The idea of evolving the game has many people asking many questions, holding many opinions and making many arguments.
Do I have the answer? No, I don’t, and chances are no-one reading this does either. However, I do have an opinion, and it’s neither right nor wrong. An opinion, unlike a fact, is simply what we believe. A fact is Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin will forever be the greatest song of all time.
In 1999 we saw a few lots of two teams merge into one to cut the numbers. Two of them still exist, but this is what I think about the merged teams:
To this day I believe the North Sydney Bears were the logical team to return to the NRL, but we got Manly Sea Eagles instead. Manly is a Sydney suburb of 15,866 people. However, if we were to get all of North Sydney as one, it would go like this:
That makes for a total of 407,993 people.
North Sydney legend Billy Moore is one of many calling for the return of the Bears. A foundation team and with many suburbs to total that figure, the Bears would fill out the stadium big time. Why? Because they were one of the most popular foundation teams of 1908-99 and the crowd numbers tell you as much.
A solution I have come to is to replace Manly with North Sydney. Manly’s members have been dropping like flies over the past few years. THeir 11,375 is the smallest group of all New South Wales teams and the second smallest in the NRL, behind only the Gold Coast Titans.
I remember saying in the past that Manly should stay, but with numbers far too low in terms of membership and attendance, they are a team I believe will eventually run bankrupt if they have too few members. The NRL has made it clear they will not be helping teams stay afloat if they’re in financial problems.
Roarers, what do you think?
Brad H
Roar Rookie
What do I think? This article is absolute rubbish. That’s what I think. Manly play out of a terrible ground, desperately in need of the planned upgrade and redevelopment to improve the game day experience. Don’t you think this might have something to do with their poor crowd figures and member numbers? Have you thought about the fact that Rugby League needs to clean its image and culture up if it is to attract more supporters from this affluent part of Sydney? You can’t blame the Sea Eagles for this. If you think Manly are a hard sell for Rugby League, the people of the North Shore are even harder. You have no idea what you are talking about. Notwithstanding the fact that the Bears have no history or culture of success, Manly at least have that, as well as the fact that everyone sees the Sea Eagles as the competitions villain.
The Barry
Roar Guru
It’s not down to semantics at all. Comparing the population of an entire region on one hand to a suburb on the other is flawed to the point of being useless. Use whatever definition you want but apply to both sides of the equation or it’s just wasting everybody’s time.
KiwiBear
Roar Rookie
North Sydney the suburb is smaller than Manly the suburb. But Manly- Warringah districts or the Northern Beaches region? As opposed to the "entire" Northern Sydney region? It's all down to semantics and what we want to use as a definition.
NSWelshman1
Guest
Are they really? Pray tell which hole that may be?
NSWelshman1
Guest
I'm talking modern day league mate! They've achieved zero since!
terrance
Guest
Gee Adrian, How quickly did you disappear when being found out with selected demographic data and little understanding of rugby league and it's history or how the game is funded! A Roar ''Pro'' at their best!
duecer
Guest
The demographics haven't really changed, never was a strong RL following on the North Shore, but getting rid of the only team on that side will only lose more fans from the area. Don't think the best way forward for the NRL in an already shrinking Sydney market is to shrink it even more by their own hand.
Chui
Guest
Should HAVE died. You seemed to welcomw the correction before.
Justin Credible
Roar Rookie
And that’s half the problem, manly should of died instead
WarHorse
Roar Rookie
Bears are gone for good.
Justin Credible
Roar Rookie
Oh of course, but seriously you wouldn’t want the bears back??
WarHorse
Roar Rookie
I was referring to the bears winning their premierships in the last century.
Justin Credible
Roar Rookie
No I believe, Team America World Police was this century. America!!! Farrrk yeah!!!
WarHorse
Roar Rookie
That will end up as the sea eagles stadium
WarHorse
Roar Rookie
That's so last century!
WarHorse
Roar Rookie
Stairway to heaven kicks doors arse
Justin Credible
Roar Rookie
Smart @rse muthafarrker
The Barry
Roar Guru
Because he’s comparing the population of Manly (the suburb) to North Sydney (the region). Either compare suburb to suburb or region to region. Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles represent the whole Northern Beaches region as much as North Sydney represent the whole north shore.
Tom G
Guest
“Bitter and twisted bears supporter” is practically tautology
Tom G
Guest
You’re in need of understanding the difference between “your” and “you’re”.