Western Corridor bid boss bides his time over expansion
THE Western Corridor NRL bid has been going strong for more than four years, so bid boss Steve Johnson says waiting another four years for a licence is not an issue.
The NRL competition is unlikely to expand from its current 16 teams until 2017 or 2018, but Johnson said the Western Corridor would be ready to rock whenever the expansion received the green light.
Mr Johnson said he had followed the advice of current NRL CEO David Smith and Australian Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant by not wasting funds on the bid while expansion was on the backburner.
"We've presented our facts and figures to the commission, which is all we can do for the moment," he said.
"There is little point spending money on the bid, because we are already involved day-to-day in rugby league in Ipswich, Logan and Toowoomba.
"We are working on ground zero every day.
"If they do decide to expand, you would need a two-year run-in to lay your foundations ... so 2017 or 2018 would be ideal.
"We are here for the long haul.
"Our bid is already written, it is just a matter of updating the financials. They (the NRL) are remaining on path to do what they said, which is to put the consideration of expansion to the side while they dealt with how they were going to spend the new money (from the TV deal), fund development of the game and get the existing clubs on a more stable footing.
"They have earmarked the end of 2014 to consider expansion, and I don't think that has wavered.
"At the end of the year, they will have a review of the competition and whether it is in the best interests of the game to expand."
Mr Johnson expects the NRL will call for bid teams in strategic geographic regions, which are likely to be south-east Queensland and Perth.
The requirements of Channel Nine, the NRL's free to air broadcaster, will be pivotal.
"The views of (Channel Nine's) David Gyngell and Steve Crawley are well documented on that," Mr Johnson said.
"They want a third side in south-east Queensland for the obvious reasons of TV ratings. Seeing that television generates the money that is driving the game, the game has to respect the needs of television."
The Western Corridor bid's journey started in 2009 when former NRL CEO David Gallop toured the region with Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale.
Mr Gallop said at the time that Ipswich was an ideal area for another NRL side.
Few will forget his famous quote that when the game expands it must "go where the fish are biting".
http://www.qt.com.au/news/nrl-bids-ready-and-waiting/2131006/
So another team in Queensland and my guess would be the West Coast Pirates would be the second, assuming they do not want a bye round. What do you think???
Replies
Probably the best two options so that it doesn't take away from the local Sydney talent pool, also bringing in the Western Corridor bid would somewhat take away the monopoly the Broncos have on that part of the state. If the NRL aren't open to expansion in bringing in 18 teams then maybe they could take away two teams from the competition...Manly and the Sharks???
For better or worse, like it or lump it IMO this is the way of the future. My mugs advice to fans is get used to it.
The game will be expanded & the impetus will come from TV. It involves money, potential markets & bountiful marketing opportunities & IMO will have significant impact on the remaining traditional Sydney clubs.
Long term, the pressures will come to facilitate teams in PNG, the Central Coast, possibly a regional country team or teams, Brisbane north &/or west, dependant on TV patronage. Conversely the NRL will pressure the traditional Sydney based clubs to rationalise to assist in accommodating the expansion which will probably be slowly controlled to minimise the impact but IMO the changes will inevitably come.
Limited availability of players will impact all the clubs with juniors. The new clubs will look to all sources in their recruitment drive. There will be possibly be pressures on reviewing the number of bench players & perhaps an NRL draft system to control player movements.
I would expect that the NRL will gradually rebrand all teams to remove locality connotations, i.e. The Eels or The Panthers, The Tigers, The Sea Eagles, The Sharks etc. to facilitate future portability, brand building & marketing. We mightn't like it, but IMO it will come.
What guides you to believe that the NRL will want clubs to take away club's areas in their name?
You never know it may be the central cost sharks by that time :p
Too many teams in one area is preventing the Central Coast having a team. From Newcastle to Wollongong there's already 10 teams in a small area, if they add another one that is going to diminish the crowds with already low live crowds at NRL games another team close to this bunch is going to be a step in the wrong direction.
I thought Manly was your local team.
U could be on the money if the near term future at the Sharks becomes untenable from the NRL perspective. We have yet to experience the outcome of the various ASADA investigations into any player involvement.
There's too many teams as there is and not enough talent to go around. Remember back in the early 90s when there was something like 22 teams with Perth, Adelaide and the Crushers? Teams were constantly getting flogged 60-0. Even now there's too much of a disparity between teams (remember how many times we got 50+ put on us this year, as a case in point.) Sixteen teams is enough; otherwise you need mergers or teams to relocate. And just because a team is somewhere doesn't mean all these kids are suddenly going to want to play rugby league. How many Melbourne kids are playing the game because of the Storm? None, I reckon. Even the CEO of the premiers, The Roosters, admitted earlier this week that absolutely no one plays league in the east. Less teams, better quality, I say...
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