Yesterday I published an article on rugby league stadiums, and suggested that teams should combine their efforts to build a few good stadiums to reduce costs and provide better facilities for players and fans alike.
What I neglected to mention, however, as that these things will probably never happen.
With so few clubs having strong private financial backing, and a culture of rampant tribalism where suggesting teams share facilities induces fits of fan rage, it would be extremely difficult to implement despite the significant practical benefits.
This leads into my second suggestion on how to fix rugby league – and this will definitely make people angry.
The NRL needs to either relocate teams, or to reduce them. Now obviously building a bunch of stadiums and moving teams around are largely mutually exclusive exercises, so these would be considered as independent options, rather than parallel efforts.
The fact is that Sydney has too many teams. The city’s population, combined with fierce competition from two quality AFL sides and a football-mad West (forget the Waratahs, let’s be real – rugby union is dying), make the ceiling for the growth of rugby league in the area far lower than if the competition was more spread out over the nation.
So here is my second proposal: a 14-team competition where everyone plays each other twice, with the League reverting to a top six.
The Titans are removed from the competition, because we all know that the Gold Coast is where sports teams go to die. With the Sharks in perpetual financial trouble, they are prime candidates to either be relegated to the NSW Cup, or merge with the Dragons to become a Shire/Illawarra regional team.
Hey Paul, what about a Sharks-Dragons merger? (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
As previously mentioned, the Tigers move out to Campbelltown permanently. With the Macarthur region to have an estimated half a million people in 25 years’ time, they can afford to have their own team.
With Parramatta’s new ground, the Roosters being the NRL’s glam club and the Rabbitohs going through enough for the last 20 years (and being a founding club), these teams can remain where they are. Penrith also has an entire region to itself, so it’s fine.
This leaves Manly and the Bulldogs, one of whom would go to Brisbane to balance the market with the Broncos, and one would head to Perth, where there are no major rugby clubs of either code – and where more than 38,000 people turned up for the double header at the beginning of last season.
The hunger is there in both cities.
“But these clubs have so much history and should never leave Sydney. They’re MY club,” I hear you say.
Well, times have changed. The competition is no longer amateur and the game is too big. Teams have grown well and truly beyond their local suburbs, and are competing in a saturated market.
Something has to give, and either the game will plateau or teams have to leave to create some room to breathe.
Look at South Melbourne, or the Fitzroy Lions in the AFL. Both had long, though not so pretty, histories and they left Melbourne in extremely ugly and painful fashion.
Look at them now, though, with secure fan-bases and multiple premierships between them. They are images of merging and relocation done right.
Unfortunately, in a rugby league culture so resistant to change and that clings to a glorious past, the game risks withering away into oblivion if nothing is done. It will not be pretty, but is completely necessary to ensure the survival of the game.
The next article in this series will also be about the financial state of the game and how the NRL needs to stop selling its soul to Channel Nine and betting companies.
michael holland
Guest
Luke Gillmer Why not just move up the road to Gosford & take 2 home games to Brookvale Perth want their own team I would like to see Perth Redbacks (Red & Black) Central Coast Sea Eagles with a pay check from the NRL & a good stadium to play at with a big junior area & still have a chance as a fan to see them live I think Manly would be silly not to but it's just my opinion.
Luke Gillmer
Guest
I am a Manly Fan and I agree, time to go to Perth, we only play about 6 games a year a brookie these days anyway, maybe we could do a deal to play some of our Sydney away games at brookie for nostalgia (eg when south v manly, Souths take their home game to Brookie) and a couple of home games there so the old faithful still get 4 brookie games a year.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
it only went bad cause two different bulls wanted to own the paddock. If either party had got it the way they wanted (in a multidimensional world), both would have got rid of Sydney teams, made it an ‘australian’ comp.
peeeko
Roar Guru
because Adelaide will fail. Melbourne is 4 times as big as Adelaide with a significant kiwi population and are a massive anomaly
William W
Roar Rookie
I also disagree with forced mergers or relocation. 8 and a half clubs in Sydney, If such a criterion were applied fairly this time and not like in 1998 and 1999 you would get far different results. Everything should be all about Juniors and Members and Comunity engagement. Crowd figures and financial performance fluctuates year to year. Winning is what really counts, everything else falls into line. Massive Injuries can cruel your season and thus your bottom line! That is what has happened to the Rabbitohs in 2016 and 2017. 2018 is a $1.3M profit.
William W
Roar Rookie
I think the Bears are just a stepping stone on the way to the Central Coast. Forget about Wyong, the Rorts have an agreement with the local Junior League. The whole district.
Sports Fan 101
Roar Rookie
I think the real question is why not??? Why not have a team in Adeliade and continue to grow the game??? Although the Adeliade Rams were a terrible failure, a different tactic can work, look how succesul Melbourne has been over the last twenty years. No one in 1998 thought they would gross dollar one and they had a premiership the next year.
Big Daddy
Guest
Very true about roosters. The only thing that concerns me is they should be taking more games to the Central Coast. The recent agreement with Wyong was working well until Easts got a little bit greedy and wanted Wyong to change their team colors and name. They were also trying to get wyong to sell their home ground and leagues club. I don't mind them being up there but it must work both ways. When you look at rooster's they have had New town, Wyong and now Norths in the last ten years.
Fred
Guest
Why do we need to pin a flag on the map in Adelaide? Why deprive NSW league fans of their team so that AFL fans in Adelaide can have a team? The AFL doesn't need to pin a flag on the map in Auckland, Newcastle, Canberra or Townsville - the NRL doesn't need to in Adelaide.
William W
Roar Rookie
What happens when Uncle Nick Passes away? The Roosters will lose their bargaining power within the business world and more importantly the NRL. They will never ever get another person to replace him at such a high level in the game.
William W
Roar Rookie
No true Souths fan would say that at all. Relocation can never ever happen at the Rabbitohs. The Roosters are making inroads into the Central Coast. They have taken over their Junior League as they now have the CC Roosters in the Matts and Ball competitions. Eventually, the Rabbitohs will return to Moore Park, the Roosters will be up at Gosford. This will happen within 5 Years
Bill Blazejowski
Roar Rookie
When that market has already had the Seagulls, Giants and Chargers and all failed, it's hard to be optimistic about the GC. The AFL must have some serous dollars just to keep the train wreck that is the Suns operating, purely for the television contracts.
Bill Blazejowski
Roar Rookie
I believe the ARL made a huge mistake in the mid nineties when the Crushers folded. It's a shame they weren't supported and new administrator's appointed to stabilise the franchise. Once they folded the Broncos basically told the NRL in 98 they didn't want any competition in Brisbane for at least ten years. Brisbane, which is a league heartland (and Suncorp would love another tenant) needs a second team but the Broncos will fight tooth and nail to stop any new venture from starting which is a shame. I have gotten into arguments with a number of Bronco fans about this subject both at games and online. Perth remains an option but problematic as they do not want a relocated team like The Sharks or the Tigers but one of their own. Personally I loved the Western Reds logo and jersey and would have brought it back rather than come up with something ridiculous like the Pirates. I lived in Adelaide for three years during the Rams era. I do not believe it could support a league team again. I agree with the article about the Gold Coast. They have tried on numerous occasions to set a team up there without success. It seems that there are junior players up there and some talent but that mostly it is a spot people go for the beach and the nightclubs and to relax. I wonder how long the NRL and the AFL will keep the Titans and Suns going for?
League4Ever
Roar Rookie
Except Illawarra are no longer part of the SGI Club, the only football team that is part of the Joint Venture is St George. Using your logic Souths record is cleared because they have a new owner and Manly's history is cleared as well. So your answer remains successful clubs get punished to fix a problem? So Souths should go back to being broke like Manly and having few fans attend so they don't get moved. On that logic Parramatta should be moved. Regional support for Parramatta outside of Sydney is the second or third highest in the league and their district could easily be covered by Panthers and Wests Tigers.
Sports Fan 101
Roar Rookie
My original point was of course there are more Knicks fans as there are more people in New York with only tweo teams to pick from. The NRL Sydney teams have fewer fans available to them as Sydney only has 4.5 m people and nine teams. All the more reason to move a team to either, Perth, Brisbane or Melbourne or NZ. I really dont think more teams are needed just less Sydney teams. Cull four Sydney teams ( I'll let the roares pick whom) and replace them with a Perth, Adeliade, Melbourne and Brisbane 2 team, easy! After all its the NRL not the east coast and NZ RL is it?
Fred
Guest
11th in attendance in a premiership-winning year is pretty poor! Roosters crowd averages are also boosted by large numbers of away fans (especially Souths fans when they play and Dragons fans on Anzac day)
peeeko
Roar Guru
no it doesnt. there are 30 NBA teams inc 1 in canada. there are about 50 cities capable of hosting an NBA team. that is not the case in NRL
Roost 66
Roar Rookie
I concur ... to go further to save some of the clubs that may get swamped, I'd have another tier, a division 2, relegation and promotion system (wooden spooners in NRL Div.1 down, Div 2 winners up). By reducing the (Division 1) competition to 12 clubs where all the teams play each other twice, making an equal playing field. Historic clubs like Newtown, Norths and alike can emerge from the ashes. These are just my thoughts ... don't rip me apart
Sports Fan 101
Roar Rookie
Arh the old New Jerseys Nets. Fair enough. But still barely a drop in the ocean for comparsion.
Sammy
Guest
In the context of this article - that there are too many Sydney teams - it's quite reasonable to put forward the suggestion that St George Illawarra should play more of their Home Games in Wollongong and eventually become a true regional Club like Canberra and Newcastle. The St George Illawarra Dragons have ZERO immortals, have participated in 20 NRL Seasons, played in TWO Grand Finals and won ONE Premiership. With regards to Souths, it is true that they could handle a relocation better than anyone - so if the NRL could develop some financial incentives then relocating Souths would be more favourable than relocating some other Club. Of course a generous financial reward must be paid to a Club that agrees to relocate.