/Manly - What to do with the North Shore

[eagles2win]

Seen this on LU - so will bring it up here.

IMO we should take over the area. Approach the ARLC every year and ask for that area until we get it.
Meaning Norths junior clubs play in Manly's junior comp or just rename it the Northern Shore Comp.
From what I've heard Souths are dumping the Bears as there reserve grade team in the near future.
It's lunacy that the NRL can't send players or limited time there for coaching clinics to an area because of old politics of an area that no longer plays in the top competition (and yes it would be nice to see Norths come in at the expense of a Super League club ie Sharks). Giving other codes free range in there.

Might mean Manly will have to rebadge themselves, no not as the Northern Eagles but as this Manly Warringah North Shore Sea Eagles.

Use to work in an industry where change came(increase in beer excise therefore a price increase) and people use to bitch and moan about it for a while and then they got use to it.

The other option is to allow the Bears back in as the Central Coast but that will a) hurt us - which the NRL and ARLC said they won't do
b) Not bring in more tv dollars that a Brisbane, Western Australia or New Zealand teams would.

 

[Brissie Kid]

Manly not only should but must become the team of Sydney's northside.

The club should consider its area as all of that from the Milsons Point to Palm Beach and Hornsby, across to Cherrybrook.

Norths are not a NRL club & what they want or say is irrelevant.

People talk about Manly having to relocate as their area is so small. But it's not small at all if the club wakes up. There's more potential fans, league juniors & sponsors in that north side of Sydney than in regions being talked of as potential expansion teams.

Wake up Manly & take what is yours.

 

[dowdz]

Most norths people I know will never support Manly. I don't think to many people will go with a re branding. From what I see people will support who they wan't regardless of area. The population of manly warringah would be quite big yet we still get only 11000 members. Not sure how going into enemy areas will help. Not a bad idea though to grow. Except for the name change.

 

[Brissie Kid]

The old dogs that can't get over Norths can mumble to themselves while the world passes them by.

The whole area has no team in a major football competition. No Super Rugby, no AFL, no A League and no NRL.

The only one that can provide opportunity for companies to get national exposure and for a community to have a team to support is in the NRL if Manly embraces the region and becomes its team.

 

[eagles2win]

The old dogs that can't get over Norths can mumble to themselves while the world passes them by.

The whole area has no team in a major football competition. No Super Rugby, no AFL, no A League and no NRL.

The only one that can provide opportunity for companies to get national exposure and for a community to have a team to support is in the NRL if Manly embraces the region and becomes its team.

It would be interesting to see a response from both the Club and the District Football Club

 

[ManlyArmy]

No name change surely. I think perhaps try and see maybe taking the area east of the Pacific Highway right through to the beaches pushing area population from 220,000 to at least 300,000. If it goes well, keep expanding.

 

[ManlyArmy]

No name change surely. I think perhaps try and see maybe taking the area east of the Pacific Highway right through to the beaches pushing area population from 220,000 to at least 300,000. If it goes well, keep expanding.

 

[HappilyManly]

Manly Warringah (Pittwater) District is defined by the Spit Bridge,Roseville Bridge, North Head and Barrenjoey Point IMO.

We can never consider selling our identity as the Sea Eagles again

 

[Brissie Kid]

We're talking about the NRL. Where is there a map that shows which areas are "owned" by each NRL club? There are no rules anymore. Roosters had a club at St Marys didn't they? Why can't Dragons hold a members signing day at Westfields Parramatta? Souths don't even play in their own supposed area. Members sign up to Sydney clubs from all over Australia. Are the offices of all Manly's sponsors in the northern beaches? Every Sydney team can go anywhere in Sydney looking for fans and sponsors now and none of the team's change their name to do it.

 

[wombatgc]

Might mean Manly will have to rebadge themselves, no not as the Northern Eagles but as this Manly Warringah North Shore Sea Eagles.

http://youtu.be/0A8sI6c_daE

 

[Bearfax]

Before 1947 the North Shore and Manly Warringah district were all covered by the one team, North Sydney. Resuming that arrangement is only resuming what was logically set in the past.

I have no problems about a team rising in Central Coast, but Manly Warringah and the North Shore are logically part of the same rugby league region. There wont be another North Sydney side so its not as if its imposing itself on an existing location. Further there are already a couple of North Shore junior sides in the Manly comp.

If the NRL are serious about ensuring that sides have some parity in breeding areas, then its only logical that Manly and Norths areas should merge. It would also slow the growing Rugby Union dominance which is the real power on the North Shore.

How Souths have held the Norths club as its own as well as having such a large breeding area astonishes me. Seems to me that either Manly's admin are not trying hard enough to secure that area or there are serious anti-Manly elements in the NRL administration.

The obvious logic is for the areas to combine and then there is some balancing of junior wealth in the comp.

 

[Brissie Kid]

If the NRL are serious about ensuring that sides have some parity in breeding areas, then its only logical that Manly and Norths areas should merge. It would also slow the growing Rugby Union dominance which is the real power on the North Shore.

How Souths have held the Norths club as its own as well as having such a large breeding area astonishes me. Seems to me that either Manly's admin are not trying hard enough to secure that area or there are serious anti-Manly elements in the NRL administration.

The obvious logic is for the areas to combine and then there is some balancing of junior wealth in the comp.

It's got nothing to do with the NRL. The junior boundaries have nothing to do with what a NRL club does. The NRL doesn't have anything to do with deciding which area a NRL club chooses to market itself in.

It's all up to Manly what they do or don't do.

All I know is at the 2011 grand final on the way home there were tens of thousands of Manly fans getting trains and buses that were heading nowhere near the northern beaches.

---

I take some of my criticism back. Seen this on LU. Seems in 2010 the club were making efforts to expand their geographic reach. Don't know why Manly seem to have given up on it though. The Manly comments here are quite good and strong.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/claws-come-out-in-northern-turf-war/story-e6frexni-1225964855717#

Bears and Sea Eagles again at loggerheads
DEAN RITCHIE THE DAILY TELEGRAPH DECEMBER 03, 2010 12:00AM

Turf war ... the Bears and Sea Eagles are feuding over Sydney's northern suburbs. Source: The Daily Telegraph

THE Sea Eagles and Bears - fierce northside rivals for more than 50 years - have resumed hostilities.

Manly are furious the Bears are attempting to prevent the Brookvale club from promoting the game in the Asquith and Berowra areas, a traditional North Sydney district.

Central Coast Bears CEO Greg Florimo said the Upper North Shore remained his club's territory "according to the boundaries".

Manly claim the Bears are now on the Central Coast and have no right to claim Sydney's North Shore.

The Sea Eagles are planning to send in their star players to promote rugby league at a NSWRL community carnival for kids early next year.

"Manly have focused on the Upper North Shore clubs like Berowra," Florimo said.

"We were asked whether they could come into those schools and areas and, as a whole, the answer is no.

"We are trying to promote our brand name in those areas - not Manly's brand.

"It is a traditional [Norths and rugby league] area.

"It is a good, strong rugby league district. We have given a lot of support to clubs in those areas."

Manly have privately questioned who Norths will send to the schools given the Bears do not have an NRL licence.

Central Coast officials claim their area stretches from Milsons Point to Lake Munmorah - and Manly should back off.

But banning Manly players from attending the carnival will only damage the kids and rugby league, according to Sea Eagles chairman Scott Penn.

"The kids shouldn't suffer," Penn said. "It is an NSWRL junior development program, so we should have first bite given the Bears do not currently have an NRL licence.

"I'm sure the NSWRL will want an NRL team promoting the game. We are not looking for a fight with a non-existent NRL club.

"The GWS AFL franchise isn't far from the Upper North Shore. The Lower North Shore is rugby union, the Upper North Shore is rugby league.

"We are getting a multitude of players from that area and we will continue to do so.

"Youngsters from Berowra and Asquith areas are welcome and, indeed, play in our junior competitions.

"We will continue to welcome and encourage them.

"Young people need a pathway to the NRL and Manly can provide that.

"We have an obligation to spread the game."

---

Maybe Manly could "donate" a sleeve sponsorship to the CC Bears & in return they would recognise that Manly is the NRL team for all of the north side of Sydney & where the juniors should aim.

I've always thought it odd that if there wasn't enough money & fans in the south coast to sustain the Steelers, how could the CC which is smaller be able to have its own team? Newcastle couldn't do it either without Tinker's guarantee. I guess most of the sponsorship models for CC bears are based on money from the north side of Sydney. But this is the area Manly should be servicing.

 

[Bearfax]

Look I've supported the Bears as the Central Coast side being included in the comp since before Norths disappeared. Seems only logical. But it also seems that ex Bears think that they can have their cake and eat it too by not only holding the Central Coast but using the Sydney's North Shore as a breeding ground also.

How about some fair play here Bears boys. Central Coast has a wealth of talent and a huge demographic. Be happy to fight for that and leave Manly the pre-1947 arrangement that the north shore and beaches come under one team, whatever you want to call it. Geographically it is the logical way to go with the Hawkesbury the dividing line. Get it through your heads Bear supporters. North Sydney Bears died because they couldnt meet Super Leagues criteria and went broke. They wont be coming back. But Central Coast has a good chance, but as a totally separate entity.

My father and grandfather who were Norths supporters before 1947 and Manly only because we lived in that area loved both sides. But they would be horrified by the selfish attitudes of elements in the present Norths camp. I like the Bears also but get real. Its future if any is on the Central Coast. Live with it.

 

[TokyoEagle]

Most norths people I know will never support Manly. I don't think to many people will go with a re branding. From what I see people will support who they wan't regardless of area. The population of manly warringah would be quite big yet we still get only 11000 members. Not sure how going into enemy areas will help. Not a bad idea though to grow. Except for the name change.

We shouldn't be targeting the old Bears fans, the people we should be looking at are the next generation who have no allegiances and need a team in the NRL.

 

[Brissie Kid]

I don't see being called "Manly" as needing to be changed. There are fans all across Sydney that come out to Manly grand finals.

Stole the example from the thread on LU but it's no different to Green Bay having fans from right across Wisconson. Or even Newcastle in the NRL cover a huge area & people who don't live in Newcastle are still Knights fans. Same with Canberra fans not all living in Canberra but neighbouring parts of NSW.

 

[Canteen Worker]

I don't care about the Bear's old fans. They never liked Manly and never will. It is kids and the future of the game that is more important and for this reason the idea has merit. Norths Junior Clubs should play in a northside comp and there should be a pathway to the NRL for junior in that comp. Do what is best for them and the game - over time the sour old Norths fans will become more and more irrelevant and Manly will win lots of new and younger fans. The Souths/Norths stuff is silly and we should ignore the 300 or so that turn up to support the Bears in NSW cup.

 

[dowdz]

The norths and manly comps are combined. My under 12's lost their gf to asquith. Mind you that started this year. Hopefully that's a start as all teams with the exception of the real little kids played against Willoughby and Asquith.

 

[Hamster Huey]

Norths (as in the Bears) are not creating any new fans in any great numbers. Those bought in a the poor kids of tragics that assure them that they'll be back in the NRL 'one day soon'.

Time for the NSWRL to remove the North Sydney boundaries and allow the MW Rugby League unfettered access to the old Bears area, and full control over the junior and senior competitions.

With that, the kids grow up with Sea Eagles emblems on their jerseys and there is no doubt it is Sea Eagle territory, with no need to seek anybody's permission to setup up shop throughout the Northern Sydney region.

The Bears victim industry will kick in at that stage and cry poor, but it there is more than enough time since they've been in, to see such a campaign sputter out within a week, much like their NRL bid attempts.

To paraphrase Magnolia Fan, '...&*$% the Bears, &*$% them up their stupid asses!!!'

 

[Hamster Huey]

Norths (as in the Bears) are not creating any new fans in any great numbers. Those bought in are the poor kids of tragics that are assured by dad that they'll be back in the NRL 'one day soon'.

Time for the NSWRL to remove the North Sydney boundaries and allow the MW Rugby League unfettered access to the old Bears area, and full control over the junior and senior competitions.

With that, the kids grow up with Sea Eagles emblems on their jerseys and there is no doubt it is Sea Eagle territory, with no need to seek anybody's permission to setup up shop throughout the Northern Sydney region.

The Bears victim industry will kick in at that stage and cry poor, but it there is more than enough time since they've been in, to see such a campaign sputter out within a week, much like their NRL bid attempts.

To paraphrase Magnolia Fan, '...&*$% the Bears, &*$% them up their stupid asses!!!'

 

[Brissie Kid]

As a first step compromise at the very least take off the Bears badges and put NRL badges on the juniors.