Art Vandelay
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Expansion versus relocation: Why it’s time for NRL to seriously consider moving some of the nine Sydney-based clubs
- Thread starter Art Vandelay
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Dogmonster
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Honestly at the moment any town would close their blinds and curtains if we rolled into town.
Rebuilding Phase
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Expansion versus relocation: Why it’s time for NRL to seriously consider moving some of the nine Sydney-based clubs
While the expansion versus relocation debate has been going on since before Super League, the NRL continues to be left behind by AFL in the race to become a truly national competition.
But the reason the debate needs to start again right now is because all NRL club licenses expire on October 31 this year.
So if there is ever going to be a decision made to potentially move any of the existing nine Sydney-based clubs to assist further expansion, it must be done before the next license deal.
Expansion versus relocation
You watch the constant struggles of Wests Tigers, the Dragons and Bulldogs, not just last weekend but year after year, and you shake your head at how those clubs can be so consistently bad when other Sydney based teams like Rabbitohs, Panthers and Roosters are so consistently successful.
Then in the next breath someone brings up expansion, and potentially creating new teams in places like Perth, PNG, another out of Queensland or perhaps even New Zealand.
Otherwise there might not be another chance to even argue this for at least the next 40 or 50 years, or perhaps ever longer unless clubs are prepared to shift on their own terms.
But the question that must surely follow is if further expansion doesn’t come with at least one, or possibly two, Sydney teams biting the bullet and relocating, how in the hell is the game going to have enough elite talent to go around?
Sure, the Dolphins have shown this year the new kid on the block doesn’t necessarily have to be the weakest link.
But there is just no denying how much one extra team has also become a further drain on the player talent pool.
And it could be even worse if the next team comes from an underdeveloped rugby league state like Perth.
You just need to look at the amount of born and bred Victorians who have emerged in the 25 years of the Melbourne Storm’s existence to understand how tough it can be developing elite talent in previously untested markets.
So moving into a new market will certainly not guarantee more NRL quality players, or at least not enough to detract further from the competition as we know it.
How new licenses will work
What the clubs are hoping to get moving forward is what is called a perpetual license.
If approved, it would mean they would remain indefinitely, so long as they hold up their end of the deal and don’t go broke, or do something so horrifically wrong that they lose their legal rights.
Of course, KPIs would come with any deal relating to ongoing governance and financial stability.
But there is little chance any club in this day and age would ever go under financially regardless of how they perform on the field, with the $19 million in annual funding they currently receive.
But just because revenue coming from TV broadcast rights is propping clubs up to the tune of $5 million-a-season above what they currently pay in player salaries, does it make it right that they should be beyond exemption for relocation if it is for the betterment of the game’s continued growth on a national front?
Meanwhile the AFL will field teams in every state barring the Northern Territory when a side from Tasmania enters in 2028.
But how can the NRL call itself a national competition without at least having a team in Perth, given we currently play in three states with one team in New Zealand?
While the expansion versus relocation debate has been going on since before Super League, the NRL continues to be left behind by AFL in the race to become a truly national competition.
But the reason the debate needs to start again right now is because all NRL club licenses expire on October 31 this year.
So if there is ever going to be a decision made to potentially move any of the existing nine Sydney-based clubs to assist further expansion, it must be done before the next license deal.
Expansion versus relocation
You watch the constant struggles of Wests Tigers, the Dragons and Bulldogs, not just last weekend but year after year, and you shake your head at how those clubs can be so consistently bad when other Sydney based teams like Rabbitohs, Panthers and Roosters are so consistently successful.
Then in the next breath someone brings up expansion, and potentially creating new teams in places like Perth, PNG, another out of Queensland or perhaps even New Zealand.
Otherwise there might not be another chance to even argue this for at least the next 40 or 50 years, or perhaps ever longer unless clubs are prepared to shift on their own terms.
But the question that must surely follow is if further expansion doesn’t come with at least one, or possibly two, Sydney teams biting the bullet and relocating, how in the hell is the game going to have enough elite talent to go around?
Sure, the Dolphins have shown this year the new kid on the block doesn’t necessarily have to be the weakest link.
But there is just no denying how much one extra team has also become a further drain on the player talent pool.
And it could be even worse if the next team comes from an underdeveloped rugby league state like Perth.
You just need to look at the amount of born and bred Victorians who have emerged in the 25 years of the Melbourne Storm’s existence to understand how tough it can be developing elite talent in previously untested markets.
So moving into a new market will certainly not guarantee more NRL quality players, or at least not enough to detract further from the competition as we know it.
How new licenses will work
What the clubs are hoping to get moving forward is what is called a perpetual license.
If approved, it would mean they would remain indefinitely, so long as they hold up their end of the deal and don’t go broke, or do something so horrifically wrong that they lose their legal rights.
Of course, KPIs would come with any deal relating to ongoing governance and financial stability.
But there is little chance any club in this day and age would ever go under financially regardless of how they perform on the field, with the $19 million in annual funding they currently receive.
But just because revenue coming from TV broadcast rights is propping clubs up to the tune of $5 million-a-season above what they currently pay in player salaries, does it make it right that they should be beyond exemption for relocation if it is for the betterment of the game’s continued growth on a national front?
Meanwhile the AFL will field teams in every state barring the Northern Territory when a side from Tasmania enters in 2028.
But how can the NRL call itself a national competition without at least having a team in Perth, given we currently play in three states with one team in New Zealand?
Psycho Doggie
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The Roosters and all 3 of their fans should move to Perth
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"You watch the constant struggles of Wests Tigers, the Dragons and Bulldogs, not just last weekend but year after year, and you shake your head at how those clubs can be so consistently bad when other Sydney based teams like Rabbitohs, Panthers and Roosters are so consistently successful. "
I don't really agree with that one. Every side has its good and rough patches.
I don't really agree with that one. Every side has its good and rough patches.
You would think that, but are just as likely to stab us in the back.
I feel like you.
Was very concerned and against it back in mid-late 90's.
Now, I actually don't think it would be a terrible thing to merge with West's, Dragons or both
Bulldog_4_Life
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NRL needs a radical shift to save the sport. Its just so boring. In this day and age you dont just need a good product on the field, but you need the spectacle off it.
1. Two Sydney teams need to be canned, and the comp needs to go back to 16 teams. You need to license a new club in Perth, and take the short term hit on it. There is a true appetite for sport there, I've seen it first hand and the silly argument people almost bring up is how it failed in the past, forgetting that the states population has almost doubled in that time. Tigers/Dragons would be the most vulnerable.
2. In my opinion it’s borderline idiotic that there isn’t an NRL draft. It would be the easiest way to bring more fans into the game. The excitement a draft generates is insane and the money that would follow would allow league to then increase the salary cap which would bring more players into the game. Obviously there would be a short term loss but in the long term the gains would be substantial.
You would have new talk shows anaylzing the draft picks, you'd have struggling sides having something to feel excited about, and you could create a proper connection between players and fans.
You could then reformat the NRL nines comp and that would be a way for the clubs to showcase their recently drafted players in a competition that would allow them to showcase their skill and generate excitement leading into the season.
If anything the NRL has the easiest path to a draft out of any sport in the world within its current format considering 65% of its teams reside within 1 hour of each other, and the whole comps is on the east coast, so you wouldn't require players relocating all that much.
1. Two Sydney teams need to be canned, and the comp needs to go back to 16 teams. You need to license a new club in Perth, and take the short term hit on it. There is a true appetite for sport there, I've seen it first hand and the silly argument people almost bring up is how it failed in the past, forgetting that the states population has almost doubled in that time. Tigers/Dragons would be the most vulnerable.
2. In my opinion it’s borderline idiotic that there isn’t an NRL draft. It would be the easiest way to bring more fans into the game. The excitement a draft generates is insane and the money that would follow would allow league to then increase the salary cap which would bring more players into the game. Obviously there would be a short term loss but in the long term the gains would be substantial.
You would have new talk shows anaylzing the draft picks, you'd have struggling sides having something to feel excited about, and you could create a proper connection between players and fans.
You could then reformat the NRL nines comp and that would be a way for the clubs to showcase their recently drafted players in a competition that would allow them to showcase their skill and generate excitement leading into the season.
If anything the NRL has the easiest path to a draft out of any sport in the world within its current format considering 65% of its teams reside within 1 hour of each other, and the whole comps is on the east coast, so you wouldn't require players relocating all that much.
pillow
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What a dumbass article. Every club goes through highs and lows (except Melbourne it seems). Does the author of this article remember parramatta getting two spoons in the last decade and not winning a premiership since 1986…
South’s were garbage up until about 2013.
Penrith were a rollercoaster side from the early 2000s up until 4-5yrs ago.
Look at the two merged Sydney teams…both the tigers and dragons have more losses than wins in their merged histories. Tigers only won in 2005 due to every other team getting decimated by injuries (Bradbury premiership) and dragons only won in 2010 because the storm weren’t allowed to compete for points.
South’s were garbage up until about 2013.
Penrith were a rollercoaster side from the early 2000s up until 4-5yrs ago.
Look at the two merged Sydney teams…both the tigers and dragons have more losses than wins in their merged histories. Tigers only won in 2005 due to every other team getting decimated by injuries (Bradbury premiership) and dragons only won in 2010 because the storm weren’t allowed to compete for points.
XR6T
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How about they fuck off one of 3 Mexican clubs to Perth....
1.Storm (nobody gives a fuck about NRL down in Mexico City.
2. Rorters with their 3 sombrero fans
3. Souffs....who wear the Mexican national team colours and take all the dole bludgers with them...
Easy to target us when we aren't a powerhouse like we were cause of shit ***** who brought the club to its knees. That will change soon, but in the meantime go get fucked and write a real story....
1.Storm (nobody gives a fuck about NRL down in Mexico City.
2. Rorters with their 3 sombrero fans
3. Souffs....who wear the Mexican national team colours and take all the dole bludgers with them...
Easy to target us when we aren't a powerhouse like we were cause of shit ***** who brought the club to its knees. That will change soon, but in the meantime go get fucked and write a real story....
lovemachine
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We could potentially merge with the tigers and taken the entire SWS region?
Colours black blue white and orange and be westst bulldogs?
Colours black blue white and orange and be westst bulldogs?