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West Coast Pirates Bid News

jim_57

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,369
I'd also look at the American College football level. Many of their running back, wide receivers, corner backs, safeties, and overall athletes could make an impact once trained up. Long shot but worth considering.

I quite like the idea of NRL/SL clubs linking with local USA clubs to train & trial players in the US before offering to sign the player or not. Less risk involved and gives them the chance to see them play RL and develop the basics somewhat before committing to signing.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,357
I quite like the idea of NRL/SL clubs linking with local USA clubs to train & trial players in the US before offering to sign the player or not. Less risk involved and gives them the chance to see them play RL and develop the basics somewhat before committing to signing.

Thats probably a good way to do it. There is just so much football talent in the NCAA that doesn't get drafted and then just I guess goes and gets a job. You would think some of them would want to give it a go.
 

RoosTah

Juniors
Messages
2,257
http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/coo...m/news-story/bd758dfd4006436c8b2664e994110021

Been a couple stories on this over the past couple days. With the increase in games taken to Perth and now a test and an Origin on the horizon, when are we likely to get the pirates into the competition? The ground is clearly being prepared.

Also, what is going on with Adelaide? A couple years ago the dogs were taking games down there, but that seems to have stopped. Does anyone here know what the story is with the NRL down there? Have they just given up on them?
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,808
Also, what is going on with Adelaide? A couple years ago the dogs were taking games down there, but that seems to have stopped. Does anyone here know what the story is with the NRL down there? Have they just given up on them?

Honestly there's nothing to tell.

The last I heard out of SA was that the people who own Hindmarsh Stadium were hoping to pay NRL clubs to play games down there, from memory they wanted to have five or six games a year. Obviously nothing has eventuated from that yet (probably because the Hindmarsh group underestimated how much it'd cost to get the Clubs interested) .
And the NRL is supposed to be played live into all of Australia on Win now, so if that's happening then that would be a boost for the NRL in SA.

Apart from that nothing has really been happening at all, SA has been pretty much forgotten by the NRL since the Rams were folded.
 

RoosTah

Juniors
Messages
2,257
Honestly there's nothing to tell.

The last I heard out of SA was that the people who own Hindmarsh Stadium were hoping to pay NRL clubs to play games down there, from memory they wanted to have five or six games a year. Obviously nothing has eventuated from that yet (probably because the Hindmarsh group underestimated how much it'd cost to get the Clubs interested) .
And the NRL is supposed to be played live into all of Australia on Win now, so if that's happening then that would be a boost for the NRL in SA.

Apart from that nothing has really been happening at all, SA has been pretty much forgotten by the NRL since the Rams were folded.

That's promising from the people at Hindmarsh, but we ought to be doing a fair bit more down there... We need a couple clubs making the decision to go down there like we have with Perth and Christchurch (which already looks like being a great success)
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,563
Isnt it interesting when a NRL event occurs in Perth the old - lets have a Perth NRL team news story gets rolled out

My concern is what they are got this year looks like the actual NRL expansion strategy

No plans for a new club in that 2-4 games a year exposure

The NRL needs to take a leaf out of the RL Pioneers on how they grew the RL game between 1910 and 1930

Most Sydney RL were going all over NSW and playing a local team almost every bye weekend
 

RoosTah

Juniors
Messages
2,257
Isnt it interesting when a NRL event occurs in Perth the old - lets have a Perth NRL team news story gets rolled out

My concern is what they are got this year looks like the actual NRL expansion strategy
It's an exposure strategy - one clearly aimed at preparing the ground for expansion in a few years.
 

#UpUpCronulla

Juniors
Messages
4
Hi Guys,
Pretty new to the forum.
Just an observation. I was in Adelaide a few weeks ago, spent a few days there before flying back on Sunday noon in time to watch the Sharks win our first premiership live!

Anyway, I was incredibly surprised to see the amount of Rugby fields around the centre of the city. Adelaide is quite tiny. It's never more than 20 minutes to anywhere. In the time i spent there, i probably saw 3-5 Rugby Fields and around the same for AFL, which left me incredibly surprised. There's definitely an interest in the game. I probably saw the same amount of sharks fans as i did dogs supporters in the city centre on Grand Final weekend for both the NRL and AFL.

I believe the average crowd for the Rams was around 15,000 at the start before dropping to 8-10,000, which was pretty good for the late 90s, and higher than some Sydney clubs. Certainly better than Melbourne's at the time. And that was 20 years ago. Imagine the support we could have had now. If the Storm are a success (16,000 average, solid tv ratings, good sponsorship), I have no doubt Adelaide would have fared even better. The worst thing our Administrators ever did was abandon Adelaide and Perth. We would have 20 year old, established franchises, with a very strong foothold in their sporting markets. We'd have a truly national league and we would have overtaken the AFL a long time ago as the premier football code in Australia. If only!

NRL TV Ratings for Perth are strong, but surprisingly and despite having a significantly smaller population, the ratings in Adelaide are roughly the same as Perth. I think we're missing a massive opportunity in not considering Adelaide, as we do Perth. Both undoubtedly deserve an NRL franchise. The support in Perth is immense, especially on the back of the amount of expats, and let's be honest, our Kiwi mates.

While the AFL continue to target League strongholds, the NRL still refuse to do anything and it's becoming incredibly frustrating as a fan, and lover of the game. AFL posts are popping up all over my area, and schools in my area. Kids are kicking around sherrins, at the same spots where i grew up with a steeden in hand.
 

The Great Dane

First Grade
Messages
7,808
Cool design, but I have to ask - where did the pandas thing come from with Adelaide?

It started as a joke on here a few years ago, I can't really remember why it started, but anyway it spiralled a bit out of control and eventually some of us got some Pandas jerseys made up.

The Pandas name came from Adelaide zoo being the only zoo in Australia to house Pandas, you can probably find the old thread somewhere if you want to find out more.

By the way I still have my Pandas jersey, and I still wear it every now and then.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,411
Interesting,get regular requests for surveys from the NRL.
Received one and returned it today.One of the questions was "What is one of the most important issues facing the game today?"
I responded expansion into Perth and Brisbane.
 

flamin

Juniors
Messages
2,046
Anyway, I was incredibly surprised to see the amount of Rugby fields around the centre of the city. Adelaide is quite tiny. It's never more than 20 minutes to anywhere. In the time i spent there, i probably saw 3-5 Rugby Fields and around the same for AFL, which left me incredibly surprised. There's definitely an interest in the game. I probably saw the same amount of sharks fans as i did dogs supporters in the city centre on Grand Final weekend for both the NRL and AFL.

There are quite a few South Australians who adopted Cronulla as their NRL team when the Sharks were playing there. Since Adelaide is unlikely to have its own NRL team for 10+ years, it's definitely an opportunity for a Sydney team to take regular games there and expand its supporter base.
 

siv

First Grade
Messages
6,563
And as soon as the test is over

Mal steps in and kills off expansion talk
 
Last edited:
Messages
1,354
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/s...ays-no-nrl-club-in-perth-for-six-years/#page1

Absurd by now, the NRL should of had long-term vision/plans for expansion years ago, to delay it again shows how short-sight and heartland focused the NRL has been for so long. By 2022, the other codes expansion teams would be well establish meanwhile the NRL does what it does best stay still and do nothing. How about a clear 6 year plan in the build up to new expansion teams by 2022.

This is frustrating to see rugby league as a code willing to stagnant and do nothing while the other codes show courage and actually expand the game.
 

Marlins

Juniors
Messages
1,341
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/s...ays-no-nrl-club-in-perth-for-six-years/#page1

Absurd by now, the NRL should of had long-term vision/plans for expansion years ago, to delay it again shows how short-sight and heartland focused the NRL has been for so long. By 2022, the other codes expansion teams would be well establish meanwhile the NRL does what it does best stay still and do nothing. How about a clear 6 year plan in the build up to new expansion teams by 2022.

This is frustrating to see rugby league as a code willing to stagnant and do nothing while the other codes show courage and actually expand the game.
So is Perth Red on suicide watch now
 
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