Time to Flick the Storm

[Special K]

Central Coast Bears in. Manly to the Gold Coast before they go belly up.

Sounds good to me. Leave the storm down there though. Souths would be more of a chance to go before the storm..

 

[Front-Rower]

This is a good one, how many people do you see at a Sydney Swans game when they are getting beat week in and week out, about 3 men and their dogs

Why don't you tell us? From what I've seen it drops to about 20000 when they're not doing well. Twenty years ago they would have been lucky to get 5000

Umm I did tell you :roll:

Also Ibeme how can you prove that the Melbourne Storm provide sponsorship for the NRL when NRL teams such as Wests Tigers can not find a sponsor. And another point how ironic it is that Telstra, the sponsors of SUPER LEAGUE would not support the NRL, if what was claimed is true, if Melbourne (A Murdoch aligned club) was not included in the competition????

All this about having a national competition is like Super League revisted and Murdoch's super dream of having a world wide competition LOL and ET stating he wanted to walk down the main street of China and be recognised

In my opinion the worst thing that has ever happened was when the NSWRL handed over its competition to the ARL to control. Since then, just because of the words Australian and National, every one wants a national competition just for the sake of it. Why sacrafice quality for quantity??

 

[Igor]

For those (Manly supporters) who say the CC had their chance with the Neagles - RUBBISH. the CC fans knew that Manly shafted the Bears and voted with their feet - a great gesture.

So you are saying that RL fans on the CC are the root cause of the failure of the Norths/Manly JV? And this was a "great gesture"? What planet are you on Death?

You troll through these forums spitting out your bile towards Manly and throwing unreasonable blame in the clubs direction, you're pathetic and a bore. Face the facts, the Bears are responsible for their own demise... NO ONE ELSE. It'll be a long time before the CC see another NRL "franchise" considering their lack of support for the NE's. Manly WONT be moving to the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast will get the 16th team.

C-O-M-P-R-E-H-E-N-D???

I work with teenagers everyday, and they show the same attitude (on the whole) towards their own mistakes..."It was someone else's fault!"... Grow up :x

 

[PB]

What future do you see for the game if we give up on expanding the game into Vic, SA and WA, and actually shrink our borders? We'd end up like Rugby League in the North of England - strong in a small area, but with little relevance in the rest of the nation.

I am not saying that i want the Storm or Warriors to be punted, but would shrinking our boundaries be that bad?

AFL is not played in any other country in the world, yet look how successful it is! if you only have minimal resources, and try to spread them across too broad an area, you will effect the quality of your final product.

We'd lose sponsors by shrinking our borders. The AFL would encroach further into our fringe areas, and we'd be under more pressure to pay players. We have to aim for growth, or we will be going backwards, and running out of money fast.

As for spreading too fast, that's a matter of management. We have to work our way into these areas and persist, as AFL has done in Sydney and Brisbane.

Good points. But the reason AFL is spreading is because they established their base first. Rugby league needs increased development with NSW and QLD where as AFL just needs maintaining in the southern states.

And the AFL has programs in place, run by the AFL in NSW schools, where the rugby league does not. As a result , more kids are starting to play the game on weekends, and unless the NRL starts running bigger and better programs in junior schools, there won't be any kids playing our sport and it will get over run. no kids playing = poorer standard of NRL in future, and no product to sell interstate.

Rugby League is unfortunatley behind the AFL in terms of Structural development, and if they keep skipping steps or cutting corners, they won't catch up, they will fall further behind.

 

[storm007]

Storm are here to stay

 

[bonstonker]

This is a good one, how many people do you see at a Sydney Swans game when they are getting beat week in and week out, about 3 men and their dogs

Why don't you tell us? From what I've seen it drops to about 20000 when they're not doing well. Twenty years ago they would have been lucky to get 5000

Umm I did tell you :roll:

Also Ibeme how can you prove that the Melbourne Storm provide sponsorship for the NRL when NRL teams such as Wests Tigers can not find a sponsor. And another point how ironic it is that Telstra, the sponsors of SUPER LEAGUE would not support the NRL, if what was claimed is true, if Melbourne (A Murdoch aligned club) was not included in the competition????

All this about having a national competition is like Super League revisted and Murdoch's super dream of having a world wide competition LOL and ET stating he wanted to walk down the main street of China and be recognised

In my opinion the worst thing that has ever happened was when the NSWRL handed over its competition to the ARL to control. Since then, just because of the words Australian and National, every one wants a national competition just for the sake of it. Why sacrafice quality for quantity??

the tigers will be announcing the sponsor before round 1.they have been talking to a couple of sponsors over the last month.same goes for their sleeve sponsorship.

if we want to be able to relieve some of the pressure from the pokie tax our sponsors need to get more exposure.unfortunately nine does not help in this and neither does having a comp that excludes melbourne and other states.

the less exposure we get in other parts of australia reduces the amount we can get from sponsors.

 

[Surandy]

If Storm go then give up on Rugby League having any chance of competing with a quasi-national comp in the AFL.

Melbourne Storm is responsible for more Victorians playing rugby league than ever before. We need to keep as much focus on the game itself and the betterment of it than fighting amongst ourselves.

No wonder the AFL and most of the Melbourne media thinks the NRL is a joke, just look at all the in-fighting that happens between the fans of the SPORT.

Long live Rugby League! Long live Melbourne Storm!!!

Surandy

 

[ibeme]

This is a good one, how many people do you see at a Sydney Swans game when they are getting beat week in and week out, about 3 men and their dogs

Why don't you tell us? From what I've seen it drops to about 20000 when they're not doing well. Twenty years ago they would have been lucky to get 5000

Umm I did tell you :roll:

Also Ibeme how can you prove that the Melbourne Storm provide sponsorship for the NRL when NRL teams such as Wests Tigers can not find a sponsor. And another point how ironic it is that Telstra, the sponsors of SUPER LEAGUE would not support the NRL, if what was claimed is true, if Melbourne (A Murdoch aligned club) was not included in the competition????

All this about having a national competition is like Super League revisted and Murdoch's super dream of having a world wide competition LOL and ET stating he wanted to walk down the main street of China and be recognised

In my opinion the worst thing that has ever happened was when the NSWRL handed over its competition to the ARL to control. Since then, just because of the words Australian and National, every one wants a national competition just for the sake of it. Why sacrafice quality for quantity??

Obviously I was supposed to treat '3 men and their dogs' as a literal statement.

Get over Superleague. What good is it doing to remain bitter about it? We don't want Superleague, we want Rugby League.

As for the Telstra sponsorship, Melbourne give exposure to Australia's second most populated state. It's my understanding that the Storm sell more jumpers than any other team. Each jumper has the Telstra logo on it. It's about reaching a larger audience. Telstra wanted more exposure. That's how sponsorship works. Corporations like that don't just throw millions of dollars in sponsorship just out of the goodness of their hearts. They want exposure in return for their investment.

Wests Tigers are probably struggling because they are one of many teams in the Sydney metropolitan area. They have to compete with all other Sydney teams for market share and exposure. A company needs to know it's going to get a return on it's money if they're going to pay $700000 to have their name on a team's jumper.

Without sponsorship, rugby league doesn't exist. Companies are going to choose teams that will get that exposure. Other codes have teams with exclusive exposure to entire cities and states, while some league teams can only offer exposure to a portion of Sydney. It's only natural that a large company would go for the state exposure over suburb exposure. That's the reality of the situation. That's why we have to increase our exposure through moving into other states.

If you've got a better solution, feel free to let us know what it is, and explain why it will work.

 

[greeneyed]

If we don't support Melbourne, we will eventually just be overtaken by our competitor sports. AFL already has a national TV audience, because they persisted with the Swans and Bears/Lions in our own backyards. They give them salary cap breaks etc and supported them for 20 years or more - until they are so strong that the AFL can now go promoting their game to kids, getting them to play it in Brisbane and Sydney... Kangaroos are trying to muscle in on Canberra now...

We have to face reality. If we don't have a sport that can offer TV networks (free to air and pay) a national audience, and offer sponsors that national exposure, we will die out as a sport. Those who hanker for rugby league as it was in suburban Sydney in the 1950s..... you can still have that sort of experience, if you want to... by going to Jim Beam Cup or similar... But personally, I want to see rugby league as the number 1 winter sport in the country, because that is what will make our game great.

 

[Stormwarning[c]]

Now this may shock Impellitteri, but considering they don't know me or my views on the game..........I believe that their SHOULD be a C.C team. I also believe there should be a team in SA and WA for our game to grow, but not at the expense of Melbourne.

And unlike some, I have travel everywhere in this country to see my team play. (From the first trail game in Tasmania through to Townsville)

As already mentioned sponsors will not pay the money they are paying without Storm in OUR game. Telstra, Crazy Johns just to name a couple.

Lets look at some figures, Melbourne as 3.5 million people (the second highest in the country) this means $$$$ to potenial sponsors. The more viewers the more money they would be prepared to throw at a sport.

We (those that love the game) are our worst frinkin nightmare. Most sit back and laugh at the stuff ups Soccer Australia do yet we do the samething.

We have the greatest game in the world, why do those who say they love the game (supporters and media alike) keep shooting it in the foot.

For once rather than looking at getting rid of any teams can we look for ways at making every team and OUR comp stronger.


I'm starting to wonder if some supporters are becoming Gus Gould.

And Ibeme, you are right about the amount of gear sold. Figures from the NRL show that 32% of all NRL gear is something to do with Storm.

 

[Surandy]

I totally agree Greeneyed.

Rugby League now and forever!!!

Oh, and will this season hurry up and start already!!!!!!!!

 

[AuckMel]

I reckon Melbourne needs someone like a Daniel Anderson or Eric Watson.

Nope. What they need is the total support of the Rugby League community. The constant bad rumours only hurt the code in Melbourne.

Look at what they did to the Warriors in 2001.

The Storm already have good management, and a good coach.

 

[Stormwarning[c]]

One thing that hasn't been touched on is the fact the the jersey sponsor for Storm pay over $1.2 Million a year and they are only one of 5 outfit sponsors.

Why would you get rid of a club that can do that?

I read somewhere that Storm had the highest valued strip in the comp. Can anyone else confirm that?

 

[Auckland4ever]

Something as subjective as "Regaining credibility" for RL isnt any reason to wind a team up. Everything comes down to $$$, current or projected. I guess the Storms number will be up once they become regarded as a long term liability as opposed to an investment.
One club in a market of 3.5 million people is still worth persevering with as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Knightmare]

I agree. CENTRAL COAST for 16th team. KEEP the Storm in. Within the next 10 years, some clubs will die, it's inevitable. When that happens, relocate them with funding, or start up a brand new team. The Central Coast deserves it's first REAL chance before the Gold Coast gets it's THIRD chance :roll:

 

[gaterooze]

The Storm are such a huge boost for the future of Rugby League. It would be tantamount to suicide to get rid of them. They are a frontier team and should be shown every support. To gain a niche in VIC and slowly grow grassroots there will strengthen our game immeasurably.

If the Storm succeeds, League will be rock solid for decades to come, and can laugh off any threat from other codes. It's also the key for any possible future expansion into SA and WA (if we headed back to a 20-team comp and could support it).

 

[gaterooze]

I think the NRL will be using expansion plans as part of their upcoming TV negotiations. If an agreement can be reached to support 18 clubs, at the TV channel's request, then the problems are solved and CC, GC AND Wellington will all have their teams.

 

[DIEHARD]

Dont get me wrong, I do want the Bears back and the Central Coast to be represented. But there are too many NSW teams and I dont want a CC team in at the expense of further QLD clubs or the demise of the Storm.

I want the Bears back, I want central coast to be represented and I want John Singleton more involved in our game.

But not before a Gold Coast team.

 

[ash the bash]

Agree and you can see with there season ticket numbers they are allways increasing just got to give it time, remeber when the swans first came in they used to get about 5000 to a game ;-)

 

[Anonymous]

OK, Here is the token Melbourne Storm fan, What a load of inbred garbage. Lets look at the FACTS. Telstra said they wouldn't sponsor the NRL without Melbourne, this is the case with alot of sponsors.

Melbourne is still making a loss but it is smaller than most Sydney clubs, imagine the day when the Tax from the Pokies comes into effect seeya Parra BYE BYE. Parra without the Leagues Club run at a loss as do ALL the NRL Clubs with the exception of Brisbane, New Zealand and Newcastle. I guess we better kick all the other NRL clubs out.

And 'we should relocate them' not kick them out some say, that is the stupidest thing, do you honestly think that Central Coast and Melbourne have anything to do with each other, the Storm tag would not keep it.

The perception of growth determines sponsorship potential, if we cut we look stupid and see ya to sponsors.

Tha facts are people who call for the Storm are the same who call for Souths to stay, HELLO hypocrisy. Don't give me the tradition, that doesn't equate to competitiveness or credibility otherwise Newtown and half the Qld Cup teams shouldd be in the NRL.

With the next TV deal the NRL wants the NRL grant to match the salary cap and I think that would put pretty much everyone above the water line. We all survive.

Ohh.. no interest in Victoria. I guess the Five hundred thousand that watched the Grandfinal who have been drawn thanks (in the most) to the Storm is no one. Vic is hard territory and it is pathetic shortsighted wimps that will bow down to the AFL who atleast along with the ARU have strong vision. The NRL seem to be developing this also, unfortunately some fans are incredibly shortsighted.

LETS GET CREDIBILITY AND GO BACK TO A NSW QLD COMP!!!! yeah that is just incredible logic

Well put mate, well put.