Why do merged clubs perform so poorly?

[Ghostface Killah]

St George Illawarra merged in 1999. Took them 12 years to win a premiership. Have not won another one in the 11 years since.

Wests Tigers merged in 2000. Took them six years to win a premiership. Have not won another one in the 16 years since.

Northern Eagles merged in 2000 and did not win a premiership. Un-merged in 2003, Manly went on to win two premierships and the North Sydney Bears may one day re-enter the NRL.

Why do merged clubs perform so poorly?

 

[Generalzod]

Cause they weren't given leg ups like the Storm..

 

[flippikat]

I think part of it has to do with the split in home games/home bases.. if you train in location A, it's far more stable to have your home games all in A, rather than about half in A, about half in B, and select big games in C (a big stadium that's not in A or B).

And that's before you get to boardroom factions....

 

[The Mad Hatter]

St Merge made the GF in their first year and were strong, regular finalists through to 2010, culminating in their first premiership. 2005 was probably the year when they or Para should’ve won the comp, but we all know the story.
Since, and this is from an outsider, management, recruitment, development and coaching have all been out of whack. They’ve got/had talented kids but let them go or stuck too long with fading stars or bought in big money recruits who don’t perform.

Wests Tigers were two dying clubs. If the NRL hadn’t done their criteria and forced the issue, both (along with Souths and perhaps a couple of others) would’ve withered on the vine and died. However internal machinations, divisions, a lack of a true identity, poor recruitment and retention policies and a merry go round of coaches, see WT languish. Like Para, Saints or Dogs, could be the hottest ticket or bigger brand in town if they sorted out their shit.

Both need to figure out their identities and who they represent. They need a single base and single home ground.

At the end of the day, both sets of fans/members deserve better.

Manly’s merger with Norths was never going to work or succeed. The merger was a momentarily blip in Manly’s history twenty years ago, to the point it’s just about forgotten. The only things it denied were Menzies being a one club player, a team based at Gosford and Norths existence at the top level ever again. Since, they’ve had the cyclical ups and downs for a standard club/team, though that doesn’t say they’ve been immune to the poor management/ coaching issue but look to have navigated that.

 

[Saint Doc]

So both clubs have won 1 premiership in the past 20 years. (2002-2021 inclusive).

How many premierships have Brisbane, North Qld, Gold Coast, Newcastle, New Zealand, Canterbury, Cronulla, South Sydney, Parramatta, Canberra won in that same time period?

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

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

 

[kdalymc]

Manly-Warringah have gone ok but yeah Cronulla-Sutherland sucked for 50 years to

 

[SBD82]

So both clubs have won 1 premiership in the past 20 years. (2002-2021 inclusive).

How many premierships have Brisbane, North Qld, Gold Coast, Newcastle, New Zealand, Canterbury, Cronulla, South Sydney, Parramatta, Canberra won in that same time period?

Most of those teams have one a spoon too.

*ahem*

Broncos.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

I think part of it has to do with the split in home games/home bases.. if you train in location A, it's far more stable to have your home games all in A, rather than about half in A, about half in B, and select big games in C (a big stadium that's not in A or B).

And that's before you get to boardroom factions....

Fix this and the problems you highlighted don’t occur in the first place.

 

[The_Frog]

St George Illawarra merged in 1999. Took them 12 years to win a premiership. Have not won another one in the 11 years since.

Premiership window was open 1999-2011 and they won in 2010. Could have won more. The 2004-5 sides were very sharp but complacency cost them. The cycle has turned in the past few years though, it happens to everyone. As long as this club does not ignore its junior nursery, it will never be down for long.

This is the one club I'd call a successful merger. Without the Illawarra junior nursery, they'd be fighting for scraps on the player market as they currently seem to be doing pretty much permanently. They got to keep the St George brand and its history, while picking up the Illawarra junior nursery.

Wests Tigers are poorly managed and cannot attract or retain quality players. Not sure the answer for them. They are mired in long-standing mediocrity. Maybe Sheens will help, but he's hardly Gus. Jackson Hastings might lift them a bit.

Northern Eagles were competitive at times, but came at the time of a down cycle for Manly. The upturn started in '05.

 

[Perth Red]

They’ve never gone bust unlike some non merged teams, they’ve both won premierships unlike some unmerged clubs, they are still in the nrl unlike some unmerged clubs. It’s not all bad lol.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Most of those teams have one a spoon too.

*ahem*

Broncos.

Not us! We've never won a thing.

 

[ReddFelon]

Eh, they're the same as every other club to be honest. The only big issue I have with the merged clubs is the multiple home grounds need to be in one place. No more splitting the Tigers across 3 grounds. Choose one and that's it. Same for the Dragons, they should just be in Wollongong and take the ANZAC day game to the SFS but there's no need for Kogarah home games, especially when the Illawarra is where they're getting all their juniors.

 

[Ghostface Killah]

Premiership window was open 1999-2011 and they won in 2010. Could have won more. The 2004-5 sides were very sharp but complacency cost them. The cycle has turned in the past few years though, it happens to everyone. As long as this club does not ignore its junior nursery, it will never be down for long.

This is the one club I'd call a successful merger. Without the Illawarra junior nursery, they'd be fighting for scraps on the player market as they currently seem to be doing pretty much permanently. They got to keep the St George brand and its history, while picking up the Illawarra junior nursery.

Wests Tigers are poorly managed and cannot attract or retain quality players. Not sure the answer for them. They are mired in long-standing mediocrity. Maybe Sheens will help, but he's hardly Gus. Jackson Hastings might lift them a bit.

Northern Eagles were competitive at times, but came at the time of a down cycle for Manly. The upturn started in '05.

With all due respect, Illawarra Steelers have given us dick juniors for the past decade, it's a myth they provide us juniors, and they are a cancer on the once mighty and great St George.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I'd hardly say the Dragons a poorly performed club. From 1999-2011 they missed the finals twice? They have had a poor decade since then but still have 3 finals appearances. Have some gun juniors coming through too.

There are far worse performing clubs out there. Like Parramatta.

 

[some11]

Bad administration? No one on the same page?

Two sets of old boys running the show worse than one?

All infected by self-interest?

 

[some11]

Imo you need some kind of combined autocratic leadership.

Rich business-minded owner. GOAT-worthy coach, and a star player(s) who leads by example.

 

[The_Frog]

With all due respect, Illawarra Steelers have given us dick juniors for the past decade, it's a myth they provide us juniors, and they are a cancer on the once mighty and great St George.

Even when you've got a junior goldmine at your doorstep, sometimes you'll have a lean period and you've still got to pick the right ones. But if you go through the Dragons greats of history you'll find a goodly number of them came from this area.

 

[yobbo84]

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

 

[SBD82]

Even when you've got a junior goldmine at your doorstep, sometimes you'll have a lean period and you've still got to pick the right ones. But if you go through the Dragons greats of history you'll find a goodly number of them came from this area.

@Ghostface Killah hate to agree with froggy here, but that 2010 premiership was stacked with Illawarra juniors.

Unfortunately our club hasn’t been able to develop our juniors properly in the last decade. That isn’t necessarily a problem with the catchment, especially when you have young guns like Jack Bird leaving the club and winning a premiership with an arch rival.