NRL's growth mindset points to 18th team. And it ain't Perth.

[Reflector]

I thought that there were always going to be a couple of Sydney teams that were going to bite the dust at that time but there is a reason why mergers (as far as I know) haven’t been tried in any other sport. It really is a weird idea.

Relocations or just demoting teams to NSW Cup would have worked a lot better

Brisbane Lions have worked reasonably well in the AFL. But that's probably because Fitzroy were generally rubbish with a low support base, and the Bears were mediocre with little history and not much support.

Dragons could be an excellent JV but the WIN faction have control of the board and don't have a clue how to run the place. With the Tigers, Balmain have the support and Wests have the money/ power but Wests are clueless about success.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Brisbane Lions have worked reasonably well in the AFL. But that's probably because Fitzroy were generally rubbish with a low support base, and the Bears were mediocre with little history and not much support.

Dragons could be an excellent JV but the WIN faction have control of the board and don't have a clue how to run the place. With the Tigers, Balmain have the support and Wests have the money/ power but Wests are clueless about success.

I think the perennial success of the roosters and the revived South Sydney underline your point.

Resources being about equal, It’s all about the people in command at the clubs over and above geography.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I thought that there were always going to be a couple of Sydney teams that were going to bite the dust at that time but there is a reason why mergers (as far as I know) haven’t been tried in any other sport. It really is a weird idea.

Relocations or just demoting teams to NSW Cup would have worked a lot better

The Brisbane Lions are a merged entity. There was infighting between them and Fitzroy and it still exists to some degree. About 10 years ago they fought over the logo. It might have ended up in court. Their business name is the Brisbane Bears-Fitzroy Lions Football Club, or something to that effect. They now wear the Fitzroy jersey when playing away and have the BBFLFC on their back.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I think the perennial success of the roosters and the revived South Sydney underline your point.

Resources being about equal, It’s all about the people in command at the clubs over and above geography.

If that's the case then we should get rid of Sydney's four weakest clubs and let the remaining five take over. Two in the east and three in the west could easily cover Sydney. The likes of Manly, St George and Cronulla will never be anything but small clubs with small fanbases in small regions. Tigers are a mess that has never worked and will be f**ked when the older generation of Balmain fans die off. If these four clubs went then it would only take 20 years for people from these regions to adopt one of the other Sydney clubs as their team.

 

[siv]

Hindsight is usually 20/20. The "visionaries" were all pro rationalisation and had this idea that merging Sydney clubs was the way forward.

Hypothetically speaking, the Eagles might have become very successful IF they split games between Brookvale and NSO (focusing on the Northern Beaches/ North Shore) AND Manly/ Norths didn't despise each other.

But I see no improvement on RLs biggest asset its brands in fact all you have is a negative Beagles brand impact

Which eventyally forced Manly to de-merge

I expect something similar to eventually hapoen with St George. It could be as simple dropping of the Illawarra or St George name one year

While at the Wests-Tigers, Balmain is already all but dead. Only the geogeaphic link to Leichhardt holds this link, but if Leichhardt never gets upgraded and with old Wests St Luke/Concord Oval now becoming a training base, it will only take a decision upgrade Campbelltown and revert to the Magpie one day that put the final nail in the coffin

 

[siv]

If that's the case then we should get rid of Sydney's four weakest clubs and let the remaining five take over. Two in the east and three in the west could easily cover Sydney. The likes of Manly, St George and Cronulla will never be anything but small clubs with small fanbases in small regions. Tigers are a mess that has never worked and will be f**ked when the older generation of Balmain fans die off. If these four clubs went then it would only take 20 years for people from these regions to adopt one of the other Sydney clubs as their team.

Auckland, Gold Coast or Redcliffe will probably fold first

 

[MugaB]

O

Auckland, Gold Coast or Redcliffe will probably fold first

Very doubtful on redcliffe, usually a club will fold due to money constraints, redcliffe are one of the richest RL clubs in aus...
Most likely gold coast, if i was guessing from your picks

 

[mongoose]

But I see no improvement on RLs biggest asset its brands in fact all you have is a negative Beagles brand impact

Which eventyally forced Manly to de-merge

I expect something similar to eventually hapoen with St George. It could be as simple dropping of the Illawarra or St George name one year

While at the Wests-Tigers, Balmain is already all but dead. Only the geogeaphic link to Leichhardt holds this link, but if Leichhardt never gets upgraded and with old Wests St Luke/Concord Oval now becoming a training base, it will only take a decision upgrade Campbelltown and revert to the Magpie one day that put the final nail in the coffin

Isn't a lot of the Tigers fanbase ex-Balmain fans though? would be a huge mistake for them to revert to wests magpies i reckon. Dragons could probably drop Illawarra and it wouldn't make a lick of difference.

 

[Reflector]

Isn't a lot of the Tigers fanbase ex-Balmain fans though? would be a huge mistake for them to revert to wests magpies i reckon. Dragons could probably drop Illawarra and it wouldn't make a lick of difference.

This is correct.

And also why (as I've said a number of times before) WT splitting, what's left of Balmain joining with Easts Tigers to form the Brisbane Tigers NRL bid while Wests focus on Campbelltown and S-W Sydney full-time as the Western Sydney Magpies is a far better alternative long-term (and for both sets of fans) than what they currently have.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Auckland, Gold Coast or Redcliffe will probably fold first

You wish mate. Dolphins earn more from sponsorship and corporate hospitality than every Sydney club. Auckland draw better crowds than every Sydney club. Take away the annual grant and most Sydney clubs will be f**ked.

 

[Canard]

This forum has never even mentioned Brisbane Easts, even in passing until late 2022.

And suddenly they are the only club that should have been admitted.

It's a laughable take by non Qlders who know nothing about the history of Rugby League in the state

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

This forum has never even mentioned Brisbane Easts, even in passing until late 2022.

And suddenly they are the only club that should have been admitted.

It's a laughable take by non Qlders who know nothing about the history of Rugby League in the state

Isn't there a user on here called East Coast Tiger?

Of all the traditional BRL clubs, Redcliffe, Wynnum and Easts are the big guns. A few years ago the ailing Broncos Leagues Club brought in management from Easts Leagues to steer them on the right track. As a football club Easts have a footprint that extends to the outskirts of southern Logan.

There has been discussion on the Tigers in this forum since 2020 when they threw their hat into the ring.

 

[siv]

Isn't there a user on here called East Coast Tiger?

Of all the traditional BRL clubs, Redcliffe, Wynnum and Easts are the big guns. A few years ago the ailing Broncos Leagues Club brought in management from Easts Leagues to steer them on the right track. As a football club Easts have a footprint that extends to the outskirts of southern Logan.

There has been discussion on the Tigers in this forum since 2020 when they threw their hat into the ring.

I still expect Brisbane Easts to buy out the Broncos soon when News Ltd want out

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Isn't there a user on here called East Coast Tiger?

Of all the traditional BRL clubs, Redcliffe, Wynnum and Easts are the big guns. A few years ago the ailing Broncos Leagues Club brought in management from Easts Leagues to steer them on the right track. As a football club Easts have a footprint that extends to the outskirts of southern Logan.

There has been discussion on the Tigers in this forum since 2020 when they threw their hat into the ring.

Wests Tigers own the rights to the name, so Easts can call themselves Redcliffe.

 

[docbrown]

Well if I recall correctly you were the person who said just a few weeks ago (before the netball drama) that Gina Rinehart would be a good potential backer for a Perth RL side, so forgive me if I doubt you somewhat on this issue.

I remember that quote too

haha not me.

You do realise that there's a search function on this site, right?

Here's your post about wanting to lick Gina's rear for money:

The West Coast Pirates should directly engage both Gina Rheinhart and Woodside in investment and partnership for the teams.

Great minds think alike! Need a mining company with png and wa interests to back it and pirates academies throughout png to develop and identity best jnrs to then bring to perth on education scholarships and shot at the big time.

Also there's this older one where you want here to build a stadium lol:

I'd love to see it played in the pilbara and rl dominant in the aboriginal communities up there. Get gina to build a temp stadium in port headland for it, she can afford it.

You're obviously getting a bit senile and can't remember your own nonsense. You couldn't even remember that the Western Reds became the Perth Reds even though it's your username lol.

 

[docbrown]

I wouldn’t (yet), because the NRL should be fixing the North Shore before trying to push teams up to the Central Coast. They should be giving the club that takes over the North Shore that 25 million to smash the area with promotions, clinics, ads, school visits etc.

The Central Coast is of secondary importance to the North Shore. The North Shore has a bigger population, far, far more money and corporate opportunities and is much closer geographically to existing teams, making engaging with the area easy for the teams around it. The North Shore being effectively engaged would generate far better results for the game. It would be good to see the Central Coast get that sort of engagement one day, but not before the North Shore has been fixed.

You can do two things at once though. Cronulla or Roosters can partially relocate to the Central Coast whilst Manly focuses on North Sydney. Or vice versa. However, to do that there's one thing that Manly might need to do if they want to engage the North Shore and that's drop the Manly name and rebrand to the North Sydney Sea-Eagles.

If I was running the NRL I'd be making a 3 way deal like this:
* Manly --> rebrand to North Sydney Sea-Eagles and take over the Bears junior catchments entirely plus given a 10 year funding boost
* Bears --> full ownership of an Adelaide Bears franchise but have to give up North Sydney junior catchments
* Cronulla --> rebrand to something like Coastal Sharks (find a geographical compromise between Cronulla & Central Coast) - 6 matches in Cronulla, 6 matches in Gosford - Sharks take over Central Coast juniors catchment

 

[MugaB]

You can do two things at once though. Cronulla or Roosters can partially relocate to the Central Coast whilst Manly focuses on North Sydney. Or vice versa. However, to do that there's one thing that Manly might need to do if they want to engage the North Shore and that's drop the Manly name and rebrand to the North Sydney Sea-Eagles.

If I was running the NRL I'd be making a 3 way deal like this:
* Manly --> rebrand to North Sydney Sea-Eagles and take over the Bears junior catchments entirely plus given a 10 year funding boost
* Bears --> full ownership of an Adelaide Bears franchise but have to give up North Sydney junior catchments
* Cronulla --> rebrand to something like Coastal Sharks (find a geographical compromise between Cronulla & Central Coast) - 6 matches in Cronulla, 6 matches in Gosford - Sharks take over Central Coast juniors catchment

It would be easier to just re-enstate norths, and just punt manly to adelaide... sharks are ok where they are, not sure why there's an issue with the sharks, they have the 2nd largest nursery,its like trying to tinker with penrith right now... people here need to stop looking at the top end and revenue each club make, its a stupid way of classing each club, the whole league as a one is what makes money, each club contributes to it, by branding, junior participation and existence alone in key areas...

 

[docbrown]

It would be easier to just re-enstate norths, and just punt manly to adelaide... sharks are ok where they are, not sure why there's an issue with the sharks, they have the 2nd largest nursery,its like trying to tinker with penrith right now... people here need to stop looking at the top end and revenue each club make, its a stupid way of classing each club, the whole league as a one is what makes money, each club contributes to it, by branding, junior participation and existence alone in key areas...

Manly fans won't even go over the harbour for games. I doubt they'll take much interest in an Adelaide side.

Sharks have a great nursery but they have failed to expand their brand appeal across Sydney and NSW. Compare them to a side like Souths who have fans all over the place and have essentially moved beyond their simple geographic marker. This is what all Sydney clubs need to achieve to thrive this century. The Sharks are still a 'Sutherland' side but if they remain only a Sutherland side they will fall by the wayside.

As for Panthers versus Sharks there's one key difference - Cronulla won't get a million new people living near it any time soon. The Panthers will. I suspect once the population starts to fill in around the new airport Panthers will in the top 3 of most support Sydney clubs, maybe even number 1. Sharks can't do that.

 

[MugaB]

Manly fans won't even go over the harbour for games. I doubt they'll take much interest in an Adelaide side.

Sharks have a great nursery but they have failed to expand their brand appeal across Sydney and NSW. Compare them to a side like Souths who have fans all over the place and have essentially moved beyond their simple geographic marker. This is what all Sydney clubs need to achieve to thrive this century. The Sharks are still a 'Sutherland' side but if they remain only a Sutherland side they will fall by the wayside.

As for Panthers versus Sharks there's one key difference - Cronulla won't get a million new people living near it any time soon. The Panthers will. I suspect once the population starts to fill in around the new airport Panthers will in the top 3 of most support Sydney clubs, maybe even number 1. Sharks can't do that.

Mate winning helps... sharks weren't too far off it this finals, they keep it up maybe they do...
As far as appeal, they have roosters and souths to deal with, plus dragons south of them, its a tug of war for all aspects, but they are doing ok, considering the have the bulk of juniors compared to those lot.. my issue isnt manly or sharks, its always been roosters, thet offer nothing to either junior landscape or sydney wide appeal, with no norths, they sjpuld have been one of the most supported clubs im sydney.. but coz they are rich and affluent and well managed, people gloss over them..
They occupy all of 4 suburbs... FMD, no juniors, and coherse the best players from each club, they offer nothing to the league as a whole, but their own existence, and self centred needs.
....But yeah sharks are the issue

 

[MugaB]

You're obviously getting a bit senile and can't remember your own nonsense. You couldn't even remember that the Western Reds became the Perth Reds even though it's your username lol.

Too many Alts perhaps?