Webcke's vision

[Coxy]

http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/wo ... 14645.html

Broncos great Shane Webcke has outlined his blueprint to save rugby league and says he would consider running the game if an independent commission were formed.

The Sonny Bill Williams saga may be a catalyst for change as the spotlight shifts from the renegade Bulldog to the state of the competition he left behind.

The calls for an independent commission to run the game, a solution championed by Bulldogs legend Steve Mortimer, have increased and now the highly respected Webcke wants to be involved in the process.

All good, I'd welcome his input. However, his ideas:

- Reintroducing teams in Perth and Adelaide to make rugby league a truly national game;

- No more club games at ANZ Stadium;

- Redeveloping the Sydney Football Stadium into a 50,000-seat arena which could replace ANZ Stadium as a home ground for some Sydney clubs;

- Stringent guidelines for players' behaviour to limit off-field incidents;

- Turning rugby league matches into genuine "events" for fans.

1. Perth and Adelaide: we all know that's not viable at this stage. Plonking teams in a location with no basis is not the way to improve things.

2. No more club games at ANZ Stadium - well unless there's a viable alternative with the same financial benefits that ANZ offers, the clubs will go broke without it.

3. Redevelop the SFS. Please. The area is a nightmare to get to at the best of times. Inadequate public transport access, and the SCG right next door...I know he's only talking a 10000 seat increase but I can't see the NSW government supporting it.

4. Stringent guidelines for player behaviour. We've had that since Coffs Harbour. Doesn't stop it. Afterall, kids are kids and Gen Y has no respect for authority, especially Gen Y earning more money and more notoriety than they deserve.

5. Turning matches into genuine events. Well, great, but how? Do we want a bloke juggling burning sticks or something?

 

[Hamm.0]

Just on Telstra/ANZ stadium. ANZ is a classic example of a white elephant, an aftermath of the Olympics. It is a purpose built stadium for a sport/event, it won't hold again.

What the NRL should attempt to do, in conjunction with the A-League and the NSW Government, is redesign the eyesore and make a purpose built square field stadium, ala Lang Park. Cost alot and might not be feasible for sometime.

 

[Coxy]

Yeah, and I think that's what Webcke means by redeveloping SFS to be bigger. It's purpose built for rectangular sports, just too small a capacity. But its infrastructure/location problems are more serious.

I think the better solution is to redesign Telstra/ANZ to be a rectangular ground that holds 75000-odd people.
AND, knock down or downsize the SFS (to a max capacity of 25000), expand the SCG to be a round ground that holds 75000-odd people (currently about half that).

It'll never happen of course.

 

[MR-BRONCOS]

anz will not change to a rectangler field as it hold afl games,

 

[Coxy]

My point being that if they redevelop the SCG - already capable of hosting AFL games - to hold 75000+ people, then the AFL can use that.

In turn, redesign AFL to suit league and it's perfect.

 

[MR-BRONCOS]

scg already has been redeveloped how many times u want them to do it. a new stand has gone in opens at the end of the yr

 

[Coxy]

Well what's the fucking point of having two round oval stadiums and only one half decent rectangular one that's far too small?

The other option is to bulldoze the SCG and expand the SFS and leave ANZ for aerial ping poing and cricket, but cricket would quite rightly disapprove of that.

 

[Professor47]

Stay away from Perth and Adelaide... some people there don't even know what rugby league IS... true story!
I think Perth and Adelaide are still a very long time away.

 

[Coxy]

There's people in Melbourne who don't know what rugby league is either. And they've won two premierships, made three Grand Finals...

 

[Webcke]

Well cause Webcke said so I agree.

 

[Professor47]

^
Aren't we losing heaps in Melbourne though? Correct me If I'm wrong, I don't say this with certainty but I thought we were losing up in the millions for Melbourne each year?
Of course many years from now it could have been a genius decision.
My mind doesn't change, I still think Perth and Adelaide is not the go.

 

[mick]

I honestly don't know why the SFS would need to be expanded by 10,000 seats for club games.

With no Sydney club even close to averaging 20,000 atm, and the SFS not selling out for a regular club match in aaaages, wouldn't it just be better to hope for an improvement in the meantime? Keep ANZ for the big semis and the GF, but sheesh... it's like saying 35,000 wouldn't be good enough for a H&A match in Sydney!

I also think Adelaide is a ridiculous proposal, but not so much Perth. A lot of people there are getting disillusioned with the AFL, particularly many WCE fans. They've also got a team in the Jim Beam Cup, and have had their horizons broadened past AwFuL courtesy of the Western Force. We need to take at least 3 club games there over the next two seasons, IMO, and let people in for next to nothing. Hell, give Force season ticket holders free entry - once they see how much better our product is, we'll have won more than a few over!

 

[Coxy]

I honestly don't know why the SFS would need to be expanded by 10,000 seats for club games.

Who said expand the SFS? I said reduce it to 25000, and expand the SCG instead for use by the gAyFL and croquet.

 

[MR-BRONCOS]

sfs will not decrease has it has just finished increasing stadium

 

[Coxy]

Dude, this is discussing options, futures, best case scenarios. Whether it's viable is another question altogether.

Geez. You sound like Phil Gould.

What's your suggestion?

 

[MR-BRONCOS]

phil gould not that bad, im just going by wat i c as i work at some of the venues

 

[mick]

I honestly don't know why the SFS would need to be expanded by 10,000 seats for club games.

Who said expand the SFS? I said reduce it to 25000, and expand the SCG instead for use by the gAyFL and croquet.

ah, Webcke said to redevelop it to 50,000 mate. icon_thumbs_u

 

[Coxy]

Yes, and vision requires putting all preconceived notions aside and looking at the big picture.

It's just like people at the QRL saying we can't have a single body of control because Ross Livermore won't want to lose his job. That's not a reason not to do it.