Someone tell me why

[Cloud9]

I think cutie makes a lot of good points, so you guys can shine him off as much as you like, but they are reasonable questions.

With regards to Nth Sydney, they and Manly both went with a joint venture because it was seen to be the responsible thing to do at the time. Clearly it was an abject failure that nearly destroyed both clubs, but it was done in the right spirit so id like to see Nth Sydney afforded every oportunity to get back into the league. Northern Sydney has never been the issue for the NRL, and it can easily afford two sides playing there.

There are still some glaring issues that arrose from the Super League period and the subsequent peace deal, in particular the entry criteria that frightened a number of clubs into unhealthy and poorly thought out mergers. Namely, why did we merge a sydney team with Wollongong only to see that team use the wollongong players, shaft the playing public by playing very few games there, marginalising the sides livery, name etc. When wollongong is a viable place for a single NRL side to operate out of, why did we walk away from what many consider part of the RL heartland? The game turned its back on the steelers supporters and personally i think its disgraceful that a viable side was consumed by StGeorge just so they could get a free ride through the entry criteria.

Why did the league allow the rediculous merge of Wests and Balmain? Its a marriage that has never really stuck has it. They have no home, no place to pitch their flag and raise support and if they keep on doing what they are doing in terms of scheduling games 80km away from their logical home then again, we may well lose another side, a side that should be thriving in western sydney.

I understood the call for merging, but the mergers needed to be sensible and good for the game. Not just reducing numbers for the sake of it. In hindsight, the league after the peace deal probably should have shut up shop, cleared out all of the sides then sold franchises groups to apply for entry. That way, they could have controlled the start up, they could have reset the supporter bases within logical locations. We probably would have had a thriving league by now.

That makes a lot of sense.

 

[In-goal]

Who gives a rats arse, Super League really won.

 

[junior009]

Source? Penrith would've gone through on their Leagues Club fortunes alone.

The criteria only allowed for $3 million (this number might not be exactly right but it's in the ball park) of a clubs grant from their leagues club to count. It basically put all clubs with a leagues club on a level playing field in that respect.

Stupid I know, but the whole criteria was stupid from beginning to end.

 

[Loudstrat]

Thank you for all replies. Louds, K'mare, and the other bloke inparticular

I just want to learn more about the game, whilst it might sound hypocritical because my team was one of the backers of SL.

No problem. Nice to know you are looking for reality and not just a defensive position. The game would be better if more had your attitude.

 

[_Johnsy]

How is a company throwing cash into their own sporting franchise "f**king disgusting"? Is Crowe "f**king disgusting" for owning Souths? Are Delmege/Penn "f**king disgusting" for owning Manly?

How is bringing money into RL a bad thing? Without News Limited Melboune (sic) would exist but it makes it a hell of a lot easier financially with them on board. It's actually one of the few good things they've done for the game.

Lets be honest news ltd run/own the game as it stands. I have no problem in news ltd gave each club the same handout. They have a clear advantage over other clubs.

 

[Miller was a legend]

"Someone tell me why"

Because!

 

[Tidus_Raider]

Am I in the minority who feels the number of Sydney clubs we have is about right? I mean sure, they may not attract huge crowds or memberships but every sydney club in the NRL I would say is well supported. Sydneysiders are a fickle lot, when there club is winning the stadium is packed.

Look at Canberra's crowds circa 94-96, Parra's crowds circa 2000-2002, Roosters when they had there grand final streak going, Penrith after that, then Wests. Even the Sharks attract 18-20K when they are winning.

 

[Loudstrat]

Minority on this site - yes. But of those with anywhere near a normal IQ, no.

Sydney/NSW amount is pretty much spot on.

 

[Knightmare]

Canberra is not a Sydney club. They aren't even a NSW club.

 

[Perth Red]

Even the Sharks attract 18-20K when they are winning.

No they don't, they have only ever got over 14,000 average once in their entire existence.

The number of Sydney clubs is right if they are all sustainable financially. At this point in time they are so you are right, the number is right, for now. Time will tell if they are able to maintain sustainability and with the pokies cash cow drying up that basically means being able to attract a big enough membership base and enough corporate partners.

 

[Tidus_Raider]

Canberra is not a Sydney club. They aren't even a NSW club.

I am well aware of that thankyou. You know what I meant though. You look at any Sydney club's average crowd and they all peak when they either a) performing well on the ladder or b) contested or won a grand final.

No they don't, they have only ever got over 14,000 average once in their entire existence.

I never said anything about average crowds. I said 'attract crowds'. Its a bad example to use I know but last years 1st round final against Canberra attracted 18K+ to Toyota Park. Cronulla seem to draw well against Sydney based clubs but not against interstate teams.Also I think they suffer beacuse a high percentage of their games are played on saturday nights, which traditionally draw lower crowds then say a friday night or sunday afternoon game.

 

[m0j0]

Penrith is easy - one of the most profitable club chains in Australia. Cronulla obviously have managed things well too and Cronulla is a relatively affluent area.

Timmah, you spelt effluent wrong... ;-)

 

[Timmah]

:lol:

 

[God-King Dean]

You wanna know how I got these scars ?

 

[jed]

Money. News Ltd funded the SL clubs. Optus funded the ARL clubs. By the time the reunification happened prior to the 1998 season, News Ltd had splurged some $30 million each onto the three Sydney SL clubs. Meanwhuile, the PBL/News Ltd deal to jointly run Foxtel meant that Foxtel got the new NRL contract, and Optus lost the ARL clubs - partly because PBL pulled their share out of Optus. Therefore, while the SL clubs got loyalty payments off News, the ARL clubs didn't.

Yet, in 1998, only two clubs could pay their salary out of their own funds. Parramatta, and South Sydney.


Balmain, Wests, Souths, Norths and Easts played in 1998. By 1999, Wests and Balmain had merged. By 2000, only Easts remained. North went broke building Graham Park (now Bluetongue). They had scheduled to open the ground in April, and sheduled home games at Parramatta, Brisbane and elsewhere in the early rounds. Terrible weather, and a balls up with paint meant the contruction dragged on throughout the season, meaning Norths home games were scheduled everywhere ad hoc. They went broke.

Souths were punted. It was on the cards. News approached every Sydney club to join the rebels, bar Balmain and Souths, simply because they didn't want a losers image with their clubs, and both clubs were poor, and struggling. Balmain sought mergers with Parra and Brisbane Easts - the latter to relocate to Lang Park as the East Coast Tigers. News knocked back that merger, and Balmain chose (wisely) a merger with Wests over Parra.

Souths fought. They also tried to relocate to Adelaide and merge with teh Rams. The NRL knocked 'em back. Souths were doomed the second SL signed it's first player in early 1995.

Interestingly, the first merger talks between Sydney clubs was between Easts and St George in 1994. A bloke called Skull Murphy led a very vocal protest on the Dragons behalf - and the concept - which was very close to a done deal, folded.



See above.



Sort of explained. Before SL, Penrith was the cash club, with Panthers and their acre of pokies making big $. Sadly for them, they were festooned with crap management, and only when Gus Gould took over from the sound foundations buiult by Ron Willey in the late 1980's did they reach their potential.


NSWRL - they didn't, athough favoritism toward certain club over the 80 years certainly shaped the comp.

ARL - they didn't. When the ARL took over in the early 1990's they ran a tight ship, and lifted the code, through expansion and promotion - to a massive height by 1994.

NRL - run by twats and owned by News.



Nope. Let Cronulla live or die by their own means. But yes, the Bears MUST be brought back post haste!!!!!

I normally roll my eyes when I see one of your posts Misty, but I'm actually impressed this time, not your normal rambling anti-News, anti SL posts.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Also I think they suffer beacuse a high percentage of their games are played on saturday nights, which traditionally draw lower crowds then say a friday night or sunday afternoon game.

This may be true for other clubs but not for the Sharks as they historically pull better crowds on a Sat night.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

an interesting question. some people here are giving you a hard time. dont let that deter you. some are still asking where babies come from.

tell you why?

well, first can you tell my how i can be typing this inside an operating system inside an operating system, one of which has not been officially released yet?

Well I am using virtualisation software. And the op system is windows 7, running virtually inside of windows xp using a program called virtual box (which is free)

amazing, i also run linux, and even have real linux (non virtual) in dual boot, i have several flavours....

someone tell me why linux is free AND BETTER than windows in 99% of areas.




ok, so anyway, the basic point is this....who gives a rats, to coin a term.

the fact that matters is that it happened

the same as my typing this inside of an operating system inside of an operating system.

if i were you i would ask more questions like this in the future.

no question is stupid, thats why we ask questions.

but my answer stands.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

Am I in the minority who feels the number of Sydney clubs we have is about right? I mean sure, they may not attract huge crowds or memberships but every sydney club in the NRL I would say is well supported. Sydneysiders are a fickle lot, when there club is winning the stadium is packed.

Look at Canberra's crowds circa 94-96, Parra's crowds circa 2000-2002, Roosters when they had there grand final streak going, Penrith after that, then Wests. Even the Sharks attract 18-20K when they are winning.

this phenomenon is not isolated to the nrl, brainiac.

plus, it means jack.

what clubs need, of any sport, is supporters supporting week in and week out. thats what counts.

fairweather supporting is not the issue.

sydney does not have decent support. stop kidding yourselves. when was the last time old trafford was less than 80% full for a man U game? Or what about nfl stadia? when was the last time they were not full to the brim, or what about afl teams and decent support.

you people live in a dream land if you think nrl standards are anything to be happy about. its pathetic on the whole.

 

[adamkungl]

^ completely losing the plot

 

[Loudstrat]

No they don't, they have only ever got over 14,000 average once in their entire existence.

The number of Sydney clubs is right if they are all sustainable financially. At this point in time they are so you are right, the number is right, for now. Time will tell if they are able to maintain sustainability and with the pokies cash cow drying up that basically means being able to attract a big enough membership base and enough corporate partners.

HALLALUYAH!!!!!!

The penny finally dropped!!!!!!

an interesting question. some people here are giving you a hard time. dont let that deter you. some are still asking where babies come from.

tell you why?

well, first can you tell my how i can be typing this inside an operating system inside an operating system, one of which has not been officially released yet?

Well I am using virtualisation software. And the op system is windows 7, running virtually inside of windows xp using a program called virtual box (which is free)

amazing, i also run linux, and even have real linux (non virtual) in dual boot, i have several flavours....

someone tell me why linux is free AND BETTER than windows in 99% of areas.




ok, so anyway, the basic point is this....who gives a rats, to coin a term.

the fact that matters is that it happened

the same as my typing this inside of an operating system inside of an operating system.

if i were you i would ask more questions like this in the future.

no question is stupid, thats why we ask questions.

but my answer stands.

Needs more lithium, less lead. Poor boy indeed.........

sydney does not have decent support. stop kidding yourselves. when was the last time old trafford was less than 80% full for a man U game? Or what about nfl stadia? when was the last time they were not full to the brim, or what about afl teams and decent support.

Sop the Broncos getting less than 30k never happens???????