tigger said:
Balmain as a stand alone entity playing in the Premier League from 2006. sounds good.
That is the statement of someone not right in the head. Someone who has sniffed car exhaust once too often.
Hypothetical.
The JV folds at the end of 2005, the Wests Tigers dissolve, Balmain go their own way and have only Premier League representation in 2006.
Let's line them up with their 2006 peers.... Norths and Newtown. Illustrious company indeed, but not sell outs.
Which NRL team will they align themselves with?
Manly?
Souths?
Cronulla?
Saints?
Roosters?
There
has to be an alignment with an NRL team otherwise good young players just wouldn't play for them. If there is no alignment with an NRL team, why would a young bloke play for Balmain knowing that he cannot play for an NRL club this year?
No alignment means chuckleheads like Craig Field will be the best Balmain will ever get. NRL players past their prime and young blokes who couldn't get a run at a Sydney based NRL club. That will be Balmain's recruitment standards without an NRL alignment. Without an alignment they'll not only be a Premier League only team but they'll be a bottom half Premier League team with little chance of becoming a "successful" Premier League team.
So, you have what you'd to do in order to become
only Balmain again is to dissolve the JV (because as part of the JV you're a sell out) and align Balmain with an NRL team.
Thus, selling out once again.
So, from 2006, Balmain would be a feeder club for an NRL team.
Genius Tigger, pure genius. Balmain would be barking mad not to take heed of your sage advice.