Richardson (and 12 other clubs apparently) against expansion

[smoke more pot]

But Balmain went for the easy option of merging, rather than fighting the bastards at News Ltd. They've always been a gutless club.

and that's why you guys merged with cronulla?

 

[Bengal]

Expansion - it looks like there will never be a right time!
We have a team that's willing to pay its own way, but that seems to get lost in the mix. Are they bullsh*tting or something? I mean where in the big scheme of things will that be a drain on resources?
As for every club losing money, if that is the case, why are we even in existence? What a load of crap!
For starters didn’t the Warriors make a profit last year?
Player talent – there’s plenty of that out there. Competitiveness, not an issue.

Rival TV companies, possibly Singo and Virgin?

 

[Big Bunny]

No matter what the financial side of it, i fail to see where the talent for a 16th team playing in the NRL will come from? If a team was going to be axed or relocated whilst it would suck for the supportors then the depth would remain. In the end it comes down to pure quality of players, and you have to wonder, if the talent is going to be spread thin, then why did we ever go through the axing of or merging of the following, Illawarra,Saints, Norths,Tigers,Wests, Western Reds, Adelaide,Gold Coast,Brisbane Crushers and finally the Mariners. IMHO the only way to achieve viable expansion is to introduce a draft which the players have already shown in the past, they do not support. Without this, the gulf between the top and bottom teams will widen, hardly what you want in the National Rugby League.

Regardless of the number of teams there are always going to be teams struggling and those who do it easy. The draft idea is one that I support as well as it will stop teams from stockpiling talent to the degree that is currently seen.

I see the NRL as a competition with an identity crisis as it straddles two models of administration. On one hand we are working with the European model where no draft is in place, there is no safety net and it's survival of the fittest. On the other hand we have moved to incorporate many American ideals, those of successful business where a salary cap is in place and a goal is to give an annual grant that eventually meets that level. A bastardized system such as the one we have isn't going to work in the long run and we need to step one way or the other and I'm heavily in favour of the American model.

Salary cap, Annual grant that matches the cap, a draft and a look to creating a stable environment rather than one that is continually shifting as is the case with the European version that includes promotion and relegation (which is a dire concept unless franchises are awarded to new and existing clubs that are well run on and off the field).

The NRL is on track to be able to cover the expense of the existing clubs, but the Fox TV deal is unlikely to be enough, so if the clubs are willing to admit a 16th team they won't lose out financially and they will still have to wait until 2007 for an increase in the annual grant towards meeting the cap itself.

 

[Big Bunny]

We have a team that's willing to pay its own way, but that seems to get lost in the mix. Are they bullsh*tting or something? I mean where in the big scheme of things will that be a drain on resources?

Singo isn't going to live forever and he has stated that his funding is finite. He is under no obligation to fund the team beyond the 5 years that he stated and if he chooses to stick out his hand for NRL funding after that he will be well within his rights. As part of the NRL I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't be looking for his slice of the pie once admitted anyway.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Who cares what other clubs think.. They shouldnt have a say..

FFS the NRL is killing themselves.. At this rate the NRL will be gone in 10 years if they listen to these morons.. Stop going backwards..

These guys have rocks in their heads.

 

[Bengal]

We have a team that's willing to pay its own way, but that seems to get lost in the mix. Are they bullsh*tting or something? I mean where in the big scheme of things will that be a drain on resources?

Singo isn't going to live forever and he has stated that his funding is finite. He is under no obligation to fund the team beyond the 5 years that he stated and if he chooses to stick out his hand for NRL funding after that he will be well within his rights. As part of the NRL I find it hard to believe that he wouldn't be looking for his slice of the pie once admitted anyway.

Five years is more than ample time for the CC to prove if they'll be viable or not i.e. profit is measured as if they were actually recieving the annual NRL grant, rather than viabilty being measured on them forever paying their own way.
Only a mug would think Singo was going to pay for ever!

People are saying now is still not the right time, maybe true for some teams, but not the ones that can afford to pay their own way until conditions, namely TV contracts, improve. As for Singo's motives, I'm guessing they're TV related, but I hope not because then it would have all been for nothing.

Chicken_Hunter I agree with you.

 

[Henson Park Hornets]

But Balmain went for the easy option of merging, rather than fighting the bastards at News Ltd. They've always been a gutless club.

and that's why you guys merged with cronulla?

The Newtown take over of Crounlla is totally different to the Balmain/Wests deal.

Where do I start....................
No loss of identity for either Cronulla or Newtown. Wests Tigers? WTF is a Wests Tiger?
Newtown are playing will still be playing within the same grade, as will Cronulla. Balmain and the Maggies have dropped a grade.

Balmain sold their soul for $8million bucks. They also came 13th in the NRL's beloved criteria, thus the stooges at News Ltd wanted them in the NRL. But they took the easy way out. 50% of something is hell of a lot less than the 100% of the Balmain Tigers that would have continued within the NRL.
Once again. A gutless club.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

:lol: @ a Newtown supporter calling any other club gutless.

Seriously, :lol:

 

[joshreading]

Where are the players going to come from for the 16th team people ask... well how about the 23 Kiwis eligiable for NZ in the UK, or all the Aussies over there, or how about a couple Union players, how about making a move on talent in emerging countries.

I would place cash that it exists, RL Clubs have just gotten lazy, In fact the 15 team comp we have is balancing out well, given another two years, some smart recruiting I think that the talent is there, maybe it is jus the ability to spot it or take chances that is lacking.

 

[greeneyed]

The biggest reason that the competition is VERY uneven this year... and looks like continuing to be so... is THIRD PARTY SPONSORSHIPS.

The salary cap MUST include such sponsorships.

If that means significantly increasing the cap, fine. But all clubs should be put on an even footing in relation to this. At the moment the Broncos and the Roosters have massive amounts flowing to players through this avenue. The Knights are clearly going to also benefit from it. This has to be made transparent and this massive loophole needs to be closed.

If that happened, who knows, we might have enough players to spread around 16 clubs. I don't think we should go above 16, however. What we need to do is spread the 16 around the country - keeping Melbourne and moving back to Adelaide and Perth.

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

But Balmain went for the easy option of merging, rather than fighting the bastards at News Ltd. They've always been a gutless club.

From one standpoint it may look that way but I believe that there were forces at work - a culture of rumour, inuendo & mis-information clouded the whole "re-unification" era ( :roll: )

Cheers,
Ben S.

Exactly. When the mergers happened it was on the basis that the competition would never expand and would only shrink. Teams rushed to JV's because they didn't want to miss the bus. Now they discover there's another service that they could of waited for. The JV clubs (individually) should be handsomely compensated if CC or GC get in (btw, i wish they could both come in).

 

[Henson Park Hornets]

I guess that it's easy to look back now and say that only Souths did the right thing at the time and fighting News Ltd. Granted, Souths could only fight as they were earmarked for removal from the comp. Balmain/Wests/Illawarra/Norths/Manly/St George all went for the easy option, I believe, in merging. What happenend to the Balmain stance of standing with Souths and saying that we'll be there with you all the way, when the ARL and SL came to the table?

I was a Balmain fan, until they merged. They sold out and lost me.

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

I guess that it's easy to look back now and say that only Souths did the right thing at the time and fighting News Ltd. Granted, Souths could only fight as they were earmarked for removal from the comp. Balmain/Wests/Illawarra/Norths/Manly/St George all went for the easy option, I believe, in merging. What happenend to the Balmain stance of standing with Souths and saying that we'll be there with you all the way, when the ARL and SL came to the table?

I was a Balmain fan, until they merged. They sold out and lost me.

That's right.

If Balmain, Manly, Wests, Illawarra, Norths, and St.George stood beside Souths and said "no way, not good enough. Work something out so we can all stay" they would of had the support of an overwhelming majority of RL fans. We would of had News and the ARL by the balls and things would of been very different, they could never of cut anyone then - the game doesnt work without the fans.

Apart from Souths, everyone let the suits bully them - instead of it being the other way around. The clubs should of took the stance that was the initial reaction of many fans like myself and others.

 

[Big-Steve]

I guess that it's easy to look back now and say that only Souths did the right thing at the time and fighting News Ltd. Granted, Souths could only fight as they were earmarked for removal from the comp. Balmain/Wests/Illawarra/Norths/Manly/St George all went for the easy option, I believe, in merging. What happenend to the Balmain stance of standing with Souths and saying that we'll be there with you all the way, when the ARL and SL came to the table?

I was a Balmain fan, until they merged. They sold out and lost me.

That's right.

If Balmain, Manly, Wests, Illawarra, Norths, and St.George stood beside Souths and said "no way, not good enough. Work something out so we can all stay" they would of had the support of an overwhelming majority of RL fans. We would of had News and the ARL by the balls and things would of been very different, they could never of cut anyone then - the game doesnt work without the fans.

Apart from Souths, everyone let the suits bully them - instead of it being the other way around. The clubs should of took the stance that was the initial reaction of many fans like myself and others.

It's always been my argument that the "Officials" who had/still have the power to do something didn’t/still don't.

Fans of a club should NOT be blamed for the demise of their club when their Officials never gave them an opportunity to do anything.

Norths situation was a clear example of this. The circumstances that occurred back in 1999/2000 were almost designed not to allow Bears fans to do anything (even though they desperately did try via the Save the Bears).

At any rate there is now an opportunity to right it. What is wrong with doing that?

 

[Man_of_Steel_1982]

[quote="Big-Steve]
At any rate there is now an opportunity to right it. What is wrong with doing that?[/quote]

Exactly.
I hate when I hear people say things like "get over it", "it's in the past", "look to the future". I believe what's happened in recent years to our game have been crimes... and I believe in justice.

 

[Big-Steve]

[quote="Big-Steve]
At any rate there is now an opportunity to right it. What is wrong with doing that?

Exactly.
I hate when I hear people say things like "get over it", "it's in the past", "look to the future". I believe what's happened in recent years to our game have been crimes... and I believe in justice.[/quote]

Cheers ;-)

It all seems so simple.

If only it was this simple for St George, Illawarra, Wests and Balmain.

 

[Kid]

I guess that it's easy to look back now and say that only Souths did the right thing at the time and fighting News Ltd. Granted, Souths could only fight as they were earmarked for removal from the comp. Balmain/Wests/Illawarra/Norths/Manly/St George all went for the easy option, I believe, in merging. What happenend to the Balmain stance of standing with Souths and saying that we'll be there with you all the way, when the ARL and SL came to the table?

I was a Balmain fan, until they merged. They sold out and lost me.

Why in the hell would Balmain support Souths against any Establishment? The last time they fought together way back in 1909(?) Souths showed how rock solid they are as an ally when they knifed the Tigers in the back and became Premiers. :roll: