Who said this: "We started with Third World facilities, yet we reached back-to-back finals in 209 and 2010. Then, after a lot of hard work we moved to this incredible facility - brand new - and, to be honest, it's been a bit of a curse. We have struggled ever since". - John Cartwright (as reported in today's Australian newspaper). Parallels to Brookvale Oval, perhaps?
Warringah will never have a facility like that for RL. Bond University bought that facility off the Titans a few year's back. So Carty is clutching at straws to lay blame at facility, rather than the decision makers at the Titans :dodgy:
Brookvale oval will never compare to the titans home ground. Skilled stadium is horrible fully enclosed all around the ground with not a hint of a breeze anywhere in the ground. An absolute sauna in hot weather Transport is non existent with only a train line that doesn't go to the coast and a bus service to and from the ground to broadbeach. They have to block the road off constantly after the games to let pedestrians cross the road to the trains and buses meaning that taxis cannot get through. The area is full of retirees and there is minimal local support for any teams in the area. A soulless place is the gold coast
All true, but they have comfy seats and modern toilets. Isn't that the NRL's criteria for today's football ground?
Ridiculous to blame a decent stadium for crap performance. They get very low crowds most likely due to them being a fake club (you can't make instant tradition). They signed very few good players ever. Bird can play, Bailey a decent prop, but since they lost Prince (their only half decent half) they have struggled. Also dumb decisions like signing a slightly above average player like zillman to a rich 5 year deal. Remember a few years ago when Searle drafted a "manifesto" for the future of the league. The handwritten version of it printed in the Tele at the time clearly had "Michael" spelt incorrectly. Actually the closer you look at them the more problems you see. Wonder why the league has given up on letting real clubs join the NRL representing an area. Manly was a real club before joining for example. The seagulls are a real club up there. Why make a fake "franchise" instead of building on a real foundation?
That's not back to back finals. That's 1801 years apart. Also, the Titans were playing out of skilled park before 2009. Manly played at Skilled park in 2008 against them.
All true in my opinion. My brother lives up there ( moved from Sydney ) and is a Manly supporter of course. He only goes to Skilled Stadium if Manly are playing. The problem that they've got is that most people that have moved there either still have their own team that they support or are AFL inclined. If they had a team that were consistently in the top 4 and had players that kids look up to then it may be different. They're best players are Myles and Bird but I wouldn't call them poster boys. They're also caught between the fact that they're neither QLD or NSW so lose that parochialism element. We perceive them as Qlders and up there they they don't.
I guess what this translates to is: we want FB upgraded. We want modernised utilities, we want an Eastern Stand, (The Stewart-Lyon Stand), but WE DONT WANT THEM TO GO FAR. We dont want the soul, the history of the place destroyed. We expect a balanced approach, design, that retains the 'suburban ground' feel. The Northern Hill could be retained, and or a portion of the Eastern Hill, as ling as its built up higher. Ideally we'd like to see a slight INCREASE in ground capacity to 21000. Ok all IMO.
