Looking on an NRL news website, such as the Roar, one might notice a few trends in some of the articles written; two of which you might find are a 17th team and players moving to Brisbane.
This year we have seen an abundance of talent campaign for a move to Brisbane for personal reasons.
Such a move forces these men into a Broncos jersey whether they like it or not, and given the ever-growing group of players taking their contracts in a squirrel grip and twisting, we are likely to see more leave for their home of Bris-Vegas.
To stop this potential monopolising of talent, there is a way for the NRL to kill two birds with one stone: a second Brisbane team.
Optimist NRL fans will argue that “expanding” further into rugby heartland is not expanding at all; and they’re right. It’s consolidating, which, right now, could almost be as valuable as expanding.
The AFL has done a fantastic job in rugby strongholds with the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants, and the NRL needs to re-consolidate their territory, which a second Brisbane team would no doubt help.
I have previously mapped out how the NRL should introduce a 17th team, and if the they followed this map, they could create a juicy local rivalry.
However, I can almost hear the NRL optimists stifling me with their catch cry of the ‘West Coast Pirates’.
This is a bad idea, but in summary, the Pirates will not be able to compete with a very strong WA Australian rules industry, and no knee-jerk reaction to crowd numbers at nib Stadium will change that. Other ports of call should be addressed before Perth.
This latest Barba-Milford saga has highlighted that before the NRL dares to expand from beyond the Barassi line, there is a need for a second team in Brisbane. Especially after the season they’d just endured, Broncos fans will be salivating at the thought of Barba, Milford and potentially Daly Cherry-Evans lining up to join the Broncos, all for their own reasons, but also for one sole reason: they are the only team in the city.
The Broncos have a monopoly on the “return home” talent – a problem the NRL should be willing to address.
Homesickness is a common theme in the AFL, and the league has developed two teams in every major city so the players at least have a choice if they chose to move back home.
As mentioned previously, there is more on offer potentially for the NRL than just a wider choice for players: all the incentives of a new team and a cross-town rivalry, as well as making it a bit harder on the Broncos to cruise through another era of domination.
The NRL has little to lose and plenty to gain from establishing a second Brisbane team. They do not delve into the unknown the same way they would establishing a team in a non-traditional location, and Dave Smith should be licking his lips at the thought of a cross-town rivalry.
Moreover, it gives players returning home a choice, rather than forcing them to commit themselves to the Broncos, a team that perhaps they’d never join if not for their given circumstances.
Perhaps the NRL needs to go sideways in order to go forward.
Bob Anderson
Guest
A second Brisbane team seems like a no-brainer. Can't imagine why there's any hesitation about it. However, I would like to propose a really radical idea... Why not a team in Los Angeles, and perhaps one in Honolulu as well. Instead of putting a team in Perth to expand the code why not think really big and try to tap into the US market. Of all the foreign sports, I think rugby league has the most potential to appeal to American sports fans. Its fast paced hard-hitting and aggressive and relatively similar to American football. Unlike rugby union, its simple to understand (not saying that in a negative way). LA has no NFL team (neither does Honolulu). Once you get teams in the US you can get the game onto American TV and grow interest. Sure, there are travel costs but the potential benefit is so massive that should be the least of concerns.
Casper
Guest
I think people need to put this contract issue in perspective. SBW seems to have been accepted back easily despite his dog act years ago & that's not a bad thing. as long as he can put bums on seats & help one of the foundation clubs (which gus never shut up about on friday) the game benefits.I went to a fair few crushers games during their short history & you'll find fotty supporters go to decent games, we don't all hate every other team (just manly) Behind the scenes, I get the impression the bulldogs were reasonably happy to move barba on, probably expecting they would get a crack at izzy. Milford can be excused for wanting to get home because canberra would be a nightmare of a place to live for a young indigenouos kid with illness in the family at home. has anyone actually thought that he might have a strong family connection & care about his old man. In business over the years, I've seen plenty of circumstances where good staff have tossed in a lucrative job & taken less money to have the better home life elsewhere. If cherry-evans comes on the market, why wouldn't the broncos go after him, that's what all the sydney clubs do. who else has pulled the 'go home' trick, the bulldogs were prime movers in getting rid of hannant & you'd have to go back to gordie tallis (sat out a season) & kevvie walters for the last decent players that went back to brisbane. most of the others were imports. If the 'go home' card was played so much, why did belcher, meninga, coyne & all those guys play out there careers where they started. maybe you haven't lived in Brisbane, but it's certainly an attractive lifestyle & climate. Does anyone really believe souths are under the salary cap with inglis & 4 burgess guys on the books & the rising stars wanting more money. has anyone asked if Russell has done a deal to give mrs burgess a cushy life here, maybe look after her financially. think these blogs might be more about supporting the idea that sydney people want the broncos to be successful enough to keep up good crowds & tv ratings but not enough to actually win the comp. Competition is about success, success depends on quality & if you have a weakness you try to fix it. salary cap stops that going overboard.
Albion
Guest
Auskick numbers are rubbery at best. I live in brisbane but will not follow the broncos. As soon as a new side comes in I will be the first to be a member
No Cigar
Guest
" By comparison, the mighty Broncos are struggling to fill Suncorp to half its capacity. " And yet they easily average over half the capacity of Suncorp. So I refer you to my previous comment.
No Cigar
Guest
Yeah, you keep dragging oikee down to your level.
john badseed
Guest
After saturdays election every town north of newcastle will end up destroyed by global warming -problem solved
Bill C
Guest
Australia Zoo at Budderum (spelt Buderim)? Try Beerwah. Are you sure you live in Qld?
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Nope. The original Fitzroy plan, of playing 6 home games a year in Canberra, would have worked brilliantly on all levels. If it had happened, we would have all being going 'Fold Fitzroy ? Thats as dumb as merging Melbourne and Hawthorn'.
Australian Rules
Guest
Ian, I wince a little saying this, but allowing Fitzroy to die and shipping the body north was undoubtedly a good move 15 years on. It took the by-far weakest team out of crowdy Melb and bolstered Brisbane's foothold. A heartbreaking call at the time for most footy fans, but good for the AFL longterm. I agree with your North comment. The Suns are shaping their own destiny and taking their community with them, something North clearly didn't want to do.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
+1
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Repeating the Fitzroy fiasco, or the drama in trying to move Norf to the Gold Coast isnt the way to go. FFS, learn from what the AFL did *right*, not it's mistakes.
SportsFanGC
Roar Guru
Oikee - I did not comment on anything to do with Toowoomba so not sure why you have provided your opinion on your home town. I could not care less where you are from and where you have worked - that has nothing to do with this discussion. Learn to read - I said you need to get out a bit more and stop make crazy assertions about other cities in Australia based on your theory that they should build 100K rugby league stadiums. You post ignorant comments about Melbourne, Perth etc and suggest idiotic suggestions about stadiums that Brisbane and Sydney should build. Get in touch with reality and travel outside SEQ once every 10 years.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
Because Super League worked so well the first time.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
It did, but those scum at the Brisbane Broncos valued their local monopoly enough to be very, very enthusiastic about murdering the South Queensland Crushers. A second League team in Brisbane is as much of a no-brainer as a second AFL side in Perth or Adelaide.
turbodewd
Guest
Alas Bears fans will have to realise that Gosford will not get a team for a very very long time, if ever. Unless theres a relocation.
Mushi
Guest
You Lecturing people on morals is like Steve roach telling us to give refs more respect
peeeko
Roar Guru
firstly a team in Darwin? chck the population there, also look at hte NRL rastings for adelaide, almost non existent. also in sydney the whole of western sydney gets one team but the non heartland area of the east with about 1/8th of the population of western sydney gets a team?
peeeko
Roar Guru
the broncos are the reason thare is not a second Brisbane team - they have done everything to make sure of it
Felix
Guest
Gee keeping the best Kiwi players in NZ would cannibalise a few Sydney teams Sheek!
Felix
Guest
I live 1km from Suncorp Stadium Oikee, the locals here will never allow more than something like 30 uses of the stadium across any code or entertainment. They paid $1,000,000 for their houses right beside an enormous stadium and now get cranky when it's used. Personally I couldn't give a toss, I get to hear the Origin tries before they are on TV!