Last week was full of good news for the Central Coast Bears bid team. On Thursday, David Gallop was very upbeat after being presented with an update on the bid by Greg Florimo and his team, and on Friday came the news of a breakthrough in negotiations regarding the establishment of an Independent Commission.
The final roadblock to possible NRL expansion is the resolution of an enhanced TV rights deal, expected to be finalized by mid-2011.
Whilst many league followers believe the Central Coast should have a team in an expanded competition, some claim the Central Coast should have its ‘own’ team – let’s call it the ‘Breakers’, playing in blue and yellow.
A brief look at the major factors considered in determining a licence reveals there is only one plausible option.
1. TV Revenue & merchandising
Expansion will only take place into areas that can increase revenues to the game. As the 2nd most watched team of the 1990’s, David Gallop has consistently stated the possibility of reconnecting with the Bears’ fan base is a major attraction of the Central Coast bid.
He has estimated over 400,000 people were lost to the game as a result of the Super League war, and re-establishing a Foundation Club will, it is hoped, regain the interest of most of these fans.
A Central Coast Breakers team would have the support of the Central Coast but nowhere else, hence there is no growth area.
For the same reasons outlined above, merchandise sales would be significantly higher for a Bears rather than Breakers franchise. As an interesting sidepoint for those of a marketing bent, the most saleable colour combination in international sport is……red and black.
2. Sponsorship
The Bears team already has strong corporate support centered around North Sydney and North Ryde. The attraction to companies such as Mortgage House is twofold – firstly, a diverse demographic comprising over 700,000 people on the north shore and 320,000 on the Central Coast … and secondly a chance to be involved in a truly great Australian story of perseverance and righteousness.
The support garnered for the bid in these economic times is remarkable and a tribute to the hard work of the bid team, but what corporate wouldn’t want to be associated with such a feel good story?
The potential support available on the Central Coast for a Breakers team is largely limited to the Central Coast where the smaller target market obviously provides a smaller corporate appeal.
3. Competition
With 10 years in the NRL wilderness, the damage done to the code on the north shore is palpable. The North Sydney District Junior Rugby League has remaining strongholds in the corridor stretching from the Hills District to Berowra, but this is under increasing pressure from soccer and AFL.
With the GWS franchise to base its players in the Hills District, it is a direct threat to this region for the NRL.
Encompassing the region within an NRL franchise assists the code at junior and senior levels, by granting a visual pathway to the NRL and allows the Bears administrators and players access to junior teams and schools for mentoring and coaching, thus providing an increased number of participants in the sport and for the NRL in the future.
4. Crowds
No one disputes that either a Bears or Breakers NRL team would average over 15,000 per year at Bluetongue stadium. The advantage of a Bears’ bid is the away crowd support, particularly in Sydney.
Bears supporters in Sydney will be on the doorstop of all stadiums in Sydney, ensuring 7-8,000 Central Coast + northern Sydney away fans to most games in Sydney. A Central Coast only away crowd would add only 3-4,000 on average.
This will be a major attraction to other NRL teams wary of adding teams to the NRL and is a unique advantage.
There are also a sizeable number of Bears fans in QLD following the successful recruitment programs in the late 80’s and 90’s, who will swell crowd numbers in particularly Brisbane, the Gold Coast and CQLD if and when admitted.
5. Junior teams
For the Breakers, the local talent would come from the 17 junior teams on the Central Coast and for the Bears, 6 can be added from the North Sydney District to make a total of 23. Last I heard, 23 was more than 17, meaning more talent and therefore greater depth with the Bears bid.
6. Sustainability
For all the reasons above, the Bears bid is the more likely to have long term survival.
A strong business plan is the foremost requirement, with diverse forms of income that can sustain a team in good and bad times – I hear the Bears will have a model second to none in the league, with cash reserves approaching $6 million ( more announcements coming soon)!
The Breakers would need a ‘white Knight’, but this model is frowned upon by the NRL – the Gold Coast soccer franchise is a classic example of why!
It is almost meaningless talking about any option other than the Bears for the Central Coast for the simple reason that no better alternative can ever be put on the table.
The Bears have been working since 1991 towards this end, were largely responsible for building the stadium (still owning 20 percent with a 10 year lease on playing rights) and are passionate and committed to the cause of bringing a team to the Central Coast.
If anyone deserves a break, it’s the Bears.
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