Southern Bears

[Wb1234]

I 100% agree, I’m probably cautious of giving anybody ownership because of what happened with the Bears with the Northern Eagles.
Manly played their hand, they survived, kudos to them, it’s not what I would’ve done but that’s life or death for the Bears anyways lol.
With your last paragraph, that’s what really gets me, the press link the Bears to anything and everything, then bloody Billy Moore opens his mouth when Chairman Daniel Dickson is holidaying in Canada. Then Daniel says comments which can be easily misconstrued, we will go where the NRL direct us to go or words to that effect, like wtf.
I rang him when he got back and said we are a laughing stock to everybody, I said commit to an area and stick with that area.
He just doesn’t want to waste time and money, he wants a clear direction from the NRL as the Bears went ahead blindly and did this with the Central Coast Bears bid, wasted lots of money, time and resources, I was heavily involved in this, we signed over 8,000 members and it was all for nothing.
At the moment the Bears are doing everything right, gathering sponsors, gaining very experienced personnel on their board and their off field performances are coming along nicely, even after having the Roosters back away from the Bears with them having their own NSW Cup side hasn’t really effected the Bears at all.
The only thing the Bears need to get right is what goes into the press on slow news days’
Trust me, Bears fans don’t get their hopes up with these articles, we roll our eyes as well.

Manly made sure it failed from the start

they picked more manly players and left out norths legends or on the bench

they didn’t give a stuff about the central coast and couldn’t wait to move back to Brookie full time

 

[Wb1234]

Yeh only been playing ad watching since 1980 you gronk.
tell us again how you became an afl fan lol

Watching the worlds elite rugby league comp not the one full of towns in England nobody in that country has heard of

 

[Centy Coast]

Manly made sure it failed from the start

they picked more manly players and left out norths legends or on the bench

they didn’t give a stuff about the central coast and couldn’t wait to move back to Brookie full time

Manly had a plan, they were organised and knew what they were doing from day dot.
Arko and Bozo were master manipulators and used their high influence of power within ARL circles to their advantage.
Manly were just as broke if not worse than the Bears, Max Delmege came at the 11th hour with solid $$$ backing them, Norths CEO sold the Bears out and the rest is history as were the Bears.
I tried to follow the Northern Eagles, attended a few games, their first a win at Gosford over Newcastle, then you had the Eagle, the colours, keeping Toovey, Lyons, Menzies and Hill but getting rid of Moore, Fairleigh and Larson, it’s was a takeover not a merger.
I could’ve handled a Manly jersey design with Sea Eagles emblem playing in red and black but this was ridiculous.
The Central Coast soon turned on Manly as well, with the locals refusing to turn up to games, people aren’t stupid, Manly were soon back at Brookvale which was their plan all along.

 

[Gobsmacked]

again, exactly

Perth RL fans choice - pick a new code or accept you can no longer attend live games
Bears RL fans choice - 9 other NRL clubs & an abundance of games each week to watch live

its not the same

That’s the thing isn't it. When I lived in Sydney, there was so much choice and you simply couldn't attend every game even if you wanted to.
Sydney has the highest concentration of Rugby league talent for entertainment on planet earth...but nope, wrong logo... that's not a rl fan in my opinion.
Bears won't bring any new fans to the sport. Just a couple of thousand ( literally like 2k) old boomers holding onto nostalgia.
And the question is: Once this exotic rare empire becomes mainstream, are those old boomers still interested?

There's nothing to gain from the Bears.

 

[ground zero]

You’ll enjoy this

Rugby league hitting record numbers in Victoria

Rugby league in Victoria is heading for a record season with more players and more teams than ever before in 2023.The opening round of the new Storm Premiership for senior footballers was held at the weekend and more than 200 junior teams will kick off the Storm Junior League season on Saturday...

www.nrlvic.com

Ahh the Geelong Sharks. Interesting

 

[Pneuma]

Ahh the Geelong Sharks. Interesting

The clubs had a reasonable start but needs a lot of work to be successful. Storm played a trial there and did a lot of community work as well. It appears to be a NRL vic targeted area but it’s no easy gig. As for the name. I wouldn’t get too excited but it’s fun for conjecture purposes.

 

[flippikat]

That’s the thing isn't it. When I lived in Sydney, there was so much choice and you simply couldn't attend every game even if you wanted to.
Sydney has the highest concentration of Rugby league talent for entertainment on planet earth...but nope, wrong logo... that's not a rl fan in my opinion.
Bears won't bring any new fans to the sport. Just a couple of thousand ( literally like 2k) old boomers holding onto nostalgia.
And the question is: Once this exotic rare empire becomes mainstream, are those old boomers still interested?

There's nothing to gain from the Bears.

That's precisely it.

Sydney is so well served by NRL clubs, it just reeks of entitlement to demand a suburban brand that was axed nearly a quarter of a century ago be brought back, instead of actually growing the reach at the top tier game.

 

[Pneuma]

That's precisely it.

Sydney is so well served by NRL clubs, it just reeks of entitlement to demand a suburban brand that was axed nearly a quarter of a century ago be brought back, instead of actually growing the reach at the top tier game.

100%

 

[Perth Red]

Watching the worlds elite rugby league comp not the one full of towns in England nobody in that country has heard of

I wonder how many people outside of NSW could point to Canterbury or Cronulla on a map lol

i was there watching the worlds elite rugby league players beat queensland at craven park in 1983, glorious.

 

[flippikat]

I wonder how many people outside of NSW could point to Canterbury or Cronulla on a map lol

i was there watching the worlds elite rugby league players beat queensland at craven park in 1983, glorious.

To be honest, besides obvious locations like Brisbane, Newcastle, Canberra & Gold Coast - I had no idea of the geographical location of suburban teams when I first started watching the NSWRL competition in the early 1990s - nor did I really care for a while, it was just "oh those teams are all from Sydney"

My choice at the time to follow the Bears (remember this was pre-Warriors), was basically down to "cool colours, cool jersey, cool mascot & they're a pretty competitive team".

Maybe I'm one of those "ex Bears fans" that they go on about bringing back to the fold, but I've moved on - especially since my country has an NRL side of it's own now. A more-local option spurred me to jump ships, and no way would I go back.

 

[Steel Saints]

IMO the Central Coast Bears still has a chance to play in the NRL. In Rugby League anything is possible. Been following the code since the late eighties and alot has happened since then. Super League, mergers, court cases, salary cap scandals etc.

The NRL could expand to 22 teams, the same amount that was across two comps back in '97. Then again, there is no guarantees that Sydney still has 9 teams for many decades to come. Wests Tigers needs to be wary of Canterbury. But that's another topic.

I'll continue with more on another post...

 

[flippikat]

The NRL could expand to 22 teams, the same amount that was across two comps back in '97. Then again, there is no guarantees that Sydney still has 9 teams for many decades to come. Wests Tigers needs to be wary of Canterbury. But that's another topic.

I'll continue with more on another post...

With 22 teams, I guess it's possible that the Central Coast may get a stand-alone team as an expansion team, but I can see Perth, NZ 2, Brisbane 3 & Adelaide ahead of it, in terms of adding value to the competition - which takes us to 21 teams.. and that last expansion team to take us to 22 would be VERY hotly contested - and could well be NZ 3, another Queensland team (Brisbane or not), or a derby in Melbourne or Perth.

Interesting point re: Tigers and Bulldogs too - I think the long term battle for fans there will be interesting, and the Bulldogs might have an edge in being more singular & focused in their approach instead of the often split nature of the joint venture.

 

[Perth Red]

IMO the Central Coast Bears still has a chance to play in the NRL. In Rugby League anything is possible. Been following the code since the late eighties and alot has happened since then. Super League, mergers, court cases, salary cap scandals etc.

The NRL could expand to 22 teams, the same amount that was across two comps back in '97. Then again, there is no guarantees that Sydney still has 9 teams for many decades to come. Wests Tigers needs to be wary of Canterbury. But that's another topic.

I'll continue with more on another post...

Biggest problem for regional teams is being able to generate the revenue needed. Even with the increased grant its been shown a club needs to generate around $13-15mill min of football club, or other, revenue to survive. More if you want to thrive.

If the NRL ever brought in a proper spending cap then it would make smaller city clubs more achievable, but at the moment thats a big revenue raising stretch for places like Gosford and Wollongong as stand alones.

 

[Wb1234]

I wonder how many people outside of NSW could point to Canterbury or Cronulla on a map lol

i was there watching the worlds elite rugby league players beat queensland at craven park in 1983, glorious.

Exactly which is why you have poor understanding of Aussie league before 2000 which affects your views on expansion mergers super league and rugby league being number one

super league : 2 clubs in hull 3 in Wakefield and 2 in Wigan then has the nerve to say Sydney has too many clubs lmao

 

[Steel Saints]

In the last 20 years, the Bears more or less have said that there future is on the Central Coast, but will take one or two games back at NSO. The Bears still think they will get support from the north shore.

However lately, you hear media reports about the Bears possibly going to WA to become the WA Bears. Or in the past, there was talk over a takeover of the Gold Caost Titans. I may be wrong, but from an outsider looking in, the Bears are not sticking solid with the Central Coast.

Now 10 years ago, if someone asked me who was the most likely to win an NRL license out of Central Coast Bears or Redcliffe Dolphins, I would've naively picked the Bears. And maybe at the time, the Bears were ahead of the Dolphins.

However in the last 15 years, the Dolphins have played a blinder off the field. They meticulously upgraded their home ground. It may not big enough for the NRL but it will always be their spiritual home, and play a couple of games per year as a sign of a point of difference to the Broncos.

They have a leagues club that generates more than $30 million per year, own their home ground and about 15 years ago, purchased land adjacent to Dolphin Oval where they have built a shopping centre. The Dolphins are asset rich. Not bad for a Qld Cup side.

Now if the Bears want to come back to the big time in a different look, the first thing they need to do is stick solid with Central Coast. The second thing the Bears should do is learn from the Dolphins.

 

[Wb1234]

IMO the Central Coast Bears still has a chance to play in the NRL. In Rugby League anything is possible. Been following the code since the late eighties and alot has happened since then. Super League, mergers, court cases, salary cap scandals etc.

The NRL could expand to 22 teams, the same amount that was across two comps back in '97. Then again, there is no guarantees that Sydney still has 9 teams for many decades to come. Wests Tigers needs to be wary of Canterbury. But that's another topic.

I'll continue with more on another post...

Only if they go to 24 teams so unlikely

 

[flippikat]

Biggest problem for regional teams is being able to generate the revenue needed. Even with the increased grant its been shown a club needs to generate around $13-15mill min of football club, or other, revenue to survive. More if you want to thrive.

If the NRL ever brought in a proper spending cap then it would make smaller city clubs more achievable, but at the moment thats a big revenue raising stretch for places like Gosford and Wollongong as stand alones.

Yeah, and I think that's something that a lot of other sports leagues take into account - for instance since the collapse of the A-League's Gold Coast & Townsville teams, expansion has been to derbies in the big metro markets - despite bids from the likes of Woolongong popping up.

 

[Perth Red]

In the last 20 years, the Bears more or less have said that there future is on the Central Coast, but will take one or two games back at NSO. The Bears still think they will get support from the north shore.

However lately, you hear media reports about the Bears possibly going to WA to become the WA Bears. Or in the past, there was talk over a takeover of the Gold Caost Titans. I may be wrong, but from an outsider looking in, the Bears are not sticking solid with the Central Coast.

Now 10 years ago, if someone asked me who was the most likely to win an NRL license out of Central Coast Bears or Redcliffe Dolphins, I would've naively picked the Bears. And maybe at the time, the Bears were ahead of the Dolphins.

However in the last 15 years, the Dolphins have played a blinder off the field. They meticulously upgraded their home ground. It may not big enough for the NRL but it will always be their spiritual home, and play a couple of games per year as a sign of a point of difference to the Broncos.

They have a leagues club that generates more than $30 million per year, own their home ground and about 15 years ago, purchased land adjacent to Dolphin Oval where they have built a shopping centre. The Dolphins are asset rich. Not bad for a Qld Cup side.

Now if the Bears want to come back to the big time in a different look, the first thing they need to do is stick solid with Central Coast. The second thing the Bears should do is learn from the Dolphins.

I cant blame them for their latest strategy. They committed to Gosford and got turned down. Why would they spend resources on somewhere with no guarantee of it ever leading to a license?
NRL needs to show some leadership and balls and be straight with them.

 

[Steel Saints]

Yeah, and I think that's something that a lot of other sports leagues take into account - for instance since the collapse of the A-League's Gold Coast & Townsville teams, expansion has been to derbies in the big metro markets - despite bids from the likes of Woolongong popping up.

*Wollongong.

 

[Wb1234]

*Wollongong.

Now do woollomooloo