Why do merged clubs perform so poorly?

[Someguy]

Because they performed poorly when they were individuals. 2 failures don't produce success when combined.

pretty much this. They were made to merge because they were poorly managed. Merge them together and enjoy a power struggle between 2 clubs that don’t deserve a place in the comp anymore.

 

[Front-Rower]

Wests have really taken it over now and should become the magpies again...the goodwill would be massive. Stop worrying about having a Tiger so they can sell more merchandise its so typical RL.

If the Wests Tigers had been around a season or two then it might make sense but not after 22 seasons. The history and sub 20 year olds in the supporter base is all wests tigers. Going back to Western Suburbs would be like introducing a brand new team.

 

[Front-Rower]

Absolutely no sympathy for the weak clubs that merged during the Super League era instead of standing firm for what was right.

Super League clubs sold out to Murdoch and Souffs sold out to Crowe and Holmes a Court. What’s the difference?

 

[nick87]

No heart, soul, history or fans
hard to be successful team when it's built on nothing.

Sage words from a wise man, IMO
This guy really nailed it.

 

[yobbo84]

Super League clubs sold out to Murdoch and Souffs sold out to Crowe and Holmes a Court. What’s the difference?

How's Balmain going?

 

[Colk]

Because mergers are a terrible idea which hasn’t been done in any other sport and for good reason. St George Illawarra is the only one that has made sense and that is a takeover rather than a merger. There should have just been relocations to the areas that were killed off i.e Perth, Adelaide, 2nd Brisbane, GC etc could have bought the Sydney clubs that were failing and just moved them there.

 

[Colk]

Doesn't work in reality on paper yes but realistically you lose half the support of the game as has been proven.
People look at Sydney clubs at the nadir of the game in the mid 90s and want them kicked out or merged. For example Souths could have been lost to the game but are now a massive asset.
Things have changed the way clubs are managed way more professionally, evening of the player distribution, club grants from TV etc. There is no reason why Norths, Saints, Balmain could not be as strong today as Souths given their popularity and support.
Everything was way too rushed in the late 90s when clubs should have held their nerve.

There were too many Sydney clubs then and there are too many Sydney club so now.

 

[Das Hassler]

A bit of trivia. ...through the short era of the SG/ I and WT mergers the mighty stand alone Dogs..Eels and Souths have collected 3 spoons each ...Knights 4 and the Panthers 2 while the two mergers none....not one!. Dogs ...Souths and the Knights have won no more premierships during that time than WT or the Dragons. ..Eels less than zilch and Pennies only now one more.
Just curious...how come stand alone clubs have collected SO MANY spoons over the same period of time their fans claim such overwhelming success as compared to the mergers ? Or doesn't repeat offender stone fkn' motherless last count as a metric on the superiority / heart /know what you stand for barometer ?

 

[Colk]

Well we know this is completely wrong. If the historic clubs could have hung on just a few more years until the era of the mega bucks TV deals they would have been set. At this point existing clubs are more or less bankruptcy proof. Imagine in the 90s the thought of every club getting an 8 figure cheque from NRL HQ every year on top of the much more large scale membership numbers. Basically any club that survived until 2007 when that first big deal came in would have been permanently safe.

It is a tragedy that we threw away the long history of 4 clubs (Dragons, Wests, Tigers and Bears) for plastic new entities. Manly's success after unmerging and Souths success after fighting tooth and nail to hang on in that 90s-00s period to survive until the rivers of gold started flowing shows that merger was completely unnecessary.

Do you cry about any of the teams that have died outside of Sydney or are the ones in Sydney the only ones that count?

 

[The_Frog]

while the two mergers none....not one!.

They'll be fighting it out next year.

Wests Tigers are the poorest performed of all clubs, including the Titans, in terms of top 8 appearances. 3 from 21 or approximately 14%, without a single appearance in the past decade. StG-Illa on the other hand were finals regulars until 2011, but much less so the past decade. They remain above 50% though.

 

[Das Hassler]

They'll be fighting it out next year.

Take comfort that we won't be fighting it out for any of yours. ...you have them forever

 

[Das Hassler]

They'll be fighting it out next year.

Wests Tigers are the poorest performed of all clubs, including the Titans, in terms of top 8 appearances. 3 from 21 or approximately 14%, without a single appearance in the past decade. StG-Illa on the other hand were finals regulars until 2011, but much less so the past decade. They remain above 50% though.

Nice deflection from the habitual spooner point....so how DID your supposed powerhouse club come stone fkn motherless last twice during the same period of time? Any theories you can blame on something?

 

[Front-Rower]

How's Balmain going?

Why should I care?

 

[Danish]

Souths merger with russel crowe’s penis seems to have gone quite well, so this theory doesn’t really flesh out

 

[soc123_au]

Nice deflection from the habitual spooner point....so how DID your supposed powerhouse club come stone fkn motherless last twice during the same period of time? Any theories you can blame on something?

Yes. We were shit those years. The injury toll in 2001 was horrific from memory, bounced back pretty well in 2003 though. 2007 we were a basket case from top to bottom, dark dark times. Pretty much from the time Richo left for Souffs mid 2004 we started to decline, there were anomalies like 2010 during that period, but it didn't really look like there was much hope of anything sustainable until Gus rocked up with the big broom.

Overall we have featured in more GF's than we have spoons, so things could be worse.

 

[LeagueXIII]

There were too many Sydney clubs then and there are too many Sydney club so now.

Whats the magic number

 

[BunniesMan]

Do you cry about any of the teams that have died outside of Sydney or are the ones in Sydney the only ones that count?

I wish history and tradition were valued. It's not about being pro Sydney but it's about valuing a century of history over a club that was in the comp for 2 years.

 

[Debt Clock]

I wish history and tradition were valued. It's not about being pro Sydney but it's about valuing a century of history over a club that was in the comp for 2 years.

I think you are still living back in 1908.

 

[Colk]

I wish history and tradition were valued. It's not about being pro Sydney but it's about valuing a century of history over a club that was in the comp for 2 years.

FYI I don’t wish for any team to die whether they were in Sydney or not; however in a national competition you can’t have 12 Sydney sides. The destruction of Perth, Adelaide or a 2nd Brisbane were more damaging in terms of the money lost to the game then any Sydney side

Really a large majority of the current clubs in Sydney owe their existence to Brisbane, Warriors and Melbourne and the large TV contracts that followed as a result

 

[Colk]

Whats the magic number

If you are being sober about it and look at things like revenue, memberships, sponsorship, national profile, supporter base probably 6 tops. The other 3 should be relocated (and would strongly benefit them)