Welcome to the comp, Redcliffe.

[mongoose]

Call me a negative nancy, but I've never really seen the point of the GC team. Sure the AFL installed a team there as well, but I (likewise) have always said the Suns would be a cash drain for the AFL. Problem with the GC is it's full of expats, people with pre-existing loyalties and the Titans have done very little in their 17 year history to inspire the imagination of the neutral fan. Even amongst Qld league fans there's a general apathy about them.

The irony is the NRL back in 2004 delayed expansion announcement by a year to favour the Titans bid over the CC Bears bid, yet if Norths had relocated to the GC and become the Gold Coast Bears I'd argue they'd have more supporters and more relevance in the league today.

Not sure exactly what the Titans need to change in order to develop more of an identity and more relevance?

*Yawn* After Sydney and Brisbane the Gold Coast is the next largest city in NSW/QLD, i'm amazed people still question their worth - like they're still stuck in 1992....

 

[Reflector]

*Yawn* After Sydney and Brisbane the Gold Coast is the next largest city in NSW/QLD, i'm amazed people still question their worth - like they're still stuck in 1992....

Adelaide has a higher population than the GC but that doesn't mean we should put a team there, does it?

In 1992 the GC had the Seagulls, and I'd argue that they developed more of an identity in 6 years than the Titans have with a decades more history...

 

[mongoose]

"Identity" is a pretty subjective idea though. Titans crowds are respectable compared to the NRL average, they are producing local juniors and have several in the squad such as Brimson, Campbell and Fafita who went through Keebra Park. They are still a new club that went with a new brand, unlike the Dolphins who have 70 years of history.

 

[Canard]

There is no way QLDers would be suddenly be more drawn to a NSW team then one with their own identity.

And if the GC is full of ex-pats, why not cater for them with an NRL side?

In 1992 the GC had the Seagulls, and I'd argue that they developed more of an identity in 6 years than the Titans have with a decades more history...

Given they were the Giants, Seagulls, Gladiators and Chargers in the span of 8 years I would say they didn't develop much of an "identity" at all.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Interesting look at the population centres in Australia and NRL's footprint.
1. Sydney ✅️
2. Melbourne ✅️
3. Brisbane ✅️
4. Perth ❌️
5. Adelaide ❌️
6. Gold Coast ✅️
7. Newcastle Maitland ✅️
8. Canberra Queanbeyan ✅️
9. Sunshine Coast ❌️
10. Central Coast ❌️
11. Wollongong ✅️
12. Geelong ❌️
12. Hobart ❌️
13. Townsville ✅️
14. Cairns ✅️
15. Toowoomba ❌️

Cairns gets a tick because its North Queensland. Throw in Auckland and the NRL is doing pretty well although the big blank is Perth and Adelaide.

 

[Perth Red]

Adelaide has a higher population than the GC but that doesn't mean we should put a team there, does it?

In 1992 the GC had the Seagulls, and I'd argue that they developed more of an identity in 6 years than the Titans have with a decades more history...

If Adelaide was a RL area absolutely! (and there's an argument they should be in the NRL anyways!)

How do you define and measure 'identity'?

 

[APPSY]

Call me a negative nancy, but I've never really seen the point of the GC team. Sure the AFL installed a team there as well, but I (likewise) have always said the Suns would be a cash drain for the AFL. Problem with the GC is it's full of expats, people with pre-existing loyalties and the Titans have done very little in their 17 year history to inspire the imagination of the neutral fan. Even amongst Qld league fans there's a general apathy about them.

The irony is the NRL back in 2004 delayed expansion announcement by a year to favour the Titans bid over the CC Bears bid, yet if Norths had relocated to the GC and become the Gold Coast Bears I'd argue they'd have more supporters and more relevance in the league today.

Not sure exactly what the Titans need to change in order to develop more of an identity and more relevance?

The club is developing more, mate. We're in the best position we have ever been in financially. The bounce back we did financially as a club from 2011-19 to 2020-now is going under the radar and under-appreciated. As others have mentioned, we reached our highest average crowd since over a decade ago this year. The club reached 13,000+ members, a record for the club. Yes the membership number is low compared to the rest of the NRL, and even the suns (which I still do not believe they have 23,000 members but who am I to try figure that out). If the club's relevancy is not high in your mind then that is fair enough, but the numbers speak for themselves.

We finally have owners and a board of directors who actually give a shit. Our Junior Titans Pathway is growing rapidly each year. We also have players actually recommitting to longer deals as they genuinely want to play for the team and see it succeed, rather than come here for 2 years then go somewhere else.

The identity of the club is that we are the Gold Coast's longest standing team. That we faced adversity and overcame it. That no matter how hard it gets, remaining hopeful will get us over the line. The few of us who have stuck by this club since 07, and didn't give it up because of on and off field dramas know that if we allow time and trust the process, the Gold Coast will be solidified as the mainstay. Our identity IS being the Titans. We are no longer associated with the previous GC outfits, we are our own, seperate identity. Our identity IS the Gold Coast.

The club is not going anywhere anytime soon, nor do I think we ever will. The NRL would be psychotic to allow the AFL to be the only major sporting code here on the Coast. The on field performances are our only flaw now. And if we can fix that up from 2024 onwards, the sky's the limit.

 

[jim_57]

Interesting look at the population centres in Australia and NRL's footprint.
1. Sydney ✅️
2. Melbourne ✅️
3. Brisbane ✅️
4. Perth ❌️
5. Adelaide ❌️
6. Gold Coast ✅️
7. Newcastle Maitland ✅️
8. Canberra Queanbeyan ✅️
9. Sunshine Coast ❌️
10. Central Coast ❌️
11. Wollongong ✅️
12. Geelong ❌️
12. Hobart ❌️
13. Townsville ✅️
14. Cairns ✅️
15. Toowoomba ❌️

Cairns gets a tick because its North Queensland. Throw in Auckland and the NRL is doing pretty well although the big blank is Perth and Adelaide.

If Cairns gets a tick for Cowboys then it’s arguable SC gets a tick with the Dolphins aiming/claiming to represent there.

 

[Perth Red]

If Cairns gets a tick for Cowboys then it’s arguable SC gets a tick with the Dolphins aiming/claiming to represent there.

Not sure one game a year paid for by the council and a reserve grade there that wants nothing to do with them counts as representation tbf.

 

[jim_57]

Not sure one game a year paid for by the council and a reserve grade there that wants nothing to do with them counts as representation tbf.

The reserve grade situation is all over the place now so doesn’t mean a lot in terms of geography.

Depends how they go about it going forward, if they play at Sunshine Coast when it gets an upgrade and do some off-field appearances around the area then you could say they’ll be as represented as Cairns are by the Cowboys.

 

[Perth Red]

The reserve grade situation is all over the place now so doesn’t mean a lot in terms of geography.

Depends how they go about it going forward, if they play at Sunshine Coast when it gets an upgrade and do some off-field appearances around the area then you could say they’ll be as represented as Cairns are by the Cowboys.

Well they were supposed to be playing 2 games there this year, council would only pay for one so they moved the other to Perth which paid more, not a good start to long term relationship is it?

 

[Wb1234]

Yessssss

 

[MugaB]

Not sure one game a year paid for by the council and a reserve grade there that wants nothing to do with them counts as representation tbf.

You'd be lucky to get a game in cairns per year, maybe a trial, let alone see the cowboys there, last game there was souffs vs st.merge

 

[Wb1234]

 

[Perth Red]

Wheres the surprise? they were approaching contracted players left right and centre when they got the license and were trying to build a team.

 

[Wb1234]

As talented as he is I don’t think he will make it

he already should’ve got his weight under control

 

[Perth Red]

You'd be lucky to get a game in cairns per year, maybe a trial, let alone see the cowboys there, last game there was souffs vs st.merge

Cowboys name implies connection ie NQ. 'THE' does not.

 

[flippikat]

If Adelaide was a RL area absolutely! (and there's an argument they should be in the NRL anyways!)

How do you define and measure 'identity'?

If you look at the home crowds the Rams got in their debut year, it indicates there's something of a latent market for rugby league in Adelaide, and that was in 1997!

Would we rival AFL for numbers? No. But they didn't embarrass themselves. Especially in an extremely rocky year for rugby league.

Unfortunately the reality of the upcoming club-cull in the newly-formed NRL undermined their 2nd (and final) season in 1998, but times have changed & any expansion team now wouldn't be chopped down quickly like that.

All it takes is determination & confidence of the NRL to carve out a niche for themselves there, and the work needs to start now - to gear up towards a team sometime in the next 10 years, give or take.

 

[xe_kilroy]

I reckon Adelaide should be the next expansion team in after Perth gets in, because the rivalry between the cities, people, to compete against each other and Melbourne, due to their longheld Aussie Rules rivalries, it would work.

 

[MugaB]

Cowboys name implies connection ie NQ. 'THE' does not.

Nz warriors implies Christchurch, as does Brisbane Broncos implies Ipswich and Logan, expansion solved ...nuff said