Where will the NRL expand to next?

[Jase Seaeagle]

With the cutting of the NYC Comp. I think they should go back to a Under 23 Comp. All these good young players will either be lost to the game or be playing in some **** league somewhere

 

[robbiea]

The NRL seems to be expanding into it's own arsehole !

 

[HoldenV8]

Adelaide has kinda become the forgotten outpost of rugby league really. From 1991 until 1995 we got a single game each season with St George playing home games at the Adelaide Oval, primarily because their sponsors Penfolds are an Adelaide based winery. The games attracted in order 28,884 against Balmain, 18,892 (Brisbane), 20,246 (Canberra), 12,874 (Wests) and 8,924 (Newcastle). The support was there, but by 1994 and 1995 with St George not playing so well and the games being against lower ranked teams, attendances dropped.

Then we got the Adelaide Rams and things were looking good until they were gone after only 2 years (and believe me that burned more a few fans). The Rams average home crowd went from 15,330 in 1997 (their highest crowd was 27,435 to their opening home game against the Hunter Mariners) to just 7,742 in 1998, a drop of 51.3%

There were other factors in the drop though other than lack of on-field results. The Adelaide Crows had won the 1997 AFL premiership and did so again in 1998. Port Adelaide were in their second year of AFL while the 36ers won the NBL and the Thunderbirds won the netball. The fans were not surprisingly supporting the teams that were winning.

From 1999 until now there have only been 4 NRL games played in Adelaide and none since 2011.

There is support here despite Adelaide being an AFL town. But having another team based here definitely isn't on the NRL's radar and is not likely to be for quite a while yet.

 

[Clay]

Gold Coast should fold.
Put in a second Brisbane team.
There will not be a PNG team anytime soon because of safety and facilities.
Perth will happen.
We have one NZ team and they aren't even that successful, I doubt there will be a second team.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Gold Coast should fold.
Put in a second Brisbane team.
There will not be a PNG team anytime soon because of safety and facilities.
Perth will happen.
We have one NZ team and they aren't even that successful, I doubt there will be a second team.

Pretty much nailed it.

The two extra teams will be Perth & Brisbane, solely because TV wants it that way!!

 

[Hamster Huey]

Perth is a given.

Time zone works for the Eastern Seaboard; the state has the most registered players outside NSW/QLD; their state team are Affiliate champions year after year, and they have showed up in numbers for matches over the last few seasons, even with some pretty poor weather conditions to contend with.

The issues with the Reds are largely fixed. The club aren't required to drag around three sides at their own expense (and it is a lot cheaper now); they are no longer trying to make it work at an oval like the WACA, and the SL scars for their local fans are largely gone. Not many people realised that despite the Reds going to SL, the locals held a more traditional view of the game and walked from them as they saw their actions as treasonous. As a new entity, it was then easy for them to go back to supporting their Manly, Balmain, St.George and Roosters teams.

An Ipswich-based 2nd Brisbane team is the next obvious. The Bombers are a waste of time, but the bid looking at servicing the Logan/S'field/Ipswich/T'woomba region will be more readily accepted by locals, and prove a sustainable option. The Bombers gives me a Searle MKII vibe when I see them promote themselves.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Perth is a given.

Time zone works for the Eastern Seaboard; the state has the most registered players outside NSW/QLD; their state team are Affiliate champions year after year, and they have showed up in numbers for matches over the last few seasons, even with some pretty poor weather conditions to contend with.

The issues with the Reds are largely fixed. The club aren't required to drag around three sides at their own expense (and it is a lot cheaper now); they are no longer trying to make it work at an oval like the WACA, and the SL scars for their local fans are largely gone. Not many people realised that despite the Reds going to SL, the locals held a more traditional view of the game and walked from them as they saw their actions as treasonous. As a new entity, it was then easy for them to go back to supporting their Manly, Balmain, St.George and Roosters teams.

An Ipswich-based 2nd Brisbane team is the next obvious. The Bombers are a waste of time, but the bid looking at servicing the Logan/S'field/Ipswich/T'woomba region will be more readily accepted by locals, and prove a sustainable option. The Bombers gives me a Searle MKII vibe when I see them promote themselves.

Agree with these comments and I think essential to have a Brisbane area team to take the one city one team advantage away from the Donkeys.

Although have a feeling @mozgrame may not agree with this!

 

[Dan]

Amsterdam

 

[Frogz]

After the absolute screw up of the TV deal I doubt they will expand anywhere with this goose David Smith in charge. AFL = $2.5 billion.....NRL = $925 million and as yet haven't signed anything with Fox and have blocked out Telstra on digital rights and given that all to Nein.
Absolute best is $1.5 billion
Dave Smith should be sacked

 

[SeaEagle9413]

 

[frank stokes]

Sunshine Coast Taipans

 

[jbb/james]

How is Peter Beattie still getting a run

 

[The Who]

How is Peter Beattie still getting a run

Because he has better evasion than the Broncos' backline.

 

[Peter C]

At least now the final nail nail can be put in the coffin of The Central Coast Bears, thank God for that.

 

[SeaEagle9413]

At least the now the final nail nail can be put in the coffin of The Central Coast Bears, thank God for that.

Don’t get too excited... Brisbane Bears is a possibility

 

[Peter C]

Don’t get too excited... Brisbane Bears is a possibility

I doubt that the North Sydney Bears consortium would be able to compete against the new Brisbane consortiums for the license .
The Bears are in permanent hibernation as far as the NRL is concerned