Manly slow on the uptake (again)

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Matabele

Journey Man
I spoke to some of the club officials in May this year tipping them off to the fact that Dubbo would be incredibly keen to secure an NRL trial next year.

I offered them my contacts with Council, Chamber and Media. I wonder where else they'd manage to go and get a crowd of 12,000 plus - all an easy 1 hour flight from Sydney so the players are not inconvenienced.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Council keen to score NRL games for Apex
Monday, 31 October 2005

Baited up with its shiny new grandstand, Dubbo City Council has gone fishing for NRL clubs to play pre-season games in Dubbo next year.

But the first-class facilities at Apex Oval have barely attracted a nibble let alone a bite. Council's community services director David Dwyer has received just two responses from the 11 NSW-based clubs they sent invitations to.

"We've only received replies from Penrith and Parramatta and both declined our invitation," Mr Dwyer said.

"But it's still early days - we only sent out the invitations a couple of weeks ago.

"Parramatta and Penrith both said they had already made arrangements for the pre-season games next year but would keep us in mind for 2007.

" Mr Dwyer was not too concerned by the slow response from the NRL clubs as Apex Oval was rapidly developing a reputation for its capacity to host large-scale events.

"We've got the Krusty Demons next month and expect to get up to 12,000 spectators for that," he said. "Plus we're hosting the City versus Country game next year, which is expected to pull a similar crowd."

Past pre-season NRL games at Apex Oval have a good track record for their crowd-pulling capacity.

In 1991, 9000 spectators turned out to watch Canterbury defeat Canberra, while the following year a similar crowd turned out to see the Steelers beat the Broncos.

In 1993, a crowd of 12,000 gathered at Apex to see Canberra defeat Western Suburbs and in 1999 the ground was again covered with spectators to watch Wests play Souths.

Council prepared a full-colour brochure highlighting the new grandstand and ground facilities at Apex Oval, which it sent to the NRL clubs.

The brochure also contained information and colour photos on the attractions and amenities Dubbo had to offer teams.
 
I spent a Week in Dubbo One day :D

Oh and Honestly Western Plains Zoo worst Zoo ive ever been to
 
They have already set trials at Brookie & Central Coast, maybe 2007 is an option
 
Why would Manly want to go back to the Central Coast?

When I first put this to them the Tigers trial was organised but the other one was not.
 
Probably due to the other team demanding to play there - maybe more chance of decent pay day from the crowd. But i agree that it is a strange decision when the chance to promote the club in an area not readily accessible to Brookvale is available. I know a lot of people who travel to home games from the Central Coast so they see the club regulary. People in wetsern NSW don't
 
I did tell the club that Dubbo would bend over backwards to get a game. Above is your proff.

I'll wager there's a better payday at the end of the day from Apex Oval than John Singleton Palace.
 
So much for the NRL wanting to promote the game in the country. Probably a waste of time but why not ask gallop why no-one wants to play there?

Seems like most trials are on the coast somewhere. Could have something to do with the players wanting to be near a beach/girls/bikinis?
 
Manly play trials at Brookvae and the Central Coast - both venues that will host NRL games.

Tookey, you are right. Gallop must think that "pro-active" is a racehorse.
 
Dubbo would be great, Apex oval would be in the top one or two grounds and amenities in country NSW.

My son played there this year it looked NRL standard, best i have seen.
 
I have received an adequate response. My comment now is:

Perhaps Dubbo City Council need to realise that clubs make plans for games like these sometimes 18 months in advance. Sadly (for me and fellow tragics) Manly are not likely to be available for a trial in Dubbo before 2008 at the earliest.
 
These are dates of some of the trials for next year.

Interesting to note that other than one game in Griffith and one in Alice Springs all the rest are in coastal or near coastal towns.

Mollymook appears to be a strange choice - nice area though and good for a swim after the game.

How much say do the players get when the club decides where to play a trial? A lot by the look of it.

February 12, 2006
New Zealand vs Canberra, North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

February 17-19, 2006
Parramatta vs Melbourne, Griffith
St. George-Illawarra vs Souths, Telstra Stadium
Brisbane vs Canberra, Port Macquarie
North Queensland vs New Zealand, Cairns
Cronulla vs Canterbury, Mollymook
Manly vs Roosters, Gosford
Penrith vs Newcastle, Alice Springs

February 24-26, 2006
Parramatta vs Penrith, Port Macquarie
St. George-Illawarra vs Roosters, WIN Stadium
Brisbane vs Melbourne, Toowoomba
Manly vs Wests Tigers, Brookvale
North Queensland vs Souths, Mackay
Cronulla vs Newcastle, Coffs Harbour
 

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