Games in Adelaide

[HoldenV8]

Although he's actually a Queenslander, South Australian Rugby League product and Sea Eagles prop Brenton Lawrence has been in Adelaide recently doing work for the NRL with the SARL's junior development program. It was revealed here on ABC news that Manly is actually in talks to bring some future games (not 2015 as far as I know) to Adelaide in a bid to help grow the game here, and presumably promote the fact that BJ is a South Aussie player who has made it all the way to the NRL.

Any games would be played at either the Adelaide Oval, which IMO is highly unsuited, but has the largest capacity with 53,583 or at Hindmarsh Stadium which as a rectangular venue is better suited, but can only hold 17,000.

Manly have played only one game in Adelaide back in 1998 when they thrashed the Adelaide Rams 32-10 at Hindmarsh (it was after this game that Hindmarsh was redeveloped to what it is now in readiness for preliminary Olympic soccer games). I was there that night and despite being born and bred in Adelaide, I was cheering long and loud for the Bob Fulton coached, Geoff Toovey led Sea Eagles. Other than the win and getting to see Manly play in my home town, the highlight of the night was seeing the Beaver score a hat trick.

Future Manly games played in Adelaide? I'd LOVE to see that

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

Oh yes the Adelaide Rams, along with the South Queensland Crushers, Gold Coast Seagulls, Sydney Tigers - 4 teams that never beat Manly.

 

[HoldenV8]

Don't get me wrong but the Rams got screwed before the start of the 1999 season. The ARL didn't want them (they had long wanted a team in Melbourne, and because the SARL had rather stupidly signed with SL in 1995 - take it from someone who was there, they saw nothing but $$$ when they signed with John Ribot and it wasn't a popular choice), while the SL side (News Ltd.) happily went along with it. They became a sacrifice of the peace deal between the two that became the NRL which in 1999 was cut to 17 teams (the Gold Coast Chargers were the other sacrifice, while St Merge happened).

It did a LOT of damage to rugby league's image in Adelaide at a time when they should really have been doing everything they could to help it. The Adelaide Crows had just won back to back AFL premierships, the Adelaide 36ers were in the middle of doing the same in the basketball and the Thunderbirds were in the middle of doing the same in the netball. Sporting success in Adelaide was on an all time high, but petty BS saw rugby league abandoned at the highest level just when it was actually gaining steady support.

 

[Daddycool08]

But this and the Western Australia should have games with a view to expanding the game back to these areas.

 

[HoldenV8]

The Vermin already take one game a year to Perth.