcome. Won't happen without people power.

 

[Matchball]

I wonder which expansion club had Cam Smith lobby the NRL on this issue?
Cam wouldnt do anything for free.