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

[Walter sobchak]

The Bears as a club in their own right will regain lost Bears fans. Any other merge outcome will not work. Central Coast Bears will work and would capitalise on a prior rivalry. Listening to Benji Marshal and Joel Thompson on NRL 360 confirmed to me that people on the ground are aware of the fans and their feelings and existing clubs with supporters are an advantage the code would lose with any relocation or merger. It's not right and its not good business. Gaining back lost fans and consolidating the northern Sydney area with the Central Coast Bears is a win/win. But some cannot or will not see this!

Genuine question from a Pom but are you advocating that the central coast bears should be given a expansion franchise or that the should replace manly in the 16 team NRL competition?

 

[siv]

With North Sydney Roosters (or North East Roosters?), we would finally have foundation clubs Norths, Souths, Easts, Wests and Balmain all represented in the NRL in some form or other.

THAT would be a huge boost to the NRL in Sydney, IMO.

And what about Parramatta /Cumberland(blue & gold) or Newcastle both existed in 1908

Only Newtown and Glebe to return

 

[adamkungl]

You'll only get ex-north fans, if you add the name "North" to Sydney Roosters, and you might have a better following.
Although i know that the North Sydney Club would prefer that the "Bears" would be their prime name even if a new venture in CC/Perth/wherever was enabled for them to re-enter the top grade as stand alone, but for me, a proper merger of the two, would generate tons of support

With North Sydney Roosters (or North East Roosters?), we would finally have foundation clubs Norths, Souths, Easts, Wests and Balmain all represented in the NRL in some form or other.

THAT would be a huge boost to the NRL in Sydney, IMO.

In this scenario, Roosters hold all the cards. A wealthy club with a certain long term future in the NRL.
The Roosters moved away from the Easts branding long ago, against the wishes of their own fans, for the broader Sydney header. There are undoubtedly sponsorship, national and international image benefits to the Sydney branding - the club won't regionalise itself again.

Bears, as a NSW Cup club with almost no serious chance of an NRL revival, can only offer junior territory, which doesn't actually have that much value. Roosters are the most successful NRL era club with a small junior territory. 2 and 3 are Melbourne and Brisbane, neither of which have junior districts in the same sense that Sydney clubs do.

There's no value in a name change - North Shore pretty comfortably fits in the Sydney banner obviously, and the area shares a pretty similar demographic to the Roosters traditional region.
And Bears don't hold enough cards for the Roosters to offer changing their first grade jersey, colours, name, or logo in any "merger". Bears don't hold anything that Roosters couldn't just takeover by applying to the NRL, if the will was there to so. But it would be better for all if it was a partnership rather than a takeover.
I believe Roosters and Bears should partner in football operations at every level from NSW Cup downwards, and lock in in long term.

What Roosters could potentially offer:
a guaranteed long term position of strength for the Bears in the NSW Cup by being linked to the most successful NRL club.
a guaranteed long term pathway for North shore juniors to the NRL.
increased growth at grassroots level with north shore schools and junior clubs being linked to the Roosters NRL club.
increased fan support for Rugby League and the Bears in the north shore by Roosters making a deliberate long term joint-promotional effort to reclaim the "lost" fans

There's no reason, a generation later, that the north shore should remain lost to Rugby League.

 

[Stallion]

Genuine question from a Pom but are you advocating that the central coast bears should be given a expansion franchise or that the should replace manly in the 16 team NRL competition?

Think the word reclamation :North Sydney Bears fans and expansion : (Central Coast area) apply for the Central Coast Bears.

 

[RandyAndy]

sitting around at home with the flu and came up with an odd thought bubble on nrl expansion

what if the NRL left the sydney basin as it is but all the teams will be used in a way similar to VFL and then create new NRL properties that enable draft pickings to occur? this is a radical change for the game but a complete shake up is warranted yet it still leaves the tribulism of the game and maintains a somewhat fan following like similar to american sports college team supprot then pro team support.

super league wars was probably the perfect timing to really get it right yet the bosses back then didnt believe in the long term play for some teams and folded them earlier than warranted most tlikely out of spite from being dragged through the courts too

 

[myrrh ken]

The Roosters moved away from the Easts branding long ago, against the wishes of their own fans, for the broader Sydney header. There are undoubtedly sponsorship, national and international image benefits to the Sydney branding - the club won't regionalise itself again.

IMO They should not have allowed it to happen - its not good for the game - they are still registered as easts. Its just pompous in the extreme and a major factor why everyone hates or is indifferent to them now. They don't represent anyone - except the corporate dollar.

The bulldogs and sharks listened to their fans when they reverted back to their original names.

 

[flippikat]

And what about Parramatta /Cumberland(blue & gold) or Newcastle both existed in 1908

Only Newtown and Glebe to return

Not sure it you're totally serious there, but I'll humour it.

I can't see Glebe rising any higher than the 3rd tier comp they're currently in.. and Newtown have been out of the top tier for so long, being a 2nd-tier feeder team is about as much as they can realistically expect - unless some expansion team wants a bit of "retro cred" in their Sydney away games. (Adelaide Jets? Nahhh....)

But seriously, there is an opportunity for the 5 foundation teams that existed in the 1990s to all have some kinda representation in the top tier.

Norths are not gonna come back as a stand-alone team when the NRL are talking about relocations. That door is closed, but creative thinking can open other pathways.

 

[Perth Red]

Gould: “Remember: the clubs own the game”.

And there is the reason nrl will never be as big as afl. Too much self interest by 16 boards to do what is right by the game. And Grant was stupid enough to give the clubs more power on the commission!

 

[adamkungl]

Norths are not gonna come back as a stand-alone team when the NRL are talking about relocations. That door is closed, but creative thinking can open other pathways.

Bears should re-launch in Adelaide/Christchurch/Wellington.
The only way Central Coast is ever getting in is if a Sydney club moves there.
Perth and Brisbane are too far along to accept a reject Sydney club.

Then again, maybe they're holding out for Manly to fall over. Could definitely see the NRL handing that licence back to Norths. The ultimate revenge..

 

[Perth Red]

Bears should re-launch in Adelaide/Christchurch/Wellington.
The only way Central Coast is ever getting in is if a Sydney club moves there.
Perth and Brisbane are too far along to accept a reject Sydney club.

Then again, maybe they're holding out for Manly to fall over. Could definitely see the NRL handing that licence back to Norths. The ultimate revenge..

Hypothetically if that happened where would they play? NS oval is worse than brookvale and Gosford couldn’t support a stand alone club. It’s a fair trek to WSS (for Sydney people) and people in north Sydney seem adverse to the idea of crossing a bridge to watch their team. Seems a lack of home stadium would be a problem for a bears readmission?

 

[adamkungl]

Hypothetically if that happened where would they play? NS oval is worse than brookvale and Gosford couldn’t support a stand alone club. It’s a fair trek to WSS (for Sydney people) and people in north Sydney seem adverse to the idea of crossing a bridge to watch their team. Seems a lack of home stadium would be a problem for a bears readmission?

Gosford, as they originally planned.
1 visit to NSO for old times sake and 1 to the SFS for a big gate event.

 

[flippikat]

Bears should re-launch in Adelaide/Christchurch/Wellington.
The only way Central Coast is ever getting in is if a Sydney club moves there.
Perth and Brisbane are too far along to accept a reject Sydney club.

Yep. Good points, and I agree that the only way CC will get a club is if a Sydney club moves there.

The question Norths need to ask themselves is whether they want to cede their junior district to another club in return for some branding & heritage games deal (I ventured it could be Roosters, but hey.. could be any Sydney club).. OR do they want to hitch their wagon to a fresh expansion market outside Sydney (e.g. Adelaide or Christchurch)?

For me, either option works. I'm a born & bred Wellingtonian (still living here), and if a transferred North Sydney Bears brand means we get a team of our own sooner than otherwise, then sign me up for a season ticket now (The Warriors would then be my 2nd fave team)

 

[siv]

Easts have already taken over the CC

They run the juniors and have already branded all reps teams

Just need to abandon Bondi and fully relocate

Their U16s city based operation is coming last while their CC U18s operation is coming first

 

[adamkungl]

Easts have already taken over the CC

They run the juniors and have already branded all reps teams

Just need to abandon Bondi and fully relocate

Their U16s city based operation is coming last while their CC U18s operation is coming first

No ones moving from the most successful NRL club from the wealthiest spot in the southern hemisphere to a country town to claim a handful of juniors that we already have anyway. Roosters have signed a 25 year deal with the SCG Trust to play out of a brand new stadium.
Juniors can come from anywhere. Where a player lives when he is 8 years old is a completely irrelevant concept to professional sport.

On a side note, it's interesting to note that the No Juniors Roosters run 2 junior teams in both 16s and 18s

 

[Perth Red]

Gosford, as they originally planned.
1 visit to NSO for old times sake and 1 to the SFS for a big gate event.

Could they really generate $7million in sponsorship, 15k crowds and 20k members in Gosford? (Min criteria imo for a new club)

 

[adamkungl]

Could they really generate $7million in sponsorship, 15k crowds and 20k members in Gosford? (Min criteria imo for a new club)

With links to North Sydney, I think so. If Newcastle and Townsville can support a team, I don't see why Wollongong or Gosford can't.

Any team north of the bridge should be positioning themselves as a Northern Beaches + North Shore + Central Coast super club.
Whether it's Manly or Norths it doesn't matter.
Unfortunately the current situation does not allow that due to stubbornness from multiple parties.

 

[Perth Red]

Newcastle couldnt, hence why they needed bailing out by pokie den.

Tbf Cowboys are the only regional club that has managed to survive without financial problems, in recent times at least, and no pokies.

Maybe if bears can tip in $2mill from their leagues club they might have a chance but not sure it is that profitable. And sucking sponsorship $’s out of Sydney is just putting more stress on the other clubs.

I agree, can’t see it changing so they should explore dropping a failing manly down with the bears in nsw Cup and using the license to develop a club that can represent the whole region.

 

[adamkungl]

Maybe if bears can tip in $2mill from their leagues club they might have a chance but not sure it is that profitable. And sucking sponsorship $’s out of Sydney is just putting more stress on the other clubs.

I agree, can’t see it changing so they should explore dropping a failing manly down with the bears in nsw Cup and using the license to develop a club that can represent the whole region.

The only way Gosford is viable is with 1 club representing the entire North side, so not really sucking further sponsorships out of Sydney. Take 1 existing club (Manly) and expand up the coast, or replace them with something bigger and better.

 

[Perth Red]

I’d agree with using an existing license (manly if they do go bust) but not blowing a precious new license on it. There wou,d be an argument for doing same on the southern coastal region but can’t see dragons and sharks ever being in that much strife it would create the opportunity. I fear we are stuck with small drawing poor suburban clubs for many years to come yet.

 

[adamkungl]

I’d agree with using an existing license (manly if they do go bust) but not blowing a precious new license on it. There wou,d be an argument for doing same on the southern coastal region but can’t see dragons and sharks ever being in that much strife it would create the opportunity. I fear we are stuck with small drawing poor suburban clubs for many years to come yet.

I think Manly and St George will soon find it in their best interests to shift more outwards.

The new stadiums will create enough tension between the haves and the have-nots, clubs on the edge of Sydney in suburban grounds will be forced into making some tough decisions.