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2009 is the year of the Ox in the Chinese calender, world wide 2009 is the year of astronomy, but in Australian sport 2009 has really been the year for expansion.
The AFL, Rugby Union and Soccer, have all announced their expansion plans of where, when and why. But sadly the NRL once again has been very quiet on this topic.
Are we waiting for the independent commission? Will it be only then when the administrators give us fans some indication where the game will be heading?
Whether it’s the case of not, I’ve been intrigued by the past 12 months and what the Central Coast Bears have done very quietly.
In a time where two current NRL clubs don’t have a major sponsor, the Bears announced a major sponsor, have got the corporate support, have the junior talent and seem to have the general consensus of not only local support but support of rugby league fans in general. But what do we hear from the NRL? Hang on I can hear…crickets chirping, that’s it.
So we have the Bears as the most likely new team to be admitted to the NRL. Now who or where is second in line?
If you had asked me a year ago I would have without a doubt said the Western Reds, the team from Perth back in the Super League days. But sadly it has been quiet from the West of late, other than in 2010 the Reds will be a SG Ball (under 18’s) team and not the Bundy team that we saw in 2009.
In parallel to that, the big mover has been a Central Queensland side, in which the last few months has a army of support from the Government, major sponsors, local business and the fans of the Central Queensland region.
So when the NRL finally announces the next expansion team/s, I wouldn’t be surprised if its the two Central teams that will be joining the competition.
Which is a great thing for the heartlands of the game, but does nothing for growing the game nationally.
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