Are the Bears finally to come out of hibernation?

Why are the Bears not in the NRL competition? They fell for the 3-card trick in their dealings with News Limited. The aim was to reinstate South Sydney - not to reward a staunch ARL club with genuine expansion plans. Ask about the Central Coast Bears - they were stillborn because no money was forthcoming. But I'm not bitter. Not much, that is.

Sorry Dr B. I am quite sympathetic to some of your statements and do believe that there should be a Central Coast team, but you lost me when you questioned the right of other teams to be there and knocked the New Zealand involvement. In my mind New Zealand should have two teams in the comp and there should be one team for New Guinea. Expansion of the game is imperative to its survival. As for two divisions, we sort of have that with the VB Cup, in which both Norths and Newtown are competitors, and maybe in time there could be a promotion/relegation system though not at this stage as we're having trouble just maintaining and developing the code. Certainly a more highlighted and financed second division side bears (excuse the pun) strong consideration. Must admit I miss good second division footy. As for the Bears at Central Coast and in first division, I'm afraid the central committee seems cold on the idea and Perth and Toowoomba seem the next favoured recruits. But I agree that ignoring the Central Coast is a big mistake.

I am a dedicated Bears supporter. I have not watched a single game since the end of the Mighty Bears. I will never again until they play again. Souths were reinstated because of their argument that they were a foundation club, and rightly so. The bears should be in the comp more then the warriors, dragons, eels, knights, sea eagles, panthers, bulldogs, broncos, cowboys, sharks, raiders, storm, titans, for heaven sake the titans can't even afford to be in the comp anyway (and im a Gold Coaster)and most certainly before Adelaide and/or Perth. However why can't we have 2 divisions or even 3 divisions, with a chance of promotion or demotion on performance, and also cheating as the storm did? then everyone can be satisfied, if they clubs can't come up with enough money then they will never make 1st division anyway because they will not attract the best players. And by the way am I the only person that knows this is the NRL (National Rugby League), as far as I learnt at school New Zealand is not part of our great nation, the New Zealand population count may well be a large part of our population, on second thought Im sure it is, but not Auckland, New Zealand, that is not in our country im fairly certain!

Despite being a Manly supporter, I do have a lot of sympathy for the Bears and felt they were very poorly treated by the League, given they spent all their money to relocate and then had the rug pulled from under them when their money ran out. I still have hopes for a Central Coast team, whether that be the Bears or the Bandicoots. There is an audience there waiting. But as far as the north shore is concerned, you're flogging a lost cause unless you can get a Tinkner on board...no money. That's why the Bears were relocating in the first place. Boy is this a long winded forum.

The Bears are the quiche. Traditionally I only support the Rahs Rahs but the Bears provide me with an opportunity to watch NRL yet hang out with Shore Boys, Riverview Boys and all the other salt of the earth people on the Leafy North Shore. The only problem with the revival of the Bears is that they are planning to do it on the Central Coast. That place is the Western Suburbs by the Sea. A.k.a Full of Bums. Bring the Bears back to Mosman where they belong, well away from all these unsavoury characters in Umina. They should merge them with Norths Rugby (i.e. the spiritual homeland of toughness)!

Ian, I think people are aware of the council they live in.

Qgirl is possibly the only person in Australia not employed as a branch-stacker who thinks LGAs are important. Heck, I'd bet 85% of league fans couldnt tell you what a LGA is. Unlike Qgirl, I can see the Ipswich Jets and the Logan Scorpions in the NRL, but it will require tight control of the salary cap and more of an emphasis on retaining and developing talented juniors, especially after they are 22.

You're welcome. I'm sick of biased Bears' fans spreading lies about the Crushers, Chargers, Reds and Rams. I'm all for the Central Coast gettting a team of its own after rationalisation has taken place in Sydney or after Manly have been thrown out, but I cannot stand it when they try to prop their bid up by telling blatant lies about the other bids

The Northern Eagles averaged 16,000 in their first year. Their average dropped to 7,000 in their last year.

"The difficulty the league faces is that to expand to non-league states they will need to draw on the resources of NSW and Queensland" NSW relies heavily on Queensland's juniors to keep their NRL clubs competitive. Manly wouldn't have won the premiership if they didn't have Queenslanders like Ballen and Cherry-Evans. Queenslanders will be the backbone of any team that is started up in WA, just like they have been the backbone of the Storm.

The LGAs between Brisbane and Gold Coast need to be reproduced. The AFL are marketing their game heavily in the area. A couple of years ago they built a social club in the northern suburbs of Logan.The club has 200 pokies. It's an attempt to cash-in on Logan's reputation of being the gambling capital of QLD. The ARLC would be foolish to just sit back and allow the AFL to make further inroads in an area that is rugby league heartland. Logan has almost 290,000 permanent residents and is growing steadily each year. The Central Coast has about 30,000 more people, but they're spread out over a much larger area. Logan's higher population density makes it easier for its residents to travel to and from a centrally located stadium. The population for Logan will grow significantly within the next 20 to 30 years. Logan is located between Brisbane and Gold Coast and its number one sport is rugby league. Its potential to produce sold-out local derbies cannot be ignored. Logan is the gambling capital of QLD. The Leagues club for an NRL team based in Logan would draw millions per annum from gambling.. Logan produces NRL talent (IE. Cameron Smith, Corey Parker). Put a team in the area and the game will be better for it.

"Well done David, for cutting through the spin and speaking the truth." Is that a paraody? The article is full of spin.

Which is why I keep on telling people to put the Sydney-based NRL clubs into the NSW Cup and create 4 or 5 new super clubs. IF the fans really love their clubs then they won't mind paying $10 to see them play in the NSW Cup at an older ground. They can then go have a nice meal at their team's Leagues club after the game. It beats eating the horrifble food that's sold at the NRL! I'm getting my season pass to a QLD Cup team this week. I encourage everyone to do the same.

Now Nathan, that was not very polite was it...and me looking to add more to my curry soup. Are you now full of contrition having disgraced yourself in such manner, soiled the sheets so to speak.....something about something, being stuck up something...no doubt a fitting comment. Of course we could compete by e-peeing up the e-wall, but that seems oh so juvenile doesnt it. Better loaded laptops at 30 gigs....and who blows a fuse first. For mine I'd prefer to banter on about the worth of Rugby League and in the present context our beloved Bears. Of course infiltrators from divergent codes are welcome to participate as long as they understand their social status. Cant have visitors offering homage not knowing their station can we. Please feel at liberty to respond young Nathan. Always available for a banter with foreigners.

Agree with you totally and I'm a Manly supporter. I think though Central Coast deserves their own team, but if it all becomes the one northern based team, I wouldnt be opposed. But then I thought a combined Manly-Norths side was a good idea. It would have worked but for the stupidity and arrogance of supporters and managers on both sides who couldnt see the chest of gold at the end of the rainbow..sheer stupidity and both sides are at fault in equal measure. Time some people grew up or they will lose League in the north..

I love Bear supporters. They want their cake and to eat it to. Perhaps as well as the Sydney North Shore and the huge and growing Central Coast you'd like the Blue Mountains and western plains as well. Logically and geographically, and I'm fully in support of a Central Coast team and regret Norths failed effort, your team should re-locate to the central Coast area which is a vast growing location. The north shore and beaches logically should be with the one team ending at the Brooklyn Bridge. Or perhaps you'd like to take it all, like Norths previous attempts to draw Manly's forest area across to Norths including Forestville, Frenches Forest and Belrose. Take the area you're after, which is much bigger than the Northern Suburbs and be happy with that otherwise your avarice will bring you undone again. The Central Coast would thrive, but not if it remained annexed to Sydney's north shore. otherwise you would have the same problems brewing now between Balmain and West supporters and what happened between Manly and Norths

Nicely put!

I like the way you think JVGO. Mind you I'm a Manly supporter. However I'd love nothing better than appeasement with the Bears and either have a Manly side covering the northern districts and Bears the Central Coast or a combined Manly-Norths team covering the area and using Bluetongue, Brookvale and North Sydney ovals for home games. We could call them the Northern Bluetongues to avoid conflict of the mixed Norths-Manly identity. Unfortunately I believe the latter will never happen given the animosity that has developed....from who knows where 'cause I dont understand it. Manly and Norths were one team pre 1947.

I'll be sure not to say 'next Paddington' or frequent those few Oz Rules bars then JVGO. Good to hear League is thriving so well in inner Sydney. By the way I hate to say it but I worked in Newtown for about a year recently and quite frankly it is becoming the 'next Paddington'. King Street must have the best selection of restaurants, book shops, trinkett shops anywhere in the city. A true smorgasbord of delights. Loved the place. I also love the suburban style of League and must get out to a couple of these lower division matches now that I've retired. I was raised in the 60's 70's style of suburban matches and loved them...and miss them. Havent been to a League match in years since the SuperLeague debacle...made a total mess of the game in my mind and my enthusiasm.

Point in fact, there was an XFL that tried to challenge the NFL, but it went bust. Too much sexy glam, not enough football, ironically. And Bearfax, only a very few select few writers can compose a post like that without sounding like their nose has gone so far up its now on the back of their neck. I'd like to say well done but you didn't really pull it off ):