From today's WA Sunday Times (sorry no online article)
Pirates Back on Course
"X" might finally be marking the spot for the West Coast Pirates. New NRL CEO Dave Smith gave the strongest indication yet Perth and Adelaide would be included in a revamped competition in an interview on Friday with the Daily Telegraphs Phil Rothfield. "The game matters to all australians and it doesn't have to be as Eastern seaboard-focused in the longer term" he said. Asked if that meant Adelaide and Perth were a shoo-in, Smith said "Without being specific, the game needs a national footprint." Late last year the ARLC and Ch9 ruled out expansion until at least 2017 after agreeing to a $1.2billion 5 year TV deal.
The WARL, which had been working since 2007 to get a Perth based NRL side up and running, had only recently launched it's new franchise brand, the Pirates. But WARL CEO John Sackson is bouyed by the latest comments from NRL HQ. "We're very encourgaed to read Dave Smith's positive comments about expansion" Sackson said.
"He's clearly determined to make the NRL a truly national competition, and that means the inclusion of a Perth franchise."
Australian and Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith has also thrown his considerable weight behind a Perth franchise in an interview in Rugby League Week. "We've got to try and take our game to WA particularly" he said. "That's where a lot of the noise is coming from. I know there's some pretty good support over there." "I've been lucky enough to play NRL matches in Perth and there's been good support and good crowds. There's a strong competition in Perth." Cash Convertors has also renewed its sponsorship of the WARL for three years. The partnership is worth $100,000 per year and includes sponsorship of the West Coast Pirates team in the SG Ball Cup, the premier U18's competition in Australia.
