NEWS Here we go again

[ozzball]

Don't know how much cred can be attached to this but ... https://www.zerotackle.com/vlandys-reveals-plans-to-launch-second-nrl-brisbane-team-50652/

 

[Kooly87]

Honestly, it's hard to argue he's wrong. All the points he makes are pretty clearly valid.

It's tempting to look at it as doom and gloom for the Broncos, but I actually feel it's the kick up the ass we probably need in a lot of ways and I think it even has the potential to reinvigorate the Rugby League fan base in Brisbane both in our favour and for the new club. Cross town rivalry works well in the AFL and A-League and it may well be applicable to the NRL in Brisbane if it's done correctly.

My only wish is that every decision around this expansion is made with the growth of the game in Brisbane and Queensland overall as it's motivation, rather than just seeing the Sydney-centric people around the NRL who have been desperate to pile some hurt on the Broncos for decades now, use it as an opportunity to put a club in Brisbane purely out of spite.

 

[abashii]

My only wish is that every decision around this expansion is made with the growth of the game in Brisbane and Queensland overall as it's motivation, rather than just seeing the Sydney-centric people around the NRL who have been desperate to pile some hurt on the Broncos for decades now, use it as an opportunity to put a club in Brisbane purely out of spite.

That's absolutely the way I see it too. Problem is whenever I see it brought up in the Sydney media it's always couched towards taking away the "unfair" advantages the Broncos have. If that's the prevailing attitude and an expansion team is brought in merely to compete with us we'll just end up with another Titans located slightly closer to Red Hill. It's gotta be done properly or not at all.

 

[Wolfie]

Just give the spot to Redcliffe. The foundations are there for them to succeed imo.

 

[Kooly87]

That's absolutely the way I see it too. Problem is whenever I see it brought up in the Sydney media it's always couched towards taking away the "unfair" advantages the Broncos have. If that's the prevailing attitude and an expansion team is brought in merely to compete with us we'll just end up with another Titans located slightly closer to Red Hill. It's gotta be done properly or not at all.

Yep, 110%.

It's the overwhelming argument I hear from Sydney media to justify a second Brisbane team and I think that sort of motivation is always toxic and will significantly increase the chances of failure.

The reality is, their are plenty of non-Broncos fans who would like another team to support and plenty of sponsors who are locked out of sponsoring the Broncos because they compete with existing sponsors, and it should be about capturing those people and those businesses, not diminishing the Broncos existing fan base and commercial strength.

 

[Kooly87]

Just give the spot to Redcliffe. The foundations are there for them to succeed imo.

Depends on the investment interest at a Government level as well as what the NRL wants to tip in then it's also weighed up against what a private investor(s) might be prepared to outlay.

If you were looking to hit the ground running with minimal waiting and the least external investment, Redcliffe makes probably the most sense. All the bones are there for a club and a stadium to have a bit of a leg up to make the shift to a full time NRL club.

That said, if you could generate sufficient investment and willingness to build a complete new stadium and HQ closer to where they would be based, then the Ipswich/Western Corridor option has a a really strong argument. The stadium is key but. They could cop playing out of Suncorp for a season or two if construction timelines required it, but there should be no team in Ipswich/Western Corridor without a plan for a proper stadium and club infrastructure built for them very early on.

 

[Nashy]

NRL are dumb *****. Sydney is competing with themselves for money and fans, GC is a complete write off. Look at Perth you dumb **** NRL flogs.

 

[winslow_wong]

Broncos will be Bunnings and the second Brisbane team will be masters.

 

[cento]

To me we should be putting another team in Perth or another in vic or sa

 

[McHunt]

If they're going to introduce a new team it's **** obvious it has to be related to the Pacific Islands and PNG. That's where the growth is.

They knew this was coming. I recall a friend of a Broncos' scout telling me - ten years ago - they'd been instructed to scratch deeper for Anglo kids because they didn't want future parents giving up on Rugby League because their kids would never get a game. The opposite of the kind of racism Anthony Mundine complained about.

The Broncos is now about 50% Polynesian, and that's fine for us fans, we love them, but it's a missed marketing opportunity not to give them a stronger collective identity that's separate from Brisbane.

Instant fix would be to rebrand the Titans. That would be an overnight hit and turn the most shit club in the NRL into possibly the strongest, with certainly the most boisterous fanbase.

Unfortunately such a move would whiteant the Broncos. The last thing we want is any of our Islander players fucking off to the coast. But I'd rather that than lose anyone to some Broncos clone no one cares about.

Failing that, if they're hell bent on even more clubs, maybe they need to start thinking about a second division, with the bottom tier of the premier table swapping with the top tier of the second table each year. I hate that idea.

So yeah, **** another Brisbane team. No one here wants that. Or at least no one who isn't a ****.

 

[tommy]

The NRL are never going to expand or it will be at least another 20 years. They aren't smart enough to get it right. The game will most likely whither and die over the next 50 years.

 

[Kooly87]

NRL are dumb *****. Sydney is competing with themselves for money and fans, GC is a complete write off. Look at Perth you dumb **** NRL flogs.

Realistically they need two new teams, or one less current team so they sustain an even number.

Perth is in my opinion easily the next strongest candidate after a second team in Brisbane/Ipswich.

Their geographic location makes them simply perfect for day time matches in Perth to help with driving local crowds, which can be broadcast live into the East Coast markets at a perfect time for TV.

Plenty of corporate money around and stadiums are no issue. Perth shouldn't be hard to make a success of at all.

 

[McHunt]

Perth is in my opinion easily the next strongest candidate after a second team in Brisbane/Ipswich.

Does anyone play RL in Perth? Sounds like another Melbourne.

 

[Renegade]

would love to see

PNG/Fiji
2nd NZ team
Perth


along with Bris2

yeah, probably not much money in fiji/png having a team but it would be cool to say we have a legit international comp. support would never be an issue.

 

[Kooly87]

Does anyone play RL in Perth? Sounds like another Melbourne.

Melbourne is currently one of the most financially sound clubs in the NRL, that's before you consider the fact they've also been probably the most successful on field team for the last 15 years. All of that has been achieved despite having hardly a single player from Melbourne locally in their ranks. I'm not sure on what metric you could possibly consider being 'another Melbourne' to be a bad thing? Literally every single potential expansion club should be aiming to be the next Melbourne. Plenty of existing clubs should probably be aiming for that too.

 

[theshed]

Realistically a Sydney team should get punted to Perth. Sharks / Tigers seem most obvious.

A second Brisbane team of done right could be great for the game and I don’t really feel threatened as Bronco fan.

The current NRL have shown some marketing ability with their rebranding and making the club logos more homogeneous. So maybe they have a clue what they’re doing. Any new team should get a significant cap bonus to attract marquee players and encourage immediate success, which will make fans and other players more willing to sign up. This would taper back over the first few years to be in line with the rest of the teams.

 

[McHunt]

All of that has been achieved despite having hardly a single player from Melbourne locally in their ranks.

Surely the point is to grow the game locally. Melbourne has been the test case for being a successful club but failing to grow the game. I would prefer to locate the clubs somewhere closer to where a good percentage of the players grew up or went to school.

Perth is a long flight to play a domestic game for no good reason. The players could do without that. Same with the Islands and PNG. But those might be a bit more of an event.

 

[Kooly87]

Surely the point is to grow the game locally. Melbourne has been the test case for being a successful club but failing to grow the game. I would prefer to locate the clubs somewhere closer to where a good percentage of the players grew up or went to school.

Perth is a long flight to play a domestic game for no good reason. The players could do without that. Same with the Islands and PNG. But those might be a bit more of an event.

AFL players fly across the country several times a year. Certainly doesn't seem to do them any harm. The A-League and NBL both operate coast to coast. Have you seen how far Super Rugby sides travel? Honestly, worrying about one flight a year to Perth and back is a pretty lame excuse in this day and age of air travel.

Melbourne will grow the game. You could argue they already have, but I think that will only grow as time goes on. Sure, it'll never pass AFL down there, it very likely never would in Perth either. But those two cities have large populations that are actually in growth (Melbourne is on track to pass Sydney for population in the 2030's) and they are also home to some of Australia's largest businesses which can provide considerable financial backing. Shutting the door on expansion to other cities is condemning us to a small time future in the Australian sporting landscape.