WA Wins Bid for National Team - The Journey to the NRL Begins - Now We Need a Name!

[herbert henry1908]

the perth pioneers or ' the frontiersmen'

 

[Lockyer4President!]

How about simply:


"Perth R.L.F.C"

perth RL for short.

I really like this idea (but I doubt it'll happen) because unofficial nicknames are the best.

 

[Quidgybo]

The best thing for the game would be to have statewide comps in both states that are supported by the NRL/ARL. It'd cost a sh*tload less, piss off no-one (compared to what'd happen if they went ahead with making a new comp) and is viable in the long term.

But where do Perth and Auckland fit into that picture (and in the future Victoria, SA and Wellington sides)? Once you start including them the cost advantage of geographically confined state comps pretty much goes out the window. Also, exactly who do we see as being pissed off by a national second division? I can see a few potentials in Queensland but not that many in NSW if the NRL clubs pull out of the Premier League.

Leigh.

 

[joshreading]

I am all for the resurrection of the 'Western Reds' they have history - good and bad. They will not come over as yet another creation/americanised thing.

Some say brand poison - they said that with Apple as well. I think it is brand potential. Imagine offering a free ticket to ANYONE who comes to the first home game with Old Western Reds merchandise. (I have a hat still)

It would be strongly Australian and more importantly West Australian - the Red is on the WA Coat of Arms and the name comes easily off the tongue - is is a great logo - aggressive/strong/fast. - Sounds like RL to me.

Western Reds - history and now a future. Play the past off as part of the struggle against the Eastern States. It will work. Make faces of the present WA NRL Players talking up their time with the Reds. (even if it were as a fan)

 

[herbert henry1908]

I am all for the resurrection of the 'Western Reds' they have history - good and bad. They will not come over as yet another creation/americanised thing.

Some say brand poison - they said that with Apple as well. I think it is brand potential. Imagine offering a free ticket to ANYONE who comes to the first home game with Old Western Reds merchandise. (I have a hat still)

It would be strongly Australian and more importantly West Australian - the Red is on the WA Coat of Arms and the name comes easily off the tongue - is is a great logo - aggressive/strong/fast. - Sounds like RL to me.

Western Reds - history and now a future. Play the past off as part of the struggle against the Eastern States. It will work. Make faces of the present WA NRL Players talking up their time with the Reds. (even if it were as a fan)

personally i think when they come back into the NRL they need to call themselves perth , if for no other reason than to distinguish themselves from the western force. But personally i prefer city names, everyone knows where they come from then.

 

[Dr Crane]

Western f**king Reds!

 

[Quidgybo]

But personally i prefer city names, everyone knows where they come from then.

So do I, but I've got no problem with regional names as long as they can referenced in isolation. I can tell you a game is between Brisbane and Perth or Brisbane and West Coast, but Brisbane and Western just doesn't work.

Leigh.

 

[_Johnsy]

Perth Pirhanas
Western Warblers
WA Albatross

 

[Lockyer4President!]

But where do Perth and Auckland fit into that picture (and in the future Victoria, SA and Wellington sides)? Once you start including them the cost advantage pretty much goes out the window. Also, exactly who do we see as being pissed off by a national second division? I can see a few potentials in Queensland but not that many in NSW if the NRL clubs pull out of the Premier League.

Leigh.

I'm sure that the ARL can work out one off things like Perth or Auckland joining a comp. Wellington might join in a few years but I don't see Adelaide or Melbourne having local teams within the next decade, at the earliest. It's really not a problem.


The reason it will affect more QLDer's than NSWelshmen is because the QLD Cup is the last refuge for them to see a lot of QLD sides play out traditional rivalries.
The PL doesn't have that problem because with one or two exceptions, all the Sydney teams are in the NRL.

 

[_Johnsy]

Or even the Perth Petrels

 

[Quidgybo]

The reason it will affect more QLDer's than NSWelshmen is because the QLD Cup is the last refuge for them to see a lot of QLD sides play out traditional rivalries.

But what are the traditional clashes in the QLD Cup? Largely the older Brisbane teams - some of which can't even maintain their presence in the QLD Cup on a regular basis. It isn't the Young Guns or individual northern towns (whose tradition lies in the Foley Shield, not the QLD Cup) and it isn't Central Queensland, Toowoomba or Burleigh. I'd anticipate in a well funded national Second Division you'd see the likes of Cairns, Toowoomba, (the two largest regional centres after Townsville), Redcliffe (with stated NRL aspirations) and Burleigh (strong club in growth area) move straight up. Perhaps one more Brisbane team with the rest all going back to a strengthend BRL comp and regional leagues where the old rivalries can be played out without the financial pressures of the statewide comp.

Leigh.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

But what are the traditional clashes in the QLD Cup? Largely the older Brisbane teams - some of which can't even maintain their presence in the QLD Cup on a regular basis. It isn't the Young Guns or individual northern towns (whose tradition lies in the Foley Shield, not the QLD Cup) and it isn't Central Queensland, Toowoomba or Beenleigh. I'd anticipate in a well funded national Second Division you'd see the likes of Cairns, Toowoomba, (the two largest regional centres after Townsville), Redcliffe (with stated NRL aspirations) and Beenleigh (strong club in growth area) move straight up. Perhaps one more Brisbane team with the rest all going back to a strengthend BRL comp and regional leagues where the old rivalries can be played out without the financial pressures of the statewide comp.

Leigh.

Not a bad idea but I'm not sure if the regional leagues would be able to survive without the sponsorship that comes with the SEQ teams. Basically it'd mean a rejuvenated FOGS challenge but at the expense of the rest of Queensland, which would do more to kill the game than anything else.


The QRL could, with the backing of the ARL/NRL, expand the Foley Cup to become the premier comp from Rocky to Cairns but I doubt that would attract the same amount of sponsorship as FOGS. And without that it'd immediately become the poorer cousin of the FOGS Cup. Which would make it a 5th level comp (NRL,U20's, NRL 2nd tier comp, FOGS, Foley) and means it would be in a downward spiral for sponsoship, quality etc.

The QC is here to stay, Queensland and Australian rl needs it.

 

[Broncos thats my team]

i cant wait for nrl to become national rugby league

when i heard that they where making nat u20s i thought it was going to be national lol i spose i cant expect the nrl to be that smart

 

[yakstorm]

So do I, but I've got no problem with regional names as long as they can referenced in isolation. I can tell you a game is between Brisbane and Perth or Brisbane and West Coast, but Brisbane and Western just doesn't work.

Leigh.

Imagine Wests v Western, thats bound to confuse everyone who isn't a RL fan. Still anyway, I think its great to see WA back in a senior RL competition, lets hope it helps boost participation numbers in the state and even if it doesn't lead to them getting back into the NRL, ensure a stead stream of talent comes from the state and sees the formation of a national second tier competition.

A well structured national second tier competition involving traditional clubs mixed with expansion sides could develop into a fantastic product for RL, and could very well boost the profile of the likes of the Newtown's, the South Logans and so on, above what they current recieve in their regionalised competitions.

If you made it, 16 teams, and each NRL side had to affiliate with one of the sides it could work very well. Be an excellent TV product as well.

 

[Prodigiousman]

Ok so far the best suggestions range from:

And I can't see them being called the Western anything - too close to the Wests Tigers - maybe Western Australia shortened to WA but Perth makes the most sense.

the Perth Reds - can see that working personally - the Kangaroo makes so much sense it isn't funny - and don't go arguing they can't use it because we're the Kangaroos or that the Qld Reds are the Reds etc.

Perth Miners - don't mind that one at all - do we mine Gold out West? maybe the Goldminers or the Perth Golds - just ideas.

Can't see wombats working, and probably not Pumas - even though it was a working name in the early 90s, Swans - not convinced that's a strong marketing tool - heck a good percentage of people probably don't realise that the Western Force have a swan as basically their mascot even after seeing the logo.
Any other brainstorms?

 

[st.george4life]

Was going to say Perth Pirahans, but Johnsy got in first, how about the Perth Suns...

 

[Lockyer4President!]

The Perth Gold competes in some ARU comp last time I checked.

 

[_Johnsy]

Perth Pirates, or

The more I think about it the more I like, drum roll please.........................................................
Perth Paws (Links with the western reds, & Kangaroos on the coat of arms & WA floral emblem Kangaroo paw)

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Has The Sandgropers been mentioned yet?


I wonder what their uniforms will be coloured. I hope they keep the red and black and get rid of the gold trim from the Reds uniforms.

 

[Mr_Ugly]

Perth Miners?