In the debates over expansion of the AFL and the A-League, Tasmania is a prominent candidate – but not in the NRL.
Why?
Australian bids
In Australia there are a number of bids for new NRL sides.
But while they all have strengths they also have weaknesses.
Perth and Adelaide each have not just one but two AFL teams, so if a new NRL team doesn’t perform will the fans still show up to support them when they have other teams to follow?
The Brisbane Bombers will have to play out of Suncorp at great expense, which will be difficult if they fail to attract fans. I don’t think their awesome logo will do much to pull them in.
What’s their team song going to be? Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines?
The theme from Seinfeld?
On the other hand if they do manage to build a large fan-base but do so by taking fans away from the Broncos, then how will it affect that team?
Ipswich would need to build a new stadium which isn’t a deal breaker if they commit to building one, but there would be questions over a stadium deal in Queensland.
Could a new team survive one in Queensland?
Central Queensland keeps popping up but can they support a team financially better than Tasmania?
And what about their stadium deal?
Central Coast might work but even if it does it barely manages to take the game outside of Sydney let alone New South Wales.
Overseas bids
Meanwhile, there are also a number of bids from outside of Australia but these come with their own problems as well.
Papua New Guinea is a rugby league heartland but the security situation is a shocker.
Papua New Guinea has so many security issues.
If you’re thinking of travelling or know anyone who’s thinking of travelling or if you think they should have an NRL team, then take a look for yourself first.
Fiji is in the mix as well but they have recently had a military coup. Not a good sign.
Wellington and Christchurch are in safe and secure New Zealand and can call upon God himself to defend them if necessary.
In the case of Wellington they would have to play out of the Cake Tin, which is one of the worst stadiums known to man as the ‘Nix have found in the A-League.
The biggest problem facing the Wellington Phoenix is that their stadium isn’t popular with fans who make every complaint you can think of.
It’s the wrong shape, it’s cold, windy and wet because it doesn’t have a roof. The food is expensive, the seats are too far back from the pitch so there’s no atmosphere and the feng shui is rubbish!
To top it all off it’s built in an area that’s prone to earthquakes.
But just before you think it couldn’t get any worse, along comes the British Bulldogs bid who would play matches around England and at a halfway home in Dubai. What could possibly go wrong there?
In case they haven’t heard there’s already a team in the NRL called the Bulldogs and furthermore there’s even an Aussie Rules team representing Britain called the Bulldogs who are coming to the next AFL International Cup. Talk about confusing!
Tasmania
Tasmania has a population of over 500,000 and is part of Australia and yet locations overseas have a higher profile in the debate over expansion of the NRL.
Or should that be the so-called NRL?
From a Tasmanian perspective it must be quite perplexing that a bid from a team on the other side of the world would be considered before they look at Tasmania.
Not to mention the New Zealand bids.
Why would we even want to help New Zealand develop their game anyway? It’s bad enough what the Wallabies have to deal with when they come up against the All Blacks. Do we really want the Kangaroos to suffer the same fate?
And why do the All Blacks always have to get so worked up when they do the haka? It can’t be good for their blood pressure or their cardiovascular health.
Why can’t they do something more peaceful and sedate like tai-chi?
The crane spreads its wings…the dragon…stretches out…feeeel his energy.
Tasmania has a larger population than either Christchurch or Wellington. Unlike another team from New Zealand a team based in Tasmania could help to find additional talent for the Kangaroos.
I guess it’s easy to look at the negatives about Tasmania and count them out without much thought.
The troubles with the Tasmanian economy and its employment issues are well known and documented.
But the bids for Tasmanian AFL and A-League teams demonstrate that there are business plans showing how they could work if given the right support.
If a bid team was set up for a Tasmanian NRL bid they could take these plans and run with them themselves. Most of the work’s already been done.
There’s still the question of whether or not people would support a team there but from what I’ve heard most of the crowd who showed up to watch the Storm versus Broncos match were from the rugby union mob.
So if they show up again to the Storm versus Bulldogs match, who cares which code they play their club matches for. As long as they would be willing to support a team representing Tasmania if there was one in the state that’s all that matters.
If there’s a good business case for a team that can be sustainable, and the right people are willing to back a bid, and if there are enough people who would become members and support the club then a Tasmanian NRL bid might be feasible.
So if the AFL continue to neglect Tasmania then there is the potential there for the NRL to take advantage and fill the vacuum they’ve left and move in if they want to.
When it comes to potentially hosting an AFL or A-League team in Tasmania people might have their doubts but they still take Tasmanian bids seriously when they do come up. But in the debate over NRL expansion they aren’t even on the radar.
Tasmania might not be the most likely candidate for hosting an NRL franchise but they should at least be part of the conversation.
They are part of Australia after all.
Bearfax
Roar Guru
Tsk tsk Flynn. I'm sympathetic to your fight for a central Queensland side. Its certainly one of the primary contenders. But I hope your population assessments of several Sydney locations was tongue in cheek. Not one of those districts has a population under 250,000 and a few well over that.
Pool
Roar Rookie
All you people that say Central Queensland and Tasmania don't have the population for an NRL are wrong. Look at Penrith, Cronulla, Canterbury, Manly and Parramatta, all these bloody places have populations less than 18,700. The entire Central Queensland Population has over 230,000 people and the whole of Tassie has over 510,000. I can't see why the NRL are keeping these Sydney suburban teams going when entire states and regions are crying out for a team.
Lidcombe Oval
Guest
It ain't going to happen as even the AFL wont have a team in Tasmania. Tasmanians would be much more ALF supporters for starters than League- It would like the Western Reds fold up after a few years as they did.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
And your point? Their opposition had a very ordinary year .The Titans were very competitive in the NR.Also like the rest of the NRL clubs at times had to put up with Monday nights. The Titans a Qld club gets 2 byes during SOO and so they should.Just about every club has a complaint about their draw selection.Can't please them all. My point is the Titans are now only now starting to regain some sort of respect from the locals,after the Centre of Excellence debacle. It is also fair to say that Titan's fans are generally not Sun's fans and vice versa. Yes they are both competitors.with or without Hayne.
Marco
Guest
GC Titans get 2 byes during SOO period and play NQ , Rabbits, Sharks, Tigers during this period so pretty good - the best would be drawing Storm and Broncos but that would take away from derby...
Marco
Guest
"Their local opposition was hardly going great guns last season, neither was their star. Both codes accept the other’s place on the Coast." Let me check the draw....
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I don't know what the Titans and their ability to work under the salary cap, after they offloaded a string of players,has to do with a short term view of the world. Marquee players bring fans and encourage youngsters to take up the code.That creates long term support at attendance and grassroots's level. The club has a great coach, with the ability to bring out the best in players.With or without Hayne.
Marco
Guest
Its hard to deal with people who have such a short-term view of the world.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
I don't see how anyone could think I was ragging on rugby. I think you've just lost an arguement and now you're grasping at straws.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
WDD is spot on about Hayne.The Eels with all their cap dramas were caught sleeping on the job.Hayne's preference for the Eels was shown at his press conference. The NRL may well, own the two clubs, but player negotiations,sponsorships etc are left to the CEO and management.The NRL does not interfere unless salary cap exceeded. If the Eels had got their finger out ,he most probably would be running around inn eel's jersey. The Titans lost Bird,Sezer,James Roberts.Nate Myles,Matt White and Nene McDonald.None of them slouches and all decent 1st graders. Therefore they had the money under the salary cap, they had the new Cof E to entice players to the club.The notion the Hayne deal was to block the Suns is laughable.The opportunity arose as it did with Proctor ,and they with plenty of room in their cap, took it.As it did with their Hooker. If anyone is to blame,it's the Eel's management who tried to be underhanded and got caught. Conspiracy theory Marco,it is not.Their local oppostion was hardly going great guns last season, neither was their star.Both codes accept the other's place on the Coast.
Marco
Guest
You waffled around about the Tahs and money etc for 4 lines before getting to the punchline about no Aussie representation hence no extra cash. The honest broker would mention that first.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
The Eels said they did offer him a deal. Hayne said he got a contract offer the day he signed with the titans after initially saying there was no Eels deal. In my mind that's way too late to START a negotiation. Also how did I "bag" local rugby? I said the tahs didn't want to splash the cash and that the other franchises didn't seem keen
Marco
Guest
The Eels disagree with your thesis about offers and you bagged the local Rugby but then pointed out he couldn't represent Australia so you reached the right conclusion after arguing against it. He could have gone to o/s rugby but I would love to see the Titans accounting for these payments.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
If the NRL thought it was so important to have a strong team on the coast why didn't they step in until the club had nearly gone under? They were struggling before the suns were even in the picture and then were getting worse but the NRL waited until its dying breath to say "hang on... let's make the titans really good". No. They realised they couldn't let the team go under with a rival code up the road and guaranteed their existence. That's it. What I meant by Hayne was always coming back was that when he left the NFL and couldn't make it in the 7s Olympics squad for Fiji his choice was NRL or rugby. Since the Tahs couldn't be bothered splashing the cash for him and none of the other super rugby teams seemed too interested his choices narrowed further to NRL, French/Japanese Rugby, or a tiny (to him) super contract which couldn't be buffed up by ARU/wallabies payments due to him having represented Fiji in the 7s. so unless he wanted to go to another foreign land again to learn a new sport he was going to play in the NRL. He said just after the press release that the titans were the only legit offer he'd been given that allowed him to play that year. The Eels didn't even make an offer until the day he was to sign the titans deal.
Marco
Guest
Its important for the NRL to have a strong team on the growing GC with the Comm Games coming up and the Suns there. Every NRL business decision doesnt have to be a conspiracy unless you go looking for the grassy knoll. But NSW always need help - I am amazed you say Hayne was coming back to the NRL - how did you know it if even he didn't - did you miss the dream???
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
It's utter madness.
Birdy
Guest
You have to laugh WDD. The nswrl arl nrl have dumped 1 team after another into the Broadwater without a life jacket for 25 years and when we finally get a club that could actually survive and have a genuine crack at the top 4 It becomes a Rugby League conspiracy against the suns. Who ever they were.
William Dalton Davis
Roar Rookie
They didn't help get Hayne for Australian rugby league. He was always coming back unless the NRL made it hard for a team (think Folau) and the titans were the first ones to come to the table with a big offer and a position for that year. The NRL simply didn't stand in the way for once. The only way the NRL has helped the titans is by guaranteeing their long term survival. As for doing it "to block the suns". No. if the suns couldn't knock the titans out after what they went through and with a guy like Gary Ablett they aren't going to. My how the tide turned quickly on that front. Last I checked that parra hooker was shopped around in order to keep Foran (that worked out well) and the titans were the only ones to come to the party. Next to nothing to do with the NRL. But go ahead it's all a big conspiracy.
Marco
Guest
If you think the NRL didn't help the Titans to get hayne for Aust RL and to block the Suns and esp NSW for SOO you have been living under a rock. Where did that Parra hooker end up...
BigJ
Roar Guru
do yourself a favour and go down to tassie, if you get a chance, go a Strathan its on the West Coast. There are is a fish and chip shop in the main street, thats my mother- in- law's shop, go there for a great feed and tell her your son- in- law sent you for mates rates.