Tribalism

[Miller was a legend]

Perth Red your just like my team, flogging a dead horse.

 

[Perth Red]

Oh no. One Sydney team and one Perth team is all we need. The code would be massive and all our problems would be solved forever. Just ask Perth Red.

we need a sydney team? Surely 9 Perth suburbs would do?

 

[LeagueNut]

This is a great thread. I just want to pull out a couple of points:

Long term rivalry between Sydney clubs is vital to our competition. It is our history our heratige passed down from father to son.

I remember reading something years ago that pointed to generational support as a huge contributor to a successful competition, regardless of the code. For youngsters just discovering the game, supporting the club your family has supported for 20, 40, 80+ years adds a whole new level of passion IMO. If clubs keep changing around through mergers then this opportunity is somewhat lost.

Personally I feel Sydney needs to lose at least one club, if not 2. Though relocation would be the preferred method for this to occur (or mergers of teams, maybe a carrot the NRL should be offering to have Sydney clubs consider this option).

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion of relocations in this thread. What do Sydney folks think about this? If your club shifted out of town would you still get out and cheer when they came to Sydney to play?

 

[bobmar28]

If there was only one Sydney team then Rugby League would effectively die in this country and AFL would be handed the biggest state in the country.

Brisbane has one league team and I don't see AFL taking over up there, in fact fumbleball is going backwards in QLD.

 

[bobmar28]

Surely one Sydney team would need to play out of ANZ to fit in its 80,000 fans every week?

That's right, in the geographical centre of Sydney.

 

[Loudstrat]

This is a great thread. I just want to pull out a couple of points:


I remember reading something years ago that pointed to generational support as a huge contributor to a successful competition, regardless of the code. For youngsters just discovering the game, supporting the club your family has supported for 20, 40, 80+ years adds a whole new level of passion IMO. If clubs keep changing around through mergers then this opportunity is somewhat lost.


I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion of relocations in this thread. What do Sydney folks think about this? If your club shifted out of town would you still get out and cheer when they came to Sydney to play?

I don't live in Sydney, but if Parra relocated I'd still support them.

The reason this doesn't come up is that this discussion is fuelled by those supporting non-sydney clubs, or those wanting a team in their area. These people don't want a relocated club - they want a Sydney team killed to make way for theirs.

I too think it's a great idea.

 

[Perth Red]

I'm surprised there hasn't been more discussion of relocations in this thread. What do Sydney folks think about this? If your club shifted out of town would you still get out and cheer when they came to Sydney to play?

I must admit I would prefer the WA Reds to be a stand alone team made up of primarily WA born and trained players eventually but if the only option was a relocated Sydey team then I would certainly support them. I can see a lot of advantages to a relocated team including a Sydney juinior development area, possible Leagues club funding, a massive membership target group with the combined areas and potential double sponsorship opportunities. They could have different sponsors for home and away kits from two States.

My biggest concern would be the constant "rumours" of the club returning to Sydney if it hit hard times in the relocated area. The support for the original Reds plummeted when the rumours of it moving to Melbourne began and I can imagine there would be plenty of ongoing noise from the clubs original fans and sponsors to get the club back.

 

[Loudstrat]

I doubt if any club - once they moved away from Sydney - would move back. Yes, Manly did it, but that was as much as gaining control of Norths area as much as anything.

 

[Cockadoodledoo]

Brisbane has one league team and I don't see AFL taking over up there, in fact fumbleball is going backwards in QLD.

Just over 20 years ago they had none apart from their surburban comp.. Support for Rugby League in Sydney is based on support for our club teams.. They have only one team but with the exception of the Crushers which Super League killed off they had no one else to support..

If you honestly believe that fans of each Sydney team would maintain and pump the same amount of money into Rugby League if there was only one team to follow you are seriously deluded.

 

[Loudstrat]

He IS Seriously deluded. As he points out, fumbleball has only 1 team in Brisbane and the game is going backwards up there.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Just over 20 years ago they had none apart from their surburban comp.. Support for Rugby League in Sydney is based on support for our club teams..

:crazy: f**ken Sydneysiders...

 

[Miller was a legend]

:crazy: f**ken Sydneysiders...

:crazy:f**ken Queenslanders.

PS: Brisbane is a sh*thole