There is an elephant sitting in the NRL boardroom and it is adorned with a large flashing Las Vegas style neon light which reads ‘Central Coast rugby league’. The next big thing on the domestic to-do list is to get the Central Coast up and running and into the NRL.
The current pattern of teams relegating games against Newcastle to Bluetongue Stadium is the sort of halfway house solution that doesn’t satisfy rugby league fans in the region nor the fans of the travelling teams, and only slightly cheers up the club’s bean counters.
In fact, the only people it would make happy would be a few hard heads looking to test themselves against Belinda Neal after a dozen schooners at Club Troppo.
You could even argue it actually alienates local fans as it deprives them of the respect of seeing their own team in action. If they are good enough for NRL matches, they are good enough to have their own side.
For god’s sake, the people of Cronulla do.
I’ve also always maintained that a relocated side is also doomed to fail. Why should the people of the Central Coast pick up a side that has failed elsewhere?
The only exception would be a revival of the North Sydney Bears.
This is due to the fact that the Bears have always had an eye on the Central Coast (the attempts to get up there actually killed them off) and it is probably closer to their rugby league territory of Asquith, Pennant Hills, and the rest of the Hills district than North Sydney Oval.
I’d argue the NRL needs to hand a licence to the Central Coast in the same way it did the Gold Coast: that is, with a few seasons for the club to build its side and infrastructure.
The Titans are the blueprint for a successful launch, so plagiarism is encouraged if not demanded.
They’ve looked to restart the momentum by appointing David Fairleigh, and acting CEO Greg Florimo is clearly a contender for Australia’s most patient man.
A new club could also help retain players heading to Super League. In fact, I’ll even create the first rumour that Matt King could be a great marquee signing.
Unhappy in Warrington and a former North Sydney lower grader, it could be the sort of signing to get things happening, at least in the tabloid press.
Bluetongue Stadium is also a great ground and it is a crying shame it is only used in the summer months by the Mariners.
I’ll also fire a pre-emptive strike against anyone who believes that the area is strictly Mariners territory now.
You are dreaming.
The Central Coast clearly has a big enough population to support a number of sporting franchises, and given the Mariners crowds this year, they are clearly as far away from a mortgage there as many of the battlers in the area are.
If no other code could survive on the Central Coast, what hope the A-League franchises in North Queensland or the Gold Coast?
Remember, reality exists outside cyberspace.
But I digress, be it as the Central Coast Bears in red and black or the Central Coast Bucks in a Hawaiian motif, I’d love to make the trip come 2011/2012.
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oikee said | December 24th 2008 @ 9:10am | Report comment
Hardly a time to expand, relocation would be better, if they cant get their heads around this then like everyone else, they will just have to wait, we have other expansion teams wanting into the comp, Perth, New Guinea, Sunshine coast, Brisbane east and west, along with Wellington, now you do the sums, someone is going to miss out, so relocation should be a winner for any area, lets pull ourheads out of the sand and make this a joyous decision. Merry X-Mas.
Mick from Giralang said | August 16th 2009 @ 8:10pm | Report comment
Agree oikee. The only way Central Coast should get a team is a relocation. A Perth NRL side is a far more pressing need, in my view.
Wallythefly said | December 24th 2008 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Absolutley they should be back in,
The Central Coast argument is clear but the north shore argument is also important. You bring back the bears on the Coast there will be PLENTY of people who’ll suddenly tune into their games (i know plenty of them).
From Asquith and other places on the north shore its very quick to get onto the highway and get up north so a lot of them would travel to Bluetongue for games.
Midfielder said | December 24th 2008 @ 9:49am | Report comment
Steve
You raise an interesting dilemma … if I may bear with me as I don’t think it is as simple as you imply.
RL has limited resources in an increasing competitive market . So when it invests it must get the biggest bang for its buck it can, or greatest return on investment.
AS I see it RL can invest in PNG and the Pacific Islands or the Central Coast not both or at least not both together. Maybe even a second NZ team.
A Central Coast would get how many more people in the Central Coast to watch RL on TV … say 15% which is way to high an increase on current viewing patterns as the CC is already a very good rating area for RL on TV. However 15% of 300, 000 people is 45, 000 extra and that is well beyond what they would achieve.
Now a PNG side with a number of Island teams suddenly opens up Oceania to RL and gives it more access to the 12 million people living in NZ / PNG/ Fiji/ and other Pacific Islands. Also it gives a six nation international tournament with Australia & NZ being seeds.
Now lets take another extreme figure … assume and this is extremely low that by having a PNG / PI side its gets only an extra half of one percent. That half by 12 million is 60, 000.
So its simple an extra CC team would add little if anything IMO to the TV media deal… whereas the PNG / PI team would add heaps and help promote the six nations international tournament and by far offset any loss incurred by the AFL moving into RL heartland.
In business it called a discounted cash flow or return on earnings or similar such names … But it is not simple to run a sport these days and the next move for RL must be in PNG and the Pacific Islands the last RLWC proved that beyond doubt IMO.
Redb said | December 24th 2008 @ 10:25am | Report comment
Midfielder,
“whereas the PNG / PI team would add heaps and help promote the six nations international tournament and by far offset any loss incurred by the AFL moving into RL heartland.”
Code war mongering again I see.
Redb
Forgetmenot said | December 24th 2008 @ 11:08am | Report comment
The NRL has failed to realise that the FFA is targetting Queensland and the area south going to Sydney as a development area for soccer in Australia. If they fail to get their act together soon it will be all over red rover.
Steve Kaless said | December 24th 2008 @ 10:11pm | Report comment
Midfielder,
The big difference between PNG and the Central Coast is also the set up costs and costs of running the franchise. The Central Coast has an NRL ready stadium, transport costs are the same as most Sydney clubs, they have a team in the NSW Cup and the infrastructure ready to go. PNG are a long way off all of those and in thus two very different prospects.
In business, I believe it is called comparing apples to oranges. However you are correct is questioning whether funds should be allocated to them. I, of course, think it would be a winner.
Midfielder said | December 24th 2008 @ 11:56pm | Report comment
Forgetmenot
All codes now accept what the NRL have been saying about regional NSW & QLD viewing patterns.
A copy and paste from another Roar threat I posted in but adds to your comment and the it is estimated by 2012 that 56 maybe a bit more of Australia’s population will live in NSW & QLD and the fastest growing parts of Australia are NSW & QLD regional centers
NSW has a regional population of 2, 828, 329 & QLD a regional population of 2, 294, 400 with SA, WA, TAS, NT have a total population of 4, 256, 216 meaning that NSW & QLD regional areas have 865, 813 more people than SA, WA, TAS, NT.
My population listing for your analysis by regional center.
NSW Regional
Central Coast…. 306,000
Hunter ………….. 611,935
Illawarra ……….. 414,000
Riverina ………….149,039
Murray………….. 111,000
Capital Region …500,000
Mid North Coast.. 242,000
Northern Rivers .. 265,000
New England ….. 175,883
Orana …………….120,000
Central West ……175,351
Far West …………..23,181
Total ……………. 2,828,329
Queensland
Gold Coast ………… 505, 500
Sunshine Coast ….. 303, 100
West Moreton ………..74, 300
Wide Bay-Burnett ….275, 700
Darling Downs ……..229, 300
South West ………….. 26, 200
Fitzroy …………………204, 500
Central West ………….11, 400
Mackay ……………….163, 100
Northern …………….. 214, 300
Far North …………….253, 700
North West ……………33, 300
Total QLD ………….2, 294, 400
Total NSW & QLD ..5, 122, 729
South Australia…… .1, 542, 000
Western Australia …2, 010, 000
Tasmania ………………..491, 704
Northern Territory …….212, 512
Total SA/WA/TAS/NT… 4, 256, 216
Regional NSW /QLD …….865, 513
ros said | December 25th 2008 @ 7:14am | Report comment
The north sydney bears built the stadium and the bears need to be on the coast to fix our game it is wrong that they were kicked out in the first place they did relocate and only had a short fall of funds due to the stadium not being completed on time. in 1999 the bears played home games in queensland etc thats why they were short of funds they did not have the gate taking from a home crowd until the last couple of games at north sydney oval the nrl should have aloud them to trade out at gosford but instead they forced the merger with manly. get it right nrl give us back our bears.
Midfielder said | December 25th 2008 @ 8:07pm | Report comment
Ros
State government built the stadium ..
Crosscoder said | December 26th 2008 @ 6:52am | Report comment
Midfielder : Not fully correct according to the official NSW govt Hansard 11/5/2004:
The State and federal govts each contributed $12.5m each.The Local council $4m and the balance the Nth Sydney rl club and the Central Coast RL club for a $32m stadium.According to my maths the rl clubs contributed $3m in toto.
If any code has a right to have its sport ensconsed there, it is the big ,black, brutal and forever the bridesmaids, Bears.