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Imagine this. The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles relocate to become the Central Coast Sea Eagles.
It’s been dire straits for Manly in recent seasons, to the point where the once mighty Sea Eagles have become a basket case struggling to survive, with no resolution or solution in sight. Owner and chairman, Scott Penn, his board and members would be remiss if they didn’t strongly consider relocation.
Before making the case for relocation, let’s outline the reasons why Manly are on the brink of collapse.
Brookvale Oval no longer NRL standard
There’ve been many complaints regarding Brookvale’s sub-standard playing surface in recent seasons, which has already resulted in three season-ending knee injuries in 2018.
Along with outdated seating, accessibility, safety issues and poor player facilities, without any government funding and redevelopment plans, Brookvale is already unsuitable to host NRL fixtures.
Manly fans are renowned for being reluctant to travel across the Spit Bridge to watch their team play in other parts of Sydney so if the club is forced to abandon Brookvale Oval and base itself out of Allianz Stadium, it would be catastrophic for the club’s survival.
Manly’s Brookvale Oval is in dire need of repair. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
Salary cap breaches
Manly were find $750,000, two club officials received 12-month bans and a $660,000 penalty which applies to the club’s salary cap for this year and next for breaches involving 15 players over five years, totalling $1.5 million. They were forced to release players and were unable to recruit players to the club.
Culture problems within playing group
The infamous ‘strip club’ scandal after Manly’s Round 5 loss to the Titans in Gladstone should see them relocated. During the scandal six players, including captain Daly Cherry-Evans, were reportedly fined around $10,000 each for breaking team curfew after they defied instructions by coach Trent Barrett not to go out after a team dinner. They instead decided to attend a gentleman’s nightclub, which shows poor standards.
Jackson Hastings drama
The night out in Gladstone lead to a scuffle between Cherry-Evans and utility Jackson Hastings, leading to rumours that the playing group told coach Trent Barrett that they refused to play alongside Hastings.
Barrett eventually fronted the media to address the fallout between Hastings and his teammates and confirmed that Hastings would not be selected for the remainder of the season, leading to his release in June.
Jackson Hastings before his departure from the Sea Eagles. (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)
Barrett wants out
There’s been rumblings circulating that Trent Barrett is keen to abandon the sinking ship at Manly, before being lumped with the baggage from the clubs dramas which could potentially make it difficult for him to secure a head coaching role at another club.
Poor crowd numbers
Only 6000 fans showed up at Brookvale oval in Manly’s Round 20 loss to the Panthers, which is an embarrassment for not only for the club, but for the game as a whole. Manly’s crowd numbers have dropped 19.2 per cent since 2017 and a whopping 35 per cent since 2013.
Poor on-field performances
Manly has a tough challenge ahead of them in 2018 to stave-off the club’s first ever wooden spoon. Currently sitting third-last, the past fortnight has epitomised the teams woes after a 56-24 thrashing by the Roosters, then blowing an 18-point lead with 14 minutes remaining against the Panthers.
Poor membership numbers
Manly are currently ranked second last in the competition with just over 12,000 members.
Sean Penn and his club need to bite the bullet and relocate if they want to survive and grow the Sea Eagles brand.
The Central Coast is only an hour up the road from their current base and the region is more than ready for their own NRL team. Manly already have a connection with the Central Coast, as they’ve regularly taken home games there over the past decade, to great success.
What are the benefits of a Manly relocation?
Ready made stadium
Less than 20 years old and with a 20,000 seat capacity, Central Coast Stadium puts Brookvale Oval to shame. With a train station next to the ground, transport to and from the venue for fans is a non-issue.
Manly have achieved very healthy crowd numbers when they’ve taken home games to the venue in recent years.
Junior base
The Central Coast currently have 23 junior clubs and over 7000 players participating in rugby league at all levels.
Potential second affiliate club
NSWRL Intrust Super Premiership side, the Wyong Roos are a Central Coast based club currently affiliated with the Sydney Roosters, but are set to cut ties with the ‘tri-colours’ at the end of 2018. Manly could possibly link with the Roos as a second affiliate club, strengthening their player depth and to develop rising stars.
Strong population
The Central Coast has a population of well over 300,000 people, meaning the potential to attract thousands of new fans and members to the club, adding to their loyal fan-base from the northern beaches of Sydney.
A move may not be likely until the current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2022, but relocation should be made a top priority.
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