The Gold Coast Titans are the NRL’s newest club, having been introduced with high hopes in the 2007 season. But should they remain in the competition?
Queensland is an odd market in terms of sport.
Where New South Wales is a predominantly rugby league state and Victoria and South Australia are dominated by AFL, Queensland has struggled with its sporting identity for a while.
It is home to two sides in the AFL and three in the NRL. Being such a huge state with such a large sporting fan-base, Queensland should be an ideal breeding ground for sporting teams.
But for some reason, the Gold Coast Titans have failed to take hold.
There’s no doubt the Broncos rule the roost, but the Gold Coast is a big town and one that harbours a mountain of talent and sporting potential.
Yet there has been one telling point that has been keeping the Titans down – memberships.
People read into membership numbers in a thousand different ways, but it’s probably the best reading you can get on a team’s popularity.
No one expects a brand new team to explode to the top of the league instantly, and that was something taken into account by the NRL when the club was picked a decade ago. There needs to be time for a fan-base to grow and for the team to get a foothold among a large competition.
But how long should that take?
The Titans rose up and sat nicely in the middle of the table in terms of membership numbers in 2010, just their fourth season, but they plummeted back down the list in the early to mid-2010s, having the lowest member count on more than one occasion.
The theory goes that the number of fans should be increasing, growing as each year passes and more are introduced to the side. Yet, for some reason, people have come like they were supposed to, then left.
This will be the 11th season for the Titans, and much like memberships, no one can expect a side to rock up and win everything, but they’ve made the finals just three times, being pushed out each time without too much fuss.
Eleven years has been more than enough for other sides in recent history.
The Melbourne Storm famously won the premiership in just their second year, while Canberra notched up two title wins in their first nine years. The Brisbane Broncos won five premierships in their first 13 seasons.
The Newcastle Knights even got one within their first ten seasons, as well as the Wests Tigers, winning in their sixth season after coming together as a joint venture.
All of this happened from the 1980s onward so it’s not some statistical anomaly from the early days. If anything, it’s easier for a side to succeed more and earlier in the professional era.
There were never world-beating expectations surrounding the Titans, but where, or when, is the point that continuously dwindling membership numbers and a lack of, not so much groundbreaking but just reasonable, results catch the eye of the NRL and become an issue?
Maybe it’s not the club. Maybe it’s the location.
The Gold Coast Suns were brought into the AFL not long after the arrival of the Titans and have similarly suffered from poor crowd numbers, unspectacular fan support and less than ideal results.
Rugby league has tried to grab on before on the glamour strip to no avail.
A team was packaged three times throughout the 1980s and ’90s in an attempt to take advantage of the bustling metropolis. First, it was the Giants, then the Seagulls, then Chargers.
The Titans look to be heading the same way. Could it just be a case of a tree that refuses to grow in infertile soil?
There’s constant talk of expansions and other clubs being brought in, so should the Titans be scrapped as another failed venture and make room for a club somewhere else?
J
Guest
How would getting rid of a team on the GC improve crowds in Sydney? What a bizarre comment.
Rocky J Squirrel
Guest
I'm sure I wasn't dreaming this - The Gold Coast Titans made the top 8 in 2016 - Finishing 8th didn't they??- Don't know what's in the pipeline for expansion but I think the NRL are hoping a Sydney Side or two will relocate. If expansion is on the agenda who to admit and how many new teams - candidates so far include a second Brisbane team/Central Queensland team/ WA team /Second New Zealand team/Central Coast Bears
Scott
Guest
Nev, catch the train. You can park at the station, it takes me less than 20 minutes to get to Nerang after each match. Much better than a traffic jam
Scott
Guest
Well said though similar stupid articles will continue whilst the ownership issue is unresolved
Scott
Guest
A new team needs to win, neither the Titans or Suns have done that. When they do watch the crowds. The Titans V Cronulla match last year had a lot more Cronnula fans than you normally see
Scott
Guest
Let's just accept the author has too much time in his hands, stupid article
Scott
Guest
Maybe it's just a stupid article?
Scott
Guest
Because Newton and Norths did so well themselves? It's the 6th largest city in Australia so Rugby League needs to have a presence. The area had a large economic down turn and the previous owner didn't pay subcontractors - which explains a downturn I support. Kids support them and when they win they will get increased support.
Scott
Guest
Maroon, I stopped watching Rugby league and only started when the Titans came back. Each to their own
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Agree Big J Hayne's presence has boosted their memberships,but I also believe and I may be wrong, the new management team, the competitiveness of the Titans even prior to Hayne also played their part. I'm also hoping the stench of the Cof E debacle is gradually wearing off ,with members of the GC community. When you get the trade community offside(part of your base),you are asking for trouble.
BigJ
Roar Guru
that is mostly due to the hayne plane landing on the Coast, but still no doubt this is the year of the titan
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Sue ignores the new board and management involved at the Titans.The new training facility at the North of the GC and we learn today two consortia have formally expressed interest in buying the Titans .Greenberg confirmed the interest and the fact they will begin sell off talks in the next week. The Titan's memberships are already well up on 2016.
Sue Jones
Roar Rookie
yes I know that, but unfortunately big stadiums don't pay the bills.
BigJ
Roar Guru
Nice to see that you are still sweating the small stuff Barry. I thought by now you would have better things to do that correct minor grammatical errors. But obviously not. Oh well no matter, some things never change.
BigJ
Roar Guru
Sue I do not think you know what you are talking about
Agent11
Guest
Sue - the Titans have begun to turn their fortunes around on and off the field. They have an exciting line up and fans are coming back. The NRL isn't going to wind up a team in a such an important strategic region who has a perfectly good state of the art stadium and training facility all to them selves.
Sue Jones
Roar Rookie
I really can't u8nderstand why the NRL is propping them up. They did not do that with the bunnies all those years ago. Now the rabbitohs are viable now. The titans are only trying to cash in on the Broncs success, it won't work. Brisbane have very good administrators and have people on the board that have very good business knowledge. What is there annual turnover something like $40 Million. The Titans have paid heaps of money for that ex Parramatta star(he thinks he is) and that has not really turned into a cash bonus for the club, or if it has made people join the club it's only temporary. For many years the fans have complained about the travel, venue, food prices memberships etc, etc. The best thing the NRL should do is wind them up they should not be propping up any team if they can't make it on their own too bad.
Agent11
Guest
Ok smithy, go send some hate mail to jessica mauboy
Vichy
Guest
I think every Rugby League fan on here just accused every other sport bar Rugby League of racism after one blokes bad encounter. How sad are you lot? Im a 35 year old Koori male who was driven out of Rugby League when i was 26 because of racism from my club and more predominantly opposition teams. How dare you idiots say there is no racism in Rugby League! For a tiny minority sport Rugby League is full of problems and racism is high on the agenda
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Still boring people Smithy with personal attacks, and dislike of the game. Your code must be pretty uninteresting to offer comment ,judging by the amount of wasted time you spend here.