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

Canard

Immortal
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35,607
To me brisbane is almost a country town

heck even Melbourne in peak hour wasn’t so bad

Sydney and Goldie feel like major busy cities

When were you last in Melbourne? I assume sometime in the 80s.

Those poor souls sitting in the Tulla, Monash or Eastern Freeway carports every morning in rush hour can only dream of something as quaint as "Gold Coast busy'.

Melbourne is just as big as Sydney these days and outside the CBD has just as poor transport infrastructure and planning.
 
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Perth Red

Post Whore
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69,520
He
That rubbish, its a beautiful city, theres rotness island, which is amazing, its all in all a great city overall, i feel its integral to have a presence since their population is getting upwards of 3 million soon and rising, my issue isn't with having a nrl brand there, thats a no brainer, its about having a rugby league footprint that all clubs can use not just to filter into their own 1st grade, otherwise theyll just be another storm leaching/poach in of the the existing clubs... again no biggy, but other bids/areas can provide that
he’s a fool, don’t waste your time. Perth is truly beautiful piece of the world and I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to live here. I wouldnt swap it for anywhere else in australia I’ve been.
we’ll get a team one day, it’s inevitable. If it isn’t team 18 then the nrl is foolish for not taking advantage of a one off Chance for significant govt support for the game.
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
33,577
When were you last in Melbourne? I assume someone in the 80s.

Those poor souls sitting in the Tulla, Monash or Eastern Freeway carports every morning in rush hour can only dream of something as quaint as "Gold Coast busy'.

Melbourne is just as big as Sydney these days and outside the CBD has just as poor transport infrastructure and planning.
Lmao origins World Cup games

Melbourne is good for 3 days max before the boredom sets in

Mel boring
 

Iamback

Referee
Messages
20,283
he brought up nfl in the conversation as an example of a sport with lots of stoppages and big tv money. I merely pointed out another sport that earns a motza without lots of stoppages And with a short game time.

Yes but again a population far greater than we have here, That is what holds the sports back down here. Cricket aside none have international appeal to get crazy deals. So it is being realistic
 

Pippen94

First Grade
Messages
7,105
I’ve never been to Perth and will never go

apparently it’s got nice beaches but then again I live in a city with probably 50 different beaches people have never even heard of like camp cove or red leaf

five hours on a plane to get to a glorified country town heck I could almost be in Thailand for that hassle

a Perth nrl club will average around 15k and result in a small increase in tv viewers

it’s no game changer that’s for sure

Lol, boycotting entire city because of perthred. He is annoying
 

Pippen94

First Grade
Messages
7,105
You've now exposed yourself as a moron who doesn't know shit about rugby league in New Zealand, Queensland, England or even NSW!

This reminds me of something I've been thinking about. League in UK is pretty much m62. The sport in wales stopped & started but was played mainly in south in mining towns for a period. In France the game was big in south but large cities have dropped off a long time ago & catchment is Villeneuve to avignon encompassing only one large metro in Toulouse. In italy game was present in 50's but in north east separate from France. New areas were Australian influence has seen game grow in Serbia & Beirut are also isolated.
Rugby dominating London & Paris is biggest factor in that sports' dominance but distance stopping league from consolidating heartlands hurt.
 

MugaB

Coach
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15,008
The game wasn't "built" in Sydney. It was exported to Sydney and Brisbane in 1908 by New Zealanders who learnt about the sport while touring England in 1907. The sport was invented by the English in 1906.

Here's an excerpt from a great article on The Roar about the origins of rugby league in Brisbane and Sydney:

Beginnings – 1907 to 1908
The history of rugby league in Queensland began mere months after the first steps taken down south, but Brisbane had already seen games of various codes of football for decades. For example, the first recorded official game of ‘Victorian rules’ played in Brisbane occurred in 1866 and this code was the premier game in South East Queensland until the late 1880s, being the game of choice in the grammar schools.​
However, the sport of rugby union was gaining popularity, particularly since it provided opportunities for spirited representative fixtures against NSW. The first of these was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1882 and the following year saw Queensland defeat NSW in Brisbane, significantly adding to the game’s popularity. In 1887 the grammar schools in South East Queensland voted to defect from Victorian rules to rugby union, cementing its place as the state’s premier code.​
Less than a decade later the seeds for change were planted in the north of England when in 1895 a Northern Union was formed, splitting from the rugby establishment and allowing compensation payments to injured players. Rugby league was born, sort of. It wasn’t until 1906 that the rules of the games significantly diverged when the play-the-ball was introduced and teams were reduced to 13-a-side.​
Only 12 months later, New Zealand had formed a breakaway team and the ‘All Golds’ set off on a historic tour of Great Britain, playing against ‘Northern Union’ teams. Meanwhile, powerbrokers in Sydney established the NSW Rugby League in August 1907 and signed rugby union pin-up boy Dally Messenger along with many others to launch a competition in 1908. The All Golds played a series against NSW in August 1907 before heading to Europe (using rugby union rules as the league rules had not yet been obtained by the locals). Dally Messenger proved such a drawcard that he was invited on the All Golds tour.​
Rebels up in Brisbane were following a similar path, with the ‘Queensland Rugby Association’ being formed late in February 1908, just six months after their Sydney counterparts. It was considered too rushed to form a proper club competition in 1908. Instead, a series of representative fixtures and exhibition games were held. Three Queenslanders were selected in the first-ever Australian team, who played the All Golds in Sydney in May 1908 upon their return from Britain.​
The following week, 16 May 1908 saw a Queensland team play the All Golds at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground, losing 34 to 12. Three further games were played in Brisbane as part of the tour. The Queenslanders were no match for the battle-hardened Kiwis, to the point that Dally Messenger switched sides and played for Queensland for their second encounter, helping the home side to a 12-all draw. Finally, on 30 May Brisbane hosted its first Test match, with New Zealand emerging victorious 24 to 12 in front of 6000 spectators.​
A New Zealand Maori representative team toured South East Queensland through June, playing five matches. Then, in July 1908 we saw the very first interstate clashes between Queensland and NSW. It was not an auspicious beginning. The Queenslanders, still learning the rules and with no week-to-week competition, were no match for the New South Welshmen. NSW won the first two encounters in Sydney by a whopping combined 80 to 8 and a third encounter, featuring 12 out of 13 new selections for NSW, was a victory to the southerners by a more respectable 12 to 3. Over 11,000 spectators attended the games.​
It would be another 14 years and a fair few one-sided matches before Queensland would win its first interstate match in 1922. From there, Queensland would win eight encounters in a row (and 17 from 24 over the next five years), showing how far the game had come in the north in a short time. Also, by 1923 the two interstate encounters drew a combined total of 57,000 spectators, showing just how quickly the game itself had grown.​
Why did it take some decades for Queensland to catch up to NSW in interstate matches, despite the games themselves starting within months of each other? The answer lies in 1909 when the NSWRL swooped on the 1908/09 Wallabies and signed fourteen rebels to the new code.​
This had the simultaneous effect of boosting NSW Rugby League and crippling its union rivals, but since not one of the players signed was from Queensland, it also concentrated rugby league talent south of the border and set Queensland Rugby League up for a long, hard road to parity. It was not until the 1920s that Queensland Rugby League were able to facilitate defections of their own from a crippled Queensland Rugby Union that some sort of parity was achieved.​
But back in 1908 all that was still to come. The rules had been learnt and the appetite of spectators whetted. The stage was set for the 1909 inaugural Brisbane Rugby League season.​
The following week, 16 May 1908 saw a Queensland team play the All Golds at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground, losing 34 to 12. Three further games were played in Brisbane as part of the tour. The Queenslanders were no match for the battle-hardened Kiwis, to the point that Dally Messenger switched sides and played for Queensland for their second encounter, helping the home side to a 12-all draw. Finally, on 30 May Brisbane hosted its first Test match, with New Zealand emerging victorious 24 to 12 in front of 6000 spectators.​
A New Zealand Maori representative team toured South East Queensland through June, playing five matches. Then, in July 1908 we saw the very first interstate clashes between Queensland and NSW. It was not an auspicious beginning. The Queenslanders, still learning the rules and with no week-to-week competition, were no match for the New South Welshmen. NSW won the first two encounters in Sydney by a whopping combined 80 to 8 and a third encounter, featuring 12 out of 13 new selections for NSW, was a victory to the southerners by a more respectable 12 to 3. Over 11,000 spectators attended the games.​
It would be another 14 years and a fair few one-sided matches before Queensland would win its first interstate match in 1922. From there, Queensland would win eight encounters in a row (and 17 from 24 over the next five years), showing how far the game had come in the north in a short time. Also, by 1923 the two interstate encounters drew a combined total of 57,000 spectators, showing just how quickly the game itself had grown.​
Why did it take some decades for Queensland to catch up to NSW in interstate matches, despite the games themselves starting within months of each other? The answer lies in 1909 when the NSWRL swooped on the 1908/09 Wallabies and signed fourteen rebels to the new code.​
This had the simultaneous effect of boosting NSW Rugby League and crippling its union rivals, but since not one of the players signed was from Queensland, it also concentrated rugby league talent south of the border and set Queensland Rugby League up for a long, hard road to parity. It was not until the 1920s that Queensland Rugby League were able to facilitate defections of their own from a crippled Queensland Rugby Union that some sort of parity was achieved.​
But back in 1908 all that was still to come. The rules had been learnt and the appetite of spectators whetted. The stage was set for the 1909 inaugural Brisbane Rugby League season.​
Four teams lined up in May 1909 for the first Brisbane Rugby League season – Fortitude Valley (inner city), South Brisbane and North Brisbane were all splits from existing rugby union clubs and they were joined by Toombul, the unofficial 1908 ‘Premiers’.​
The competition was run by the Queensland Rugby League (first called the Queensland Rugby Association, then the Queensland Amateur Rugby League) with no separate Brisbane administrative body. Games were played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground (i.e. The Gabba, now the home of AFL’s Brisbane Lions). Players were paid for out of pocket expenses only.​

NSWRL signed 14 players from the Wallabies in 1908. Queensland's rugby union players remained loyal to the QRU. This gave the NSWRL a huge advantage as they had established Wallabies playing in their competiton, whereas the BRL had to start from scratch against a full strength QRU. It wasn't until rugby union competitions in Queensland were suspended due to WWII that the balance of power shifted to Queensland, as the QRU's players switched over to the BRL. It's an example of NSWRL reigning supreme when they have all the advantages, but crumbling like a stack of cards when forced to play by the same rules!
What a waste of the copy and paste function..
Also what a waste of chromosomes, how the hell did this dumb sperm make it to the egg first, i know... only in logan
 

Perth Red

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69,520
Yes but again a population far greater than we have here, That is what holds the sports back down here. Cricket aside none have international appeal to get crazy deals. So it is being realistic
so you agree with me that audience size is a key variable, not just duration of game and stoppages as he was claiming? Glad we got that agreed on :)
 

Perth Red

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69,520
This reminds me of something I've been thinking about. League in UK is pretty much m62. The sport in wales stopped & started but was played mainly in south in mining towns for a period. In France the game was big in south but large cities have dropped off a long time ago & catchment is Villeneuve to avignon encompassing only one large metro in Toulouse. In italy game was present in 50's but in north east separate from France. New areas were Australian influence has seen game grow in Serbia & Beirut are also isolated.
Rugby dominating London & Paris is biggest factor in that sports' dominance but distance stopping league from consolidating heartlands hurt.
League has always been a big fish in its small ponds. Be it North of England (by the way Hull and Cumbria are not on the M62), South of France or Two states in Australia. Its a frustrating part of our history and mentality that we dont have the self confidence, and resources often, to grow the game meaningfully in new areas.
 

Pippen94

First Grade
Messages
7,105
League has always been a big fish in its small ponds. Be it North of England (by the way Hull and Cumbria are not on the M62), South of France or Two states in Australia. Its a frustrating part of our history and mentality that we dont have the self confidence, and resources often, to grow the game meaningfully in new areas.

Australian game is better positioned being dominant in 1st & 3rd biggest cities & in states with over 50% of country's population. In Europe game played in pockets separated by distance
 

Perth Red

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69,520
Again. How do you convince a 22 year old to move across the country?

Throw in those with school aged kids too they won't move their kids out of school across the other side of the country.

That is why the likes of Cowboys, Knights etc have to fill their squads with locals, No money can solve that.
Picking this up from the dolphins thread. Its a very good question. What would be your solutions?

Heres a few I can think of (relevant to any new club other than tigers or NSW Bears I would say) specifically on signing established players not Jnrs:

1. New club to get cap concessions for signing players outside of the NRL. This will give them more freedom to take chances on SL,PNG etc and Union signings.
2. A relocation allowance for players moving to a new club for first 2 years of their contract, or club is allowed to provide housing and kids school fees for players at no cost to player outside of cap
3. A draw that reduces travel times/back to back travel as much as possible for the club

I'm sure there are other ideas if we take off our NRL socialist caps and put on our "lets make this a success" cap.
 

Perth Red

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Australian game is better positioned being dominant in 1st & 3rd biggest cities & in states with over 50% of country's population. In Europe game played in pockets separated by distance
Indeed, thats why its the biggest in the world!
But that doesnt change the fact its predominantly only in two states, Just as in other countries where the game is geographically isolated. It just got lucky in Aus it didnt have a more popular sport to contend with in those two states and that they make up half the country.
 

Pneuma

First Grade
Messages
5,475
He

he’s a fool, don’t waste your time. Perth is truly beautiful piece of the world and I consider myself incredibly lucky to be able to live here. I wouldnt swap it for anywhere else in australia I’ve been.
we’ll get a team one day, it’s inevitable. If it isn’t team 18 then the nrl is foolish for not taking advantage of a one off Chance for significant govt support for the game.
Calling a fellow poster a fool? Well you got your likes from the right people. The donkey and Putin’s love child!
 

Iamback

Referee
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20,283
so you agree with me that audience size is a key variable, not just duration of game and stoppages as he was claiming? Glad we got that agreed on :)

It is a combination of things, Australia with its small population and being split between NRL and AFL. Puts other factors in play
 

Pneuma

First Grade
Messages
5,475
It is a combination of things, Australia with its small population and being split between NRL and AFL. Puts other factors in play
The article I posted noted that it’s not about total audience. He’s wrong as usual. The article I posted makes it clear it’s about reaching key demographics. That’s what nine and its advertisers care about and not much else really. Given Perth Dread has me on ignore he won’t have read the article although he does take a peek occasionally and reports me lol!
 

Perth Red

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69,520
It is a combination of things, Australia with its small population and being split between NRL and AFL. Puts other factors in play
we werent comparing size of deal to other sports, only examples of variables that impact value. You backed me up that EPL gets its massive money because of size of audience where as NFL gets it as much due to length of game and number of advertising breaks. But hey ho thats for the media thread.

Any other ideas how the problem of signing established players in the early years can be overcome?
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
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6,620
So how does that work exactly? Is it like sunlight, a crucifix, and garlic to a vampire, where the mere presence of new NRL clubs in Brisbane is going to make all the AFL fans skin burn and make them retreat into the shadows?

That simply isn't how a free market works. So long as there is a demand there will be a supply, and simply adding a new product that's vaguely similar isn't going to kill the demand for that other product.

The Dolphins, Broncos, any other potential or hypothetical Brisbane NRL sides, are no more likely to significantly eat into the Lions customer base than a new AFL side in Melbourne would eat into the Storm's customer base, a new Pepsi product will eat into demand for Coke, a KFC opening up in town is going to eat into the local McDonalds customer base, etc, etc.

The only way that the AFL is going to truly start to die in Brisbane, or anywhere else for that matter, is if there's decreasing demand for the product, and the most common ways that happens are bad management (i.e. self inflicted injuries), supply chain issues, or if a direct competitor offering essentially the same product enters the market but offers it cheaper, objectively better, more conveniently, or some mixture of all three.

The first two of those examples are more or less completely outside of the NRL's control unless they are willing to participate in industrial sabotage. For the final example to happen to the AFL it'd require a new Aussie Rules competition to be created and outcompete them, which seems extremely unlikely to ever happen in my opinion, and is besides the point anyway as that wouldn't really benefit the NRL or RL, it'd just replace the AFL with a different Aussie Rules league.
I didn't say that a second or third Brisbane team for that matter would make AFL fans retreat or that it would even shrink the Lions' fan base. Not at all. But it absolutely makes any distant future hopes the AFL had of having two Brisbane teams a much tougher prospect and it also makes any further growth for the Lions difficult. There aren't that many AFL fans in Brisbane and with two Rugby League teams now, the casual sports fan who's preference leans towards RL but will go to the AFL if nothing else is on in town, now have a game every week to attend if they choose to and don't have to resort to the Lions.
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
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6,620
Afl is trying to take over in rugby league heartlands

good luck to them but a big reason the dolphins were admitted were to crush afl

all this nonsense about letting other sports just take over our areas whilst we just do nothing is stupid

Queensland is the Achilles heel of the afl
Absolutely, you can 100% guarantee that there is talk in AFL HQ strategy meetings about how to capture SEQ and you can also bet your bottom dollar that now the long overdue second Brisbane club has arrived they know it is not good for them.

F#@k AFL, after we place our own seeds in Perth and Adelaide to grow for the long-term, put Brisbane 3 into SEQ to really screw them. It's not going to make the Lions or the AFL go away, but it will severely stunt their growth and make further expansion in SEQ virtually impossible for them.
 

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