Firstly, two points.
1) Last time Cronulla were strong (as per last year) was when they had Lang as coach, Dykes at pivot feeding the likes of Peachey and Rogers out wide. Exciting to watch. This side, while winning as many games as the grand finalists, is not pretty to watch. This may be the reason not many fans are entering their home ground.
2) Could this be a last minute back door attempt to sneak into Gosford before the Bears bid gets more momentum - and earning $8 million (or $12 if it's changed)?
The reality of the situation is that An NRL license is far too valuable a commodity to be wasted on yet another NSW club within driving distance of 10 existing teams.
Dots on the map attitude. If a CC based club averages 16k, where else would beat that? It's about money for bums on seats, not dots on the map.
While sad that a foundation club such as the Bears was mismanaged to bankruptcy, I don't see how they can re-enter.
Not really. Weather beat them as it caused a blow out in building costs, which wouldn't have been spend had they not been promised a licence there in the first place.
1. Gallop has stated that the NRL sees Perth, Wellington, the Central Coast and SE-QLD (again) as likely bases for future NRL clubs.
2. He has stated that 18 teams is the highest the NRL can accommodate.
Agree.
3. He has stated (numerous times) that the NRL believe there are too many Sydney based clubs.
Disagree. He has stated that he believed Sydney clubs will be supported by the NRL to survive, and that decimation of Sydney is not the answer.
4. There is an $8-$12 million dollar offer for an existing team to relocate to the Central Coast.
Agree
5. The available sponsorship and corporate support in the greater Sydney area is strongly contested, the 10 clubs within driving distance won't want yet another competitor, especially given the financial concerns of NSW clubs over the coming years.
Evidence? There is to my knowledge no sponsorshp money being harvested from the Central Coast. Most sponsorship is localised to clubs, and others are large corporations to which location of the club is not really important.
6. An additional Central Coast team won't provide the increase in TV revenue that Perth or Wellington can.
Rubbish. Going to 18 teams - ie an extra game per week, is the biggest potential boost in TV earnings. No one in Perth will get Pay TV just because they have a local team in the comp. INstead, they will spend their money at the turnstile. Fans in Perth keen enough to follow the entire comp will already have pay TV.
7. A relocation to the CC is a far easier sell then to Perth or NZ or QLD. Fans can still get to the stadium relatively easy.
Maybe - it's a nightmare getting from the Shire to Gosford by public transport. Imagine getting home relying on trains departiung after 9.30 pm?
I'm about 2hrs 20m from EA. A night game sees me arrive home at 12.30am. Cronulla may be closer than Gosford, but with kids, you won't be home much before midnight. It's a tough thing to ask every fortnight from March to September.
If I was running a team seeking relocation, I'd be looking at Sunshine Coast, maybe Perth or Wellington. A side without the hate factor of Manly or Canterbury has a chance to be adopted by these places - although another Brisbane side has to be home grown. And when a relocated side returns to play away games in Sydney, there will be an existing groundswell of support - AKA Swans in Melbourne, or even Souths fans p[laying at Leichhardt, SFS or Kogarah.
A Shire based Sharkes fan is more likely to spend their time and money on 8 away games in the Sydney area, then 20 games in the Sydney area - with 12 being at the furthest ground.
Any team on the CC, as is the case in Perth, SEQ, Wellington or Adelaide, will be relying on locals filling the grounds. Travelling 80-100kms across Sydney is a far harder task than through the freeways of SEQ, or any other non Sydney location represented in the NRL.
