Rugby league Reds are back, on war footing

[fulvio sammut]

"not saying i dont like league because i was thinking of playing this year." pruc

Thinking of playing league this year! You little sh..! Your father will dig himself an early grave just to turn in it!

[pruc]

its on sunday fulvio get over it. i decided not to. i was going to play for south perth roosters but now im trying to convice him to let me play footy on sundays. sadly at the moment im fighting a losing battle

oh and it was at a league game reds v cowboys that i first thought about playing rugby. more i think i was bribed by bruce and jay but hey i got lollys and at the age of 5 hu in there right mind would so no.

[Burgs]

You clearly have a problem mate? That sport you refer to happens to be the best sport on God's earth, show some respect son!



How did you work that out? Its news to me.

League has been here since 1946 when a host of union clubs switched to the faster code.

Please do some research before you make ill remarks like thae above. League could easily become WA's second strongest sport, unless of course union would use their old antics and try and prevent that?

http://www.rl1908.com/Clubs/Western-Reds-Perth.htm

Oh, we gunna get on just fine!
Before you charge in here boots and all you may want to look around for awhile mate.
Seeing you are so well researched you would already be aware of Sean Fagan's sister site http://www.colonialrugby.com.au/perth-wa.htm which quite clearly outlines the far longer, more prominent and more successful history of Rugby Union in this State.
As local League virtually never features in ANY form of media in Western Australia, currently has no National or International presence in Western Australia and has a grand expansion plan of going into the second tier Jim Beam Cup, I really don't think you have a leg to stand on and my statement is entirely accurate and appropriate, no matter how unpalatable you may find it.
I have no issue with League or those who choose to play it, in fact if you take your blinkers off you will see I posted it as a positive.
What I do have issue with is the small group of morons that are attracted to the sport who comfortably balance a chip on both shoulders.

[Goldmember]

Why does it always have to be "us" vs "them"? Rugby League supporters in WA have been through a lot in recent times and they always seem to stick by their code and teams.

When I last checked, Rugby League generates more revenue than Union and has a larger supporter base in Australia. Maybe we should show our goodwill by watching their games (wear a Force hat or something obvious though). We might even coax a few of the hardcore league supporters into watching the Union games.

Think of the crowds we will draw to our matches if we work together! I see this as an opportunity.

[Use The Force]

Why does it always have to be "us" vs "them"? Rugby League supporters in WA have been through a lot in recent times and they always seem to stick by their code and teams.

When I last checked, Rugby League generates more revenue than Union and has a larger supporter base in Australia. Maybe we should show our goodwill by watching their games (wear a Force hat or something obvious though). We might even coax a few of the hardcore league supporters into watching the Union games.

Think of the crowds we will draw to our matches if we work together! I see this as an opportunity.

Unfortunately there's a League vs Union mentality everywhere, especially in NSW and Queensland. I'm not too familiar with the goings on of the Reds, but The Waratahs have a massive bandwagon in Sydney but don't have many loyal supporters unlike the League Teams. It's not really about which code is better, but RU is not well marketed in Sydney. It doesn't help that the Tahs don't do anything west of the city where the footy potential is huge. This is just a rough guess but I'd say probably only 20% of league fans would say they are interested in both codes. It's a poor attitude on both parts but I really think NSW Rugby has to try a bit harder to win over some fans here. If the Swans got popular, so can the Waratahs.

[chook]

Good luck to the League boys over yonder west, I hope that they can join in the NRL down the track if its feasible.

I must be one of those 20% who like Union and League. Looking forward to the NRL season!!!

[Nick]

[QUOTE=KalgoorlieRed]You clearly have a problem mate? That sport you refer to happens to be the best sport on God's earth, show some respect son!



Respect... Your on a Rugby Union supporters site trying to convince people that another code is the best sport on Gods earth? Good luck to you and your team but thats a bit like me going onto the Eagles or Dockers supporters site expounding the virtues of Rugby - Just Plain Stupid.

I haev great respect for the guys who play league (they'll come around eventually to the game they play in heaven) but I couldn't care less about league.

[Use The Force]

Good luck to the League boys over yonder west, I hope that they can join in the NRL down the track if its feasible.

I must be one of those 20% who like Union and League. Looking forward to the NRL season!!!

I notice your 'club' says Parramatta. Do you follow the Two Blues or are you a long suffering Eels fan like myself?

[shasta]

Your on a Rugby Union supporters site trying to convince people that another code is the best sport on Gods earth?

Very good point. I'm also one of the 20% who are into both codes. This tired old argument gets a bit ridiculous, let alone pointless. Like saying AFL is better than Baseball. Oranges and apples. Whatever.

For mine I played far more League than Rugby, mainly beacuse I spent a lot of years in the Pilbara and the only game in town was League. The decision of which code to play was made by some very wise men over a few beers in the Whim Creek Pub.

The only thing I'd say now is that if they had known then what we now now they probably would have plumped for Rugby.

The marketing men told the powers that were at the time that they needed to make the RL more attractive to a wider audience. Unfortunately they were old footy players rather than shrewd business men and they believed them. To this end they somehow decided it wouold be a great idea to gradually rid the game of nearly all contests for possession. And that, IMHO, is a crying shame.

Does that sound familiar?

I just hope Mr O'Brien, Mr McQueen & Co don't make the same mistakes.

[Lonzy]

okay so I was checking out membership costs for the WA Reds ... $250 but that doesnt include season tickets ... but the good thing is you can pay in instalments ...

I was thinking of getting a WA reds membership ... but I think I will popnder that a little more considering I would have to get off my bum and actually buy the tickets

[frontrow]

Nice troll Lonzy, i am a old mate of Matt Fuller and Brett Goldspink, ex Reds players, and i have to say i admire the fitness they put into thier code, but alas the game has lost a bit of its spark since super league, but i am still a Parramatta Eels fan but my passion is union...

The point was made that the NSWRU don't put in a lot of effort marketing outside the city area and established rugby safehavens, ie out west, and i have to say i agree...
I grew up playing league in Wagga and never really followed union until i left high school (i actually had a fight with a bloke over which code was better, of which i now realise he was correct), simply because there was no marketing of the code...The only reason i stumbled onto union is 'cause a mate asked me to fill up the numbers one weekend, and i haven't looked back...So what i am trying to say is look at how you market the code and growth will follow, in this regard we are lagging behind both League and AFL...(Not worried about round ball stats)...

[travelling_gerry]

okay so I was checking out membership costs for the WA Reds ... $250 but that doesnt include season tickets ... but the good thing is you can pay in instalments ...

I was thinking of getting a WA reds membership ... but I think I will popnder that a little more considering I would have to get off my bum and actually buy the tickets

Actually thats probably a very god marketing idea for the Emirates Western Force.......it does seem a imposition budget wise to get a large bill eg $800 for a couple of gold seats in October and have to wait till Feb until the first game....I am sure stadium issues withstanding that this might also be a small reason for membership losses in 2007...some people just didnt have the cash at the time...and this was reflected in the similar game attendances in 2006 to 2007

[shasta]

but I think I will popnder that a little more considering I would have to get off my bum and actually buy the tickets

So what do you get for your membership money Lonz? Seems a bit much just to be a "Foundation Member" with no seats.

I know a few Western Reds foundation members who are not happy that their "foundation" status from 1995 counts for nothing re the WA Reds.

I hope they do well, and I'll be going to watch them. But I have to say, given the low standard of play in the JB Cup I can't see it being sustainable. Anyone who's got Fox Sports can tune in to JB Cup replays on Wednesday afternoons. You'll soon see what I mean.

[bort]

Rugby league Reds are back, on war footing

8th February 2007, 8:30 WST
Dave Hughes, West Australian

Western Reds might be gone from rugby league but the WA Reds are on the way in.

WA Rugby League chief Geoff Baldwin last night revealed the name of the local team to enter the secondtier Jim Beam Cup next year as part of a long-range plan to restore a Perth side to the National Rugby League.

Baldwin said the Reds name had been retained because the public automatically associated it with rugby league, and local followers of the sport associated it with unfinished business.

He revealed that the logo of the new team was based on that of the old Western Reds.

The intention was for the Reds to be back in the national competition by 2012.

“Coincidentally, the name WA Reds results in an acronym of ‘war’ and for the new team it is appropriate as we embark on a full and measured assault on the eastern seaboard to bring WA back into the national spotlight of rugby league,” he said.

“Five years ago we started the journey back to the NRL. Our initial goals were to develop a strong local competition and become financially secure, and that’s done.

“Now we’re into stage two, to form a WA team and improve to the point we can present to the NRL a case they can’t argue against.”

The new team’s head coach, Chris Dever, and conditioning coach Matt Fuller are former Western Reds players and have launched a development program to get local players up to speed for next year’s entry into the NSW-based competition.

The Sydney Roosters sent a contingent of NRL players, including Brad Fittler and captain Craig Fitzgibbon, to help kick off the new side at last night’s launch.

WARL general manager Bill Nosworthy recently returned from a recruiting trip which netted former North Queensland Cowboys player Michael Fairweather.

Nosworthy also persuaded eight players who had represented WA at junior level to return home, including Newtown premier grade player Ryan Dixon, South Sydney under-19 member Jacob Buck and Jamie Lamaro, who played for Central Coast in the Jim Beam Cup.

“The local clubs have been doing a lot of recruiting themselves and there will be at least 20 players from other States playing in our competition this year in the hope of breaking into the Reds,” Nosworthy said.

Former Brisbane, Canberra and Cronulla player Darren Matt was on the verge of committing to Perth when he got a lucrative one-year deal to play in Wales.

i really really hope it works out, but im not convinced it will at this stage
i used to play under Dever and with Dixon and Buck
im primarily a league fan, but have been a member of force every year and only missed one home game, both rugby codes are miles ahead of any other sport in my books

[.X.]

Let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time........ Nah - bugger it - Its too long - let me cover the basics

I love Rugby Union, but any WA team of any code that takes a shot at NSW or VIC or QLD or all of the above is my team.

Back in the mid 90's when the Western Reds got started, they got royally screwed by the NSWRL. The Western Reds were required to pay for ALL teams air fares to Perth and all teams accommodation in Perth. Consequently they were $4 Million Dollars in Debt after 2 years and were ready to fold, and then along came Super League with their bucket full of money. No more Debt. Super League Died and the NRL killed off the Reds quicker then you can say "who was that masked man?"

As far as I am concerned Rugby will always be number 1, but, WA League will have a small place in my heart too.