NRL rules out expansion in 2006

[t-ba]

Don't give the Gold Coast the sharks. It would be a big move and to be honest, you would not see the Gold Coast getting behind a relocated team.

Brand new start, brand new players/lineup, brand new fans and supporter base.

Why? I thought the Gold Coast loved their rugby league and not just any one club? The way some of the pro GC people explain, the GC is screaming out for ANY club.

 

[Eelectrica]

I think the Gold Coast would get behind a relocated sharks team. I'd be curious to see what would happen if the Sharks played a trial down here.

 

[pcpp]

I don't think they would go with any relocated team (especially one from NSW!)

 

[CULLUS.ONLINE]

Does anyone know the financial outlook of the Sharks at the moment?

It would be intresting to see the direction in which they are heading.

Sharks/Dolphins = same thing (yeah, i know they arn't but still)

But in a perfect world we would still have Norths, Balmain, Wests and all the other clubs!

 

[JoeysWheelchair]

Don't give the Gold Coast the sharks. It would be a big move and to be honest, you would not see the Gold Coast getting behind a relocated team.

Brand new start, brand new players/lineup, brand new fans and supporter base.

Why? I thought the Gold Coast loved their rugby league and not just any one club? The way some of the pro GC people explain, the GC is screaming out for ANY club.

It wouldn't feel like our "own" team, furthermore it lacks QLD players. It might be alright for you lot down south, but up here in QLD we find it hard to support any NSW players, at all. Especially a team like Cronulla, who is full of non-qlders. I know we want a team, but I don't think we would be content saving a struggling side through relocation. The public wouldn't get behind it with the same passion as a team which has been built from the ground up.

 

[Craig]

Well a relocated team (Northern Eagles) never worked on the CC, so it is proof that relocated teams don't work.

 

[pcpp]

Why? I thought the Gold Coast loved their rugby league and not just any one club? The way some of the pro GC people explain, the GC is screaming out for ANY club.

It wouldn't exactly feel right for example, the Bulldogs or the Roosters fans supporting the Broncos. That's what rivalry's are for.

 

[Knightmare]

This a stupid decision by the NRL! Both areas need a team, and like I stated in the fan's poll in Big League, if one of the two areas misses out, it's a travesty. Well, it's a double travesty, and a kick in the guts to both areas! When will the NRL wake up and stop listening to the self interest of the clubs and grow the balls to make the big decisions? First they scrap the World 7's, now this #-o Why does the NRL make what should be such an easy decision so difficult?

 

[Sea_Eagles_Rock]

Well a relocated team (Northern Eagles) never worked on the CC, so it is proof that relocated teams don't work.

So you are saying the West Tigers and St George Illawarra mergers haven't worked as well? Your logic is completely in error.

Queensland is supposed to be one of two heartlands in Australia for Rugby League. One has 2 teams, while the other has 10. I think the CC and Wellington can wait while the long term future of the jewel of the game is preserved - The state of origin. And if that means waiting one year or two then so be it.

I also find the logic of putting a 'bears' team into Gosford a joke. Effectively that is a relocation anyway. Apparently they want their own identity to the point of abandoning the NE francise to get their 'own' team. Well, it's not their own team, it's Singo team from North Sydney. I think I won't lose any sleep that he lost the Jets and the Bears.... I feel sorry for the CC fans, because they had a team that if they had of supported hard enough could have forced a complete relocation. I'm thankful they didn't choose to take that opportunity. The NE francise would have always gone to the location that had the most support. Singo had a big part to play in that outcome.

The one thing I will say about the NRL, it took some balls to stand up to Singo, his puppets and media outlets. There is no doubt they will get beaten from pillar to post by 2GB and Warren Ryan over the next few months as a result. But the end result was they didn't actually say no to anybody.

 

[Nullajet]

yrah cause i just bloody love when my team has the bye.....exciting weekend that!!

how stupid!

 

[ngunity]

I think Lantana's earlier post had plenty of wisdom

Ultimately the NRL WOULD kill League for sure if they said "f^%k the budget lets expand" and it FAILED. I'd rather have League than no League and all of you would too, you can't have a sport without money and the clubs can't survive without the NRL giving it to them (ok maybe 3 can but what's a 3 team comp??)

Let's assume for a moment that the NRL DID make a decision in the best interests of the game being that they said they need to:
1 see how much cash they can garner from their next TV deals, their MAJOR source of revenue
2 See how existing clubs survive... the NRL would look like stupid @ssholes if a foundation club failed as they expanded. I'd rather F%ck all expansion plans than lose my team

I think this decision certainly has the existing NRL at heart to a large degree, only a fool would build on a foundation of sand, but I'm sure that it will:
1. encourage Gay-Union and AFL to expand into LEague's promised lands
2. Make expansion much harder in future as League interest wanes

I'm certainly not re-assured in any pro-NRL argument on this matter that the NRL did in fact take League's best long term interests in hand in that while they may ensure the status-quo survives they also shoot the great expansion plans e.g. CC and GC down in flames

Perhaps League can survive as a pidgeon holed 'brief stretch of the east coast of Australia' and 'Northern England' only sport, and it seems that's what the NRL leadership will take the game too, but is it really the BEST option for LEague

My heart (not my brain) says the NRL should have:
Taken into account an expected windfall in future TV deals then got investment/ loan/ whatever, money that amounts to a modest amount of that likely future income then SPENT, SPENT, SPENT. NOW, NOW, NOW
If the NRL had the guts to expand into GC/ CC/ Wellington and push marketing at Melbourne, League would be #1 on the East coast of Australia with AFL (outside of VIC) , and Union put in their respective places
With the eventual windfall of FTA TV moneys NRL could bolster their 18 team comp and consolidate before re-introducing the WA and SA areas in 10-15 years.

Anyway only the NRL can know the true state of their finances #-o we can only speculate if they are gutless, money grubbing cretins or belt-tightening stiff-upper lippers :|

 

[DIEHARD]

50% goes directly to News Limited's Super League $220 million debt

Actually News Ltd take their share as profit, and an extra $10mil. That $10mil is the only thing that takes off their debt. The other money is for them to keep.

And no one forced News Ltd to spend $220mil on Super League. A lot of people would have preferred it if they didn't.

Why in god's name are we repaying anything? They invested money in their own competition and lost what ever they lost fair and square.

We aren't paying back Packer and Optus for their support of the ARL. Why the f**k do we have to pay back News Ltd?

We'd be sweet if we didn't have millions being robbed from us every year.

 

[hrundi99]

It was part of the NRL agreement obviously.

 

[Brutus]

I hate how all the NEWS LTD journos talked down expansion in the weeks leading up to the announcemnt which was purposefully put back to coincide with the Olympics.

The story has just been buried under all the Olympic stuff. Just how they planned.

Frigg orf News LTD from our game!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Brutus]

Expansion. Why are soo many of you upset and abusing the NRL that they didn't expand. Rugby League doesn't have the right ingredients to support another team. At the present time there are probably two teams too many in the competition.

Money just doesn't grow on trees and if everything that a minority of fans wanted implemented in the game was granted you'd be lucky too see any rugby league because the game would be broke.

Once upon a time we had 16 teams and everything was cool.

I can't see why we can't have that amount of teams again when we are suppossed to be experiencing 'record numbers'

 

[Chook]

Everybody needs to calm down.

Don't forget the NRL never once requested submissions from any of the potential franchisees. It was Singo that came on with his typical bullyboy business tactics. Well if Singo is so in favour of expanding the comp how come he wont allow any other commercial radio stations the rights to broadcast games? Because he knows without Rugby League his precious 2gb would rate f**k all.
What does this mean in the long run?
Both of these areas will still recieve NRL support in the forms of games and development. (Surely 16,000 at Roosters V Cowboys shows the area is a Rugby League stronghold without it's own team. The same can be said for the Gold Coast with 18,000 at trial games)
Currently clubs are losing a combined total of 25 million a year and the NRL pays them a total of 30 million (2.5 each). With the pokie tax coming in there is a further shortfall in the grant from the leagues club. When you consider the NRL: makes about 70 million a year and 50% goes directly to News Limited's Super League $220 million debt that leaves around $35 million for the ARL to;
* Fund the ARL Foundation
* Provide NSWRL grants - and affiliated Statewide Cup competitions
* Provide QRL grants - and Affiliated Statewide Cup competitions
* Provide CRL grants
* Fund the ASSRL competitions
* All ARL tours
* Employ all staff including development officers
* Plough millions back into grassroots Rugby League
* Marketing costs
This definately not the time to consider expansion.
f**k, we have knobheads on here every week complaining about the NRL not advertising enough!
The AFL never considered expansion until they had
* a vibrant competition that was averaging over 30,000 to club games (NRL doesn't average hald that)
* until they had a strategic plan for teams to be located in area where AFL had been promoted and developed for many years (Perth, Adelaide)
* Developed a clear pathways program for young talent to be developed nationally and syphoned into the AFL through a fair and equitable player draft.
* Had negotiated a pay TV deal that is TWICE the NRL's deal ($100 million a year)
* Had negotiated a Free to air broadcasating right that was going to provide a vehicle to drive the games promotion into the area they want to develop next as an AFL area (Sydney, Brisbane) - You can see 5 free to air games a week on CH10 + CH9 and can hear games broadcasted on several radiostations with the Swans live on MMM.

Rugby League has plenty of hurdles to get over with new TV rights (Pay and free) to negotiate being the catalyst ot the games direction over the next 10 years.

Don't panic, it would be easy for a weak and irresponsible executive to play the good guy and let these teams in and be a champion for a week. But the future of our game isn't about fly by night decisions. The next franchise admitted can not go down the path of the Reds, Rams, Mariners or Crushers, it is to hurtful to our game.
Yes Singo has guarenteed the Bears for 5 years, then what. Singo isn't a dill and if that franchise isn't making money (I'm pretty sure it will) than what is stopping him moving on?
We need to understand the long term viability of our sport whilst taking in some key performance influncers prior to any decision.
The no is for now until we get a better understanding of where we are so the NRL and News can draw a blueprint of where the game is heading over the next decade. The decision will be a little easier because of the outstanding presentation prepared by the GC,CC and Wellington.
My bet is each area will have a team by 2010.

Read this everyone, it makes sense!!

And to add more weight to the pro no expansion argument, why would/should the NRL make strategic decisions based on the "possible" expansion ramblings of rival codes? I mean the AFL have said they will play a few games at Carrara, there's been nothing said about relocating a team there?? The ARU have said nothing about forming a 16th Slug 12 team on the Central Coast, that was Singo bluffing. If anything the ARU are more concered about a possible combined Pacific Islands team for the Slug 12.

The NRL should never, ever, ever make decisions based on what other rival codes are planning or saying! That is reactive when we should be proactive and rival codes could have us jumping through hoops for years chasing our tails to their tune. That's stupid and bad business.

Chook.

 

[Front-Rower]

Expansion. Why are soo many of you upset and abusing the NRL that they didn't expand. Rugby League doesn't have the right ingredients to support another team. At the present time there are probably two teams too many in the competition.

Money just doesn't grow on trees and if everything that a minority of fans wanted implemented in the game was granted you'd be lucky too see any rugby league because the game would be broke.

Once upon a time we had 16 teams and everything was cool.

I can't see why we can't have that amount of teams again when we are suppossed to be experiencing 'record numbers'

Yes I know we had 16 teams 15 years ago and it worked well until they introduced the next 4 to bump it up to 20 :roll: we really had some close games then.

The NRL has done the right thing. Research, time and available funds are requried to place another team in the NRL. It needs to be a successful venture. Its needs to be understood if the team can survive pressure from rival codes if the team experiences poor form or a season of bad results.

The main reason the game survives in Sydney as it does is because majority of supporters live and support teams from Sydney. So ofcourse for a blockbuster game you are going to have big crowds, because they are two local teams.

There is a lot more to it than a "simple decision" or just plonking a team in an area and wishing them all the best.

 

[Bengal]

I think Lantana's earlier post had plenty of wisdom

Ultimately the NRL WOULD kill League for sure if they said "f^%k the budget lets expand" and it FAILED. I'd rather have League than no League and all of you would too, you can't have a sport without money and the clubs can't survive without the NRL giving it to them (ok maybe 3 can but what's a 3 team comp??)

Let's assume for a moment that the NRL DID make a decision in the best interests of the game being that they said they need to:
1 see how much cash they can garner from their next TV deals, their MAJOR source of revenue
2 See how existing clubs survive... the NRL would look like stupid @ssholes if a foundation club failed as they expanded. I'd rather F%ck all expansion plans than lose my team

I think this decision certainly has the existing NRL at heart to a large degree, only a fool would build on a foundation of sand, but I'm sure that it will:
1. encourage Gay-Union and AFL to expand into LEague's promised lands
2. Make expansion much harder in future as League interest wanes

I'm certainly not re-assured in any pro-NRL argument on this matter that the NRL did in fact take League's best long term interests in hand in that while they may ensure the status-quo survives they also shoot the great expansion plans e.g. CC and GC down in flames

Perhaps League can survive as a pidgeon holed 'brief stretch of the east coast of Australia' and 'Northern England' only sport, and it seems that's what the NRL leadership will take the game too, but is it really the BEST option for LEague

My heart (not my brain) says the NRL should have:
Taken into account an expected windfall in future TV deals then got investment/ loan/ whatever, money that amounts to a modest amount of that likely future income then SPENT, SPENT, SPENT. NOW, NOW, NOW
If the NRL had the guts to expand into GC/ CC/ Wellington and push marketing at Melbourne, League would be #1 on the East coast of Australia with AFL (outside of VIC) , and Union put in their respective places
With the eventual windfall of FTA TV moneys NRL could bolster their 18 team comp and consolidate before re-introducing the WA and SA areas in 10-15 years.

Anyway only the NRL can know the true state of their finances #-o we can only speculate if they are gutless, money grubbing cretins or belt-tightening stiff-upper lippers :|

This has no relevance, especially when at least one team is willing to fund itself.
This self-funding would have lasted for at least five years; certainly it would’ve rode out the so-called ‘consolidation’ period being so often talked about.
Introducing a self-reliant team would not have been a drain on NRL resources. This has been a wasted opportunity to find out the viability of one of these bids.

As for taking into account a future windfall, obviously they haven't otherwise they would have pushed ahead with at least one new team.

 

[Southern Rooster]

We get Orford!

Still no guarantee we stay either. :roll:

I agree 100%.

It is time David Gallop came out and said whether we have a future or not.

I think the fact there was no expansion means he thinks Melbourne will be here. It would be bad business to have Melbourne there for 5 years and have some on field success and then cut them off aftter such a short period of time. Rome wasn't built in a day.

 

[Broncaz]

As others have pretty much said, great work NRL.....hand AFL to the GC and Union to the CC #-o ..........Rotten bastards! :evil: