Unfortunately, I agree 100% with this thread. Wish I could see it a different way.
We don't have the money, the population, the juniors or the connections, and no sign of any of that changing.
Strategic plan to expand and overcome these limitations?
@JenEagle is dead right, we did nothing to try to take over the former Norths territory. Maybe we never had the resources to colonise the Central Coast, but we sure let that window close.
We made a couple of half-hearted attempts at a Western Sydney pipeline - the choice of Blacktown Workers as a partner was laughable (they have money, but no footy cred). Feeble gestures in Queensland and New Zealand.
Setting aside all that, as others on here have said - if we are not the biggest, we need to be the smartest or the most ruthless. For a while we were in that game, but the last 10 years have been mostly dumb and/or soft.
If anyone can genuinely offer hope of a turnaround (short term or long term), I am happy to eat humble pie. At the moment it is more like eating the proverbial sandwich.
(But see you at Golden Eagles day. Hope we don't let them down.)