WA Rugby League open to joint bid with Tony Sage for Perth NRL team
by: Michael Washbourne
From: PerthNow
February 14, 2012 4:03PM
THE WA Rugby League has not ruled out joining forces with mining magnate Tony Sage in a united bid for a Perth NRL team.
As revealed first by News Ltd, Sage has expressed interest in co-owning an NRL side with former Balmain hooker Ben Elias and met with league boss David Gallop today to discuss the newly formed commissions expansion plans for 2015.
Perth is strongly tipped to receive one of two rumoured new franchise licenses from the league when expansion is given the green light, most likely before the end of the year.
Sages business model is believed to be similar to the one developed by close friend and fellow millionaire Nathan Tinkler in Newcastle. Tinkler owns both the Knights (NRL) and the Jets (A-League).
The Perth Glory owners interest in bringing a rugby league side to Perth caught the WARL by surprise, but chief executive John Sackson is open to the idea of teaming with Sage to establish the code in the west.
If any other entity would like to sit down and discuss the situation with the WARL and perhaps get on board for one unified approach for getting an NRL franchise back here then we would welcome that opportunity, Sackson said today at the launch of the South Sydney-Brisbane Broncos match to be played in Perth on March 23.
We would invite interested parties to sit down and have a chat to us with the ultimate goal of getting a franchise back here. That's what we want and that's what the sports fans of WA want.
The public in WA want their rugby league, they want their NRL, and we've gone a long way to conveying that message to the powers that be in Sydney.
The WARLs bid has centred around developing the code in WA, with junior development a strong focal point.
That has been reflected in the strong attendances for NRL matches held at Perths nib Stadium in recent years, including last Saturdays trial between St George-Illawarra and North Queensland that attracted a crowd of almost 9000 people.
Sackson denied Sages plan, which appears not to have a grassroots component, had jeopardised the states position with NRL heavyweights.
Everyone knows the work we've been doing to earn more respect for the game and put ourselves into a position where we are strongly considered as a likely expansion destination, Sackson said.
The challenge for us
is to build a bid that's sustainable for the long term and, hopefully, irresistible to the commission when it comes time to selecting expansion franchises.
It's a competitive world. The fact that other people have emerged with a franchise here is a reflection on the fact that we are considered a favourite to get a franchise, so it's not surprising that other parties have come out and want to get on board.
But its much more than a case of picking up a team and plonking it here with no real connection or concern or care for the grassroots of the game.
Sackson was confident the WARL could match Sages proposed $20 million proposal for the Perth team as well as attracting a host of wealthy sponsors.
But Sackson, who added that he has been constant contact with Gallop for the past two and a half years, said it was too premature to discuss potential coaches.
The commission has not come out and confirmed expansion has happened, he said.
Do we believe it will? Yes. Do we believe it will be 2015? Absolutely. But to be dropping names of coaches now for a team that would be entering the competition three years down the track we think is a little premature.
We think that if we are successful in earning the right to have a franchise, we'll be very careful in targeting the sort of coaching staff that we believe would be needed to form a very successful franchise on the field and off the field.
Sackson said he intended to speak with Gallop about todays meeting with Sage.
