NRL expansion talk heats up, but where to?

Being a Balmain sopporter all my 50 years I would have prefered to have seen Darwin Tigers rather than a merger. Adelaide Sharks has to be good, if you lived in the shire you could still watch half a dozen games a year at different Sydney locations. Even better would be a 2 tier comp with promotion relegation.

Here are my thoughts on the future of NRL: Cronulla & Melbourne Storm merge to become the "Southern Sharks" - based out of Melbourne. Each year, play 2 home games at Cronulla, 1 in Adelaide and the balance of home games at Melbourne. Central Coast Bears and Central Queensland Devils enter NRL in 2013.

Dave, The Central Coast stand alone idea got rejected a long time ago. Since then all (well, almost!) have realised the necessity of having the corporate support of North Sydney, North Ryde and Chatswood. Together they comprise one of the biggest corporate support bases in the country, but they will only support the bid if it is the Bears in red and black, as it gives them access to 1 million plus people instead of 300,000 plus the goodwill and branding opportunities from the 'Bear', which is nationally recognised - in the 90's the Bears were the 2nd most watched team on TV, and the NRL want the Bears back to reconnect with all the supporters (like me) lost to the NRL since Super League. There is and never will be enough corporate support on the Central Coast for a stand alone team and the NRL will not allow it - Illawarra couldn't do it on their own, and no-one outside the Central Coast would support a team called 'Breakers'. Re the stadium, it was only built because of the hard work and hassling of the Bears - they still own 20% and have the playing rights for 10 more years anyway. The seats read 'Bears' for goodness sake! Look at the Mariners - that's a combined Central Coast/North Shore team - if the Coast can't stand alone in soccer, they have no chance in NRL, which requires about 15mil a year to run each team. I could go on but it's pointless - the NRL have said a Central Coast team with the Bears has appeal, one without has none. So it comes down to do you want a team or not...90% of what you want is better than 0% I would presume? You may not like 'bears', but for the kids on the Coast, it will give them a great opportunity to play NRL at Gosford.

You don't have to sell me on the Coast - it's just that it should be a CC Only side- no token games at North Sydney - do you think rusted on Parra or Souths etc supporters who live their will switch to a team clearly trying to be a rehashed North Sydney? Norths put in about 4-5 mil out of about 25-30mil of the grounds redevelopment so to say the built it is not correct - the taxpayers of NSW , the Coast and some Federal money paid for it. So a North Sydney Badge means the team is big enough but say a Breakers Badge means it won't work? IT'S JUST A NAME !!!!!!!!! The old North Sydney area is not part of thre bid no matter what 'sentiment' comes out of it. The CC should stand ON IT'S OWN as originally was planned back in 2003, where it was proposed a new side is CC Only.

Dave, there can never be an NRL team on the Central Coast with a name other than the Bears for the simple reason the Central Coast will never be big enough to sustain a team on its own. Luckily for the Central Coast, the old North Sydney built the stadium there and there is massive corporate support behind the Bears bid, PROVIDED IT PLAYS IN BLACK AND RED AND IS CALLED THE BEARS. It's similar to the St.George-Illawarra model, except in this case the regional area gets 90% of the benefit. The Coast gets all home games (except for 1 token game at North Sydney Oval), 90% of the juniors for the team will be coming from the Central Coast, all the admin and staff are at Erina and reside on the Coast, and the fan base will be enormous - 300,000+ Central Coast residents plus 700,000+ North Shore residents is the area. David Gallop has said repeatedly the attraction of the Central Coast bid is the ability to give the Coast a team and bring back the Bears. So the choice is simple - either you have a strong and successful Central Coast Bears, or everyone on the Coast gets pub footy only for eternity....surely you wouldn't want that???? Unless you are a closet Newcastle supporter and/or don't give a stuff about giving kids a chance to play NRL at Gosford!

Beowulf - the NRL are not keeping the Central Coast for the 'Bears' - ideally a new name for that team if it ever comes in would be The Rip or CC Breakers

Imagine the interest if Channel Nine actually showed the games.

Hindmarsh is a great place for league, cant stand ovals ... too far from the action. I hope league goes to Hindmarsh and well yeah even if the united boys get onboard the stadium could get the upgrade they want and would make it a great place for the rectangle sports. Atmosphere at Hindmarsh is good and with the new tram lines outside its doors would be a good venue. As for players we do have a few eastern seaboard and islander expats... if Adelaide did get a team the NRL could assist by giving a larger salary cap for the first three years, that way they can attract some quality players, win a few games and boom 4-5 years get the salary cap back level and hopefully the players want to come to the new team Adelaide vs Victoria rivarly ... I predict big crowds just with that. I dont even follow soccer but when I hear United and Melbourne front I get on board and go to the game. hopefully the soccer and afl followers would do the same. Personal opinions and no real fact to the above, but exciting being a NSW born and SA raised fella

To be honest, I couldn't care less about the area or its previous "issues" (I am a long-time Parra fan and would probably watch an Adelaide team, but wouldn't actively support them), I am just expressing what the majority of people in Adelaide would think of when they hear the name. People in Adelaide, if they have ever visited Sydney, have never left the CBD and the touristy areas. As such, they haven't visited places like Parramatta, Bankstown or Cronulla, and all they know of the areas is what they have seen in the media. Due to the proximity, more people from SA have visited Melbourne, often by road, and as such, know areas like Carlton (Lygon St), Richmond (Bridge and Punt Rds) and St Kilda. They have visited the areas and can identify them; they are unable to do this with the Sydney suburbs and therefore media coverage shapes their perceptions of the area.

And this comes back to my earlier statement, the government needs to recognise that having a class stadium will not only get you a team, but recognition from other codes to hold internationals in that state. Mate what do i have to do? hit these governments on the head. :)

Good luck Mitch...I know on 442 a few Adelaide Utd fans are hoping the NRL put a team in Adelaide, they see it as the best way of getting the stadium upgraded :)

Adelaide is getting the push because it doesnt have a Rugby team, I see merit in that but to be honest I see more support for the game in perth at this time But hindmarsh is a good stadium, its not unrealistic to think Adelaide could get 10-15k crowds

I'm surprised to hear so much support for a team in Adelaide. I thought most people were against. Being an Adelaidean i woudl love an NRL team of my own. I'm getting sick of AFL and loving NRL more and more. I think scheduling several games a year in Adelaide would be a good start. But if and/or when a team is given to Adelaide, i hope it a new team and not a relocation. Especially not Cronulla. I'll admit when i first heard Cronulla make the deal to play in Adelaide, my interest and support of the team grew a little, but when they ditched it after one game, i couldn't give a toss if the club dies.

Yeah, cause the broncos were such a flop being a non traditional team ;-)

Ipswich Jets - they got 10 000 to grand final a few years back

If it became the Oceania Cup then could have teams from png, pac islands etc

Its all good to have another Brisbane team, but i think Perth and New Zealand should come first. As you Know Beowulf im not a big fan of the Central Coast Bears but i do think they will be in by 2013 with Perth. I think if we were to have a second Brisbane team it needs to be a Traditional BRL team Like Souths Magpies, Fortitude Valley or Brothers ect. I think the people of the Brisbane Region will take on a old Traditional club better then a made up one.

Perth Central Coast Logan Christchurch

Interesting that you brought up the 'riots' (how many have there been by the way? I must have missed a few.) I would contend that for the PC police Cronulla has become the symbol of racism in Australia and the club has suffered since then, when before in the ET era people used to make fun of the Sharks squeaky clean nice guy image. Anyway that is something that the club has to deal with I guess and if people like yourself perceive it that way there is probably no way around it. It means anything at Cronulla becomes a massive scandal (even 7 yr old cases that were comman knowledge at the time) while equally unfortunate incidents at other clubs like Stewart and Inglis have little impact for other clubs. But as you say if the general populace has the same viewpoint as yourself there is possibly little hope for the club.

Sharks should stay unless things go belly up,and I doubt that will happen ATM,with the development in the pipeline and the people working behinfd the scenes.There are no guarantees of course. To respond to chris If no premierships are somehow a criterea,then perhaps the Warriors or Cowboys should be teetering. Financially in bad straits yes,but still able to pay players.The club will be working to the full salary cap next year. Worst crowds whilst they are in the current position,but looking at the sub 10,000s from other clubs this year in so called heartlands,wouldn't be opening the champagne bottles. Worst off field headlines really! think Manly and the Roosters in the last 18 months have performed to a ""reasonable"level of stupidity.Canberra have come up with a couple of performances worthy of note. Fewest memberships!,close to Manly and the Roosters . Juniors! more juniors than both those clubs and own their own field. The nRL are monitoring the club's financial situation,but rest assured the CC will not be Sharks territory,and the nRL has learnt a bitter lesson with The bears and Nth sydney .Once you remove a team,the fans go elsewhere and dont follow another club".That is the grim reality. Oh and simply moving Cronulla will hand over a nice junior area to other codes to fill the vacuum,because St George won't be able to do so.