Goddo, the NSW market is a massive market. Arguably the largest unrepresented market exists in the central coast, combined with the north shore - which is also unrepresented, there is a million people. Unlike the second Brisbane bid - these people do not have a local team.
There is a definite factor favouring new clubs in new areas. Fans of existing teams will only drop them for one reason - the creation of a local side to follow. There are no local options on the north shore or Central Coast. There IS a local option in Brisbane.
The only argument people have for the Bears is the stupid "postcode" argument. If that 1 million people was anywhere outside NSW it would have 100% support. On that point alone it craps on Perth, because there is no AFL influence to overcome.
Perth, of course, like the Bears, has it's sh*t together, and done the hard yards with the juniors. Nothing else at this stage comes close.
Anyway, part of this argument is culling Sydney sides to make way for new teams. With NRL making expansion noises for 2015 to add 2 new teams, a cull is only needed for 3 or more new teams, if the NRL imposes an 18 team ceiling. And to make that call, the new team has to basically guarantee it would do better than the bottom Sydney sides.
Why Sydney sides? Because of double standards. The bottom crowd pulling Sydney sides traditionally mingle with a couple of non Sydney sides in crowd stats. Melbourne and Canberra are the culprits, and the Titans are there as well this year. But no one would think of punting Melbourne, Canberra or Gold Coast, because of the obvious representation of theoir district. Yet Melbourne can cause the code massive damage - big enough basically to declare 2 seasons completely null and void. Cronulla on the other hand is on the chopping block because they survive on a meagre budget?
People fill stadiums, buy tickets, buy merchandise and keep clubs running. Gold Coast is no better than Cronulla ATM. Yet the Titans were brought in for the same reasons people was backing the Bombers and CQ bids. The extra QLD side on TV, the unrepresented population. What has it achieved? At least it wasnt at the expense of another club.
No club should have ever been axed, and no club should be. If a club cannot continue to operate, then so be it. This year, Cronulla actually climbed off the canvas. Expecting every club to make the finals is a rediculous thing when each year every club cannot make the finals.
This is why the old 20 team comp idea needs to be rethought. Perth and Central Coast are ready to go now - except for recruitment. If given the go ahead for 2013, they could cobble together competetive sides, and if aimed at 2014 they could snare some big names as well.
From there, if the Bombers, CQ or Wellington bidded, and two were selected, there's your 20 team comp. many will say a 20 team comp is a terrible idea. It's only 2 more than 18 ffs, and the calling for an 18 team comp is virtually unanimous. The [roblem is though that RL is not strong enough to pick and choose which areas it wants to represent. It needs Cronulla and the Bears as much as it needs anywhere.
We are he only code in the country who has not consolidated all it's heartland yet. That should be our goal, not decimating it.
