WA expected to win NRL licence

[Ralto]

Dont mess with a Numbat! BASYIE HARD

No probs with Baysie, Gaffa - good club, run well (ok, minimal politics). Watched a few matches there the other week - Good 18s, and 20's, competitive 2nds team. Few good players into the premier team in the next year or two and they'll be back don't worry about that.

[GAFFA]

No probs with Baysie, Gaffa - good club, run well (ok, minimal politics). Watched a few matches there the other week - Good 18s, and 20's, competitive 2nds team. Few good players into the premier team in the next year or two and they'll be back don't worry about that.

I was just messing with you mate just protecting the mighty Numbats! Alot of good young guys coming through the biggest issue is trying to keep hold of them all. The prems team has been there abouts all year, but like the force seem to fall over at the last hurdle but it will come in time.

[shasta]

The Western Reds were virtually insolvent from the get go. I was told at the time that their financial position was very much overstated when their bid went in to the ARL. That led to them being being vulnerable when Rupert Murdoch's men came knocking with money to bail them out. That then put them at News Ltd's mercy and when the deal to end the Superleage was struck they were simply packed up and sent to Melbourne.

So' while I'm not a big fan of wholly privately run franchises, I'd prefer that some partnership could be worked out before the bids are final. The kind of money Sage and Elias are talking about would give them a sound position for at least the first 10 years.

[andrewM]

Surely a shoe-in for Bundy to be their shirts rights sponsor?

[shasta]

Just been watching the NRL Footy Show on 9. Discussion on next NRL team. Not one of them in favour of WA bid. All in favour of 2.Qld bids. Probably indicates that the primary FTA channel sees better ratings in Qld.
One other eason given was also that the two WA bids.were working against each other. Get your act together
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[jargan83]

West Coast Pirates' NRL bid boss claims rival expansion bids in Queensland may be forced to walk the plank if rugby league is serious about national expansion.

Despite the failed experiment of the Western Reds, who crashed with a $10 million debt in 1997, Perth is well progressed with plans for an NRL team and says it should be favoured over Queensland, which already has three clubs.

WA Rugby League chief executive John Sackson, born in Brisbane but now spearheading the Pirates' crusade, says the Australian Rugby League Commission must look towards the AFL's expansion model.

"In the face of the AFL's very good national expansion, the league bosses must have a good game plan and a good vision, and that should involve having a team in Perth," Sackson said.

"They should be looking at genuine development into a (Perth) frontier that is begging for it. I was born and raised in Queensland but if I look at the bids there - in Brisbane, Ipswich and central Queensland - those areas are rugby league heartland and the game already exists there.

"Perth is an area that is fertile for the development of rugby league."

A turf war has erupted over the Pirates' NRL bid with another consortium headed by millionaire Tony Sage, who owns the Perth Glory A-League team, formalising plans for a rival Perth bid.

The mere fact there could be two teams from Perth bidding for a licence shows how strongly the city is positioning itself for a league team and how seriously the Queensland NRL bid teams must take the western threat.

The WA Reds were victims of the Super League battle but the Pirates claim they have significant government and private sector backing - and say plenty more will come if they are granted a licence.

They insist many of the factors that killed off the Reds - including high travel costs in the 1990s - no longer exist.

Perth is one of the favourites to regain a place in possibly the 2015 premiership, with a final decision on expansion expected to hinge on the game's next television broadcasting deal.

Queensland Origin great Johnathan Thurston is among those convinced Perth is the prime site for NRL expansion and he reasons it would be perfect for TV, with the two-hour time difference meaning there could be back-to-back TV games on Friday nights or Sunday afternoons.

Sackson says the time zone is one of the key planks in the Pirates' NRL blueprint but he also argues a Perth team would receive huge fan support and build a fresh fan base.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/n...-1226428774796

[The InnFORCEr]

I spoke with John Sackson after the official launch a few weks ago and he said that as a result 1000 members had already joined the Pirates

[jargan83]

I spoke with John Sackson after the official launch a few weks ago and he said that as a result 1000 members had already joined the Pirates

I'm one of them!

They had a counter on their website last time I looked at it

[shasta]

I'm one of them!

They had a counter on their website last time I looked at it

Bloody Mungo.

2500-odd + 2 now. Arrrrrrrgh.

[Sheikh]

Not a fan of RL, but if a third team (after Force and Glory) helps the pollies to realise that they need to accelerate the development of NIB, I'm all for it.

[AndyS]

Can't say I'm looking forward to it. They'll get much better use out of NIB than we will, with close to twice as many matches with not dissimilar crowds. More money, more TV coverage and a higher salary cap is going to be a proper issue when competing for sponsors and players, especially when we are fighting for the latter with both hands behind our backs.

[beige]

Can't say I'm looking forward to it. They'll get much better use out of NIB than we will, with close to twice as many matches with not dissimilar crowds. More money, more TV coverage and a higher salary cap is going to be a proper issue when competing for sponsors and players, especially when we are fighting for the latter with both hands behind our backs.

And with a lot more teams in the NRL they'll be scouting the WAJRU, especially for their Toyota Cup team.

[Ralto]

I'd say a second Brisbane team would be favourite for the other expansion slot if it happens.

You know rugby league has a chance to tap into the local community better than the Force if rugby is not careful. While rugby is contracting its Academy system to Brisbane and Sydney, a Perth NRL side would have to bolster its team with local players due to the sheer number of teams already in the league that the talent is spread across. Throw in a Toyota Cup side and maybe a NSW Cup side and they could potentially build a very strong grassroots base in WA.

The Western Reds did have a team playing SG Ball Cup in 2010, and the squad they named in 2011 consisted of 12 local and 12 Eastern States players. Out of the 12 local players, I am aware of at least 3 (with my limited knowledge) who were registered under 18's Rugby players. There are quite a few others who will wait for the local team to be switched on before exiting the local Rugby competition.

[Pacman]

The Western Reds did have a team playing SG Ball Cup in 2010, and the squad they named in 2011 consisted of 12 local and 12 Eastern States players. Out of the 12 local players, I am aware of at least 3 (with my limited knowledge) who were registered under 18's Rugby players. There are quite a few others who will wait for the local team to be switched on before exiting the local Rugby competition.

I hate to say it Ralto, but RWA are behind as much as you are mate when it come's to competing for these boys. Here's the link to the 2011/2012 SG Ball 25 man Squad which competed early this year. (20 are local)

http://warugbyleague.com.au/cash-con...me-2012-squad/

I know at least about 10 of the 25 come through wajru ranks and were currently registered with RWA clubs at the time of being selected. Of the initial 40 man squad over half were dual Union and league. Several being X-RWA Academy players, state U15, 16 and School boys. Four of the 40 were playing in last years wajru U16's competition, several in the U18's and several playing Prem's (namely for Wests and Roo's)

How often do you see those WARL van's driving around, going from school to school? Quite often!! they're throwing cash around to boot - I just hope the horse hasn't bolted on RWA, because the boys are seeing a genuine pathway with RL and won't have to relocate over east to the ARU's eastern Academies now. Bit of a worry!!


POSTED on the WARL website, June21st,2012
The WA Reds invested heavily in local talent for the 2012 season, with 20 of our 25 man squad being local players. Our goal is for this to continue in the 2013 season, however it is vital that for this to happen local players need to ensure they are physically ready to compete at SG Ball level.........(Read further) http://warugbyleague.com.au/wa-reds-sg-ball-off-season/

[shasta]

This has been pointed out before. It's one of the things that concerns me about the future of the Force going forward. I imagine the ARU/WARU have susssed it too. So why still relocate the academy? Unless.........
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