What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

WA BEARS

Red&BlackBear

First Grade
Messages
5,175
I’m guessing they aren’t going to be seeing Cummins whilst over there
Gareth Holmes flying over too.

They’ll come in on their Fokker to resolve this quokka shocker from the penniless cocker.

Doubt we will hear anything off it for a few days.
Happy Money GIF by GoBear
 

titoelcolombiano

First Grade
Messages
6,398
yep he said it as it was, they'd rather put the $30mill into starting up the club properly than give 2/3rds of it to the other 17 clubs. Sounds a logical enough business decision to me. He does need a PR firm though, why he'd agree to go on a prcks show like that I dont know.
You can't just join a $700m per year league for free. If Cummins can't afford it then the NRL were right to reject his bid
 

Red&BlackBear

First Grade
Messages
5,175
A Bears superfan, a few beers and $1000 trademark: The wild story behind NRL expansion drama

By

Adam Pengilly and Adrian Proszenko

October 10, 2024 — 3.54pm



The best rugby league ideas come while having a night on the drink ... at least until you get pulled over for a roadside test, decide to sprint down the Corso against some lair named Harry or have a pooch named Bella thrown on your lap.

But just once, maybe once, some quick thinking while sinking a few beers has saved rugby league from a great embarrassment.



Paul Chippendale has been a ground announcer for the North Sydney Bears and an unabashed superfan of the red and black.

But more than that, he’s a hustler. “Chippa” has revved up the crowds at NRL matches, revved up the crowds at karaoke shows, revved up the crowds at political events, and unashamedly goes by the title of CEO: chief entertainment officer.



Yet now he potentially holds the key to a part of the NRL’s expansion dream in the west.

Just days after the Australian Rugby League Commission torpedoed a Perth consortium bidding to be the NRL’s 18th franchise, there’s now a problem: the proposed team, Western Bears, has its trademark tied to the same failed consortium.



From one bear to another: Hopes are high North Sydney’s NRL exile is about to end.



It remains to be seen whether the consortium will stand in the way of the NRL, and the copyright, now they’ve moved on without them.

That’s where Chippendale comes in. Not only was he the first to register the Western Bears trademark (which he later relinquished for the bid team), he also snapped up the rights to the Perth Bears and every other name he could conceivably think of while several deep.



“When they were talking about it a couple of years ago [in 2022] when Origin was on in Western Australia, and there was a discussion about the Bears coming back, I’d had a few drinks that night,” Chippendale laughs.

“I thought, ‘if it’s fair dinkum, they must have registered the name’. I looked it up and thought, ‘no one has registered it, so it mustn’t be happening’.

“After having a few drinks I thought, ‘stuff it, I’ll buy it’. I bought the Western Bears, I bought the Western Australian Bears, a few of them [including the Perth Bears]. I woke up the next day and thought, ‘what have I done?’”

What he’d done might have saved the NRL – who are now negotiating exclusively with the Western Australian government to save a $450 million funding pledge and keep a Perth franchise alive – from having to start from scratch again. Chippendale can’t remember exactly how much each trademark cost, but it was about $1000. Some would say value for money.

So, will he now hand over the Perth Bears if the league comes knocking?





“I’m happy to give it to Norths or Peter V’landys,” he said. “I only got it as a fan. I just made sure they had it, and it’s locked away if they want it. I’ll save them tomorrow. We want the Bears to be protected.”



But any Bears association with Perth won’t include the consortium headed up by Cash Converters king Peter Cumins, who held out hope the NRL would come back to the table despite officially rejecting their proposal earlier this week. The chances of that are now dead.

Speaking for the first time about the issue, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said on Thursday: “The Commission has made it very clear that expansion has to have a strong business case – that goes for prospective regions and individual bidders.

“We will keep working through the process to ensure we can present the clubs with the most compelling options to expand the game before any final decisions are made by the Commission.”





https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/a-...q3cVklxSCl8KcGRXi0_aem_A4q9VcTzwMMPjdTcwJiP9A
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
68,609
You can't just join a $700m per year league for free. If Cummins can't afford it then the NRL were right to reject his bid
Then they should have stipulated what the license fee would be before asking for bids. Do you know why they didnt? Because if they had said there was a $20mill license fee 8 weeks ago they wouldn't have received any bids other than the Aussie taxpayer one! Its a last minute cash grab trying to put pressure on WA to pay up something that was never part of the criteria. If it was it would have been a tender requirement, not a how much might you pay question.
 

BuffaloRules

Coach
Messages
15,111
doesn't change the issue of what the license fee is actually being demanded for. It’s not a bank guarantee in case the NRl has to bail them out at some point, it’s a bribe for the clubs next month. And it’snot even to bribe them to choose WA, the bid submission included a letter from every club supporting WA inclusion.

Many sports charge these…

The Auckland A League team paid $20m so this is a bargain
 

Matt_CBY

Juniors
Messages
845
doesn't change the issue of what the license fee is actually being demanded for. Its not a bank guarantee in case the NRl has to bail them out at some point, its a bribe for the clubs next month. And its not even to bribe them to choose WA, the bid submission included a letter from every club supporting WA inclusion.
Supporting WA inclusion or support Cumins consortium inclusion?
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
68,609
Many sports charge these…

The Auckland A League team paid $20m so this is a bargain
yep they do, and that isnt the issue. The issue is if you have an expectation of a significant sum like $20mill then make it a stipulation of applying, not ask if someone might pay something then get shtty when they say no. Like I said how many submissions do you think they would have received if they had made their intentions clear in the tender criteria?
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
31,697
A Bears superfan, a few beers and $1000 trademark: The wild story behind NRL expansion drama

By

Adam Pengilly and Adrian Proszenko

October 10, 2024 — 3.54pm



The best rugby league ideas come while having a night on the drink ... at least until you get pulled over for a roadside test, decide to sprint down the Corso against some lair named Harry or have a pooch named Bella thrown on your lap.

But just once, maybe once, some quick thinking while sinking a few beers has saved rugby league from a great embarrassment.



Paul Chippendale has been a ground announcer for the North Sydney Bears and an unabashed superfan of the red and black.

But more than that, he’s a hustler. “Chippa” has revved up the crowds at NRL matches, revved up the crowds at karaoke shows, revved up the crowds at political events, and unashamedly goes by the title of CEO: chief entertainment officer.



Yet now he potentially holds the key to a part of the NRL’s expansion dream in the west.

Just days after the Australian Rugby League Commission torpedoed a Perth consortium bidding to be the NRL’s 18th franchise, there’s now a problem: the proposed team, Western Bears, has its trademark tied to the same failed consortium.



From one bear to another: Hopes are high North Sydney’s NRL exile is about to end.



It remains to be seen whether the consortium will stand in the way of the NRL, and the copyright, now they’ve moved on without them.

That’s where Chippendale comes in. Not only was he the first to register the Western Bears trademark (which he later relinquished for the bid team), he also snapped up the rights to the Perth Bears and every other name he could conceivably think of while several deep.



“When they were talking about it a couple of years ago [in 2022] when Origin was on in Western Australia, and there was a discussion about the Bears coming back, I’d had a few drinks that night,” Chippendale laughs.

“I thought, ‘if it’s fair dinkum, they must have registered the name’. I looked it up and thought, ‘no one has registered it, so it mustn’t be happening’.

“After having a few drinks I thought, ‘stuff it, I’ll buy it’. I bought the Western Bears, I bought the Western Australian Bears, a few of them [including the Perth Bears]. I woke up the next day and thought, ‘what have I done?’”

What he’d done might have saved the NRL – who are now negotiating exclusively with the Western Australian government to save a $450 million funding pledge and keep a Perth franchise alive – from having to start from scratch again. Chippendale can’t remember exactly how much each trademark cost, but it was about $1000. Some would say value for money.

So, will he now hand over the Perth Bears if the league comes knocking?





“I’m happy to give it to Norths or Peter V’landys,” he said. “I only got it as a fan. I just made sure they had it, and it’s locked away if they want it. I’ll save them tomorrow. We want the Bears to be protected.”



But any Bears association with Perth won’t include the consortium headed up by Cash Converters king Peter Cumins, who held out hope the NRL would come back to the table despite officially rejecting their proposal earlier this week. The chances of that are now dead.

Speaking for the first time about the issue, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo said on Thursday: “The Commission has made it very clear that expansion has to have a strong business case – that goes for prospective regions and individual bidders.

“We will keep working through the process to ensure we can present the clubs with the most compelling options to expand the game before any final decisions are made by the Commission.”





https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/a-...q3cVklxSCl8KcGRXi0_aem_A4q9VcTzwMMPjdTcwJiP9A
Perth bears is the best name

Guys a legend for doing that
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
31,697
yep they do, and that isnt the issue. The issue is if you have an expectation of a significant sum like $20mill then make it a stipulation of applying, not ask if someone might pay something then get shtty when they say no. Like I said how many submissions do you think they would have received if they had made their intentions clear in the tender criteria?
Beattie told them twice they had to pay 20 millon

How many times do you want me to repeat this
 

flippikat

First Grade
Messages
5,080
I'm a bit both sides. They should have offered something in the bid but the ARLC should have told them that a $20 mill license was required. It's a big step up when they were told they needed $30mill to get a look in.
That's my take too.

BOTH sides were guilty of mistakes, making assumptions, poor communication, ego, you name it.

It's a shit show all round, and the whole game suffers for it.
 

Latest posts

Top