As rumour surfaces today of the potential that the Sharks could be moved north of the border, it seems to act as further proof of how blinded the management of the National Rugby League really is.
Last time I checked our game was supposed to be national and unless that word’s definition is suddenly applicable to two states who hate each other so much that they feel that the rest of their country does not exist, it is anything but.
So based upon this twisted definition, management believes that a team should be stolen off one heartland and implanted into a state with three teams already.
By moving the Sharks away from the Shire, you would firstly be gaining no friends in the Shire or in the new location of South East Queensland, and furthermore demonstrating this phobia that the NRL has of moving west.
Regardless of whether you have been exposed to the indoctrination of NRL CEO David Smith, quite clearly that the NRL is not in a period of great success.
Crowd figures and TV audiences may be good in comparison to the Super Rugby competition, but when compared to the NRL’s closest rival, the AFL, alarm bells start ringing.
The AFL consistently gets crowds in the region of 50,000 to regular season matches and never would you see crowds sinking in the region of ten or twenty thousand as is the average for the NRL.
Come finals and even with the NRL having all but one of its finals matches played in Sydney, crowds are still struggling to crack 30,000.
Conversely, every AFL final has risen above this mark including notably 94,000 at the MCG for the Richmond and Carlton clash, 37,000 at Sydney against Carlton and 43,000 at Fremantle’s grand final qualifier.
The AFL has tapped into markets all over Australia and has proved successful, something which the NRL still remains scared of, despite those figures showing what the AFL has achieved through expansion.
While the NRL has shown signs of expanding its reach it has never followed through and the reasons are unknown.
Matches played in Perth and Adelaide experienced high demand for tickets.
A great deal of success has been enjoyed in these areas by AFL, football and cricket.
Honestly, the NRL needs to be thinking of expanding the number of teams in the comp, not of robbing the Shire of the Sharks.
In order to secure a future as a national sport, the phobia of expansion must be overcome.
MotorMouth
Guest
What a load of twaddle. The author is obviously under 30, otherwise he would remember when the Rugby League competition included teams from both Adelaide and Perth. Super League torpedoed that period of unprecedented growth for the game, a time when many were concerned we were spreading the talent too thin. That said, even today the NRL has teams from two countries and four states and territories, pretty much the same as AFL (one country, five states). Each code is concentrated where it's fan-base is, no big surprise. Compare the AFL's recent attempts at expansion to that of the NRL. The NRL's newest team, the Gold Coast Titans, were competitive from their first year in the competition while the AFL's new Gold Coast franchise has about as much chance of winning a game as I do of being selected for the Kangaroos. The AFL's other new team are equally useless. Maybe they are long term prospects but it's hard to imagine them growing when they get flogged every week. The article also ignores the fact that, year after year, 80-odd of the 100 highest rating programmes on Foxtel are NRL games. AFL will always get bigger crowds than NRL because Melbournians have nothing better to do than go to the footy on the weekends. Their cricket crowds are similarly always much better than those in Sydney, as are soccer crowds. It's just the way it is between the two cities and has nothing to do with one sport over another. On the comment about relocating clubs, remember that the Sydney Swans were once the Sth Melbourne Swans and the Brisbane Lions were once from Fitzroy. Relocating those clubs gave the teams a fan base in two states, a shrewd move in my opinion. Whilst I don't think killing off the Cronulla Sharks and relocating them would be a good move, older clubs like the Bears or Jets could benefit from an interstate rebirth.
chris
Guest
I know that I am one of the few but I think it's time to have one Rugby code in Australia/England and Auckland.
russell johnson
Guest
Wellington and then for at least two weeks of the season the Warriors won't have to cross the Tasman and neither will anyone else. By the way do you think the problem with super rugby might be cos it's rugby yawnion rather than the distances involved. No matter how you dress it up (unless you're a deluded rugby correspondent- insult to real journos- for The Daily Mail, The Times etc etc) it's still essentially kick and clap, or was it clap and kick? Not really intending to have a go at the sport so much as the lies and fiction spread around the globe by what is in essence little more than very good propaganda machine. @!+&^$@
russell johnson
Guest
Tunnel vision supported by fans who like things just the way they are but with a bit more money spent on them. By the way this is not, in any way a personal attack, just a sad response to the very ideas that have held RL back from what it is the Greatest Game!!
Rick Karaitiana
Guest
If the NRL wants to produce more players outside of NSW, and Queensland, then it has to promote the game within these other States, starting with the juniors (junior league) Schools, (Primary, High, and Colleges) I understand this is happening in Victoria to a certain a degree, sounds easy enough, but when you have a AFL dominated State and school principles to over come its not as easy as it seems, the NRL has to create training camps, involving past high profile players, and other activities, to develop a future in Rugby League you have to start at grassroots football. Victoria and WA already have established league's (small) the majority of players being ex-pat Kiwi's, Poms, and ex NSW and Queensland, the game's future is its youth, put money into that.
Samual Johnson
Guest
You could argue soccer did the same thing. But they sent them out from Europe. McDonald's and Coca Cola also used the same trick it seems.
fishes
Guest
The West Coast pirates will be in the comp in a couple of years. No question about that. The more interesting question is where will the other expansion team come from? Central Queensland or Brisbane?
mushi
Roar Guru
Not the first time he's raised it so I'm guessing he is serious... unfortunately
A View From the Top
Roar Pro
The NRL was set back 30 years by the Super League War. Before that we were in a somewhat similar position to the AFL. The NRL has set itself up with a broadcasting deal that sets up their next deal very nicely. There is no need to spend that money just because its there, but a far greater need to consolidate the sports financial and grassroots security while taking a much longer term view towards expansion. Some people just cant stand the hole money burns in their pocket! And to be fair the Telegraph article is concerned more with contingency plans if the Sharks were to become insolvent due to breach notices, more so than there is any plan to relocate sides.
Alex
Guest
Agreed. But unfortunately I can't see those scenes being commonplace for quite some time.
Australian Rules
Guest
I'm trying to work out if this is a serious comment... You think the Victorian government hatched a strategy to move people OUT of Victoria...and consequently, THIS was the reason that Australian Football took off in other states. Actually, sorry...I've re-read it...it is a gag...well done.
dynamitedave
Roar Rookie
What the NRL needs to do is promote interstate migration. Victoria did this successfully for years with their "On the move" numberplates. The fans moved, and created local demand for AFL. Surely the NRL could band with the NSW and QLD governments to create a similar scheme?
Kris Swales
Expert
I never get sick of seeing that photo. Amazing shot. Similar scenes once a fortnight would be even better.
jamesb
Guest
"Everyone needs to stop comparing their game to the AFL" Now that is a phobia that needs to be overcome. AFL is well run, but it's not perfect. ".....and.concern themselves with how to gradually improve the NRL in it’s own way." Exactly.
jamesb
Guest
I think what the NRL needs to do is produce more players outside of QLD, NSW and NZ. If they do that, then yeah, we can have a 20 team comp.
Phelpsy
Guest
If nrl want to truly grow they need to do ground work at grass roots level first. League is vertualyy non existent in Victoria (google vrl , there is all but a very small league covering all of Melbourne and Geelong). Compare that to the afl in Sydney .. 5 leagues in Sydney alone. Until they get this part right they will find it hard to grow substantially in non traditional markets.
Minister for Information for the Democratic People's Republic of Football
Guest
You're cooked. That is all.
Football United
Guest
i really can't tell if you are serious on this or not.
Johnno
Guest
Super rugby Bob. Wev'e seen what a disaster that has been, with haveing a regular season comp such a big distance and timezone away.
Bob Anderson
Guest
This may sound crazy, but why not put a team in Los Angeles. I know there would be obvious travel costs and jetlag issues for the players, but if you really want to grow the game why not think big. There is no NFL team in LA, rugby union is still not fully implanted into the United States, and there are obvious similarities between league and American football. Of all foreign sports, I think league would be the most naturally in line with American sporting tastes. All you need is 0.5% of the US market to become league fans and the financial windfall for the game is huge.