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It’s time to stick my neck on the chopping block about my lack of faith in the greatest game of all’s chances in WA.
I have previously written articles about NRL expansion, loudly protesting against Perth as the location for a 17th NRL team.
Over time, I have shaped my opinion around reasonable thinking. I am prepared to concede that there is a chance for the Pirates to sail as a long-term project, but this article, in three parts, will outline why Dave Smith should not be booking a flight to the West coast when 2017 rolls around and the NRL re-evaluates its expansion plans.
Let’s start with the positives: why this thing could work. After all, it’s not completely crazy is it?
The AFL is so far enjoying the off-field benefits gained with the introduction of the GWS Giants, including good participation in western Sydney Auskick centres.Slowly, the AFL is further boosting its profile in New South Wales and western Sydney.
The NRL would love nothing more than to firmly mark itself on the map in the Western Australian sporting scene. Perth is the biggest city in the country without a rugby league team, and given the rising popularity of the Western Force despite poor results, gaining a following may not be as hard as appears on the surface.
What’s more, the game seems to have some sort of following.
On a glance at WARL websites, there appears to be a fairly comprehensive and popular league. There’s also a bold concept statement from the Pirates themselves, in which they aim to become one of the five “most recognisable sporting brands in Australia” by 2020, and even play State of Origin.
I admire the bravery of such claims, and I can’t see them eventuating one way or another. If this thing is to come about, perhaps an initiation through New South Wales or Queensland Cup is the right way to go. They already compete in the S.G. Ball Cup, after all.
But what’s encouraging is that the Pirates seem strong in their convictions. Perhaps the most exciting prospect about the Pirates’ bid is the chance for rugby league and the NRL to expand into another non-traditional market and gain the league a wider scope.
This thing has potential. ‘Nuff said.
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