RUMOUR Gold Coast Bears?

[Foordy]

HE North Sydney Bears are preparing an audacious $7 million bid to take over the Gold Coast Titans and rejoin the NRL.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal Bears officials — led by general manager and former Test star Greg Florimo — have opened top-secret dialogue with the NRL about acquiring the financially-struggling Titans.

Part of the deal would include Gold Coast undergoing yet another identity change by wearing Norths’ traditional red and black colours and being called the Gold Coast Bears.

Norths officials have already “sounded out” the NRL, who own the Titans’ licence after the club went into voluntary administration in February 2015.

The NRL is keen to offload the Gold Coast and is exploring all financial models.

Bears officials have been closely — and quietly — monitoring the Titans’ financial plight in recent years. The main question though is whether $7 million would be enough to secure the Titans.

It is understood the proposed buyout would include the new club playing three games a year in NSW, with two of those likely to be at the Bears’ latest home, Gosford, and the other at the club’s spiritual home, North Sydney Oval, as part of an NRL retro round.

The remainder of the home games would be played at the Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast.

“There is interest from Norths,” one source, who declined to be named, said.

“I think they are just waiting for the NRL to say they’re ready for the sale process to start. Norths are waiting for the green flag to be dropped so they could get their bid under way.”
No official application from the Bears has been lodged with the NRL.

After last playing in the NRL in 1999 before three years as part of the failed Northern Eagles joint venture with Manly, Bears officials fear the club will never gain stand-alone status again in a national competition.

Negotiations have ramped up recently and are ongoing. No decision though is imminent.
One well-placed source claimed talks were at a “delicate” stage but an NRL spokesman said despite owning the Titans for two years, the club wasn’t actually on the market.

“The NRL has always said it is not a long-term owner of the Titans,” the spokesman said. “However, at this stage, we have not put the club on the market so we have not even considered any options yet.”

Some NRL officials are concerned about another possible change of brand for the Gold Coast who, since their inception in 1988 have been known as the Giants, Seagulls, Gladiators, Chargers and now the Titans.

“I’m not sure the NRL has an appetite for another name change for Gold Coast,” a source said.
The profitable North Sydney Leagues Club already operates Seagulls Club in Tweed Heads.
The Daily Telegraph contacted Florimo but he preferred not to comment.

Gold Coast chief executive Graham Annesley would also not speak about the Bears’ approach.
“As an employee of the club any comment on the sale process can only come from the current owners, the NRL,” Annesley said.

The Bears currently play in the NSW Cup as South Sydney’s feeder club.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...s/news-story/5970c7ab4e2b0f2fd5f523bc4ee0dc36

 

[mitch222]

Nothing will help the Titans. They will be forever drip fed money from the NRL regardless of who takes them over

 

[Broncoman]

I would really like a return for the Bears, it was an injustice what happened to them. They were meant to play in the NRL in 2000 but it's a long story why they are not. Doubt the Gold Coast would want to change their indentity though.

They were my dads team as well.

 

[Nashy]

They try this on every year don't they?

 

[Morkel]

I know the NRL are desperate to retain a presence on the Gold Coast, but the more time goes on, the more I wonder why. Is it literally bragging rights? The bullshit false facade of the "glitter strip?". Rugby League has long valued substance over style, it's what separates us from every other competing code. Soccer, AFL, Union, in my eyes they're all a bit poncy compared to League, which has just the right balance of brutality and brains. Even the glamour clubs, like the Broncos and (yuck) the Roosters, still value the gym for the advantages it gives on-field, the Gold Coast only values the gym for the advantages it gives in the nightclub.

The fans never last, in fact they're rarely fans, they're just the flogs that happen to be gazing in that general direction as something shiny goes past, only caring until something newer or shinier goes past the other way. The club doesn't make money, sponsors know that they're better off targeting the wealthier 60+ brigade with golf than the default-on-their-credit 20-30yo UFC posers. And I can't see the region having a major impact on TV ratings.

As much as I care little for the Bears, having their colours patched over a polished turd would just be an insult to them.

 

[Sproj]

Start up the Perth Bears and get rid of or re-locate four or five Sydney teams, make the comp truly national and there is your bare knuckles plan moving forward. Keep the Titans and / or start a team in south Queensland. Bring back the Crushers I tells ya!

 

[Cult]

Don't they already represent Northern NSW?

 

[Renegade]

GC should be nuked from the sporting map. Absolute graveyard for teams, it doesn't matter from what code.

 

[Porthoz]

**** the Bears and their entitlement bullshit. This is just another attempt to enter the camp through the backdoor and eventually move back to Gosford, because we really need another NRL team in the greater Sydney area...

But yeah, let's bag the Gold Coast, because they certainly deserve to be nuked out of the comp before one of the gazillion Sydney teams, right?

 

[Super Freak]

I know the NRL are desperate to retain a presence on the Gold Coast, but the more time goes on, the more I wonder why. Is it literally bragging rights?

I thought it was some attempt to stop the AFL from claiming the Gold Coast and making it an AFL stronghold.

 

[Renegade]

But yeah, let's bag the Gold Coast, because they certainly deserve to be nuked out of the comp before one of the gazillion Sydney teams, right?

yes because it doesn't matter what team you put there, it will fail.

GC doesn't care for big sporting teams. There's a list as long as your arm for failed teams, of all codes. It is a pointless exercise.

 

[Broncoman]

yes because it doesn't matter what team you put there, it will fail.

GC doesn't care for big sporting teams. There's a list as long as your arm for failed teams, of all codes. It is a pointless exercise.

I personally believe that the reason why sport always struggles on the Gold Coast is because the Gold Coast is such a social area with the best coastline in Australia plus all the theme parks, rainforests, shopping, surf clubs etc it leaves people with a wider variety of things to do and gives people more intrests than just sport. Sporting franchises work better in places where there isn't thousands and thousands of things to do at all times of the year, so this works against Gold Coast sporting franchises.

Some Gold Coast teams have also had the wrong people involved in the business side of things. Christopher Skase with the Bears that were relocated to Brisbane and later became the Lions and Michael Searle and all the financial debt and bankruptcy.

I think there might've been some fighting going on at the Seagulls/Chargers when Jeff Muller had the license as well.

 

[Renegade]

I just think it's more of a transient population than other places - very touristy, lots of geriatrics moving there to retire, plus as you said, the beaches, the lifestyle, the theme parks - sport just doesn't rank that highly as something to do there, it seems.

or at least, important enough to go and attend wherever the games are (robina/carrara etc)

 

[GCBRONCO]

They could probably relocate the Warriors over here and relocate the stadium to Coomera, enough support here trust me.

 

[Super Freak]

So the Bears are apparently prepared to offer $7 million to takeover the Titans.. One club CEO laughed at that saying they would need $100 million to secure the club's long term future and I don't think the Bears have that kind of money.

They said the Bears would be out of money by the second year.

Plus, the NRL are set to torpedo the bid because they are committed to the Titans brand on the Gold Coast.

This isn't happening.