Todd Greenberg has pretty much said one Sydney team will be relocated.

[flippikat]

Problem is manly aren’t really fulfilling what the nrl needs in the northern suburbs, in fact far from it. I do agree we need a strong club covering the north but manlynare t it and don’t show any signs they ever will be.

That's why I said earlier that the NRL, NSWRL and the clubs need to put their heads together and formulate a roadmap for Sydney (for lack of a better term). One that encompasses NRL representation, NSW Cup feeder arrangements (and lower tiers of the senior game) and junior league affiliations. The big picture.

It's crazy to think that the north side of the city doesn't have a team that represents the whole area in the top tier - putting it all under the wing of the Sea Eagles (no pun intended) is one solution, but dividing the north between Manly and another existing NRL club - maybe in partnership/joint venture with the Bears - is possible.. as is Manly going to the Central Coast and the whole north side going to another club's territory (again, stand-alone or in partnership with Norths).

The point is, there needs to be some oversight.. and buy-in from all stakeholders. Everything so far has been done on an ad hoc basis 20 years ago (creating suburb-hopping joint ventures like the Tigers, isolated enclaves like the Sharks, and shotgun marriages like Northern Eagles). It’s time for a more planned approach.

 

[adamkungl]

That's why I said earlier that the NRL, NSWRL and the clubs need to put their heads together and formulate a roadmap for Sydney (for lack of a better term). One that encompasses NRL representation, NSW Cup feeder arrangements (and lower tiers of the senior game) and junior league affiliations. The big picture.

It's crazy to think that the north side of the city doesn't have a team that represents the whole area in the top tier - putting it all under the wing of the Sea Eagles (no pun intended) is one solution, but dividing the north between Manly and another existing NRL club - maybe in partnership/joint venture with the Bears - is possible.. as is Manly going to the Central Coast and the whole north side going to another club's territory (again, stand-alone or in partnership with Norths).

The point is, there needs to be some oversight.. and buy-in from all stakeholders. Everything so far has been done on an ad hoc basis 20 years ago (creating suburb-hopping joint ventures like the Tigers, isolated enclaves like the Sharks, and shotgun marriages like Northern Eagles). It’s time for a more planned approach.

Yep. I don't know what the correct answer is but it needs buy in from Manly, North Sydney, the NRL and likely the Roosters too given the connections to both the Bears and Central Coast.

I'm not buying "Manly has to stay as is forever because they're the only team north of the bridge" as a useful solution anymore.

 

[MugaB]

Yep. I don't know what the correct answer is but it needs buy in from Manly, North Sydney, the NRL and likely the Roosters too given the connections to both the Bears and Central Coast.

I'm not buying "Manly has to stay as is forever because they're the only team north of the bridge" as a useful solution anymore.

Yep this exactly, if this is the case why has no one brought up "there is no one between Balmain and Newcastle either, manly are in a similar pocket to what cronulla is in the shire, these two teams are more east than north and south of sydney, so? Play them east... eastern seaboard, fiji, South Island Nz, pacific, the less home games they have in manly and cronulla will make them more valuable to go to, i liken this to balmains Leichardt effect, 3 games a year yet crowds pack it out for nostalgia reasons, they are basically based in concord now.
Manly to South Island Christchurch for half a season, and cronulla to play games in fiji, tonga, samoa, per year still leaves them 9 games at the shire

 

[MrE_Assassin]

Was having a read of the article below about how the current NRL injury crisis is paving a way for creating more NRL experienced players, enough that it could almost create 2 whole new rosters. Could be an arguement for additional teams over relocating in the short term.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/05/13/how-nrl-injury-toll-is-creating-players-for-expansion-teams/

I've never believed that we don't have enough talent for new teams. I think we're actually flush with talent, it's just the Salary cap that squeezes a lot of that talent out in favour of cheaper options.

Keen to hear thoughts.

 

[MugaB]

Yeah im of the opinion that more conferences would create more rivalries too, i posted a few months ago, the compass idea, to keep travel for fans easier, and distance relatively closer for memberships, verse the teams within your conference Home & Away, but only once outside your conference
The Northern conference stretching from North Qld, to Newcastle
(& brisbane, gold coast, brissy2)
Southern conference stretching from South Sydney to Melbourne (& SGI Dragons,
Canberra, Adelaide)
Eastern Conference stretching from NZ to Sydney roosters (& manly, cronulla, NZ2)
Western Conference stretching from Perth to Wests tigers (& penrith, parra and bulldogs)

Add a heritage/rival round, and a magic round, giving us 25 rounds
Top 2 from each conference makes the finals

Also suggest significant financial grants for teams to forfeit their roster to a brand new team
For example brisbane broncos to get the start up cost to create a new roster, whilst the current roster of milford, boyd, lodge etc, become the new venture in brisbane,
This can be also done with the warriors
Ushering in the 2nd New Zealand side.
However Perth and Adelaide, might have to have a sydney team with depth of talent do this (Penriths roster could play under Perth Pirates, and penrith hones in on their own lower grade, and St George does the same by porting their current roster to Adelaide, for example)
This gives fans of the previous squad to enjoy the new team of say Christchurch Bulls, and follow Roger Tuava Sheck, Blake Green, etc, whilst Warriors get cashed up and recreate their new roster, but still have their fanbase.
Im sure after 5-10 years the rosters would be completely new from a squad 10 years prior, but this gets a head start to these new ventures in new locations,
Im sure when melbourne storm was created by the combined rosters of closed down perth reds and hunter mariners, plus a few other marquee players like Glen Lazerus
It made them successful, this way, only the roster ports over, while the old team gets rewarded and starts fresh with a young squad, not many teams would want to do this, and logistically uprooting a squad of say 20 players plus staff, isn't easy, but a team in Adelaide would need to hit the ground running, not take a decade to form then possibly fail, a ready made roster would solve this, by relocation of players/staff, whilst restarting the current brand.
Or give each club remuneration for any player who wants to join a new venture, but only if the player is from the same conference, so Josh Maguire, Matt Gillett, Ash Taylor, Kayln Ponga, from the Northern Conference clubs can play for the new Brisbane team, and clubs where they came from get paid out, but clubs like Newcastle aren't going to want Kayln jumping ship, not for money,
Im sure Waqa Blake might want to join the Pirates for example

I posted this in another thread but it would be an option regarding the talent pool too, by porting current rosters to the new ventures and retarting the current one, and more teams means more talent and less need to move on Sydney based sides

 

[Perth Red]

7,200 at manly. Outstanding, suburban football at its best.

 

[Walter sobchak]

7,200 at manly. Outstanding, suburban football at its best.

Seriously how long can this go on??

Dilapidated old stadium with poor crowds. Do they re-merge with the bears and play home games at the north Sydney oval or relocate again to the central coast?

Maybe they just lose their license and it’s bought by a franchise from Perth, Brisbane or NZ2 wellington/Christchurch?

 

[flippikat]

Seriously how long can this go on??

Dilapidated old stadium with poor crowds. Do they re-merge with the bears and play home games at the north Sydney oval or relocate again to the central coast?

Maybe they just lose their license and it’s bought by a franchise from Perth, Brisbane or NZ2 wellington/Christchurch?

Every greater-Sydney team except from Manly, Cronulla & Penrith are either *already* full-time tenants of big stadia or seriously dipping their toes into it. As others here have said, the 'stadium divide' threatens to create a new division of "haves" and "have nots" in Sydney.

The NRL doesn't have to force anyone to move their home ground, because sheer economics may just do the job anyway.

 

[Perth Red]

Repeat

 

[Perth Red]

Seriously how long can this go on??

Dilapidated old stadium with poor crowds. Do they re-merge with the bears and play home games at the north Sydney oval or relocate again to the central coast?

Maybe they just lose their license and it’s bought by a franchise from Perth, Brisbane or NZ2 wellington/Christchurch?

North sydney oval is worse than brookvale Lol

 

[MugaB]

North sydney oval is worse than brookvale Lol

Mate what are you on about
North sydney oval is way better than brookie, its just not a fulltime nrl oval
Women State of origin will be played there in a month, we'll see how that stacks up against brookvale

 

[Diesel]

Seriously how long can this go on??

Dilapidated old stadium with poor crowds. Do they re-merge with the bears and play home games at the north Sydney oval or relocate again to the central coast?

Maybe they just lose their license and it’s bought by a franchise from Perth, Brisbane or NZ2 wellington/Christchurch?

Isn’t Manly up for sale? New owners may be willing to take the team out of the northern beaches to wherever. This could give the Bears the opportunity to move back in to Northern Sydney as the NRL would be stupid to have no team in the north

 

[Perth Red]

Mate what are you on about
North sydney oval is way better than brookie, its just not a fulltime nrl oval
Women State of origin will be played there in a month, we'll see how that stacks up against brookvale

It’s not even close to what an nrl stadium standard should be

 

[MugaB]

It’s not even close to what an nrl stadium standard should be

If it had an NRL team playing out of there it would be, but as it currently stands its still better than brookvale

 

[Perth Red]

Except its an oval, its got less than 20k capacity, its got crap corporate facilities and its not got much under cover seating. Oh and again. its an oval!

How is it better than Brookvale, accepting we are in fact comparing one turd to another turd.

 

[The Great Dane]

Except its an oval, its got less than 20k capacity, its got crap corporate facilities and its not got much under cover seating. Oh and again. its an oval!

How is it better than Brookvale, accepting we are in fact comparing one turd to another turd.

North Sydney Oval isn't literally falling down, so I guess it's got that over Brookvale lol.

But seriously, North Sydney Oval is an archaic relic of a bygone era, that not only doesn't have the facilities to support a modern pro sports team, but can't even be upgraded into a facility that could support an NRL team because it's heritage listed. So as a venue for NRL NSO should be a complete non-starter.

Then again a bunch of other venues that host NRL matches should be complete non-starters as well and the NRL lets footy be played at them because it's convenient or it gets them a fleeting piece of good publicity. So I guess when you look at it that way why not play games at NSO when places like Brookvale, Leichhardt, and shitty little public ovals in country towns can host games...

 

[MugaB]

Hands off leichhardt dude, that's sacrilege, hehe
And don't forget Belmore Oval.
all the older ovals around sydney serve a better purpose as the heritage home or training ground of the clubs, but 3-4 games a 26 round season is sufficient.
Redfern oval is non existent, only used in a trial this year, and i'd say thats still better than brookvale oval, which has 10 NRL games played there,
Leichhardt and Belmore have 3 NRL games for the season.
North Sydney Oval, Lidcome Oval and Henson Park all are used for Lower grade, yet they are all better Ovals to Brookvale Oval. Its a joke that manly get away with playing there, when other teams have been forced or opted for bigger/better facilities.
Ovals serve a purpose, no point building isores of stadiums like ANZ, ALLIANZ and OPTUS stadium and no one really fills it
I'd take a packed 20k at NSO, than a 15k at ANZ

 

[TheFrog]

North Sydney Oval, Lidcome Oval and Henson Park

Do any of them have lights?

Edit: Bear Park must have or they couldn't play women's origin there.

 

[MrE_Assassin]

Do any of them have lights?

Edit: Bear Park must have or they couldn't play women's origin there.

Henson Park definitely has lights. Used to play there in my day in Roosters Dev & HM Squads. Night games on a greasy Henson park midweek for the most part.

 

[Perth Red]

Ovals serve a purpose, no point building isores of stadiums like ANZ, ALLIANZ and OPTUS stadium and no one really fills it
I'd take a packed 20k at NSO, than a 15k at ANZ

I’d take 25k at bankwest over 7k at some suburban amateur ground. You might have missed it but avg crowd at Optus is 50k lol. Shame nrl isnt as popular in Sydney, anz wouldn’t look so bad.