Western Corridor NRL bid

[docbrown]

Seriously, in the 30 odd years since expansion, the benefits to League have outweighed the losses by about 1000 to one. To me it's not abouyt shoring up our defences against other codes, but rather extracting the best value for our market. Currently there are holes in big population areas that would be an instant market for a new NRL

No other code has that luxury. The next instalment of any code faces an uphill battle to win enough support from the population and corporates to survive.

Each of the codes have their own agenda. Victorian Rules is trying to ensure its relevance in an increasing global market place by trying to become Australia's equivalent of the NFL, which is why they claim it to be an indigenous game.

The difference is however that when the NFL expanded in the 50's and 60's they had no other football codes to compete with and nationalised after the AFL-NFL peace treaty - creating in the process one of the largest championship games in the world - the Super Bowl - a history that remarkably foreshadowed the Super League-ARL peace treaty in the 90's that Rugby League failed to capitalise on in the same manner.

Vic Rules has 3 other codes each with a larger claim to international markets. As such Vic Rules aren't putting teams in heartlands - they're trying to shore up their mythological image as Australia's game. There is no real 'gap' in Gold Coast and GWS. Demetriou just wants to dig in and throw piles of money at them to ensure that mythology is perpetuated. I'd say there's a Gallipoli metaphor there but I don't want to oversell fumbleball's already inflated sense of ideology.

Vic Rules will never replace the other codes because it's already divided along a national 50/50 axis (that again in their ego was devised and named after one of their own) and will only ever offer a boutique international presence that can't compete with sporting fan's genuine appetites for representative fixtures. Vic Rules will always have a healthy following in the southern states because of it's history, but it will never replace League as the game of relevance from Canberra to Townsville as it will never be able to have 14 professional teams in that area.

Soccer is a global game, there's no doubt about it. However in Australia it has always been the 4th placed game and its cultural significance has always been niche. Soccer has never capitalised on its junior base because as those players get older they switch to the other codes that they actually watch and support regularly.

The 'football' name ownership debate is the same as Vic Rule's 'Australian' debate. It's a piece of branding to say - yes - we're the only real football game. The other problem soccer has is that the multi-million dollar European and South American leagues will always be more powerful and of a higher standard than the A-League and that in turn weakens the code here. A-League has an ambitious national expansion plan under way - but the quality of the game itself and it's scheduling means it remains a niche appeal. Soccer's biggest ace is the World Cup and when the Socceroo's are competitive interest peaks. But every four years at the Olympics people find themselves suddenly interested in Rowing and Badminton - sadly after those few weeks - the connections don't seem to last.

If Australia fails to lure the 2022 Soccer World Cup, I doubt the national expansion plan will be sustainable and the game might find itself in the same financial black hole as the NSL days. If the World Cup bid is awarded, interest in A-League will improve but as it's a summer game, I suspect the majority of fans will be dual code supporters. But AFL has the most to lose in this regard as it will be their junior players who take up the game more than any other - something the AFL has addressed in their state of the game reports thus prompting their defensive manoeuvres. Is Soccer the sleeping giant? Well it stirs every now and then.

I'll continue my rant in my next post-

 

[docbrown]

Union would also like to do what soccer has failed to do. Use its international prowress to spark a domestic support. Again, Union is the 3rd football code nationally and 2nd in NSW & QLD. The Super 15 competition is trying to create that sense of domestic club structure by introduce the derby conference format - which I'll be honest - is a good idea. But think of it this way - 5 teams across Australia that are effectively defacto state sides - WA, VIC, ACT, NSW & QLD. Sure - South Australia is next and it could become a Super 18 competition. But with an awkward time slot in South Africa, games against foreign sides that have a one-sided appeal domestically and a maximum 6 teams across the whole of Australia, it will again only receive a fraction of the following that the NRL & AFL have during its window of play. And if a Western Sydney or Gold Coast side were to come in, the question is then asked: well are the Waratahs and Reds no long NSW & QLD's sides? The ARC was an attempt at fixing this oversight in domestic imbalance, but there was confusion over its relevance, status and appeal.

International union test matches have an appeal - but for a game that professes to have 200 playing nations, the regular combatants that appear at the end of season are starting to get a monotonous tone. Union matches have been shown nationally on Free to Air since 2003. In that time the ratings growth in WA, SA and VIC have not grown dramatically. In fact at the last match in Melbourne, more people were at the game itself than watching in Victoria. Rugby Union has the World Cup and now an Olympic Status with Rugby 7's. Yes - some fringe league comps in other countries might try to get on the 7's bandwagon. But think about it - that's 7 players per country who compete for that glory over 4 days every 4 years. For every player tempted to try the game for the Olympics, there's going to be a large pool that just won't make the cut and still don't have a domestic union alternative. The Olympics is a nice carrot - but just taste like a carrot in the end.

Rugby League. The game that continues in spite of itself. Some time ago the people running the sport made the smart to decision to make it entertaining to watch and it's kept the damn thing going ever since, despite the myriad of crap that just keeps getting thrown at it. In the 80's the NSWRL knew it had to expand. It's a shame that there wasn't the foresight to create a proper merger with the QRL but the game's loyalties were divided - and still are. In the 90's the game was on a good innings and so the concept of a 'National' Rugby League competition started to take effect. The league expanded - some wisely to places that were in need and wanting of a top flight professional league - some to places that were long term dreams. The reasons were right though - to spread the game to as many people as possible. But rather than fixing the problems in their own backyard first with the low crowds in the Sydney competitions - something highlight in an ARL report that suggested a cull to 5 teams - instead we had a large 20 teams comp with a wide gulf between the haves and have nots - but the thing that made it a success still in spite of itself was the entertainment factor.

So what happened? Well an entertainment company wanted it. And just like the report the ARL had but never acted upon, they wanted a cull. The game was divided - 500,000 supporters lost in a season. The war happened and then as the bills climbed the smartest cost effective solution appeared - peace! The NRL was born - but the damage was done so the NRL's mandate was to consolidate - so there's the irony - the NRL would only be the 'half' NRL - and those expansion teams that - if the war had never happened would have likely become stable and supported over the next five to ten years as the code's success grew - well both they and traditional clubs had to go in order to save grace. These clubs didn't fail because they're were unsuccessful. They failed because they game itself became too successful for it's own good.

Rugby League contracted. We never really got to know where those summers of 94 and 95 were headed. For last decade and a half the game has slowly been trying to claw itself back.

 

[docbrown]

So now Rugby League is at a crossroads. The fans are back to what they were in 94, even better so. We've got 1 traditional club back - Souths, 1 expansion - Gold Coast and made 1 post-war club - the Storm - despite everything that has happened this year - actually work in AFL's heart. I for one don't believe that the Storm's fans will desert them now. Yes - this season has been a long one - but those fans were also hurt. And when something can hurt you that much it proves that you genuinely give a damn about it and you'll do whatever you can to help it live again. I know the manager's cheated - but the worst thing Rugby League can do to itself is keep dividing itself. Rather than deriding the club for what's happened, every league fan should be doing their utmost to ensure that that outpost survives. Because now I'll use that metaphor. Digging in and holding that little piece of rock, no matter how small it is - because it's worth something bigger than the cost.

In the 90's when the game expanded the game was divided and management was competing with itself. Today we're still seeing that - but there's an opportunity to make up for that mistake. Rugby League can erase the war, the poor decisions and start again and build something better. The game's heartlands will always be there - but unlike the AFL and Soccer, this isn't about inflicting casualties on the other. This is about bringing the game back to the places where it's been denied for too long or where history conspired against it. To say to those people again: come and be entertained.

I have no doubt that Rugby League can find its place in Perth and Adelaide if given the chance to do it right. There are also places in the heartlands and overseas that are also capable of supporting a Rugby League culture. Never before in the history of the game has there been so much potential for growth and never before has the opportunity for managing that chance been greater. For once rugby league can do something different.

It can actually grow because of itself.

 

[Perth Red]

Nice sentiments but the one thing that hasn't changed in the game is the ineptitude of the people running it, at club and NRL level. The lack of vision, strategy and indpendence to do what is right for the game still do not exist and until they do the game will never reach its full potential.

 

[docbrown]

Nice sentiments but the one thing that hasn't changed in the game is the ineptitude of the people running it, at club and NRL level. The lack of vision, strategy and indpendence to do what is right for the game still do not exist and until they do the game will never reach its full potential.

I believe it will happen.

 

[lturner]

One of the big things the Ipswich Jets bid has in it's favour is that they are probably the club that will add most value to the broadcasting revenue in the near future, as they will get the attention of the Brisbane viewing public which is currently the only TV market that is being underserviced with RL.

In the (very) long term Perth might add value to the TV deal, but initially it probably adds nothing or even detracts if stations are forced to broadcast matches during Perth prime time that rate poorly (ala Swans in Sydney, Lions in Brisbane). And lets face it, few people on the east coast will have a great deal of interest in watching a Perth side go around. Everyone prefers to see their side playing their local rivals.

Do the Central Coast Bears add anything? Probably something, but questionable how much given there are so many other Sydney and NSW teams already.

 

[docbrown]

One of the big things the Ipswich Jets bid has in it's favour is that they are probably the club that will add most value to the broadcasting revenue in the near future, as they will get the attention of the Brisbane viewing public which is currently the only TV market that is being underserviced with RL.

In the (very) long term Perth might add value to the TV deal, but initially it probably adds nothing or even detracts if stations are forced to broadcast matches during Perth prime time that rate poorly (ala Swans in Sydney, Lions in Brisbane). And lets face it, few people on the east coast will have a great deal of interest in watching a Perth side go around. Everyone prefers to see their side playing their local rivals.

Do the Central Coast Bears add anything? Probably something, but questionable how much given there are so many other Sydney and NSW teams already.

I think Perth's audience has been underestimated. I recall seeing viewing figures there for regular NRL club games of 35,000 at one point. The problem is the NRL stopped.

Even if it were shown on a digital channel, with a 75% take up now, I think it won't be long before you that 35,000 - 100,000 range, depending on the match. The ratings have the potential to exceed the NSW & QLD AFL figures.

Plus the flexibility of a 2 hour live game differential is handy.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Methinks hes a Donkeys fan, not a saints fan, despite the username

That makes sense.

We could relocate them too, to PNG. Let's see if Inglis would want to play for them then...

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Yeah, because you do. Calling me a saints fan and all... :crazy:

Yeah, I guess your username is a bit of a furphy.

I mean, really, why would a Broncos fan call themself Dragon?

I searched the Saints forum and there isn't anyone there called Bronco?

My team has always made the semis in the past oh... 19 years. And btw, we've won the premiership 6 times in that time.

I care.

If you need more hints, look at my avatar and my banner and you might get there, although judging by your dribble, it's doubtfull... :sarcasm:

Doubtful has one l.

I have signatures turned off. That never dawned on you?

I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from someone who thinks the Wests Tigers territory is between Parramatta and Canterbury. :lol:

Please crawl back in your sewer and stay there, there's a pestilence in the air when you show up. :arrow:

It may be pestilent, but it isn't as dumb as when you show up.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

I hate to nit pick, but that was Greyham Chapman (the dead one) who said that as King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (funniest movie ever made).

Yeah you're right.

Smartarse. lol

 

[bobmar28]

The problem is that people throughout the greater Brisbane area want a second NRL team, not just Ipswich.

An Ipswich based team alienates anyone else in the greater Brisbane region from supporting them, myself included.

A second Brisbane team should only be called "Brisbane" or "South QLD", and must play out of Suncorp.

Two Brisbanes?

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Is that the mob that cannot survive if there was another side in their town? :lol:

EA - this knob is too thick even to be a Dragons supporter. His comments about Wests being tiny make Gaba look like a f*cking Rhodes Scholar.

Campbelltown's bigger than Ipswich innit?

Isn't Ipswich the Tasmania of the north?

That f**kwit Ribot being there would suggest it may be...

 

[bobmar28]

No way. So a bid that just starts is automatically in front ofthe ccbears bid who have been at it for decade. Have various major, minor and local sponsors. Have an increase in paid memberships to the point where we'll rival nrl teams soon for members and that's without a team! Have a ready stadium and a community UNITED behind us! Ipswich just started and central qld started last year. How can they be more favoured then the ccbears? After a decade of groundwork, lobbying and community work.. We ccbears deserve our chance!

NSW has too many teams.

 

[bobmar28]

Could Newtown Jets stop Ipswich using that name much like Redcliffe did with the Gold Coast ( Titans ) . From memory Redcliffe used the argument that they had ambitions of joining the NRL , which would never happen anytime soon , so whats to stop Newtown using the same argument.

Id like a Logan/Ipswich team to enter probably not befpore the CC and Perth, also I dont want them to be the Jets either.

Ipswich have been using that name for 20-30 years due to the nearby RAAF base.

 

[bobmar28]

That's ok, I think you're wearing a dick on your forehead, but mean no offence by that... :crazy:

I actually like the Tigers, mainly because I like their attractive style of play. But they're stuck between a rock and a hard place (Dogs and Eels), and have no growth in them.
Another option would be Souths or the chooks, although they're slightly better positioned than Wests.

Dragons, Dogs, Eels and Panthers are well established and have either support in numbers or the room to get them.

Manly can't go, as it would leave a gaping hole between the CC and the nearest Sydney team.

Apart from a few idiots who want to hang on to history or are too Sydney centric, everyone knows there are too many teams in the greater Sydney area, so who would you cull/relocate/merge?

Merge Roosters and Sharks.

 

[bobmar28]

The Broncos are the biggest sporting brand in Australia and are well established and entrenched in Brisbane. Bring on another Qld team!

Re the Tigers, I was talking about corporate support and facilities besides the amount of supporters, and the fact that they have to share the lot with mainly the Dogs, but also the Eels.

As for the rest, the opinion about me of someone that should also have his own thread at LU, is really something I'm concerned about. :crazy: :lol:

Have you looked at a map? Campbelltown is about 70k from Parramatta. South Sydney(Redfern) is about 7k from Bondi Junction.

 

[simostorm]

They could be called.. the Sydney Southerland Fish c**ks..

 

[bobmar28]

Seriously, in the 30 odd years since expansion, the benefits to League have outweighed the losses by about 1000 to one. To me it's not abouyt shoring up our defences against other codes, but rather extracting the best value for our market. Currently there are holes in big population areas that would be an instant market for a new NRL side - and the biggest are now covered by two bids - CC and SEQ. We know that a side in Wellington and the Sunshine coast on top of these are very feasible. That is before we look at expansion - and certainly not discounting Perth.

No other code has that luxury. The next instalment of any code faces an uphill battle to win enough support from the population and corporates to survive. IMHO the best chances for the other football codes are:
1) A Western Sydney A League side
2) Daylight
3) Gosford based Super 14 side (in the absence of the Bears)
4) Gold Coast based AFL side
5) Daylight
6) Western Sydney based Super 14 side
7) Tasmanian A League side
8) Tasmanian AFL side
.
.
.
216) Wilcannia based NFL side
217) GWS Plonkers.


AFL a desperate. To a lesser extent, so are Union - although they are the most likely to tap into the Pacific market.

However, AFL (Western Sydney) and Union (Perth) have shown that if League leaves holes in it's population base, they will close in. Therefore, it is vital to claim the CC for League with the Bears in 2013 - and claim northern Sydney back for our code. Likewise SEQ.




Reminds me of your arse.

Before the AFL move in?

 

[flamin]

Basically - unless the Sharks relieve us - one of Perth, CC and 2nd Brisbane will miss out in 2013 when ideally they should all be there. The NRL should accept the best 2 and tell the other they are in with a strong chance in 2017 or should another club fold, which will give further incentive for the weak clubs to get their act together.

 

[Red Bear]

They could be called.. the Sydney Southerland Fish c**ks..

Gee, real outstanding wit there Simo. No really, should become a comedian or something