Bears creating a mess for Central Coast

Col, I don't see why you waste your time arguing with every post that is anti-Bears. You believe they'll be back and will be successful, others don't. If you're so certain, what are you worried about? Personally, I hope we get a team playing out of Bluetongue. It's a great venue and a good road trip. I just worry about the teams in Sydney (and teams poaching from Sydney's North Shore) choking each other to death. I agree that Perth and Queensland should be the next two in, followed by CC replacing a Sydney team and possibly the South Coast replacing another but this could be decades away.

I agree that there are to many SYDNEY clubs, how about they move Manly to the Sunshine Coast and the Sharks to Brisbane.

Hahaha Gary Magpie you've changed your name, lets look at the Qld side of things, hmmmmm yeah at the moment the Central Qld NRL bid is looking really promising given their current situation. Hey Gary why not move Manly to the Sunshine Coast, then you'd really be happy, wouldn't you?.

McGr1me, thats great, very similar to many of us Central coast Rugby League supporters, honestly how many supporters do the Wests Tigers have up here, its unbelievable, meet you for a beer when the CCBears are finally admitted.

Col and Beowulf - you blokes should be estate agents coining terms such as the middle North Shore! Once again only someone who lives there would be brave enough to call Berowra the upper North Shore. Don't disagree that there were fans on the North Shore, just wanting to correct a sweeping statement.

OK Gary I'll withdraw the Bear hating comment, but as to your points, over 3,000 Central Coast residents have signed up as financial members, and talking to people involved with the Clubs they say as soon as the green light is given, the Coast will get 100% on board. All politicians are on board, the radio and TV stations are on board, local companies are sponsoring. Can they all have completely misread the mood? As for a local team to support, there won't be one unless its the Bears because, despite what you say, David Gallop has stated 'the attraction of the Central Coast bid is that it gives a heartland area a team and reconnects with northern Sydney'. Can't get more clear than that. As for natural link, the Central Coast was part of the North Sydney catchment area from 1908 to I think 1947 when boundaries were redrawn and Manly broke away. Links continued thereafter and, like St George with the Illawarra, juniors tended to gravitate to the nearest NRL side with a historic link, ie the Bears. David Farleigh is a classic example. The animosity between Manly and Norths ensured that merger was never going to work, and for the same reason, Manly can never gain the devotion of northern Sydney outside Manly-Warringah. Manly have actively promoted their seige mentality to solidify its Manly-Warringah base, but ensuring their disconnect outside the area. Re distance, its 25 minutes from Gosford Stadium to Berowra, heartland Bear territory. Most North Sydney junior clubs are in the area Berowra to Pennant Hills. And finally, North Sydney Oval was classified unsuitable for regular NRL matches, so a merged northern Sydney only team would have had to play almost all games at Brookvale oval. Calling it the northern Eagles and playing at Brookvale would have resulted in the same result as now - complete disconnect on the north shore. But Manly have had the chance to do it for 10 years but have reverted to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles....they made their bed.....

No, my parents aren't Bears haters and are pretty neutral on the subject - but give me feed-back on local sentiment they pick up on. I'm not a Bears hater either - as I've said, I bought my son a Bears jersey for when he turns 18 because he was born at RNSH. But I'm pro-Central Coast and pro-rugby league and its development. And the best thing for rugby league is that regions have their own identity to support. The CC Bears does not achieve that. The NRL doesn't want any CC team to connect with North Sydney - what crap. The Bears introduced this for their sell. There is no natural link between Gosford and North Sydney at all - in fact there is a million hectares of natural park and an hours drive between them. The Norths-Manly merger should have worked and it is sad that fools made power-plays rather than looking long term and looking for the good of the game. However i believe the merged team should have stuck to the "North Shore" rather than expanding into the CC. Games at NS Oval would have easily attracted most Manly supporters - it's only 20 minutes! And the natural catchment area would have been seemless.

Gary 5000 members have the cards to prove otherwise. Let the hate go mate or you'll have a heart attack in 7 months time when the CC Bears are admitted.

Gary, the team you suggest can't happen because the NRL want any new team north of the harbour to both reconnect with northern Sydney and give the Central Coast a team. Only a red and black Bear can do that. The private ownership model is exactly what the NRL want. Major dependence on clubs/Leagues Clubs is a dinosaur model that the NRL is trying to move away from. Its a professional game and Clubs need to be run as a business. Your parents are obviously Bear haters but seems they hate the Central Coast even more - to deny this model would only hurt the Coast.

We're splitting hairs a bit I think! I played for Northern Districts Cricket Club, based at Waitara Oval. Our area included Berowra-Hills District-Eastwood. But I'm OK with calling the region northern suburbs!

Northern Districts is actually the ryde eastwood area (another Rugby Area), I would say the berowra area is the hornsby berowra, Hornsby Kuringhai or "very Lower" Central Coast. Pennant Hills is on the border of the hills and Northern Districts. Sorry, I just have a pet peeve about what the different areas of sydney are called. Collectively most these suburbs and areas together would most often be referred to as the Northern Suburbs

Simple - to become a real Central Coast team; a. Remove the name "Bears" and all links to the history of North Sydney; b. Cease the private "for profit" business ownership structure and become a true club that is directly linked to the clubs of the Central Coast Divsion. Then I will cheer louder than you Sydney blow-ins.

You are not around now - you are a defunct club!

Because he will be guiding the IC. He is the most senior person, along with the CFO, who will be advising the IC of previous contacts, discussions, suggestions, his impressions of the bid teams. As a new body, they will naturally give his opinion weight, particularly in the first year or two.

and crashy the people of the north shore use to turn up to the bears games..as did CC residents..I remember a lot of CCResidents coming to the Bears games. i recall in the 90s the artarmon station it was caked in red and black for the finals series and everyone wearing red and black at the time..the introduction of the CC Bears will reiginite a lot of this interest once again in rugby league on the north shore..(upper, lower and middle) that heritage game at NSO against Manly will attract 23000 annually..I scoff when Manly only wants to concentrate on the upper north shore clubs of Berowra and asquith.. due to them being the strongest clubs..at least the Norths Juniors still want Penno, NS Brothers,Willoughby,Hills Hawks as well as the Maggies and wallabies ,to continue being apart of the NRL side..

no Crashy don't think Hornsby or Lane cove had a leagues club but but they definitely had league teams, lane cove tigers and Hornsby lions, both folded at the end of the 90s.. right around the time of the super league war..west pymble bunnies a short time later, all the more reason why we need our own NRL club again, I'd combine the North shore juniors(bears) with the Central Coast juniors..that way secured for all time..crashy the north shore had lots of junior clubs over the 102 years, which sadly are no more including Mcmahons point,Crows nest, chatswood,and warawee and artarmon also had teams in the early days also remember Riverview fielding a team in the north sydney junior comp, probably about 2005..didn't last long though, shame they didn't push a bit harder for that..and I believe Asquith and Berowra are catagorised as upper north shore..I reckon they need a junior club Brooklyn/Mooney Mooney, mud crabs or something similar that combines the both areas, a junior club that bridges the hawkesbury..Hmm not a bad Idea, i'll put that one up..

hey guys it's less then3 months now that the Bears bid goes into the NRL with the perth reds..hope you have a good new year gary..I know the Bears supporters will have a very exciting year..

So you hate NSW. You could have said that in 1 sentence! We don't hate you however, because we're glass half full kinda people... There are similarities between Usman Khawaja and the CC Bears. People whine that NSW players are in the cricket team, yet when a place becomes available who do the selectors turn to....a less qualified person from an alternative state to make it a more national team, or the best available candidate. The CC Bears are a better bet than Uzzie anyway - we'll be around in 100 years, guaranteed!

Its hard to foresee a bid ever being more comprehensive than the CC Bears model. If a model encompassing 1.1 million people, featuring a heritage brand, and a stable of high calibre sponsors secured (with more great ones to be announced) is knocked back, a model featuring just the Coast with a corresponding drop in catchment population, away crowd potential, merchandise and sponsors is just not feasible. Its Maths 101. And how can the Bears be invaders since North Sydney tried to relocate there since 1991, voted to move there with everyone's blessing in 1997, changed their name and have been on the Coast, in the community since then? Their offices, staff and most volunteers are Central Coast residents....how more Central Coast do you want?! Please enlighten us as to your alternative model that could convince the NRL you can generate in excess of $15 million per year in revenues for the next 100 years. Until you can, your comments are irrelevant.

Typical NSW centric poster. Claims only he and his ilk know anything about Rugby League. You can list all your support of rugby league that you want, but if you and your fellow supporters where really that good you would have had central coast back in the competion by now. Infact I remember the same level of confidence amongsts the CC suppoters last time new clubs were admmitted and we all know how that turned out. Better hide the razors if they don't make it this time. The fact is that when fellow CC supporters like Col say they won't attend or watch the NRL unless CC are admitted shows you really don't care about rugby league as a whole, just you own small little part of the world. I keep hearing how many supporters there are on the CC but if their all like Col and sulk because their teams not in the competition and don't attend NRL matches (showing there's no market) , do you really think the NRL are going to admitt a team from the CC now. You are so NSW centric I be you probably don't even realize that there is a Magpies (Souths Logan) team in the QLD Cup (funny that the CC don't even play in the second best comp in Aust). I bet you know as little as Col about RL outside NSW, who stated that no QLD team has a history of more then 50 years. In fact you give the Magpies name a bad look yourself Ourimbah, as i never seen someone from Souhts Logan whine and b**tch so much about how its all about me me me and how they're the saviour of RL. Face it, what it all come downs to is the superleague war and how dare anyone questions NSW position of power when it comes to RL. A lot of CC (and NSW) supporters seem to be really bitter about this and harp for the good old days. Well I got news for you. NRL is a national competition, QLD has a better feeder comp and NSW can't play state of Origin. Until you realize that you are going to remain bitter and resentful. In the end I don't relly care if the CC are addmitted, just so long as another NSW team is kicked out to make room. But I guess if that happens we will get another round of me, me, me and my team is from Sydney/NSW so its bigger then the game. Just face it CC supporters, not everybody wants your team back and big circle w**ks like the one happening here, just because somone dare queston your bid, is not going to win any new supporters. Just open you eyes and take a look, there's a whole world of RL outside your bitter little circle. Actually CC supporters should stay away from Rugby League because the last thing we need is more NSW centric whinges who want to take the game back to the dark ages.