Gold Coast, the only legitimate challengers to Melbourne’s hopes of entering an expanded Super 15, have called upon the Australian Rugby Union to prevent a bidding war by making an immediate choice based on “rugby reasons”.
Coast powerbroker Terry Jackman, a good friend of ARU supremo John O’Neill, argued the tourist strip deserved to be the home for a fifth Australian franchise due its superior rugby identity.
AFL-mad Melbourne, a far bigger sporting market, is the overwhelming favourite for the 15th licence due to its attractiveness to broadcasters, who will start negotiations with SANZAR for a new five-year deal on June 30.
But Jackman told AAP the Coast, which has one powerful Queensland Premier Rugby side plus its own club competition, deserved to get the nod because it was a rugby heartland.
With time running out for the Coast to put forward a bid to rival Melbourne, which narrowly lost out to the Western Force in 2005, Jackman said the national body needed to make an immediate decision for “the good of the code”.
“I sympathise with the ARU, it’s not an easy decision,” said the former ARU director.
“But I don’t think you can get into a bidding race, I think the ARU has to decide which way to go for the good of the game.
“We’re the third biggest city in rugby heartland and you’ve got to be careful we don’t lose it to the other three codes with AFL, NRL and A-League teams all set up here by 2011.
“If we don’t get a Super 15 side it will be hard to stop the kids going elsewhere.”
The finer details of expansion plans will not be outlined until Tuesday, after O’Neill meets with chief executives of the four Australian franchises, but a fifth Australian-based team appears certain.
It’s already prompted concerns from Queensland coach Phil Mooney who doesn’t believe Australia has the depth of playing talent to house five sides.
Mooney’s Reds were the hardest hit by the establishment of the Western Force, which kicked off in 2006, and have spent six straight seasons in the bottom three of the competition.
O’Neill is wary of the same damage to the existing teams and has spruiked the idea of a “hybrid” team including a healthy amount of Pacific Islanders and foreign-based Australians to combine with local players.
Both the Coast and Melbourne are planning on signing up to half their squad from Fiji, Tonga and Samoa but Victorian Rugby Union president Gary Gray wants none of the “hybrid” talk.
Gray was confident the Victorian public would support a rugby side, as well as NRL heavyweights Melbourne Storm, but they needed to know it was their own side.
“We need to be very careful,” he said. “We need to make sure we’re not just planting some cobbled-together team.
“For this team to be given the best chance for it to work down here it’s got to have its own culture and own roots in Melbourne.”
jub jub
Guest
you don't even have a MELBOURNE team.. FORGET about the gold coast!!
BoundaryRider
Guest
The new team should be based in Melbourne. New market, large population/market not served with regular top level rugby, solid school/club scene and probably reasonable corporate support. Now wiith a likely 8 home games, perhaps the Reds/QRU need to look more closely at their stadium arrangments (amongst the many other things they need to address). I dont know what the contract terms are for Suncorp but perhaps from 2011 they could play 4-5 of the more well supported teams there (ie NSW, Canterbury, Auckland, Brumbies etc) a couple at Ballymore (esp the SA teams) and then 1-2 at the Gold Coast at what is a great stadium.
Who Needs Melon
Guest
Gold Coast Schoolies? Eastern Surge? (Sorry)
JF
Guest
I agree with you both, It would be a tragedy for Melbourne to miss out. S14 Rugby is very accessible for Gold Coasters with the Reds only up the road, they can't be much of Rugby supporters if the fact that they don't have their own team causes them to switch codes. Gold Coast have teams in both Brisbane Premier Rugby and in the Queensland Regional Championships. Lets not forget that neither the soccer or AFL have actually played a game yet, both teams are taking a risk at the Gold Coast, Rugby can't afford risks at the moment.
Dan
Guest
They do from time to time, but unfortunately they often lock themselves into rigid deals with the major stadiums and so the chances of playing elseware are slim. NSW played the Crusaders at homebush, but that was a move in the wrong direction given that it's still in Sydney and it's a dreadful place to watch any football code apart from AFL (and even then most people prefer the SCG). Both the Tahs and Reds need to start playing at least a game a season outside of their base city. NSW should start by playing a game up in the Central coast next year and the Reds should do the same with the gold coast.
Hemjay
Guest
Dan, here you are agian. But this time I agree with you whole heartedly I actually made a similar post earlier but under the Melbourne thread. Do the Australian sides not take games to the other centres within the state like the NZ teams do? Like you pointed out here Queensland is a state team wouldn't it be logical to take them out to the Coast and maybe up to Cairns or Townsvile once in the season. Surely the novelty factor alone in the smaller centres and rugby league strongholds would get the crowds that are staying away from Suncorp. Look what happened when the Highlanders went to Palmerston North and this city isn't even part of the Highlanders franchise let alone on the same island
Dan
Guest
How about they just get the Reds to play a few games down there every season? They are Qld afterall, so the fans would be able to identify and it would look better than when they play out of the generally empty Suncorp stadium.