NRL and its clubs are expected to palm-off expansion until 2014 or 2015

[will.i.am]

Brent Read From: The Australian June 18, 2011 12:00AM

A MEETING next month between the NRL and its clubs is expected to sound the death-knell for expansion plans in 2013.

The Weekend Australian understands the NRL is working on a series of proposals for future season scheduling, television negotiations and representative football, which it will take to the clubs at the meeting on July 21.

It is believed those proposals centre around a 16-team competition for 2013, with the prospect of expansion in 2014 or 2015. Although the final decision will be made by the independent commission, the game's inaugural eight commissioners are expected to be guided to a large extent by the NRL and its clubs.

It means expansion is likely to be off the table in 2013 as officials look to use the new television money to reward and stabilise their existing clubs. That will come as a setback to the consortiums jostling to enter the competition.



At least seven bidders have already come forward _ Perth, Central Coast, Central Queensland, Wellington, Papua New Guinea and two from southeast Queensland. One of those southeast Queensland consortiums is a western corridor bid, based in Ipswich but taking in Toowoomba.

Bid team consultant Brian Canavan said the western corridor consortium was aiming for 2013 but would be better-placed if the timeline was pushed back.

"In 2014 we would be fully geared to go," Canavan said.

"In 2015, it just makes it easier. We have finalised all our documents, strategic planning, business planning and football planning. We're talking to sponsors right now."

Plans for expansion haven't been helped by the ongoing delays in the formation of the commission. Expansion is inexorably linked with the game's next broadcasting deal, which has been on hold during negotiations over the commission.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...til-2014-or-2015/story-e6frg7mf-1226077345558

 

[VAI]

well, been waiting since 1998, i can wait til 2014/2015 until perth is reincluded again and regular NRL comes back to the west coast

 

[dedezy]

An extra year or two for clubs to get themselves set up and try and market their team before they enter the league is not a bad idea maybe some of the new tv money can help them make a better start like the AFL has done with gws and gc.

 

[Raysie]

Problem is, if we don't include 2 more teams by 2013, our TV deal will be considerably less as that's one less game to bid on.

I believe waiting 'till 2014-15 is the best option for the new clubs that will enter the NRL, but I don't believe it's a good idea if the NRL wants to cash in as much possible from TV networks.

 

[CBDog]

well, been waiting since 1998, i can wait til 2014/2015 until perth is reincluded again and regular NRL comes back to the west coast

The trouble is Gallop is in charge and he is a slow working dope.

We, Rugby League fans want Perth reintroduced but the heirachy are so incompetent to put plans in place now, or should have been
earlier to get a team there again by at least 2013.

The longer we wait the stronger AFL becomes entrenched even stronger.

If Greenberg was, and should be in charge of proceedings I'm sure there would be plans now to get a team back there as soon as possible.

 

[VAI]

i'm hearin ya

my understanding is CC bears and perth are ready to go for 2013, so i'm happier if they got the decisions made real soon

commission should be up and running in the next couple of months, so hopefully by end of year we should know who will be included in the next expansion

 

[VAI]

Brisbane bid team slams Gallop over $40m expansion delay

BRISBANE bid team boss Craig Davison has declared the NRL will cost itself $20 million for every year it delays moving to an 18-team competition as a ballooned date of 2015 firms as the expansion start.

NRL boss David Gallop said yesterday his personal view was that "we'd get to 18 teams by 2015''. Davison slammed the expanded timeframe, but declared expansion was now a matter of when and not if.

Gallop's verdict has all but crushed any lasting hope of expansion in 2013, with the code's new independent commission still yet to be implemented after initial hopes tenders would be submitted and finalised by this month.

He declared provision for a ninth weekly fixture would be written into the new television contracts, but argued it was important the NRL's existing 16 clubs be given a couple of years to consolidate under the new rights deal, set to begin in 2013, before introducing new licences.

But Davison argues the code actually stands to earn an additional $20 million-a-year profit under an 18-team format with a ninth weekly fixture guaranteed to broadcasters.

The development has left bosses of Brisbane's second team, set to next month unveil a club identity, logo, colours and home ground, now facing the prospect of not playing an NRL match for almost four years if it gets a licence.

Davison bristled at reports the commission would be guided on the expansion issue by the views of the NRL and its clubs at a strategic planning meeting on July 21.

"The commission will have its own views on how and when the game should move forward,'' Davison said.

"With all due respect, I don't see why a comment from David Gallop, with his views, changes that. He will be the messenger, the commission will make the decision.''

Davison was adamant a 2014 admission would not de-rail his bid team - which has letters of intention from several star players and stands alongside Perth as a frontrunner - but branded 2015 a major issue.

"If it's 2014, not 2013, that's no problem. It changes our focus a bit on players but '14 is ideal and '13 achievable,'' he said. "I don't believe 2015 should even be looked at. It would be three years into the new TV deal and the game would be missing out on $40 million in revenue each year that would come with two more teams. It would cost the game $10 million total per team and the game would be $10 million per year better off for each new team.

"We know Channel 9 has been chasing another team in Brisbane for a while now.

"The commission will make its own mind up when they sit in front of David Gyngell (Channel 9 CEO).''

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...-expansion-delay/story-e6frexnr-1226078278748

 

[BulldogsFAN]

NRL Gossip
Central Coast Bears likely to miss out on NRL expansion, Perth and Ipswich set to get the nod, Gallop mentioned to FOX Sports that Perth could give us the opportunity to play games in an attractive timeslot - for example a 7.30pm kick-off in Perth will be a 9.30pm kick-off in the eastern states," Gallop said.
about a minute ago · Like ·

 

[chris_e_fresh]

friday night
730 perth = 930 east
sat night
5.00 perth = 730 east
730 perth = 930 east
sunday
2.00 NZ = 12.00 east = 10am perth
2.00 perth = 400 east = perfect for live sunday arvo footy but channel 9 will stuff this up and make it 1.00 perth and still delay it
3.00 perth = 500 east = i doubt this game will happen unless its on foxtel
monday
7.00 perth = 900 east = not so good for pubs in the east

it will be interesting to see if channel 9/fox sports decide on new game times if there is an expansion

 

[wyongguy]

Im just not a fan of 9.30pm games on tv, and alwas thought 9 would be better off with a game at 7.30 friday nite and one 7.30satday nite rather than two on friday

 

[sgodllubsti]

while they wait afl will grow stronger, gallop has to be realistic and get the new teams in asap, sitting back for another 2 or 3 years isnt growing the profile of rugby league, its starving league fans in the west a team

 

[VAI]

Gallop says league may stagger expansion plans

NRL chief executive David Gallop has flagged the possibility of staggering the introduction of new teams into the competition over several years.

Expansion is again a talking point after Gallop said an 18-team competition would not happen until 2015. It came as a shock to prospective franchises, who believed expansion would coincide with the start of the new broadcast deal in two years' time.

Most took Gallop's comments to mean two new teams would be granted licences in 2015 - automatically giving broadcasters a ninth game to show every week.

However, the league boss said there may be an opportunity to allow one extra team to come in 2013 or 2014, while the second side could come in the following year.

''The question is whether you immediately want the ninth game or whether you stagger it to allow the playing market a bit more stability to allow for the two new teams to be competitive as quickly as possible,'' Gallop told The Sun-Herald.

''I don't think you want two new teams that limp along at the bottom of the table for a long time. To me, competitive playing talent and community engagement are the key to a successful expansion.

''Certainly the quality of our competition is producing results … It may come earlier than 2015 but I think we should certainly assume that by 2015 we'll have two new teams.''

Gallop said he had contacted all prospective franchises - the Central Coast Bears, Brisbane, Central Queensland, Perth, Ipswich, Wellington and Papua New Guinea - during the week.

Some had publicly raised concerns that the goalposts had been shifted regarding the timeframe, with the Brisbane bid boss, Craig Davison, claiming the game was costing itself $20 million every year that it delayed moving to an 18-team competition.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...nsion-plans-20110625-1gkmb.html#ixzz1QNW8q1Vz

 

[chris_e_fresh]

I wish I knew the real reasoning behind it all. The afl is taking over league because they can't get there **** together.

They need a team outside nsw and qld