One of the big issues facing Rugby League is the size of a national (or International) competition. The game I believe has enough support to justify at least 20 teams. Now there are many who would say that we dont have the player strength or the money to support such a large comp. I say rubbish. In 1996-7 there were 22 teams and each was beginning to develop its own supporter base
I can understand why there should be no more sides in the Sydney basin. There are possibly one or two too many. But outside of Sydney there's a wealth of opportunity, and that includes the Central Coast because most will be one city teams. One city teams have the advantage of much better corporate support if they maintain some success because it enhances the awareness of local large businesses.
As the game progresses big business people such as Tinkler, will increasingly want their name and businesses enhanced. What better way especially in Australia, which is sport mad, to do it through a successful football code. But it must be a code that is seen as national-international and considered a successful entity. You only get that through aggressive expansion which therefore eventually causes more people to play and watch the game.
GWS Oz Rules side in Western Sydney is so far considered a white elephant. We are fools if we laugh at it because within a decade it will be a major team and support through spectators and corporate dollars will flow in. But it must be seen as successful. And it will because it is stationed in an area where there are a lot of poorer people, whose children will see another opportunity to escape that world. Oz Rules is playing it clever by getting it into the local schools and pouring money into the local communities. RL has much to learn from Oz Rules.
Melbourne Rugby League may not be considered to be making much of a dent a dent in Oz Rules heartland, but look below at the junior codes and it is expanding so that locals are now getting into grade. These things can take decades to catch on, usually at least a generation> but you must be there for that growing interest in the next generation.
I'm a strong believer that the success of a code depends on how expansive your thinking. Put a team in Perth, and kids locally will start to play more League and new corporate entities will become interested and invest money. I'm a strong supporter of a Port Morseby side. The country has 6 million people, more than New Zealand or Sydney by a long shot, and Rugby League is their national sport. Have a team stationed there with improved coaching and administration, and the players will flock as well as the increasing corporate dollars. With huge impoverished areas, there will be kids galore trying to make their name and wealth to escape poverty, and with Chinese money flooding into the country because of mining, the country is destined to increase dramatically in wealth in the next few decades.
In my mind you expand in sport or you die. There's a struggle at first, probably for two decades (a generation), but the talent is there (we send so many to SuperLeague every year alone) and improving access to New Zealanders, Tongans, Samoans and Fijians will also dramatically improve player depth. Money follows success. And the Central Coast is no more Sydney than Wollongong is, and they are about the same distance from the Sydney environs. They would become a one area team, and I suspect thrive.