An uneven playing field

[The Who]

We better get used to Brisbane winning the comp for the foreseeable future; they have so many advantages, which have been highlighted by the Inglis transfer fiasco. Media reports vary as to how much he is being paid, but Cullen says Brisbane have 20 or more non-sponsorship deals, ranging from $1,000 to at least two that are over $25,000, which are not part of the cap.
This gives them a conservative $250,000 to offer players. How many does Manly have? One, two, possibly three?

Brisbane’s revenue is more than $25-Million a year. Most Sydney clubs are operating on around $12-Million, I understand.

It seems Brisbane is also fudging their player payments. The Australian newspaper reports that Brisbane pays Lockyer just $250,000 and Thaiday just $280,000 a year, yet they can afford to poach Hannant for $350,000. P-l-e-a-s-e. How can Hannant be earning 30-40% more than Brisbane’s two best players, Lockyer and Thaiday?

The NRL must try to even the playing field by having three teams in Brisbane. Here’s how I see it working.

Teams: 20, play each other once (no byes). Rest weekends for State-of-Origins and Tests. This may shorten the season by one or two weeks, which would be a good thing.
New teams (4): Two more in Brisbane, The Central Coast Bears and Wellington NZ.

Your thoughts?

 

[Dan]

Stick a team in the Sunny coast. That puts more pressure on them.

Then give western brisbane a team.....Ipswich will do, we need another team of thugs

 

[paski_10]

Media reports vary as to how much he is being paid, but Cullen says Brisbane have 20 or more non-sponsorship deals, ranging from $1,000 to at least two that are over $25,000, which are not part of the cap.

My old man heard Cullen in an interview the other day saying how Brisbane were at a disadvantage because at Suncorp they have 170 corporate boxes, compared to say 20 at most Sydney Clubs' venues. Get this... the disadvantage is that because every business that occupies a corporate box/facility for Broncos home matches is deemed a club sponsor, it makes it so much harder for them to find 3rd party sponsors for players' contracts LOL... Is this guy taking the piss or what? How many Sydney based clubs would love to have corporate facilities for 170 sponsors!? Sydney clubs can't compete with Brisbane's revenue pull.

Stick a team in the Sunny coast. That puts more pressure on them.

Then give western brisbane a team.....Ipswich will do, we need another team of thugs

The South Queensland Crushers were brought into the comp as a second Brisbane team and the Broncos chucked a tantrum and eventually forced them out. Supposedly, the Crushers' inception into the ARL competition was one of the catalysts for John Ribot, Broncos CEO at the time, to initiate contact with News Ltd. to form a breakaway competition - Super League.

 

[The Who]

Surely the rl fans of Brisbane deserve to see a match at Suncorp every week. Therefore I would image they'd want another one or two teams in Brisbane.

 

[Brookie4eva]

From the title of the tread I thought you were talking about the state of the playing surface at Brookie !!!

 

[The Who]

From the title of the tread I thought you were talking about the state of the playing surface at Brookie !!!

Yet another reason why Brisbane is advantaged: a purpose-built stadium holding 50,000 in comfort.

 

[Ralphie]

This is precisely why we need the salary cap. If they weren't restrained in some way, they would have the test team.

 

[Guest]

They have always had these advantages ever since they first came into the competition so what's new.

 

[The Who]

This is precisely why we need the salary cap. If they weren't restrained in some way, they would have the test team.

They have had the best team, or close to it, for 20 years. The cap works in theory, but when you are a monopoly in a catchment of 1.5-million people then how can a suburban club, like Cronulla, Manly, Souths, Penrith etc compete for crowds, media attention, juniors and corporate sponsorship.
The Broncos need competition in their backyard.
 

 

[The Who]

They have always had these advantages ever since they first came into the competition so what's new.

Nothing's new - that's why it must be changed . . . or do you want them to continue to dominate for the next 20 years?

 

[Fluffy]

[quote author=tookey link=topic=184614.msg283908#msg283908 date=1281579567]
They have always had these advantages ever since they first came into the competition so what's new.

Nothing's new - that's why it must be changed . . . or do you want them to continue to dominate for the next 20 years?
[/quote]

and with all the storm crap there is a puch to make sure things are even and legit so try and use that momentum

 

[Harmless27]

I'm no genius - so i must be missing something here.....

Broncos have an unfair advantage with their salary cap, ground, additional sponsors, and catchment area - correct?

This has been the case for 20 years - correct?

If so - shouldn't they be 10 points ahead of everyone on the competition table RIGHT NOW.....!?!?!??! 

I think the Inglis deal is fishy - don't get me wrong.  But Brisbane have lost their aura, and a centre, combining with a 34 yr old 5/8 doesn't spell the end of the world for us.  In fact - i couldn't care less that Inglis does....... Brisbane are rubbish, so are gold coast, melbourne, Nth Qld, Newcastle, Dragons, wests, souths, easts, penrif, parra, sharks, dogs, the jets, the bears, the rams, and EVERYONE else we come up against (mind you, i quite enjoy watching the warriors...!!!).

 

[The Who]

Have you not noticed that Brisbane have been in the finals for the past 20 seasons? How much more dominant do you want one club to be?

 

[paski_10]

I know this is a little off the topic (well left of anyway), but another thing that really annoys me is how everyone, mainly TV commentators, push the idea that Brisbane is the new "Home of Rugby League" because the Broncos average crowds of between 30,000 - 40,000 per game and Sydney teams average maybe between 10,000 - 15, 000 per game - the conclusion being that Broncos fans (Brisbane based fans) are more passionate than Sydney based fans. Clearly some people don't look at the big picture!

If you added up all the crowds that attend NRL matches at Sydney grounds each week, the averages would be up there with the Broncos (Brisbane city averages). Perhaps higher. It would be interesting to see if the Broncos would maintain the crowd averages, levels of sponsorship etc, if there were one or two established clubs based in Brisbane for people to support or if thos averages and the market as a whole would be split between the clubs like it is in Sydney. Broncos have got it cosy up there!

 

[Brookie4eva]

There are figures at http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/summary.html

Yes Brisbane do get good home crowds, but with 3 million people and no competition so they should.

But, all the Sydney clubs combined are miles ahead of them, even well ahead of Brisbane and Titans combined.

Another example of the media having not a clue.

 

[The Who]

Current population figures show: Sydney = 4.5 million (with nine clubs that's an average potential audience of 500,000)
Brisbane = 2 million (which is the Broncos audience - four times that of each Sydney club)
Gold Coast = 577,000
Newcastle = 540,000
Canberra = 350,000

 

[Dan]

perhaps they need to get a steam roller to help even out the fields?

 

[Guest]

[quote author=tookey link=topic=184614.msg283908#msg283908 date=1281579567]
They have always had these advantages ever since they first came into the competition so what's new.

Nothing's new - that's why it must be changed . . . or do you want them to continue to dominate for the next 20 years?
[/quote]

[quote author=tookey link=topic=184614.msg283908#msg283908 date=1281579567]
They have always had these advantages ever since they first came into the competition so what's new.

Nothing's new - that's why it must be changed . . . or do you want them to continue to dominate for the next 20 years?
[/quote]

Their biggest advantage over the years is something that we cannot counter - the thoroughbreds.  Cash payments to the coach and no doubt players.  

Brisbane should definately have a second team before any other area including the central coast.  But they already tried the SQLD crushers who folded with no support from the NRL.  

The Broncos are 68% owned by News Ltd and nothing is going to change in the game until News Ltd and Gallop and his fellow pigs who have their snouts in the NRL money leave the game.  

We should just be concered about getting money to upgrade brookvale oval and then the leagues club so that we will have a chance to compete financially with the likes of the Broncos.

 

[Guest]

Have you not noticed that Brisbane have been in the finals for the past 20 seasons? How much more dominant do you want one club to be?

Also noticed how many times the storm have made the semis since they first came into the comp?  Common denominator - News Ltd. 

Both teams have the win at all costs typified by big corporates like News Ltd.  Cheating comes naturally to them.

Piss off News Ltd and Gallop and his fellow directors and the game will be a lot better.

 

[Rusty]

Unfortunately (And this runs against my better instinct) the solution isn't to pull down the Broncos for being successful, rather the NRL should be trying to assist other clubs in emulating them. Certainly it is harder here in Sydney but why can't single city teams (GC, NthQLD, Melb, New Castle, Canberra) be building a structure around the same business plan?

The future of the NRL is new teams in cities using this very structure. Perhaps they should pull the whole of Brisbane's back office staff and use them to run a new team in Perth or Adelade.