The city of Brisbane is considered by many (generally Broncos supporters) to be the rugby league capital of Australia.
This strikes me as nothing short of ridiculous, considering there isn’t a game of rugby league played there just about every second week.
With this in mind, I am clueless as to what the NRL hierarchy is doing discussing the possibility of introducing clubs from Papua New Guinea, Perth or Wellington before, at the very least, a second Brisbane club.
Surely I’m not the only one who gets frustrated when there is an enormous uproar in Brisbane when they place thirteenth?
It seems the Eels, meanwhile, have been on the receiving end of consecutive wooden spoons without anyone batting an eye.
But with the support of the best part of two million people behind them, it really isn’t any wonder why the Broncos receive this treatment.
Being a one-city side in a rugby league mad city bodes well for the Brisbane Broncos. However, much of the rugby league community may view this as unfair, considering the advantages it offers.
First of all, can anyone remember the last time the Broncos weren’t playing on a Friday night?
Sure, it may be necessary for the NRL and Channel Nine to schedule their games on Friday nights due to their enormous supporter base in order to maximise ratings and profits from Queensland viewers.
But with the Broncos and their sponsors on one end of the spectrum receiving maximum exposure through playing just about every Friday night, there are clubs like the Canberra Raiders stuck on the other end receiving the opposite treatment.
In fact, throughout four seasons spanning from 2008 to 2011, the Raiders did not play a single game on a Friday night.
Finally, the one-thousand-and-twenty-two day wait had ceased, with the big game scheduled against none other, than the Brisbane Broncos.
And it looks as though history is set to repeat itself with the Raiders unseen on Friday night during the entire 2013 season.
Another issue that has risen from having a single club in Brisbane, is the fact that the Broncos are gaining some of the game’s most talented players simply by default.
This really shouldn’t be an issue for a lone club in a league crazed city – they have an enormous amount of grassroots clubs that are full of players who wish nothing more than to play for their beloved Broncos.
Yet in a growing trend in the NRL, players are returning to their home cities to play for the club they supported as a child.
We have seen throughout season 2013, that many of today’s players prefer to play as close to home as possible.
The likes of young guns Ben Barba and Anthony Milford, as well as seasoned veteran Cameron Smith, are prime examples of this trend.
It has been well publicised that due to family reasons, Barba, Milford and Smith have fought to return to their roots and play for the Brisbane Broncos.
Barba is the first to succeed, signing on for this season, while Milford has signed on to play for the Broncos in 2015.
Smith however, remains the least likely of the trio to return to Brisbane, but is still a strong chance to do so soon.
Any side with the calibre of these three game-breakers is near certain to at least be a top four side.
Couple them with seasoned Broncos such as Sam Thaiday and Corey Parker, and you’ve got a side that is likely to take out the top gong.
What some may not know, is that both Barba and Milford originally attempted to play for the Broncos, however were written off, the club not believing they had the potential to play first grade.
This allowed the Bulldogs and Raiders to swoop in, sign them, and pour time and money into their development.
Within the space of a few years however, both players had proven that they could not only be first graders, but they could be stars of the game too.
By this point, the Broncos’ interest in the players had intensified and soon enough, they wanted them back.
Personally, I would have preferred the two players to have signed with two different clubs, so as to even out the competition, and I think much of the rugby league community would agree.
Had there been a second Brisbane club, this would have been possible.
We can only hope that Dave Smith and co has not only considered these factors, but plans to take action into the foundation of a new Brisbane club as a result of it.
In the short-term, the new club may well be ridiculed for its lack of support, but hopefully the light at the end of the tunnel will be enough to take the chance.
bryce dean
Guest
more like incestrualises the others
michael steel
Guest
I think it's amazing that New South Wale eleven rugby league clubs and Victoria has has as many AFL clubs and yet whenever someone suggests Brisbane should have another rugby league side or Tasmania should have it's own AFL team, certain people go their calculators and say it's unsustainable. In both cases my suggestion would be that a struggling club relocate. Personally, I'd rather see a club change it's location , than a new club begin while a traditional club folds.
michael steel
Guest
I think it's amazing that New South Wale eleven rugby league clubs and Victoria has has as many AFL clubs and yet whenever someone suggests Brisbane should have another rugby league side or Tasmania should have it's own AFL team, certain people go their calculators and say it's unsustainable. In both cases my suggestion would be that a struggling club relocate. Personally, I'd rather see a club change it's location , than a new club begin while a traditional club folds.
Millsy
Guest
Well GI there is a RL competition in the Pilbara of I think 7 teams and a team up in Fitzroy Crossing. There was 2 strong comps of 6 teams in Kalgoorlie and Newman before Union took over. We had crowds in Perth for the Reds only other clubs could dream about. Not to mention WA has quite a few wealthy people over here. Our juniors had an increase of 19% last year and clubs are starting to get where it was prior to the a Reds coming in. We now have 7 senior sides and junior clubs from Bunbury and Mandurah. When the Reds were dumped there were 10 senior sides we lost 3 foundation clubs that had been there since 1948. Well done to the ARL alliance at the time , set the game back Twenty years or more. To those who think Western Australia don't deserve a team I don't think you have the love of the game at heart, expansion is the answer not the detriment. Being from the west I don't think any more clubs should be lost let's keep what we have and grow the game for the benefit of us all.
I'mastormtrooper2
Guest
Ditto ... https://www.facebook.com/cqnrlbid
a
Guest
Central Queensland should be the next team
a
Guest
Central Queensland should be the next team
Bearfax
Guest
Problem with relocations, and this is an issue I've been disputing with a North Sydney supporter, is that within a decade or two the original supporting area of the identity gets lost. How many Swans supporters do you suppose South Melbourne now have. South Melbourne how has a side in the Victorian Football League (second division) and its not even called The Swans. Within a generation, or twenty years, only the old diehard supporters of a club that had existed in a different location, hold the memory. The younger generation have probably moved on and are either supporting the second division side or their loyalties are now with some other club, probably nearby.
Millsy
Guest
Anybody thought of the sharkies taking 1/2 or some of their games to South Australia . They would have a pretty big supporter base then. The South Coast Sharks sounds good. Just like Hawthorn and North Melbourne are doing now in Tasmania . Good business sense.
Sid
Guest
I totally agree, until then they will not tolerate a loss of revenue to their bottom line. If News Ltd think there is money to be made in another sport and there is profit in it they will dump the NRL and the Broncos in a second.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Alice Springs - Did you bother to read my post or was it a little too complicared for you - demographics is a complicated subject as I stated fifteen years ago plenty of people were predicting Melbourne would be overtaken by Brisbane - never came close to occuring.Perth overtaking Brisbane within fifteen years - I would be happy to bet my last dollar it will not even come close .. The resources boom - it's already over mate do you follow commodity prices? WA ain't the only place on the planet with Iron Ore under the ground the big miners have been digging shit up all over the globe since the spike in demand early this century and over supply is just around the corner and with it the Perth bubble will burst. Brisbane has a more rounded economy so the burst of the commodity bubble won't hurt it much.
Glenn Innes
Guest
I'mastormtrooper2 -Spot on it doesn't make me right but it also doesn't make me wrong your response ia quite clever in a roundabout way the fact I have an opinion contrary to yours is presented as some kind of arrogance which by extension makes it invalid that is the game you are playing. This site is advertised as your sports opinion and as far as a team in Rockhampton I have given my opinion you dissagree fair enough i respect your right to an opinion But opinions are like backsides we all have one it is the emperical evidence you have to back your opinion that matters,So where does Rugby League want to go.Stick a team in a small provincial towns that will no doubt have a passionate fan base but really adds nothing to the games national profile or bottom liine. As I say it is like the AFL sticking a team in regional Victoria, A market of perhaps a couple of hundred thousand spread over a vast geographic area where Rugby League really has no competition or a market of 2.1 million where the game does have serious competition. Modern sport is bankrolled by TV money CQ offers nothing really for commercial TV a second Brisbane team offers a great deal more potential eyeballs and that is what pays the bills.
Muzz
Guest
I have no doubt that News Ltd will eventually offload the Bronco's...Do we really think that they actually care about the game??? Brisbane 2 may never be a reality while News Ltd has a stake in the Bronco's......
sid
Guest
1st I think my point is that they are peaking around 30 -33K as an average. 2nd I think you will find that News Ltd has a massive say I cant comment on the 3rd point I have no knowledge of the commercial agreement being negotiated by the Broncos, if you know something please let us know
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Well, it would be around four if they never were in breach of the salary cap.
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Not that I necessarily disagree because your point has merit, Pot, but I wouldn't exactly say the Dogs involvement in Thurston's development was enough to be considered development. He was in their system for less than two years before debuting, but I guess in a way, however you may look at it, you're right.
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Brisbane Bombers would be a dreadful name Robbo, but a meaningful derby would be nice. And to think it would attract potentially 50k each time.
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
If some proper planning and logical thinking had of ensured the security of the game, it might be in a much better state then what it is now. People always refer to it, but Super League really did a doozy.
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
Go figure...?
Passionate_Aussie
Roar Rookie
It's a shame if you read the CourierMail then :P