Knightmare said:
The fact that for a one team town in a city of 2 million people, they only average 35K to their home games, and many of those people who attend aren't Broncos fans. If the Broncos were a Sydney club, they'd be drawing near the bottom. Also, the fact that Brisbane have made alot of noise anytime people suggest putting another team within 500 kms either side of them makes you wonder, as does this excerpt from 'The History of Rugby League Clubs' (2003)
11 August 1998
Brisbane chief executive Shane Edwards reveals that the club could go broke withtin three years if a second Brisbane team is allowed into the NRL.
Then on the other hand they love to beat on and on about how great their club is and how nobody will ever beat them in a Grand Final and everyone who doesn't support the Broncos secretly wishes they did, yet they want to go and have a cry if anybody wants to put a team in the same town as their all conquering Broncos. Boohoo! Try sharing a city with EIGHT other teams, and then you will know why people such as myself think the Bulldogs record over the past 25 years is much more impressive than the Broncos' record since 1988.
Demographics and economics are becoming increasingly irrelevant when it comes to success on the field.
If population, money and influence mattered that much, NSW should be dominating State of Origin, after all NSW has much more than Queensland of all the above!
The salary cap has also diminished the impact of those factors mentioned.
No. It's all about the culture of clubs ... and the Broncos had the foresight 20 years ago to structure the club differently than every other club in the league. Coaches coach and administrators administrate, and never the twain meet. Sure there's discussion, but when it comes to decision making the CEO isn't going to tell Wayne Bennett how to suck eggs.
Compare this to clubs such as the Roosters, Eels and South Sydney.
It seems the Knights are beginning to operate like this now ... time will tell.
No, wise management, the right people in the right position, the game's greatest coach, and a commitment to the spirit of the game ... they have more to do with the success of the Broncos.
Unfortunately, you can't buy these things off the shelf. No you can't go to the supermarket and pick up a packet labelled "Brian Smith" and expect immediate results.
Sorry Knightmare, you'll need to be more patient until the Knights can emulate a great club like the Broncos. But with the passion in that town I have no doubt it's possible.