Timbo said:
Gary Freeman just asked a very interesting question on NRL on Fox-Why can't we just invite all three?
There's enough talent in the lower grades and in England to justify inviting 3 new teams, and we know they've all said they have the necessary funds, so, why not all three?
And that way, in a few years, when the time comes to expand more, Perth and Adelaide will be ready to go with no competition.
Depends on the seriousness of the bids, and the depth of their proposals I guess.
None of us have seen the Central Coast or Southern Orcas bid, so there may be something that we don't know about holding it all back. From the outside, the Orcas bid looks great - internationally used stadium, parochial crowd base which despite the ill informed tripe posted above support teams very well, a large Polynesian community ripe to turn to league, the South Island strongholds a mere ferry trip away, and the backing of a Belgian billionaire fully underwriting the team and all travel/accomodation expenses the other teams will face, and the support of Daniel Anderson who has said he will coach the Orcas and undoutably the increase in Sky TV Rights to the NRL. Its a damn long drive to Auckland from Wellington, I doubt therefore its going to severely impact the Warriors.
Thats the story - perhaps the facts aren't that at all. We need to see the proposal to comment. I agree with Daley, thats what bugs me, the NRL aren't giving us the facts on why certain bids are being turned away and are leaving it up to heresay.
As far as player depth goes, lets remember the tips for the standings this year. A lot of people had Manly, Cronulla and Canberra down near the bottom. I ask, where are they after 9 rounds? Even look at the respective benches of clubs, guys like PJ Marsh, Tevita Latu, Ashton Sims, Corey Parker, Shane Tronc, Anthony Tupou, Iafeta Paleaaesina, and even blokes who can't get a regular gig at the moment like Leigh McWilliams, David Faiumu, David Myles, Henry Perenara, Brett Firman, Tom Learoyd, good enough players. And the exodus to the UK - think of all the players over there from Australasia. Lauitiiti, Hape, Paul, Vagana, Leuluai, Tookey, Seu Seu, Swann, Williams, Tony, Stapleton etc. etc. Who knows, a new club may even get a marquee pom like McGuire or someone similar over here.
Even coaches, Chris Anderson, Daniel Anderson, and now Ian Millward or whatever his name is is without a gig.
With all that in mind, I'd just love to hear the individual basis of why bids are not given seemingly the light of day, what the plans in actual fact are so if Wellington etc is not an option the NRL wants to proceed with then to stop wasting their time, and what "underwriter" is infact a ghost person and which is true. Just let us know, and stop the rumour and heresay.
Central Coast people think they have a right to a team, as do the Orcas backers, I think both lots are entitled to know publically the business plan of the NRL and how either bid does not fit in.
