Go Wests Magpies, but not forever
Columnist By Tim Prentice, 25 Jul 2012
- Tagged:
- North Sydney Bears, NRL, NSW Cup, Western Suburbs Magpies, Wests Tigers
Matt Utai scores for the Wests Tigers. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Brett Crockford
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I am an unashamed traditionalist when it comes to rugby league. This Sunday, I will head to North Sydney Oval to witness what may well be the last ever clash between the North Sydney Bears and the Western Suburbs Magpies.
It will take place in the 21st round of the VB NSW Cup and if I partake in a little too much of the sponsor’s product, I trust my good friends from Panadol will help me survive on Monday.
The mighty Bears (aligned with South Sydney these days) will be alive and kicking in the Cup next season.
As for the once-mighty Maggies? Well, I think not.
Serious moves are afoot to merge the Wests Magpies and the Balmain Tigers at this level of rugby league for 2013 – and beyond.
I believe it will happen, so bye-bye birdies and thanks for the many, many, wonderful memories.
Wests have had a truly wretched year in the NSW Cup. Zero wins from 18 games. A lousy 208 points for, and a staggering 1006 points against.
But the Magpies have been given zero assistance from parent club Wests Tigers by way of players and playing talent. All who have dropped down from the WT senior squad have been sent to the Balmain-Ryde Eastwood Tigers, currently running equal fourth with Newcastle.
Is there an agenda here? I think it’s spelled out in, um, black and white: The Wests Tigers want Wests to die.
This rag-tag Wests team has been assembled from S G Ball players from last year; there’s a smattering from St George and surrounding districts’ junior leagues, as well as some Wests A Graders and a couple of recruits from Group 6.
Under coach Jason Williams, they have been right up against it from day one. Outplayed, outclassed and out-graded with the opposition scores reading more like a middle order batsman’s tallies in a summer of cricket: 46, 64, 42, 76, 56, 34, 52, 78, 70, 58, 50, 88, 46, 64, 30, 56, 60 and 36. That all equals 1006 in the dreaded Against column.
What caught my eye – so late in the season – was the last score against them: a ‘meagre’ 36.
Last week, Williams’s warriors were reportedly right in the game against the Cronulla Sharks (boasting several first grade reps) at Campbelltown. They trailled 28-32 with just five minutes to go but the Sharks found a try right at the death to seal the contest.
“It was incredible, stirring stuff,” said Daniel Watson-Hayes, a Western Suburbs director.
“We saw the famous Western Suburbs spirit and fighting qualities. Even after 104 years, after all we’ve been through, after almost being kicked to death, these boys battled away and almost produced a win.
“It was easily our best performance of the year and when you take into account what has happened to this team in earlier games, the result was amazing.
“Our coach Jason is a very passionate guy and he took on the toughest job in rugby league in late May. The guys have been flogged heaps of times, but they are still listening to him . . .”
Wests have been a renowned rugby league nursery for decades. I asked Watson-Hayes if there was anyone in the Magpie ranks who might bob up in NRL first grade in the near future?
“We started the year with a stand-out hooker, Dean Parata, and he performed really, really well,” he said.
“He was a shining light and we sent him to the Windsor Wolves where he is now their starting No 9. This guy can really play and we wish him well.”
Watson-Hayes said the future of the Western Suburbs was now at Board level with the Wests Tigers parent club. The Magpies say they will agree to a merger with the Tigers, providing that a number of stipulations retaining their identity are met.
Good luck to Wests in their umpteenth fight for survival.
When they tackle Norths at Bear Park, I’ll be up on the hill whispering and willing the words: ‘Go Wests.’
I really hope they ‘go’, but not forever.
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July 25th 2012 @ 4:56am
Johnno said | July 25th 2012 @ 4:56am | Report comment
love the fig tree at north sydney oval, and wished the north sydney bears stayed in the comp not manly.
-Geogrpahically it is so much easier for away fans to get too than Manly and brookvale oval. Just a train to north sydney and a 2 minute stroll to north sydney oval.
-Also about 2004-5 south sydney seriously were considering playing lots of regular season matches there before they went with homebush. They souths played a few home games in 2004-5 there.
-North sydney leagues at cammeray is a great old community leagues club. And a beer there and at crows nest and at the pub across the road form north sydney oval. A really good college there at north sydney oval billy blue college. And greg chapel used to have a cricket shop there too.
-North sydney is such a picturesque oval, we always take all our overseas friends and do the tourist thing and take them to north sydney oval and make a tourist day of it and a picnic. pack the devon sandwiches and ham and cheese sandwiches, and the fanta and lemonade and we make a great day of it at north sydney, watching club rugby or the bears league NSW cup team. or even a day of grade cricket there.
-Gotta love north sydney oval and the bears would be great to come back there as a NRL team they could whip up support. North sydney CBD is in the top 5 commercial hubs in Australia, so the corporate support and sponsors would be no issue.
July 25th 2012 @ 5:38am
Denise Taylor said | July 25th 2012 @ 5:38am | Report comment
sorry Johnno, lovely nostalgia trip down North Sydney lane, but as I read the article, I thought it was about the WESTERN SUBURBS MAGPIES…. nah, don’t think I missed anything.
that aside, all I can say is CARN WESTSSSSSSSSSS (being a true Lidcombe Oval girl).
my father is also a magpie of the Pratten Park variety. we’ve supported the magpies through thick and thin. inside this wests tigers fan (not much choice if you love your footy and want to follow NRL) beats the heart of a magpie. continue to wear my victa jersey with pride. up until 2 years ago I was still heading out to Campbelltown (and sometimes Concord) to watch the Maggies play (bit harder to do now I live north of the border, and boy do I miss seeing the boys play). Sounds inevitable what will happen, but I trust Mick (Luibinskis) and the board to fight to retain our identity within the Wests Tigers structure. Another thing I was wondering – what happens to the NSW State Cup “Balmain” squad with this intended merge – do they get rubbed out as do my mapgies? if yes, then tragic for both foundation clubs and a sad sad day in rugby league history. if no, then why not? sorry Sirro, Benny, Block, but fair is fair after all Wests Tigers is a “joint” merge is it not? probably offended a whole ‘pride’ of Tigers with that, but I’m only one out of a whole flock of Magpies that is hurting right now, if we’re to be “wiped out” then the other remaining NSW State Cup team that forms the other half of the ‘partnership’ should go too. To date, all I hear/read is about Wests Magpies demise, what’s happening out at Balmain? Tim, great article, and thank you for presenting it the way you have. Very sad for me, but my 2012 ‘rag-tag’ winless group have a collective heart bigger than any of this, and boys, you ARE doing the Western Suburbs Mapgies proud – we’ve always battled against the odds, and boy there have been some! Last game against the Sharks was exciting. Continue to hold your heads up in spite of the score board to comp ladder. You’re up against a landslide, but you ARE holding your own. Makes me proud to be a Mapgie, now and forever… Den
July 25th 2012 @ 7:54am
sheek said | July 25th 2012 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Hi Tim,
For 15 seasons (1967-81) rugby league fans in Sydney were treated to a wonderful 12 team comp – North Sydney Bears, South Sydney Rabbitohs, Eastern Suburbs Roosters, Western Suburbs Magpies, Balmain Tigers, Newtown Jets, St.George Dragons, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, Parramatta Eels, Penrith Panthers & Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
It was a wonderful comp & time. I was part of that time for most of it, having come down from PNG to boarding school in 1969.
I’m not against expansion, as long as it’s done wisely. And the expansion in rugby league could have been handled better. Compare this to AFL. The old VFL went to 12 teams back in 1925, & all 12 are still in the AFL, albeit two have relocated. The NSWRL, when it became the ARL, could have done something similar, but it’s all too late now.
July 25th 2012 @ 8:02am
Tim Prentice said | July 25th 2012 @ 8:02am | Report comment
Yes, Sheek, they were truly great days and the memories will never fade.
Expansion had to happen and that meant mergers (and pain for some). It’s just that the Dragons seem much stronger than the Steelers in that forced marriage and ditto for the Tigers when they became united with the Magpies.
Anyway, it is great to see the old Western Suburbs Magpies have maintained their spirit despite enormous odds stacked against the in the NSW Cup.
Like poster Denise, above, I hope that Wests maintain a major portion of their identity when the important decision is eventually made to merge the NSW Cup teams.
July 25th 2012 @ 12:32pm
NickF said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:32pm | Report comment
Tim, you are right, the Dragons do seem the stronger identity in that merger. But, as an old St George supporter, the link with Illawarra is a strong one and one that both sides of the merger are proud of. Many of the great Dragons of old came from the Illawarra district. Now the headquarters is now in Wollongong, and they train there.
I think the St. George Illawarra group have tried much harder than the West Tiger partners to come together as one.
As I said back in the old days we were one, until those little upstarts from the shire got involved (show us your cabinet).
July 25th 2012 @ 1:30pm
Tim Prentice said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
Thanks for your input NickF. I believe the official program, Big League, should acknowledge the origins of all first grade NRL players, publishing their primary junior clubs and thereby giving credit to that junior nursery.
For example, would there be any harm in printing Kieran Foran (Asquith Magpies), Chris Lawrence (Eaglevale St Andrews) or Ben Hornby (Corrimal Cougars)?
July 25th 2012 @ 2:56pm
Junior said | July 25th 2012 @ 2:56pm | Report comment
Not sure what planet you’re on NickF. St George Illawarra have tried much harder? Please!
Ever heard of the Red V campaign? I hadn’t heard of it until after the Dragons submerged the Steelers. What about the emblem, unchanged except for the word Illawarra added? Or the major sponsor St George Bank retained? Give me a break.
Try this if you want a more comprehensive breakdown on the Merger of Unequals down south.
http://www.theroar.com.au/2010/03/31/illawarra-and-st-george-%E2%80%93-a-merger-of-unequals/
July 25th 2012 @ 4:17pm
Christo the Daddyo said | July 25th 2012 @ 4:17pm | Report comment
Settle down Junior – go back and read his comment properly. He was saying the St George and Illawarra tried harder than Wests and Balmain. At no point did he say it was perfect.
November 12th 2012 @ 6:47am
Passion said | November 12th 2012 @ 6:47am | Report comment
Junior
Don’t u start asking people what planet their from! Where r u from??? When talks about merging the magpies and tigers in first grade, u took to the stage at the club and shed a tear stating” I want to see my son wear the black amd gold for the tigers and by merging this will be his only chance”! Then you told him to sign with the roosters. So much for being loyal to the tigers!
July 25th 2012 @ 12:58pm
Bring Back the Bears said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:58pm | Report comment
Tim I too am a traditionalist even though I’m too young to have ever seen the Newtown Jets in their glory days, and the powerhouse teams for me growing up were Canberra and Brisbane. Despite this I understand the importance of retaining and embracing history within the NRL.
While I am not a fan of merging, the Northern Eagles have left me tainted, I’ve found it generally leaves one set of fans with a sense of lost identity (Bears, Steelers, Magpies) as one club always comes across more dominant in the merger. Many fans agree that Illawarra got shafted in their merger with the Dragons (which they did), however there have been great steps recently to embrace the Wollongong crowd e.g. using the Steelers jersey as their alternative strip, and making the Illawarra Steelers (now Cutters) as their only NSW Cup/feeder side. These actions are to be applauded, as they have given Illawarra a voice.
In terms of the Wests Tiger merger things get a little more difficult, primarily because it is always voiced as a 50/50 split. My ideal scenario would be for the Wests Magpies to act as the NSW Cup side to the Tigers, however Tiger traditionalists I’m sure will cry fowl that this will give the Magpies the upper hand in the merger (which should probably be the case anyway considering the Magpies have two leagues clubs helping finance the joint venture). I also feel a lot more will be lost by abandoning the Magpies name. Not only will two once proud clubs with 100+ years of history be disolved, there is also potential for Wests loyalists to become increasingly displeased with the way the JV is being handled and cause rifts between the alliance. By having the Magpies as the Cup side, the Magpies and Tigers are represented in some form by the partnership.
Also correct me if I’m wrong but haven’t Wests Campbelltown previously approached the Dragons about being their NSW Cup team? Not a good indication of a happy marriage.
July 25th 2012 @ 3:25pm
Mango Jack said | July 25th 2012 @ 3:25pm | Report comment
The Northern Eagles was probably the worst of all “mergers”. One proud old club (Norths) submitting to their hated arch-rivals (Manly), who for years had happily poached their best players. More like a cynical Brookvale annexure. Fortunaltely it didn’t last.
How good would it be to go to Nth Syd oval again to watch a real Bears game??! Most likely, in fine Bears tradition, including a last-minute loss!
July 25th 2012 @ 3:46pm
Bring Back the Bears said | July 25th 2012 @ 3:46pm | Report comment
Haha, the Bears were a solid team in the 90s they could just never win the big games, the best way I’ve seen that summed up is “The Bears always managed to snatch defeat at the jaws of victory”.
The Central Coast Bears if they gain the next NRL licence are planning to play their heritage round every year at NSO against Manly. Now that would be great to see.
July 25th 2012 @ 3:59pm
Mango Jack said | July 25th 2012 @ 3:59pm | Report comment
That would be great to see, though I suspect the NRL suits are more interested in trying to establish the game in a new area, rather than reward a solid league region with their own tream.
July 27th 2012 @ 1:08pm
matty119 said | July 27th 2012 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
The Western Suburbs Football Club approached St George and Canberra in the last couple of years regarding a possible arrangement for the NSW Cup. In my opinion, if there is a Wests Tigers merged State Cup team, it has to be called Wests Tigers, or run by someone other than Balmain or Wests. People will say there is the loss of the Magpie, but what about the loss of Balmain?
July 27th 2012 @ 3:05pm
Ron G said | July 27th 2012 @ 3:05pm | Report comment
Balmain decided the join forces with Ryde-Eastwood and are now known as BRET. They decided on that, not Wests Tigers. If the Balmain people wanted to do that, so be it, Western Suburbs people want the Magpies to live and not have to merge with anyone. Why isn’t there any media comments on the demise of BRET in the NSW Cup? Perhaps because the media simply see Wests Tigers as an extention of Balmain.
July 25th 2012 @ 12:39pm
Chookstompa said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:39pm | Report comment
Try telling a Fitzroy fan that all 12 teams are still in the comp, or a Bloods supporter for that matter.
July 25th 2012 @ 1:43pm
Ads said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:43pm | Report comment
At least they still wear the maroon colours and are called the Lions, and the Bloods / Swans still wear the same red and white jersey. Prefer that than the current situation. I’d still go for a team relocated to somewehre like Perth called the Magpies than the West Tigers.
July 25th 2012 @ 2:03pm
Bring Back the Bears said | July 25th 2012 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
Agreed with you ads. Relocation is a much better option than merging or folding. The fact the Swannies still have a supporter base in South Melbourne is testament to that. I would much rather go for the Bears in a new location than the Northern Eagles any day of the week. Colours and mascots resonate a lot better with people than locations.
I would also love to see the Magpies come back, perhaps as West Coast Magpies or Western Corridor Magpies. Will be interesting to see what the Western Corridor bid gets launched as, as Ipswich and Logan use Jets and Magpies as mascots in the QCup. I would love for them to use either of those for their bid.
July 25th 2012 @ 2:13pm
Nick said | July 25th 2012 @ 2:13pm | Report comment
South Melbourne relocated to Sydney.
Fitzroy were forced into a merger with the Brisbane Bears.
July 25th 2012 @ 9:27am
Sailosi said | July 25th 2012 @ 9:27am | Report comment
How I used to love the magpies. Trevor Cogger was always my 5/8 when running around in the backyard. With Pat O’doherty making the meters up front.
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July 25th 2012 @ 1:16pm
Tim Prentice said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
Gee, Sailosi, those Magpies churned out some wonderful players and incredible characters!
I think over the years my favourites were John Dorahy, Alan Neil and big Dallas Donnelly.
July 25th 2012 @ 9:41am
Ads said | July 25th 2012 @ 9:41am | Report comment
I will always follow my beloved magpies – Wests and Collingwood. When Wests merged in 1999 I swore that was the last league game I’d watch. Since then I’ve only been to one league game and that was a Wests ‘heritage’ game against St George in 2011, but it was still mainly Tigers supporters and all the commentators call them Tigers. Sigh. League is dead to me, unless they ever brought the Magpies back or ship them to Perth, ‘Western Magpies’, but I don’t think that is even a remote possibility. So I continue to follow the mighty Pies in the AFL. Floreat Pica!
July 25th 2012 @ 10:11am
Bearhead said | July 25th 2012 @ 10:11am | Report comment
Tim – look forward to seeing you on the hill at Bear Park, come and have a beer with us diehards.
The way Balmain have dealt with Wests Magpies is nothing short of appalling. Then again such treatment of foundation clubs is all too common as we ourselves have found out. Wests in NSW Cup were one of the most feared teams only a few seasons ago, when Wests Tigers used to ” feed’ their players to both clubs. However this has fallen apart and sadly, to Wests detriment.
I do not know about the politics of the situation, but you only have to read about the grubby dealings with the Balmain Leagues Club site at Rozelle to understand that vested interests seem to engulf the orange and black, and with respect to Wests Magpies, things seem no different.
Not that long ago they had on Chooseday Night Footie a thrilling match from 1991 between Wests and the Bears at NSO. The commentators kept mentioning how it was such a big battle as the Bears were 3rd, and Wests 4th. The crowd was just shy of a ground record. Wests always were, and still are an amazing nursery for rugby league. Seems like the Tigers want to suck the beneifical life out of the western subrubs without and responsibility or respect for the fact it is a merged club. Same as Northern Eagles – was always a means to an end with the licence reverting to Manly. Can see the same parallels here over an extended period of time.
I certainly hope this ísn’t the last time we ever see Wests Magpies and the Bears battle it out on the field in a senior competition.
Good luck Maggies, I hope you get the conclusion you want to this debacle.
July 25th 2012 @ 1:19pm
Tim Prentice said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
I hope to see you there Bearhead!
Can you arrange for some KB, Tooheys Draught or some such vintage bevvies?
July 25th 2012 @ 2:14pm
Happy Hooker said | July 25th 2012 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
You’ll have to smuggle it in .. its a licensed venue, and you can bet they won’t be selling those particular brews.
July 25th 2012 @ 3:33pm
Mango Jack said | July 25th 2012 @ 3:33pm | Report comment
Should be part of heritage round to offer heritage beers. Remember the KB Cup?
July 25th 2012 @ 4:14pm
Bearhead said | July 25th 2012 @ 4:14pm | Report comment
Tim – they do have a bar there at the ground – the catering is outsourced so you do get stung at $6 a can, but at least it is full strength (as opposed to ANZ / Allianz etc).
KB – Without a shadow of a doubt the fact you could buy a slab of KB at Henson Park up until a few years ago was what made this comp so good. Old schoooool.
I am sure you will appreciate how good the NSW Cup actually is as an arvo out, especially at Bear Park on the hill. You have plenty of room to move, the kids can romp around and at HT the kids go onto the ground to kick the footie (where can you do it in the NRL?), and the best thing is that if you give an opposition player a razz, they hear every word!!! Always good for a bit of a wind up!
However the best thing about NSW Cup is when someone dives over for a try, the ref stands and looks. He turns his head to the left touchie, and to the right touchie. If no issues he points to the spot and bang, its a try. None of this moment killer of going to the Video Ref that destroys the excitement of the try being scored. In NSW Cup it is scored or it isn’t. Cut and dried. I never thought that would be something that I appreciate, but it is a great throwback to an era when people copped refs mistakes!
See you Sunday – we are the big group of Bears fans all together on the hill. Come and say Gday.
Then the obligatory beer after the game will be on order….
July 25th 2012 @ 4:22pm
Mango Jack said | July 25th 2012 @ 4:22pm | Report comment
You’re kidding, right? Buy a slab of KB until a few weeks ago??? I thought that stuff went out with safari suits. In the old steel cans?
July 25th 2012 @ 4:28pm
Bearhead said | July 25th 2012 @ 4:28pm | Report comment
MJ a few years ago. The Bears / Newtown game at Henson each year is a ripper, and the joy of being able to grab a slab of KB to down watching the Bluebags and Bears tussle it out was always special.
Maybe the Roosters champagen linkup is starting to eat away at the blue collar roots of the Jets?
Great club Newtown – well run, always accomodating and welcoming to the opposition. I really hope Wests could go a simliar path to Newtown, ensuring their contiuning existence.
Maybe a team like Melbourne should link with them and make them a feeder club?
July 25th 2012 @ 11:06am
Michael said | July 25th 2012 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Aren’t we supposed to be Wests Tigers fans now? I’ll state from the outset that my support comes from the Balmain side of the merger. I won’t pretend have an appreciation for how Wests fans feel about the merger and whether the loss of identity is real or imagined. But, I think the merger club has done a pretty good job of retaining the heritage of both the old clubs.
In reality, it doesn’t really make sense to have the club field two reserve teams. The players at that level have to play together, so one of the old clubs was going to feel hard done by. It’s inevitable that we will have a Wests Tigers NSW Cup team.
Besides, what’s so wrong with that? A single reserve grade team will help build the identity of the new club and benefit the first grade team by freeing up some of the resources needed to field two teams. Why can’t we get behind the new club and be proud of it. After all, it has a combined heritage of 15 premierships and plays some of the most attractive, exciting – and frustrating – football around. I can’t imagine supporting another team.
I can assure you that there are still plenty of old Balmain supporters that wished the merger never happened either. But then we’d all have nothing.
July 25th 2012 @ 11:15am
Ads said | July 25th 2012 @ 11:15am | Report comment
I don’t feel that way, I’ve tried but it’s all Tigers Tigers Tigers, forget the ‘Wests’ part. Teams are usually shortened to the mascot. Most of my friends who are Balmain fans even admit that. Also I don’t think there is much tradition left in league, they just don’t do it well. Even when the 2005 WT won the GF, neither the captain, the coach or any players once mentioned Balmain or Wests in their victory speeches. They didn’t mention that they won it for the fans of the old clubs. I feel that the Magpies have nothing as their identity has gone. Same as Norths fans really. Turned me off the game for good.
July 25th 2012 @ 12:07pm
Rabbitz said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
What time is kick off?
July 25th 2012 @ 12:20pm
Tim Prentice said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
Kickoff is 3pm (of course).
Everything that’s old is still, err, old!
July 25th 2012 @ 12:28pm
Rabbitz said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
I suspected as much….
Time to do some calendar rearranging
July 25th 2012 @ 1:02pm
Bring Back the Bears said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
It’s a double header this weekend at NSO, Tigers and Jets kick off at 12:45pm, Bears and Magpies kick off at 3pm.
July 25th 2012 @ 1:11pm
Tim Prentice said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
Great, BBTB. Thanks for that info – I wasn’t aware of the double header.
An extra reason for footy fans to get over to NSO where nostalgia will be thick in the air.
July 25th 2012 @ 1:50pm
Bring Back the Bears said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:50pm | Report comment
No problem, I think I saw on the Bears homepage that it is $10 entry for both games as well. So even more of a reason to go!
July 25th 2012 @ 6:49pm
Rabbitz said | July 25th 2012 @ 6:49pm | Report comment
Well that settles it….
I wonder if the old norths jumper still fits?
July 25th 2012 @ 7:45pm
Tim Prentice said | July 25th 2012 @ 7:45pm | Report comment
If it doesn’t fit Rabbitz, no problem.
Just pop down to the shop and get a Western Sydney Wanderers shirt.
No difference. LOL.
July 25th 2012 @ 7:58pm
Rabbitz said | July 25th 2012 @ 7:58pm | Report comment
Thanks Tim
Just snorted beer out of my nose
July 27th 2012 @ 2:50pm
Rabbitz said | July 27th 2012 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Well the jumper fits (just).
The schedule has been cleared and even the Mrs has dragged out her Balmain jumper for the early game.
Look out Rugby League, we are on our way for the first time in quite a few years….
July 25th 2012 @ 12:36pm
Dogs Of War said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
I don’t understand why the Tigers just didn’t make the NSW Cup side the Western Suburbs Magpies, and not Ryde Eastwood Tigers. It would allow the Magpies brand to live on always, and possibly get them a few more dollars in the process.
July 25th 2012 @ 1:06pm
Bring Back the Bears said | July 25th 2012 @ 1:06pm | Report comment
I agree with you Dogs, Magpies should represent the Tigers in the NSW Cup. Similar to the Dragons/Cutters situation. From what I’ve heard Magpies put that suggestion forward and would even include the Tigers logo on the sleeve (similar to what the tigers do to Wests in the NRL) but Balmain rejected that offer.
July 27th 2012 @ 1:13pm
matty119 said | July 27th 2012 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
Because by eliminating Ryde-Eastwood from the equation you are throwing half a million dollars a season down the drain. If you let them run the joint-venture second tier team, then you could pool the money put into it by Balmain and Wests and put that into junior development for WT.
July 27th 2012 @ 3:18pm
Ron G said | July 27th 2012 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
You shouldn’t believe all the propaganda that comes out of Concord, matty119. That money Mr Humphreys claims will be saved by having a joint NSW Cup is very misleading and there are doubts it won’t go towards junior development.
And anyway, what is wrong with preserving the Magpies name at the second tier level?
July 25th 2012 @ 12:57pm
dishes said | July 25th 2012 @ 12:57pm | Report comment
I agree with Dogs of War, if the Tigers brand remains in the NRL, the Magpies brand should remain in the NSW Cup. I’m not sure about the Balmain-Ryde-Eastwood-Western-Suburbs Magpies, but you get the idea!