You really think kids only want to play the code which is played in their local area?
I mean some HM kids are recruited from the country and play HM in the city, we recruited Dylbags from NZ at 15 ffs, yet you allege kids wont travel across town. Makes no sense to me.
The western corridor could not financially stump up for a new team yet you blame the NRL for not supporting a team that may fail financially, sounds to me like they did the right thing although I'm not privy to the decision making process.
And as for the western corridor become AFL heartland, just f**king lol. Nearly all the AFL fans up here are expat Mexicans because they are Victoria's biggest export.
May have a lot to do with the fact that the Lions are on top and the Broncos have been shit for years.
Also there is a lot of dislike for the Broncos up here and those fans who hate them will be all over the Dolphins regardless of which suburb they are located in.
That is a very narrow interpretation of what is going on here. Sure kids that play RL now will travel far and wide to play if that is what it takes to play a game they love, especially if they are talented enough to be recruited by an NRL club for ffs. But think of the big picture and a little down the ways.
The AFL has plonked tens of millions of dollars worth of infrastructure all over the number one growth area of Brisbane and they are then spending tens of million per annum to recruit the next generation of kids in that area by setting up clinics, going to schools, and advertising the shit out of their product oh and they out number the NRL's development officers at least 20 to 1. Now how long do you think it will take for them to start recruiting thousands of kids that would have been RL kids and turning them into AFL kids. Even Pou said his little one sees RL as dads thing and AFL as his and ultimately what pous son is saying his generation sport.
The tide has already turned, it is just at the very start of the shift so not many will have noticed or want to admit to it, but the AFL has effectively won. Their half a century of slow creep out spend, growth and expand has finally given them the victory that they have been white boarding and planning since the 80's. Like I said earlier, like the Nazis in 1942 after the battle of Stalingrad most of the Germans back home didn't have a clue that it was all over right there and then. I mean the home front was still bullish and beating its chest just like the NRL is doing now, while the enemy is amassing its forces and encircling and launching massive frontal assaults and occupations while all we can do is Tokyo Rose style of announcements and feeble strategic advancements and strikes that don't have any impact on the outcome of the war.
To put it another way
The kids have been served up to the Morning Star and Gods angels are powerless to stop it. There is going to be plenty more blood spilt but in the end the land down under will be known as Satan's Kingdom where all the kiddies have lost their soul.
Also as for the Lions having more members then the Broncos because they are on top while the Broncos are at the bottom, of course that is the case for now, but lets compare them to the Storm for a sec. If there is ever a case for any team in the whole of Australia to have more then 50K fully paid up members and a waiting list for thousands to get a seat, it is the Storm. The most successful sporting organisation in the country for around 2 decades now. But they can't even break the 30K mark this last season even after winning the Premiership yet again. And from what was release last week of the breakdown of the members they have it was made up of more then half by Islander and Maori decent. Which means they haven't converted many non NRL types at all and their junior development reflects that in bucket loads. The Lions and AFL in QLD though keep producing junior players and more new members by the day. Yeah the NRL is winning. They got dis.
