Good afternoon fellow 1 eyed eel members.
I would like to discuss my ideas and would love to hear your thoughts on the topic as well. The topic is exactly that Future Expansion & Re-locations.
My opinion is the NRL must expand or relocate teams in the near future. This will ensure the game can be more financially viable for the future and to spread the word "NRL".
With recent events of the Gold Coast Titans this week could be the nail in the coffin for the once "glamour" franchise and with Marwin Koukash stating he would financially back the Gold Coast Titans if they relocated closer to Brisbane. This would seem the most logical answer to a club with NO Sponsors, a massive $25mil in debt and without even the basics (Training field) to compete in NRL. Along with poor/declining crowd figures and membership numbers the Titans are really struggling to be a financially viable NRL Franchise.
I simply do not think NRL will last on the Gold Coast and their fourth franchise the "Titans" will be no more. Moving the Titans to Western Corridor region of Brisbane would benefit the game greatly. A NRL team based in Ipswich in my opinion would be a great move. That area is currently under threat as the AFL are building a massive facility in the region as they see this area as a future expansion. This facility will be used by the Brisbane Lions and will give that area access to great AFL training facilities. NRL must be proactive to really be competitive with AFL.
So for me Gold Coast Titans to be relocated closer to Brisbane with Marwin Koukash as an owner would be a formidable franchise and one to watch. This would generate a good franchise to rival Brisbane Broncos strangle hold on SE Queensland and hopefully even the competition
My two expansions would be The West Coast Pirates bid and the Central Queensland bid, however I don't agree with the city the franchise will call home.
http://westcoastpirates.com.au/
So what are your opinions on the matter?
Hopefully we aren't too far off being an 18 team competition. The teams, locations etc. must be debated now to get the correct results to grow our great game.
Besides the "N" does stand for "National".
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In all honesty I reckon Ipswich is the go.
Big population and potential supporter base and will start stealing broncos players.
Brissy HAS to get a 2nd team.
Gold Coast is not where you go to watch footy.
The population is transient and off their faces. It's basically a tourism mecca and will never change.
Brett have to disagree with you.The Titans have no sponsors and were already on the nose with locals before this and to me whether its now or end of the year this could be the end.They have already had to sack Carter and had the Bird pissing incident in the off season.Already 2 players have been charged and the talk is another 5-7 could follow.
They cant survive after that
Bring back the gold coast seagulls you wonder why they ever failed with a name like the seagulls.
Id like to see a Kings Cross team.
Brett I understand that and can i say living up here other then Parra the Titans are my 2nd side
But lets look at things
No Crowds:This I cant understand why as the Ticket prices were cheap.(Adult & Child $26)
No Major Sponsors
A Team that would have finished bottom 5 before this Drug Scandal
As of today have lost 3 top 25 players and word is you could add another 5 or 6 to that including a big name.
Now any Sporting Team would struggle with all the above but then add the bad stench that Searle left with a lot of Businesses on the cost and I cant see them surviving.I hope I am wrong But....
Well since my blog back in October, Expansion and Competition Structure where I suggested 4 teams (Pirates, Bears, Ipswich and Brothers), the Wellington bid has become serious. So I'd swap Ipswich for Wellington and still expand to 20 teams.
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