Foordy
International Captain
Contributor
- Mar 4, 2008
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There is currently 3 articles on Code Sport (News Corp) talking about a proposed 20 team comp in the future, possibly before the Brisbane 2032 Olympics. The idea is for the NRL to take over the AFL as Australia's number 1 football code.
the article from Badel / Read / Carayannis says that the Dolphins stunning victory in their premiership debut last week was emphatic vindication of the expansion to 17 teams.
Here is some of the info from the articles. I'll finish off from the quotes those involved:
Nick Politis said:
“Yes, I have suggested we go to 20 teams,”
“If we want to compete with the AFL, we have to be truly national and be representative in every state.
“I’m not saying we expand right now.
“But over the next five, eight or 10 years, we should look to go to 20 teams.
“We had 20 teams in 1995. Unfortunately some teams got killed off because of Super League, so a few teams dropped off during the compromise. Adelaide and Perth were cut.
“It would be great to see North Sydney back in the NRL.
“I strongly believe the Bears should be resurrected, possibly by going to Western Australia as the Perth Bears, and there’s areas like PNG and the Pacific Islands that the game can explore.”
“The only way to grow our TV rights is by giving the broadcasters more product, just like the AFL,”
“It will take some time for people to accept it, but we have to keep growing the game.”
Peter Vlandys said:
“Nick Politis is one of the great visionaries of our game and if he believes we should go to 20 teams, we should certainly consider it,”
“If the 17th team went well, then, yes, naturally we will look at 18 teams and even 20 teams.
“The intention was always to grow the game in stages.
“It’s not something that will happen overnight. It’s an objective and we have to have the ambition to get there.
“One of the reasons the AFL do so well is because they have 18 teams and they have more product to sell in terms of TV rights than we do.”
“We will absolutely look at a PNG or Pacific bid,” he said.
“The Pacific region is a huge potential pathway for the game. It’s a very embryonic idea, so we have to do the research and the strategy.
“The Dolphins have been a wonderful addition, they have grown our Queensland audience, and it’s just the beginning for the game.
“Everything we do is fact-based. We would have to do the research (on a 20-team league) and look at it.
“At this stage, I haven’t got that data, but the 20-team idea has been proposed and we will investigate it.”
Souths CEO Blake Solly said:
“The idea of 20 NRL teams, under the current operating model, is completely unsustainable,”
“There is not the playing, coaching or administrative talent to expand at that sort of rate.
“At the moment the NRL haven’t confirmed an obvious candidate or location for an 18th team, let alone the 19th or 20th.
“The Dolphins have done a very good job building an NRL club in a short time frame. They’ve earned the right to stabilise and grow before another new team enters.
“Any decision to add an 18th team needs to be aligned to an NRL strategy to increase participation, properly fund the existing NRL clubs for the elite player development we all undertake, and be a guaranteed commercial success.”
Bears board member Billy Moore said:
“What we’ve said to the NRL is you tell us where we need to go to become the 18th team,”
“Our fans will go with us. We’ve waited 24 years.
“All we want is to be back into the competition. Whether that is in Perth, Port Moresby or Wellington. But, during discussions, what has arisen is the prospect of becoming the Pasifika Bears.”
“We have three non-negotiables,”
“We want our colours, our brand and to play two games at North Sydney Oval a year. That will give us our history back. We will completely fund it. We will go wherever the NRL thinks is the best option. We will not cannibalise any other club. We will create extra pathways.”
Brisbane Jets director Nick Livermore said:
“Where can a Pacific team be appropriately based? How do you fund it commercially and corporately in Cairns?”
“It would be a very complex process logistically, but the game is driven by money and if a Pasifika team can attract major funds for the game, the NRL might decide to explore that region.”
the article from Badel / Read / Carayannis says that the Dolphins stunning victory in their premiership debut last week was emphatic vindication of the expansion to 17 teams.
Here is some of the info from the articles. I'll finish off from the quotes those involved:
- Three new expansion clubs are estimated to be worth $20 million in annual funding support for the next 20 years — a $400 million coup for the NRL;
- Cairns is the front runner for an 18th team. it will be a Pasifika club based full-time in Cairns and play a number of NRL premiership home games in Samoa, Tonga and PNG
- North Sydney chiefs are open to merger talks with the Pasifika consortium to bring the Bears back to the top flight for the first time since 1999.
- The Australian government will provide tens of millions of dollars in financial support to help bankroll a Pasifika team.
- Vlandys backs a 20 team competition.
Nick Politis said:
“Yes, I have suggested we go to 20 teams,”
“If we want to compete with the AFL, we have to be truly national and be representative in every state.
“I’m not saying we expand right now.
“But over the next five, eight or 10 years, we should look to go to 20 teams.
“We had 20 teams in 1995. Unfortunately some teams got killed off because of Super League, so a few teams dropped off during the compromise. Adelaide and Perth were cut.
“It would be great to see North Sydney back in the NRL.
“I strongly believe the Bears should be resurrected, possibly by going to Western Australia as the Perth Bears, and there’s areas like PNG and the Pacific Islands that the game can explore.”
“The only way to grow our TV rights is by giving the broadcasters more product, just like the AFL,”
“It will take some time for people to accept it, but we have to keep growing the game.”
Peter Vlandys said:
“Nick Politis is one of the great visionaries of our game and if he believes we should go to 20 teams, we should certainly consider it,”
“If the 17th team went well, then, yes, naturally we will look at 18 teams and even 20 teams.
“The intention was always to grow the game in stages.
“It’s not something that will happen overnight. It’s an objective and we have to have the ambition to get there.
“One of the reasons the AFL do so well is because they have 18 teams and they have more product to sell in terms of TV rights than we do.”
“We will absolutely look at a PNG or Pacific bid,” he said.
“The Pacific region is a huge potential pathway for the game. It’s a very embryonic idea, so we have to do the research and the strategy.
“The Dolphins have been a wonderful addition, they have grown our Queensland audience, and it’s just the beginning for the game.
“Everything we do is fact-based. We would have to do the research (on a 20-team league) and look at it.
“At this stage, I haven’t got that data, but the 20-team idea has been proposed and we will investigate it.”
Souths CEO Blake Solly said:
“The idea of 20 NRL teams, under the current operating model, is completely unsustainable,”
“There is not the playing, coaching or administrative talent to expand at that sort of rate.
“At the moment the NRL haven’t confirmed an obvious candidate or location for an 18th team, let alone the 19th or 20th.
“The Dolphins have done a very good job building an NRL club in a short time frame. They’ve earned the right to stabilise and grow before another new team enters.
“Any decision to add an 18th team needs to be aligned to an NRL strategy to increase participation, properly fund the existing NRL clubs for the elite player development we all undertake, and be a guaranteed commercial success.”
Bears board member Billy Moore said:
“What we’ve said to the NRL is you tell us where we need to go to become the 18th team,”
“Our fans will go with us. We’ve waited 24 years.
“All we want is to be back into the competition. Whether that is in Perth, Port Moresby or Wellington. But, during discussions, what has arisen is the prospect of becoming the Pasifika Bears.”
“We have three non-negotiables,”
“We want our colours, our brand and to play two games at North Sydney Oval a year. That will give us our history back. We will completely fund it. We will go wherever the NRL thinks is the best option. We will not cannibalise any other club. We will create extra pathways.”
Brisbane Jets director Nick Livermore said:
“Where can a Pacific team be appropriately based? How do you fund it commercially and corporately in Cairns?”
“It would be a very complex process logistically, but the game is driven by money and if a Pasifika team can attract major funds for the game, the NRL might decide to explore that region.”
