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Relocation of Sydney clubs

R&WTILLIDIE

First Grade
Messages
5,158
I wouldn't panic about St.George at all. We paid our dues to the NRL 20 years ago, paved the way and on paper are the only successful merger club and I think in turn have bought our safety for years to come.

Only scenario I can see (and it's very unlikely) is that we'd become a solely Wollongong based team, but again I don't think that'll happen as St.George football club own the club now and the majority of our revenue comes from the Sydney base.

So for what it's worth, I imagine we're safe.

Sorry mate...but how are we the only successful merger? If you measure success by titles, we have the same amount of titles as the tigpies.
 
Messages
17,252
Expansion will clearly now be from one of two ways or perhaps both.

Primarily brissy 2 and another, say Perth will be considered at the time of the next tv deal, subject to what additional revenue the extra game a week will generate. An additional $50-$60m will fund their inclusion and the only concern really will be available talent.

Alternatively “if” a Sydney club falls into financial difficulties the NRL would have an opportunity to say, we will fund/ help you but you have to move.

This takes away the speculation on location of clubs in Sydney being a primary consideration, it’s financial and that’s it.

With additional funding to all existing clubs, any that do fall into financial difficulty will only have themselves to blame now
 
Messages
3,581
Joint venture NOT a merger.

Given the sole Illawarra Steelers’ Board representative doesn’t have influential voting rights, it’s correct to question the veracity of the term JV when referencing St. George. In the nascent days of 1999, we jokingly said “at least they’ve got the socks”. This hasn’t been the case for a long time now.

Agreed Jimmy, it was a slip of the freudian tongue.

My point is the dominant brand in the JV is St George, and that it has huge support all over Australia and beyond.

The two regions were historically connected at the hip and remain so today.

We have a strong presence in the Illawarra, hence the NRL is unlikely to attempt to relocate us.

My only concern relates to our financial strength.

St George Leagues Club has a strong balance sheet but provides very limited financial support.

WIN Corporation and the Gordon family have suffered massive financial losses due to the changes in the TV industry and the fact that advertising is now dominated by Google, Facebook and others. I hope the Gordon's prosper and continue to support the Joint Venture as part owners. But nothing is certain.
 
Messages
3,581
All St George legacy fans should buy Bruce Gordon a beer next time they see him

We will all buy him a beer when he takes a serious active interest in the business.

This would start with a review and dismissal of the current FG coaching staff.

The reality is, all Gordon did was swap Illawarra debt he had bankrolled for Illawarra's interest in the JV.

Nothing more, nothing less.
 

merahputih

Juniors
Messages
922
what about a team literally nobody supports, e.g the titans
I remember a couple of years ago reading about a guy who started a sports shop on the Gold Coast and stocked up on Titans jerseys, thinking they would sell like hotcakes, along with small numbers of other clubs. He was surprised to find that his few Dragons jerseys sold out in a few days and he constantly had to restock them while the Titans ones hardly moved.
 

Dragsters

First Grade
Messages
5,331
If too many Sydney clubs is the real issue then why are the Bullgrubs not in the conversation at all for relocation?

I know it's almost a rhetorical question while the current CEO is still in charge...
 

RufusRex

Post Whore
Messages
62,231
If 16 teams is the ideal number for the comp .. and that seems to be the case then relocation is the only option. If you rule out expansion then that is all.


There are markets to take teams to ... Central coast, perth, brisbane, south island ...
All that we lack is the desire.


The sydney space for a national game is too congested ... And from a geography point of view there are assumptions

The first ones:

One of us/sharks
One of Canterbury/Wests

These are the obvious and immediate ones ... Personally wests/sharks can FOAD

Brisbane and Perth get their teams.


Once that happens then it gets more challenging

One of Parra/Penrith
One of Easts/Souths
Manly to the CC


The NRL should cease any propping up of clubs now ... line in the sand .. you fail your gone. Fans may scream but the game coped with the loss of Glebe, Annandale, University, Newtown, North Sydney ..
 

possm

Coach
Messages
15,587
If 16 teams is the ideal number for the comp .. and that seems to be the case then relocation is the only option. If you rule out expansion then that is all.


There are markets to take teams to ... Central coast, perth, brisbane, south island ...
All that we lack is the desire.


The sydney space for a national game is too congested ... And from a geography point of view there are assumptions

The first ones:

One of us/sharks
One of Canterbury/Wests

These are the obvious and immediate ones ... Personally wests/sharks can FOAD

Brisbane and Perth get their teams.


Once that happens then it gets more challenging

One of Parra/Penrith
One of Easts/Souths
Manly to the CC


The NRL should cease any propping up of clubs now ... line in the sand .. you fail your gone. Fans may scream but the game coped with the loss of Glebe, Annandale, University, Newtown, North Sydney ..

By joining come Sydney clubs together, not only do you free up 5 licences to be used in other locations, you also increase the fan base and add leagues club support to the joint venture team. These 5 Sydney teams remaining would be even stronger and the 5 new teams created in other locations would bring new support to the game.
 

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,708
We will all buy him a beer when he takes a serious active interest in the business.

This would start with a review and dismissal of the current FG coaching staff.

The reality is, all Gordon did was swap Illawarra debt he had bankrolled for Illawarra's interest in the JV.

Nothing more, nothing less.
Incorrect..

Saved your arses is what he did..

I’d expect to see a few more Gordon tattoos popping up amongst fans in the next year or two.
 

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,708
No .. we should have agreed to TSE and not with the blokes who have been asleep at the wheel for years
The best choice for a buyer would have been the muzby consortium, but unfortunately the cash couldn’t be stumped up at the time..
 

redandwhite4evr

Juniors
Messages
1,816
Some years ago, the NRL came up with several criteria that teams had to meet to retain a licence. These criteria related to junior numbers and junior development (eg employment of development officers) ground facilities (lighting etc), sponsorship and income and a few others I don't recall.

I don't know what happened to those criteria which if applied today would immediately signify the death of a team like the Roosters which has a very small junior league- and getting smaller courtesy of the Swans. The preoccupation with finance as the only meaningful criterion is a very short sighted approach and sucks up to the Nick Politises of this world who seem to have inordinate control over key decision making officials.

Personally I would love to stand back and watch the fireworks if Souths and the Roosters were faced with merger, relocation or extinction. I was upset by the Sharks going it alone in 1966 which coincided with the last year of the St George 11 year premiership run. I was also concerned about losing our identity after the merger and still get annoyed whenever the Dragons don't line up in the big Red V jersey. Time for the Soosters or Rouths to go thru the same pain!
 

Old Kogarah Boy 1

First Grade
Messages
5,415
I remember a couple of years ago reading about a guy who started a sports shop on the Gold Coast and stocked up on Titans jerseys, thinking they would sell like hotcakes, along with small numbers of other clubs. He was surprised to find that his few Dragons jerseys sold out in a few days and he constantly had to restock them while the Titans ones hardly moved.

There are many of us up here, Meraputih.
Safety in numbers.
 
Last edited:
Messages
17,252
Not to sure to many are actually hearing what is being said.

It won’t be relocation of Sydney clubs based upon anything other than financially falling over. That’s it kaput, final.

That being the case I expect the NRL to look at new teams up to an 18 team comp and that will depend on the television rights and willingness to pay for an extra game each week.
 
Messages
3,581
Incorrect..

Saved your arses is what he did..

I’d expect to see a few more Gordon tattoos popping up amongst fans in the next year or two.

I now understand why you are orange.

Been out in the sun for too long.

St Georges Leagues Club debt is nominal.

Illawarra has been insolvent for many years, firstly bailed out by St George Leagues Club and then finally WIN Corporation.

Had WIN Corporation not bought out Illawarra, St George Leagues Club would have.

Glad WIN is our JV partner, hoping they last financially till 2020.
 

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