Questions about the North Sydney Bears/Northern Eagles

[sharko]

However,

1) How come the players werent paid for 12-18 months after (as you said in Question 3. So, Norths didnt get paid at all during the '99 season. They only got paid like 30% of what they were suppose to?)? Like, how come they didn't have money to pay the players? And why weren't they offered the license as you said that Gallop said they wouldnt be, when earlier you said that Whittaker guaranteed them a license for moving to Central Coast?

2) Why did Norths play home games at Parramatta and Lang Park in '99 if North Sydney Oval wasnt considered to be viable to play at anymore, and then they moved back to North Sydney Oval later that year? What about North Sydney Oval made it not viable to play at, when only a couple of years or so, SOuths played a home game there?

1. Politics alas- News Ltd instructions were cull teams, preferably ARL teams, and do it by hook or by crook. Whitaker was a tool in the long run, who can forget him weeping in the witness box during the Souths case, he knew what they did was wrong but he was one of the few with a conscience I think.
Gallop has always been News Ltd tool, when he was earning close to $350k a year or more representing News Ltd..he just wanted to cull teams it was his duty.
As for the palyers payment the administrator warned them all at meetings, both group and private, that they were to support a j/v or they would wait years for their contract monies or maybe they do not see them at all..what do you think the players are going to do..they had no option. North s were putting over $2 million a year into the j/v they had money alright but Manly got to spend it.

2. Alas politics again- North Sydney Oval was deemed by News Ltd to be no longer satisfactory for first grade league and would not let the Bears stage matches there..they became gypsies for a most of a season..that would kill any club..then that season was taken into account for the criteria to cull teams..they really wanted the Bears dead for some reason..ask Gallop?

 

[Special K]

Manly treated norths disrespectfully. Norths put in a real effort before moving up here, they used to be all over the shopping centres doing pass the ball comps, signing stuff, showing up at local comps, presentations etc. You would see Bears all over the place. I remember in 99 waiting for school to start and Jason Taylor and a couple of bears just rocked up out of the blue and started kicking goals on our oval. That was a massive buzz, especially at an all boys school. There was a good 500 + kids before school interacting with nrl players. So even if people didn't like the bears, people saw them as becoming our own.

The Manly an extremely disliked team comes along and takes over norths and tries to take the cc. Plus local guys like O'Meley, Morrison, Farleigh and Stringer were pushed out of the club during the time on the coast. You could tell they didn't want to be here and we didn't want them here.

Its a real shame what happened to the bears. I'd love to see them back on the cc, while still playing a few games at north sydney oval.

 

[Rockin Ronny]

Manly treated norths disrespectfully. Norths put in a real effort before moving up here, they used to be all over the shopping centres doing pass the ball comps, signing stuff, showing up at local comps, presentations etc. You would see Bears all over the place. I remember in 99 waiting for school to start and Jason Taylor and a couple of bears just rocked up out of the blue and started kicking goals on our oval. That was a massive buzz, especially at an all boys school. There was a good 500 + kids before school interacting with nrl players. So even if people didn't like the bears, people saw them as becoming our own.

The Manly an extremely disliked team comes along and takes over norths and tries to take the cc. Plus local guys like O'Meley, Morrison, Farleigh and Stringer were pushed out of the club during the time on the coast. You could tell they didn't want to be here and we didn't want them here.

Its a real shame what happened to the bears. I'd love to see them back on the cc, while still playing a few games at north sydney oval.

It still ranks as the greatest rort I've ever seen. Promise of a regional licence - backstab. Plenty of money, great future - but an administrator is appointed. Opportunity to put CC Bears in - gallop ensures the Gold Coast get in then says "any team but the Beasr can play out of Gosford".

Every ruby league supporter should be disgusted at what this administration has done and keeps doing to the Bears.

 

[Pierced Soul]

the whole thing went down poorly. from what i remember though the bears were in debt whislt manly werent. subsequently manly always had the licence. JV teams also did not have to satisy the 'criteria' which is why it suited manly.

I also remember the CC ahving a backlash after not too long against the team saying 'we want our own team' and staying away which i think just amde it look like there wasnt enough support for a team up there. added to that singleton kept carrying on about getting rid of the beagles and i remember one game he wanted to buy tickets off everyone who attended so the beagles played in an empty stadium....

whilst it's easy to paint Manly as the reason things went sh*t, a lot of it came from the bears side of things

 

[Knightmare]

It still ranks as the greatest rort I've ever seen. Promise of a regional licence - backstab. Plenty of money, great future - but an administrator is appointed. Opportunity to put CC Bears in - gallop ensures the Gold Coast get in then says "any team but the Beasr can play out of Gosford".

Every ruby league supporter should be disgusted at what this administration has done and keeps doing to the Bears.

Absolutely. There was no transparency regarding the decision on a 16th team. In 2004, with the Bears bid looking strongest, the NRL turns it down and says "The game is not yet in a position to expand." Then, not even a single year afterwards "Let's extend a licence to the Gold Coast." Does anybody remember somebody on here saying they bumped into Scott Sattler at Coolangatta Airport in 2004 and he said the NRL had held back the decision to admit a 16th team so that the Gold Coast would get the nod? I don't remember who it was, but at the time I didn't believe there could be such a rort that would take place in the game. Now I hate to say it but I'm not so sure.

 

[Rockin Ronny]

Absolutely. There was no transparency regarding the decision on a 16th team. In 2004, with the Bears bid looking strongest, the NRL turns it down and says "The game is not yet in a position to expand." Then, not even a single year afterwards "Let's extend a licence to the Gold Coast." Does anybody remember somebody on here saying they bumped into Scott Sattler at Coolangatta Airport in 2004 and he said the NRL had held back the decision to admit a 16th team so that the Gold Coast would get the nod? I don't remember who it was, but at the time I didn't believe there could be such a rort that would take place in the game. Now I hate to say it but I'm not so sure.

Stinks pretty bad.
One year - NRL says "we need a team in Gosford". 5 years later, Australia changes so much that they HAD to have a team on the Gold Coast - and now Gosford is "part' of Sydney. Rort.

 

[Knightmare]

I did agree that Queensland (or more precisely, south Queensland) needed an alternative to The Courier Mail Channel 9 Queensland Broncos, but for mine the jury is still out on whether the Gold Coast was the best place to put a new team. Not just Rugby League, but no team in another sport has ever lasted on the Gold Coast. My only hope now is that commonsense prevails and the next 2 teams in the NRL will be Perth and the Central Coast BEARS.

 

[Canard]

I suspect that JT is a "sleath" troll.

He originally posted these and other questions on rleague.com under the auspices of a "school project", and yet almost 6months later these same questions appear on league unlimited.

Its either the longest school project in history, or he knows that people will fire up when he asks these questions and he gets some sort of "enjoyment" out of it.

 

[Canard]

I did agree that Queensland (or more precisely, south Queensland) needed an alternative to The Courier Mail Channel 9 Queensland Broncos, but for mine the jury is still out on whether the Gold Coast was the best place to put a new team. Not just Rugby League, but no team in another sport has ever lasted on the Gold Coast. My only hope now is that commonsense prevails and the next 2 teams in the NRL will be Perth and the Central Coast BEARS.

No team working is probably less to do with the region and more to do with the admin of those franchises.

I think the Gold Coast was a "battleground" between League and AFL that could seriously go either way! Despite it being in the middle of League "heartland", it is rampantly populated by expat Victorians and the promotion of the Titans to the NRL was crucial to that battle. The AFL are still spending exhorbitant amounts of money in the region on promoting the game and playing silly buggers with the Titans over Carrara and trying to get the NM Kangaroos to relocate their.

On a purely population base arguement the GC needed a team, the area has practically doubled in size since the early nineties.

Not to mention the Coast has a very strong League pedigree when it comes to juniors.

 

[Ari Gold]

I know it's sad that Norths were culled, but seriously we have enough Sydney teams as it is, we didn't need another 1.

 

[Knightmare]

Yeah and there was no need to add the Titans either, Brisbane already had a team :roll:

 

[Big-Steve]

I know it's sad that Norths were culled, but seriously we have enough Sydney teams as it is, we didn't need another 1.

The News run NRL is very NRL centric. Don't forget that it's not just an NRL side missing from the North Shore/Central Coast but junior districts that (especially in Sydneys North Shore) have been hit badly by union and even more by AFL.

And if a Central Coast Bears can run at a profit why not let them. I think the argument that such a team would take sponsorship away from Newcastle/Manly etc is bullsh*t. NEWCASTLE NOW HAVE A SPONSOR (and a local one at that) and besides sponsorship would come from the North Shore (which is not contributing to RL sponsorship) and the Central Coast.

And besides if the Central Coast can make it work why should they not be allowed to.

Are we to just trust the News modle of untra restriction?

 

[steeden.]

just an idea.. http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/sha...ss-in-two-years/2007/05/05/1177788463614.html says that the sharks are

$1 million in the red and facing another financial crisis

hypothetically if they went broke, I wonder what the NRL would do.. would they keep pouring money into the club or even take it over, or would they admit the Central Coast / Bears?

Surely they'd go and keep the Sharkies alive, but then again... it is the NRL and Norths do have support.

again, just an idea.

 

[LeagueXIII]

This proves the lies and BS that we were fed after the SL war. The News lackies said great clubs, who were the fabric of our game, such as Souths, Balmain, St.George, Norths, Manly etc wouldn't survive financially if they didn't merge yet clubs like Cronulla (went broke in 1976, 1983, 1986) could and the Roosters (no juniors, little support when not successful) could. It was BS.

Yet today, Cronulla are 1million in debt, Souths are one of the most successful clubs sponsorship wise and they haven't had anywhere near the success the Roosters have. Manly are on top etc.

 

[_Johnsy]

Answer to 3 and 4

manly warringah

manly had it written in the agreement that if the northern eagles folded the licence would revert back to them. And of course manly did whatever they could to destroy the NE, I am sure it was always their inention to ride the JV into the dirt and bingo manly are back.

That is why they are fuggin germs, always have been always will be.

 

[macavity]

The News run NRL is very NRL centric. Don't forget that it's not just an NRL side missing from the North Shore/Central Coast but junior districts that (especially in Sydneys North Shore) have been hit badly by union and even more by AFL.

And if a Central Coast Bears can run at a profit why not let them. I think the argument that such a team would take sponsorship away from Newcastle/Manly etc is bullsh*t. NEWCASTLE NOW HAVE A SPONSOR (and a local one at that) and besides sponsorship would come from the North Shore (which is not contributing to RL sponsorship) and the Central Coast.

And besides if the Central Coast can make it work why should they not be allowed to.

Are we to just trust the News modle of untra restriction?

As a Knights fan - we are with you. We were looking forward to a great rivalry with the Central Coast Bears.

And we would be united in our hatred of Manly.

piss off the SL scum (debt-ridden) sharks - bring back the Bears.now *that* is some bait...

 

[Knight87]

Answer to 3 and 4

manly warringah

manly had it written in the agreement that if the northern eagles folded the licence would revert back to them. And of course manly did whatever they could to destroy the NE, I am sure it was always their inention to ride the JV into the dirt and bingo manly are back.

That is why they are fuggin germs, always have been always will be.

HAHAHA! That's pretty pointless. I mean, if Manly knew that the license would revert back to them in the case of a separation, then the event was pretty inevitable. Then, if that was the case, why did the Manly choose to go into the JV in the first place?

 

[Knight87]

As a Knights fan - we are with you. We were looking forward to a great rivalry with the Central Coast Bears.

And we would be united in our hatred of Manly.

piss off the SL scum (debt-ridden) sharks - bring back the Bears.now *that* is some bait...

HAHHAHAH! Manly take on the Knights at Gosford in Round 22 (Aug 10-13). It'll be very interesting to see what the turnout and response to this game (response from everyone, imparticular the Central Coast ppl) will be.

 

[girvie]

HAHAHA! That's pretty pointless. I mean, if Manly knew that the license would revert back to them in the case of a separation, then the event was pretty inevitable. Then, if that was the case, why did the Manly choose to go into the JV in the first place?

Manly were in financial trouble at the time. The NRL gave additional money to the joint venture teams as an incentive.

 

[Knight87]

Wrong on those two.

3-Norths somehow managed to turn themselves from one of the strongest clubs financially in 1998 from a basketcase $16m in debt (cut to $4m after the Leagues club injected $12m) and in administration a couple of weeks before the licenses were handed out. Manly can hardly be blamed for the dire financial position of Norths. The NRL can however be blamed for deciding to insert a solvency criteria into the Licensing process when Norths went under, thus barring them from admission.

4-It was Manly's license! North Sydney were always the junior partner and the terms of the license stipulated that if the JV dissolved, the license would revert to Manly unless we couldn't find the finances to keep on going, in which the Bears would get it. NS Leagues and John Singleton sensed that Manly was probably too weak to continue on about halfway through the 2001 season and the Leagues club refused to contribute anything beyond a dollar for dollar match with the MWSE Leagues Club. It blew up in their faces when the JV dissolved and we found the cash to carry on.

5's a matter of personal opinion. There was a serious school of thought that Manly would be unable to survive on the Peninsula, and with Arko behind that group, there was little doubt they'd roll over any opposition ( Paul Vautin basically carried the flag by himself). The only way the JV wasn't going to end up a predatory affair was if success was produced on the field, and that simply didn't happen, and it degenerated into a sh*tfight over the license.

I was personally thrilled with the Merger. Being a Manly fan from the North Shore, it combined my two favourite sides into one. I was well alone in that opinion.

What does it mean when a company is in receivership/administration? I've heard the term used before.