The Case for Adelaide.....

[Red&BlackBear]

If the recurring theme is to partner new locations and/or expand the game with known and supported rugby league brands not otherwise playing top grade continues. Then after Dolphins, Bears and potentially Jets in Ipswich, who does Adelaide and the ARLC try to marry them with?

(Assuming it could be a cross country arrangement ie Perth & North Sydney = Western Bears and also assuming this theme only applies to Australian based expansion and not NZ, PNG and elsewhere)

Few options of clubs that have anywhere from
Considerable to a little money: East Tigers (Brisbane), Wentworthville Magpies (Sydney), Norths Devils (Brisbane), Mounties (Sydney), Wynnum Manly Seagulls (Brisbane). I’ll leave out Burleigh Bears & Tweed Seagulls because GC needs them (even though Burleigh aren’t currently a Titans feeder…)

Or would clubs who haven’t been around as long or potentially have the necessary funds but do have genuine junior catchments like those in CQld ie Cutters, Capras become viable?

Or do the Newtown/Ipswich Jets just give up WC and concentrate on Adelaide? Which I think would be a mistake. There’s merit in their WC venture, if done properly.

 

[sportsnut]

Dead city.

 

[Bulldog2020]

Under your "genuine junior catchment" category I would include Fiji. I can't see the Government ever doing what they are doing in PNG in Fiji.
But a Australian based Team focused on providing pathways for Fiji could work.

Unfortunately I just can't see a suitable stadium ever being built in Adelaide.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Under your "genuine junior catchment" category I would include Fiji. I can't see the Government ever doing what they are doing in PNG in Fiji.
But a Australian based Team focused on providing pathways for Fiji could work.

Unfortunately I just can't see a suitable stadium ever being built in Adelaide.

Depends on if Australia ever holds a FIFA World Cup tbh. If they do then I can definitely see Adelaide getting some sort of rectangular stadium built.

I think the criteria is 40k though. So you’re probably right that they probably won’t get a proper stadium built anytime soon, wouldn’t say ever though.

 

[Matt_CBY]

Unfortunately I just can't see a suitable stadium ever being built in Adelaide.

People said that about Melbourne and Perth in the past.

 

[flippikat]

If the recurring theme is to partner new locations and/or expand the game with known and supported rugby league brands not otherwise playing top grade continues. Then after Dolphins, Bears and potentially Jets in Ipswich, who does Adelaide and the ARLC try to marry them with?

(Assuming it could be a cross country arrangement ie Perth & North Sydney = Western Bears and also assuming this theme only applies to Australian based expansion and not NZ, PNG and elsewhere)

Few options of clubs that have anywhere from
Considerable to a little money: East Tigers (Brisbane), Wentworthville Magpies (Sydney), Norths Devils (Brisbane), Mounties (Sydney), Wynnum Manly Seagulls (Brisbane). I’ll leave out Burleigh Bears & Tweed Seagulls because GC needs them (even though Burleigh aren’t currently a Titans feeder…)

Or would clubs who haven’t been around as long or potentially have the necessary funds but do have genuine junior catchments like those in CQld ie Cutters, Capras become viable?

Or do the Newtown/Ipswich Jets just give up WC and concentrate on Adelaide? Which I think would be a mistake. There’s merit in their WC venture, if done properly.

You raise an interesting scenario there - and if expansion-by-partnership is a success for the Western Bears, it could be a template for Adelaide.

Looking at Sydney there's few options beyond the Bears (linked to Perh) and Jets (word is that's linked to Ipswich/Western Corridor, rightly so). Wentworthville & Blacktown probably have the highest profile behind that, but they were never top-tier NSWRL clubs so don't have the same narrative as Norths or Newtown of returning to the top level of club footy.

I wouldn't look at regional centres (eg Central Queensland) clubs to partner in this way, as some may have designs on eventual NRL clubs of their own - and in a few decades that may be viable.

So that leaves Brisbane-based Qld Cup teams - and you've identified a few there that could merit a look. There's probably room for just 1 more South Queensland NRL club in the near future, maybe 2 long term, so if (say) Ipswich in conjunction with Newtown & Brisbane Easts are those two that leaves the likes of Brisbane Norths & Wynnum Manly with the only pathway being a Northern Bears style linkup with Adelaide - or anywhere else (NZ 3?)

 

[Gobsmacked]

You raise an interesting scenario there - and if expansion-by-partnership is a success for the Western Bears, it could be a template for Adelaide.

Looking at Sydney there's few options beyond the Bears (linked to Perh) and Jets (word is that's linked to Ipswich/Western Corridor, rightly so). Wentworthville & Blacktown probably have the highest profile behind that, but they were never top-tier NSWRL clubs so don't have the same narrative as Norths or Newtown of returning to the top level of club footy.

I wouldn't look at regional centres (eg Central Queensland) clubs to partner in this way, as some may have designs on eventual NRL clubs of their own - and in a few decades that may be viable.

So that leaves Brisbane-based Qld Cup teams - and you've identified a few there that could merit a look. There's probably room for just 1 more South Queensland NRL club in the near future, maybe 2 long term, so if (say) Ipswich in conjunction with Newtown & Brisbane Easts are those two that leaves the likes of Brisbane Norths & Wynnum Manly with the only pathway being a Northern Bears style linkup with Adelaide - or anywhere else (NZ 3?)

The Jets are the most obvious choice but unlike the Bears, there's no real contingent of fans around that could remember them playing in the top grade and wish for those times to return. It's seems to me more like a trendy retro hipster thing that pulls a good crowd of people reliving yesteryear... if the Jets went to the top grade, you may even loose some of those " fans"
You could split the Tigers and have the Western suburbs Magpies playing out at Campbelltown with local derbies ect and Accor say vs Bulldogs or Rabbits.
And Adelaide Tigers playing a couple of games a year at Leichardt against lower drawing teams like Cowboys or Titans .

Perth needs to go well first, then lobby government for a new central stadium of around 22k and Adelaide comes into play.

 

[flippikat]

The Jets are the most obvious choice but unlike the Bears, there's no real contingent of fans around that could remember them playing in the top grade and wish for those times to return. It's seems to me more like a trendy retro hipster thing that pulls a good crowd of people reliving yesteryear... if the Jets went to the top grade, you may even loose some of those " fans"
You could split the Tigers and have the Western suburbs Magpies playing out at Campbelltown with local derbies ect and Accor say vs Bulldogs or Rabbits.
And Adelaide Tigers playing a couple of games a year at Leichardt against lower drawing teams like Cowboys or Titans .

Perth needs to go well first, then lobby government for a new central stadium of around 22k and Adelaide comes into play.

Good points in there - and the Jets do risk losing that retro-hipster following because they lose the lower-profile "boutique day-out" vibe, but IF they can maintain some of that support across to NRL status - even if it’s as part of a Brisbane/western corridor based bid with Ipswich - it brings a new dimension to the NRL's fanbase.

I'm not sure a) if splitting the Tigers is a viable possibility given the strength of Wests & the weakness of Balmain (well whatever exists of Balmain) and b) if Adelaide would adopt a team with a brand that echoes a current Melbourne AFL team.

If the Bears & Jets return to top tier via link-ups with Perth & Ipswich respectively, I think the only options left for heritage brands to do likewise in Adelaide are either relocation of an existing Sydney NRL team OR joining with a Brisbane-based Queensland Cup club.... whether that's relocation or some kinda ownership & branding deal.

 

[blue bags]

Adelaide Orcas
Adelaide Sharks
Adelaide Tiger's
Many feeder clubs options
Hindmarsh Stadium

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Adelaide Orcas
Adelaide Sharks
Adelaide Tiger's
Many feeder clubs options
Hindmarsh Stadium

Adelaide Devils or Adelaide Seagulls sound good. Adelaide Capras with a Mackay affiliation is great synergetic energy to Rams namesake of yesteryear.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Depends on if Australia ever holds a FIFA World Cup tbh. If they do then I can definitely see Adelaide getting some sort of rectangular stadium built.

I think the criteria is 40k though. So you’re probably right that they probably won’t get a proper stadium built anytime soon, wouldn’t say ever though.

Never going to happen.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

If the trend is bringing back mediocre teams of the 90s then it's got to be Adelaide Rams.

 

[Red&BlackBear]

Never going to happen.

Of course not but then again a Brisbane olympics seemed like a pipe dream a decade ago yet here we are. Probably not the best comparison though as QLD government can’t decide what they want to order for lunch let alone where, how and when to build the bloody stadium…

 

[jim_57]

Adelaide Devils or Adelaide Seagulls sound good. Adelaide Capras with a Mackay affiliation is great synergetic energy to Rams namesake of yesteryear.

Capras is Rockhampton. Unlikely as a CQ team is I’d say the Capras would object to the use of the name in the small hope that they’ll get their own team one day.

 

[AdelaideSharky]

Unfortunately I just can't see a suitable stadium ever being built in Adelaide.

Really all depends on Adelaide United tbh.

There was talk in 2015-16 that United wanted to move out of Coopers Stadium and move to a new city stadium but that quickly dissipated when United went through a succession of moron owners and crowds went down with it.

 

[blue bags]

Really all depends on Adelaide United tbh.

There was talk in 2015-16 that United wanted to move out of Coopers Stadium and move to a new city stadium but that quickly dissipated when United went through a succession of moron owners and crowds went down with it.

Adelaide Oval

 

[BuffaloRules]

Adelaide Oval

Firstly ..the fumblers wouldn’t permit it most likely …

Secondly ,.. not a great ground for RL…

 

[AdelaideSharky]

Adelaide Oval

Too big. It worked in the 90's when it was a cricket ground but now it's an AFL stadium it's too big.

 

[blue bags]

Too big. It worked in the 90's when it was a cricket ground but now it's an AFL stadium it's too big.

Good enough for State of Origin

 

[AdelaideSharky]

Good enough for State of Origin

State of Origin is a one off event. People I know went to it last year for the whole event factor.

It simply won't work for club games week in week out then there's the other small matter of the AFL moaning about a chopped up field.

Hindmarsh would work in an interim sense but as anyone who has watched Super League in England knows where they play in stadiums where round ball football is mainly played, the in goals will be ridiculously short.