Redcliffe most likely to be the next expansion team according to the Telegraph

[Walter sobchak]

Yeah, restaurants, bars, gambling ,

A phenomenon in Australian rugby league in which hospitality and gaming venues are operated for the benefit of a rugby league club and its community. The football club controls the leagues club through the appointment of board members.In the past, leagues clubs have provided funds to finance the operation of the sporting club, often due to profits made from poker machines . In the 2000s political attacks over corporate governance have led to tax changes that have lessened profitability and meant clubs needed to look at widening their revenue steams.

Ok. Thanks.

Salford used to have something similar with a club/bar built behind the sticks at their old ground which was also a casino I believe. Nothing compared to Australia though.

 

[The Great Dane]

I think a key point people are missing here is that Redcliffe isn’t actually in Brisbane, it’s in Moreton bay, and closer to the Sunshine Coast then Brisbane is.

It’s not a Brisbane team, it’s in a rapidly growing region north of the pine river which actually seperates them. North lakes, Redcliffe, Murrumba Downs, Caboolture, Griffin-Mango hill, Kallangur, Petrie, deception bay, Burpengary-Narangba , that’s Moreton bay. It’s not a manly in Sydney, understand the area.

If Moreton bay gets a team the nrl will have coverage from the tweed river in nsw, to the Sunshine Coast. Oh and the dolphins have money and actually fans already.

Plonk another team in the CBD and you have a second team in Brisbane that no one cares about because The broncos will crush them.

Ok I’ll stop ranting lol.

Morton Bay isn't in Brisbane in the same way that Penrith isn't in Sydney or Queanbeyan isn't in Canberra... On paper that may be the case, but in reality they are for all intents and purposes one big contiguous urban area.

Besides, if that is the route that you want to go then the Dolphins definitely shouldn't be in the NRL, cause the NRL doesn't need a Morton Bay club it needs a second Brisbane club...

Plus they already have a decent stadium that could easily be expanded by 5000-10000.

That's not as good a selling point as it seems...

Dolphin stadium's capacity is 10k, so lets say that it is expanded by another 10k to 20k (which realistically is pretty unlikely without government support, and in the current climate it is highly unlikely that they'd get it, especially considering that Dolphin stadium was recently upgraded partly with taxpayer money as well), well the Crushers were averaging more than 20k just over 20 years ago, on occasion they pulled more than 30k, and these days the Broncos are pulling close to 40k average.

Sure I don't expect them to pull the Broncos numbers, but I would expect them to pull at least close to if not a little bit more than the Crushers numbers from 20 years ago, but either way considering the data that we have a 20k stadium is way to small for a second Brisbane club.

 

[Walter sobchak]

Seems like the Redcliffe/Moreton Bay franchise ticks all the boxes. I’m sold anyway but they must be based in Redcliffe and play all of their games in Redcliffe too apart from maybe their home fixture against the broncos at Suncorp or maybe even Gold Coast but it’s no deal breaker for me.

 

[The Great Dane]

Yeah, restaurants, bars, gambling ,

A phenomenon in Australian rugby league in which hospitality and gaming venues are operated for the benefit of a rugby league club and its community. The football club controls the leagues club through the appointment of board members.In the past, leagues clubs have provided funds to finance the operation of the sporting club, often due to profits made from poker machines . In the 2000s political attacks over corporate governance have led to tax changes that have lessened profitability and meant clubs needed to look at widening their revenue steams.

To be fair it's a phenomenon in Australian sport, not just Australian Rugby League.

Other sports clubs have Leagues clubs, and I very highly doubt that Rugby League clubs were even the first to do it, in fact it was probably Bowls clubs or Cricket clubs that started it. The "Leagues" in Leagues clubs probably doesn't even stem from rugby league but has just become a cultural term for all "clubs" stemming from the RSL's (Returned and Services League) clubs that are basically exactly the same idea as the sports clubs but for a different cause, e.g. the leagues club name came from The League's club, instead of a Leagues club, which has now become a common name for almost all clubs of a similar kind.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

F*ck me, the paper REALLy pulled this one out of their ass.....

They make huge claims then back it up with zero evidence. Just Beattie saying "yeh, maybe" and the Redcliffe people saying "we'll take it if someone else falls over (the Bears move)"

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I like it - Redcliffe have a lot of coin, their own stadium and income producing assets around the stadium. A traditional footy club is the perfect offset/rivalry for the Broncos here.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I think a key point people are missing here is that Redcliffe isn’t actually in Brisbane, it’s in Moreton bay, and closer to the Sunshine Coast then Brisbane is.

Ok I’ll stop ranting lol.

It's really not though. Redcliffe is 38km from Brisbane's CBD and 86km to what could be considered the Sunshine Coast CBD at Maroochydore.

 

[King hit]

Redcliffe will garner more support than the Bombers bid.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I don't see Redcliffe playing at Suncorp but basing their training and operations at Dolphin oval as much of an issue as others do.

In the AFL Fremantle play in Perth succesfully and don't struggle for support and Geelong play some bigger matches in Melbourne. They will be fine.

A few points in favour of this:

• a 36 min trip down to Suncorp every second week isn't that bad if it means you have an NRL club
• there is a direct train link from Redcliffe to the Brisbane CBD
• Back in the BRL days when Redcliffe were scheduled to play the 'match of the round' they would have to move their home games to Suncorp (Lang Park) and it wasn't an issue back then with much worse transport infrastructure
• Suncorp maximises their ability to attract crowds, members and corporate support
• No matter where they play they will be based at Dolphin Oval and will always be the pride of Redcliffe
• Once they are establised as a successful NRL club there is nothing saying that they won't get a 30k boutique stadium on the current site of Dolphin Oval in 10 - 15 years (Brisbane is bidding for the Olympics and Australia is looking at the FIFA women's world cup and the RU World Cup - so this isn't out of the question)

 

[T-Boon]

• No matter where they play they will be based at Dolphin Oval and will always be the pride of Redcliffe

They should put in a bid to be the next team in the WNRL and play out of Redcliffe stadium (starting this season). That would be a cool thing to be able to say in this time of the womens movement "the first sports club to start as a national womens club and then expand into a national mens club". That could get you stadium funding in a few years.

 

[mongoose]

According to the Courier Mail, which I assume is identical to the DT article, part of the attraction to Redcliffe is the financial support from the Redcliffe Leagues Club. I'm completely on board with the Dolphins getting the nod, the only options in Brisbane are an established Qld Cup team or the Bombers. The Broncos already are Brisbane's composite team, the Bombers have nothing to separate them from the Broncos. Makes sense then that the smartest option is the team with an easily upgradeable ground and strong financial backing.

Dolphins and Pirates is the right call.

yeah the Leagues club is pretty impressive. Some of those QLD cup Leagues clubs make more money than a small country, Tweed Heads Seagulls being another huge money spinner.

I am not sure about Redcliffe though, they are already a Broncos feeder team and the peninsula is a bit like Manly in Sydney in which there is one way in and one way out . Well there is technically 2 ways (ted smout bridge or anzac ave) but I just don't think its a great location for a new team. It's too out of the way. I think they would have to play at least half their games at Suncorp and aim to attract fans from all over the city.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

They should put in a bid to be the next team in the WNRL and play out of Redcliffe stadium (starting this season). That would be a cool thing to be able to say in this time of the womens movement "the first sports club to start as a national womens club and then expand into a national mens club". That could get you stadium funding in a few years.

Very good point

 

[The Great Dane]

They should put in a bid to be the next team in the WNRL and play out of Redcliffe stadium (starting this season). That would be a cool thing to be able to say in this time of the womens movement "the first sports club to start as a national womens club and then expand into a national mens club". That could get you stadium funding in a few years.

Canberra United will almost certainly beat them to that honor.

 

[MrE_Assassin]

I think the travel arguement is a load of bull. Look at the Newcastle Knights fans, particularly in the 90's but still true today. They used to send their fans down the F1 in droves for an away game in Sydney no matter who it was against, and it's a lot bigger distance that Brisbane to Redcliffe. The club would put on coaches to get the fans down there and back. There is no reason why the Dolphins couldn't do the same and still maintain the Redcliffe or a Morton Bay name.

Same with the Panthers, and in their day Wests. Way outside the typical Sydney Metro area and yet their fans still managed to travel for games.

On the flip side, I know plenty of people in Ipswich who will go watch a Jets game over a Broncos game because of the distance. There is a large following for the Jets out there and in doesn't just encompass the Ipswich city area but the more rural areas like Rosewood, Gatton, Warwick, etc. The other positive the Ipswich region has going for it, same with Redcliffe/North Brisbane, is that there is a good amount of housing growth/development happening out those ways so in the future there will be a larger supporter base. If the team is placed there now then you're grooming the future supporters in that location to support that region.

 

[Marlins]

Here’s a crazy idea, why not Two South Queensland teams, for next expansion.
Redcliffe Dolphins & Ipswich Jets. The south east would go crazy for it. You’d then have 4 teams covering south QLD.

North - Dolphins
East/City - Broncos
West/south - Jets
South/north Nsw - Titans

Dolphins -
4 Games Dolphin Stadium
1 Game Sunny Coast
7 Games Suncorp

Jets -
4 Games Ipswich
1 Game Towomba
7 Games Suncorp

 

[ReddFelon]

Here’s a crazy idea, why not Two South Queensland teams, for next expansion.
Redcliffe Dolphins & Ipswich Jets. The south east would go crazy for it. You’d then have 4 teams covering south QLD.

North - Dolphins
East/City - Broncos
West/south - Jets
South/north Nsw - Titans

Dolphins -
4 Games Dolphin Stadium
1 Game Sunny Coast
7 Games Suncorp

Jets -
4 Games Ipswich
1 Game Towomba
7 Games Suncorp

Unless you cancel a currently operating team's licence this option doesn't allow for the Perth team which the NRL needs from a financial standpoint.

 

[jim_57]

Unless you cancel a currently operating team's licence this option doesn't allow for the Perth team which the NRL needs from a financial standpoint.

We really are spoilt for choice, whilst Brisbane 2 and Perth seem the obvious ones for next round after that you still have NZ2 (several options), Adelaide, Brisbane 3 as good options. CQ, PNG, Central Coast, NZ3 and Melbourne 2 as unlikely but not totally impossible options as well.

 

[Walter sobchak]

We really are spoilt for choice, whilst Brisbane 2 and Perth seem the obvious ones for next round after that you still have NZ2 (several options), Adelaide, Brisbane 3 as good options. CQ, PNG, Central Coast, NZ3 and Melbourne 2 as unlikely but not totally impossible options as well.

Brisbane2/dolphins. Yes
Perth. Yes
Adelaide. Yes relocation of Sydney team
CQ. No small population
PNG. No dangerous poor 3rd world country
Central coast. Yes relocate either manly or the roosters
NZ2. Yes Christchurch
Melbourne 2. No

 

[The Great Dane]

We really are spoilt for choice, whilst Brisbane 2 and Perth seem the obvious ones for next round after that you still have NZ2 (several options), Adelaide, Brisbane 3 as good options. CQ, PNG, Central Coast, NZ3 and Melbourne 2 as unlikely but not totally impossible options as well.

Brisbane 3 is just a really bad idea for the foreseeable future...

Don't get me wrong I'm sure that Brisbane could support three teams and stuff, but that is beside the point. The real question is does the comp really need 3 Brisbane clubs to get the best results out of Brisbane, and I'd argue no it doesn't.

I'd argue that there're limited spaces in the comp so another market would have to miss out so Brisbane can have three clubs, and that adding a third team in Brisbane would largely just be cannibalising the other two clubs fan-bases to have a third team cause we can, and at that point you're just trading two big clubs for three smaller ones which is a dumb idea.

Brisbane2/dolphins. Yes
Perth. Yes
Adelaide. Yes relocation of Sydney team

Why relocate a club to Adelaide?

I mean for a start do you really want a club that has failed in a market like Sydney at the head of such an important expansion project?

CQ. No small population
PNG. No dangerous poor 3rd world country
Central coast. Yes relocate either manly or the roosters
NZ2. Yes Christchurch
Melbourne 2. No

It may not happen in the next 10-20 years or whatever, but a second club in Melbourne is inevitable.

It really isn't a matter of if but when it happens, I mean in the not to distant future Melbourne is going to have a larger population than Sydney, and as market (in the sports market in particular) it's importance in the Australian context is only increasing.

I'd even suggest that the NRL should look to do a long term GWS style expansion project to Melbourne where they bankroll the club for 30+ years to establish it now so they can have a solid presence in Melbourne going forward to preempt those cultural shifts that are happening in Australia as soon as possible, but the NRL has such a shitty spread of teams in the comp population wise that it simply wouldn't be sensible for them to undertake a project like that while places like Perth, Adelaide, and multiple cities in NZ don't have clubs... It is what it is I guess.

 

[TheRam]

F**k they paid Lockyer handsomely.