Momentum is building for a Perth-based NRL team by 2013, with David Gallop strongly hinting Western Australia will get a team if expansion goes ahead.
Last Saturday’s game between Melbourne and South Sydney in Perth attracted a crowd of 13,164 despite freezing night conditions and demand for tickets dropping markedly immediately after the Storm’s salary cap dramas were revealed.
WA Rugby League chief executive John Sackson believes Perth had a strong fan base to support a team and NRL CEO Gallop says the prospect will be given careful consideration.
“We are in a similar situation to the AFL in that we are about to do a broadcast deal and hopefully that will bring a fresh new bucket of money into our game,” Gallop said.
“In about 12 months’ time when we’ve got a clearer picture of our media rights deal going forward we’ll certainly be seriously looking at expansion and the bottom line is Perth’s got a lot going for it.
“There’s an opportunity for us to increase our national profile, the State economy’s robust, the (rectangular) stadium is being redeveloped.
“At the moment you’d have to say the Central Coast and Perth are the lead contenders.”
The Western Reds, who featured in the national competition in 1995 and ’96, regularly attracted crowds above 13,000.
The Reds defected to the Super League in 1997 but folded later in the year, a victim of the Super League war.
Gallop said the demise of the Reds was irrelevant when deciding whether to introduce a Perth-based side by 2013.
“I think they were a victim of circumstances within the game generally rather than anything they were getting wrong themselves,” Gallop said.
“They weren’t playing in an ideal stadium for rugby league (WACA Ground) and that’s now not an issue because we’ve got a good stadium (in ME Bank Stadium).
“I don’t take a lot of notice of what happened in the mid-90s because it was such an unusual time in the game generally.”
While AFL rules the roost in WA, Sackson said it was important for the NRL to have a meaningful presence in the market.
“It’s important for the code to start looking outside the east coast,” Sackson said.
“Particularly in the face of the AFL’s aggressive approach to the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.
“Rugby league needs to get on the front foot and expand the game nationally.”
Sackson said several companies had already approached the WARL about potentially sponsoring a Perth-based team.
“We know the other pivotal aspect is television rights, which comes into play in 2013,” Sackson added.
“The appeal (to the NRL) of having another capital city market … would add some muscle to the negotiations.
“I think our prospects are very encouraging.”
Rabbitohs coach John Lang, whose side will host another game in Perth next season, felt the time was right for a WA side.
“Certainly the competition’s ready for a team from Perth in 2013,” Lang said.
“We’re a national rugby league competition, it’s a big step forward if we can come over here in my opinion.”
Burgo Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Guest
2013 should be Central Coast Bears, WA Sharks relocation and Central Queensland Roosters relocation after a stadium is built in Rockhampton...2 make it 18 teams they will need another...maybe Ipswich-Logan (West Brisbane) 2018 PNG Hunters and Southern NZ Lions
Jean-Pierre LeGuerre
Guest
Gorganites chap (as well as trhe other rugby union types whingeing about 'another' Perth 'rugby' team...) I assume you feel the same way about the Melbourne Rebels? Surely none of you want them 'confusing' the local population, when the Storm are already in place and working successfully (salary cap issues aside)??
Jay
Guest
They should be called the Black Swans.. its their state emblem.. and their official colours should be yellow and black
Col the bear
Guest
The bears do their bit to quell cross code rivalry.each year the bears and norths rugby play a double header together at NSO.it's always a bit of fun and we will be doing it again this year.:-)
Col the Bear
Guest
on Stadiums the Gosford stadium was designed to have another multi tier level added to the Northern end (the low end) and the foundations were put there for that for the future..so more tiers can be added if need be for the future..
Col the Bear
Guest
and if I recall, Matt Bourke was almost a Bear . his dad was a big fan of the Bears.. Yes the Juniors will come from both areas CC and North Shore.. both districts will still run a 16s and a 18s squad.., both areas will still have their development squads...But the Toyota cup and the NRL team will be called the Central Coast Bears and be based permanently at gosford..Mortgage House have come on board to sponsor the Norths juniors and also the Central Coast juniors..after a radio competition at the beginning of the year on star FM the word went out what to call their junior rep sides on the CC..an overwhelming support come back for the CC Cubs..hopefully the CC rep teams next year can be the Cubs. Think St george illawarra as a perfect example how the CC Bears will work..2 districts that work together, and their rep Juniors are still at illawarra and Kogarah..
Col the Bear
Guest
Believe Paul Conlon was a north sydney boy also..in the 1970s I know there were quite a lot of norths juniors in the top squad...I'll check but I think Johnny Adams was a junior and,Don Mckinnon was a norths junior..Matty Orford(yes I know he's a gosford boy) did a lot of his rep years in the norths junior squad..I'm sure with some more research i could track down quite a few more, but Flo is obviously the one most recognised..and of course of late we have Kerin foran, his brother Liam (at newtown) and Mitch Pearce as norths juniors, who i'm sure would be playing for us now if we were still in the NRL.. good combo.. Mitch and Kerian.
Col the Bear
Guest
well mini we'll see, an awfully lot of Central Coast Bears merchandise and membership have been selling for a team that doesn't exist..including the Central Coast Bears jersey. everything is very similar just before the Gold Coast Titans were admitted, almost down to a tee.... Ithought it strange 2 of the volunteer representatives out of the 6 that went and saw the NRL this week were Central Coast bears supporters.. the photo in the telegraph was not of all the table, but the CCBears jersey stood out and David gallop at the end of the table..too many committed millions at stake now, to turn your back.. see you on the oval come 2013.. for more info mini.. go to www.centralcoastbears.com and you may see a little more what the CC Bears are on about..
Working Class Rugger
Guest
The WA govt has already committed to upgrading MES to a permanent 27,000 seater with the option to temporarily increase its to 35,000 when the occasion calls for.
Ro
Guest
I actually heard that their working name for their Queensland cup then NRL applicationn is PNG Hunters. I think it would be great to have an NRL team in PNG. 6 million people and they're all league mad.
Beowulf
Guest
Great idea, Col.
Beowulf
Guest
A good read - every 20 years a major disruption happened in northern Sydney to hamper the Bears, just as they were recovering from the previous hit and in a strong position! Harbour Bridge/Great Depression (late 20's/early 30's), the Manly breakaway 1947(assisted by the Bears), the Warringah Freeway (late 60's), Super League 'peace deal' (late 90's). Bears were strong in the early 20's, mid 40's, mid 60's and 90's. No wonder they began looking to move as early as 1991 to C.Coast....
Beowulf
Guest
You obviously are higher up the food chain than David Gallop (who will be CEO for the next 4 years), who over the past 6 months and as recently as yesterday afternoon said the C.Coast & Reds are in the box seat. Interestingly, he always says C.Coast and Perth in that order......C.Coast is the banker and Perth the speculative punt - a nice balance.
Ro
Guest
I'll have to read that book. I've been taught by Andrew Moore at university, he is a top bloke. I read a brilliant article recently by him on rugby league's origins in the industrial towns of northern England.
danwighton
Guest
Cant seem to find anything concrete on an upgrade - however if the Reds were to be admitted, which would provide another 12 games per year, travelling fans and a boost to the economy - im sure it would be easy to find the support to upgrade the stadium to 25,000/30,000 - perhaps with Skilled Park or AAMI Stadium as a model.
Bam Bam
Roar Guru
Haha, I understand why you guys hate league (may be not the game but the organisation and how it runs) - but I was looking at the Queensland RL Schools Team of the Century and there were a lot of Union boys in there (Tim Horan was amongst the most recent). But I do think both codes need to stop poaching and may be need to start helping each other. Imagine if League helped Union with tackling and set plays, where Union could help League with training certain positions like true wingers and may be teach League how to scrum.
danwighton
Guest
Storm aren't losing money - turned a strong profit last year and were likely to do so this year (depends on the outcome of the audit etc). http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/watchdog-to-check-for-law-breaches/story-e6frg6nf-1225857630482
Col the Bear
Guest
I also like the title "Who said We're Dead"!!! :-) and if anyone does decide to write the book.. I have a huge box full of newspaper clippings from 1997 to present , and memrobillia to put forward..for referancing, kept everything I could find..I saw Andrew at the Bears game last weekend, maybe i'll have to ask him to do the sequel.. after 2013.. :-)
Bam Bam
Roar Guru
I think the PNG team will possibly be in before the next QLD team, I think PNG is getting stronger as an economy - yes even during these hard times globally - and there are many people who are striving to make PNG a safer community and it is looking very good. It may be 2018 that they come in, I hope so, it would be good to see a full crowd at an NRL game for once.
Bam Bam
Roar Guru
I agree Pete, may be they should be nicknamed the Reds but be fully known as the Western (or Perth) Red Kangaroos or the Western Great Reds or something like that. No one has the name kangaroos in the NRL but the national team so may be the Western or Perth team should do what the Gold Coast Titans did by getting the public to vote for a name?