unapologetic pedant Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 2 minutes ago, Futtocks said: There was a Steelers jersey with narrow white stripes on the body at some point. But that may have been the exception. I prefer that. What I can see of it. Better than the current Dragons alternative jersey. Looking at the NRL badge, it has to be 90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 3 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said: I prefer that. What I can see of it. Better than the current Dragons alternative jersey. Looking at the NRL badge, it has to be 90s. Mid-to-late Nineties, I think. Their last season as an independent NRL club was 1999, and some of the strips from 1996 'til then had those stripes. Rod Wishart retired after one season for the merged entity. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmduck Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 That has to be 1998. The merged team started in 1999 and the NRL started in 1998 so there's only one option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
langpark Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 2 hours ago, Tommygilf said: How many home games do clubs actually get? 3 games might be touching a quarter of all home games! Yes but it is a merger between two teams, not four. 2 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said: In 2019 they had 4. One against the Cowboys got 7k, another against the Storm got 5.5k, and another against the Raiders got 9k. In 2018, when they made the finals, the Wollongong game against Parra pulled under 7k. But is there a chance that crowds are low because they feel a bit alienated and don't really identify with the Dragons as they did with the Steelers? (Not a rhetorical question, I am genuinely asking) I suppose we will never know though, what things would be like if Steelers were still running as an independent club today. All we can really do is speculate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 19 minutes ago, langpark said: But is there a chance that crowds are low because they feel a bit alienated and don't really identify with the Dragons as they did with the Steelers? (Not a rhetorical question, I am genuinely asking) I suppose we will never know though, what things would be like if Steelers were still running as an independent club today. All we can really do is speculate. That`s the question I was wondering about on the previous page, because I can`t get a handle on it either. It`s hard to fathom how they can get towards 20k for some games yet 5-7k for others. And it`s by no means inextricably linked to results. I have heard of the historical affinity the Rocket outlined, which is understandable pre-Sharks. The Steelers` crowds as an independent entity were not great through the 80s, but when they made the finals for the first time in 1992 their average was close to 14k, and they had plenty of support at the SFS for their play-offs. I also have a vague recollection of reading a few years before that about a spontaneous groundswell outside Wollongong Town Hall after they played in the final of the knockout competition. Don`t quote me on it, but I think Andy Gregory played in that game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith989 Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 On 25/12/2020 at 00:24, Horace said: The NRL have wasted 10 years of no expansion while the AFL charged ahead the NRL should have had teams in Perth and Brisbane 2 but we are still waiting while the AFL will be looking to expand again with a new TV deal Is it really wise to go up against a countries national sport though? Has the NRL been living within their means? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 18 minutes ago, Keith989 said: Is it really wise to go up against a countries national sport though? Has the NRL been living within their means? They aren't going up against Cricket or Professional Whingeing, though. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 49 minutes ago, Keith989 said: Is it really wise to go up against a countries national sport though? Has the NRL been living within their means? Perfectly rational to go up against Fumbleball propaganda, if that`s what you mean. In fact, probably essential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 32 minutes ago, Futtocks said: They aren't going up against Cricket or Professional Whingeing, though. Oh dear. That could trigger the Rocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rocket Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 6 hours ago, langpark said: Yes but don't they only get about 3 matches per season? 6 hours ago, Tommygilf said: How many home games do clubs actually get? 3 games might be touching a quarter of all home games! St. George/Illawarra transfer one home game each alternate year to the SFS for the annual Anzac day clash against the Roosters. Given the poorer crowds at WIN stadium perhaps this match is penciled in as a Illawarra home game in those years, that would account for one less on those years. Is it possible that it is considered a St. George Illawarra home game every year with some sort of deal they do with the Roosters and the NRL because of the drawing power that game has. I do remember talk at one stage where St. George where going to take big matches like the game against Souths, possibly Bulldogs, to the Olympic Stadium so in effect their home games would be split between three venues. To be frank I can`t remember if they have been doing this either. The other one more recently has been the game they took to Mudgee, that accounts for another home game transferred. I suppose at the end of the day the figures speak for themselves and the Illawarra half of the venture are not getting at least 6 home games an even split would infer. Now whether any home games transferred are taken from the Illawarra side of the ledger because perhaps they are less profitable there, that may be the case. With regards to your point about Illawarra fans buying into the venture Langpark I can only speak for myself. For me I find having to add `Illawarra` on every time I mention St. George a pain in the ###### (and usually don`t) and would be happy if they just accepted their subordinate role, but that`s o.k for me because I`m a St. George supporter. Personally I have never considered the other half of the ventures feelings and always got the impression they were behind the joint venture anyway, probably due to the large crowds we get there whenever we start to do well consistently. Having said that I have a soft spot for the Illawarra as the home of so many of our great and otherwise players and I suspect that they have the same affinity for St. George given that so many of their great young players made their way to St. George and have had so much success there. I dare say if Wollongong continues to grow and one day becomes a city of 1 million people and they pull 20 000 at every home game then the current situation will be reversed and Kogarah may get the scraps every year, everyone will be thinking then what great forward planning was displayed when the two clubs merged back in 1996. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulga Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 On 25/12/2020 at 18:24, Horace said: The NRL have wasted 10 years of no expansion while the AFL charged ahead the NRL should have had teams in Perth and Brisbane 2 but we are still waiting while the AFL will be looking to expand again with a new TV deal The AFL's two newest teams have cost them $20m+ per year EACH! If you think that either has been anywhere near a good investment then I have a bridge to sell you. $400m and nothing to show for it except a few more kids in Western Sydney playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 11 minutes ago, Pulga said: The AFL's two newest teams have cost them $20m+ per year EACH! If you think that either has been anywhere near a good investment then I have a bridge to sell you. $400m and nothing to show for it except a few more kids in Western Sydney playing. I know you`re in QLD, but can you explain why 30k+ regularly attend Swans games. Particularly given that this was a relocated team. I`ve heard there are still South Melbourne fans who go to their games in Vic. The above is relevant to some of the suggestions there`ve been on this thread about the prospects for moving a Sydney NRL identity to WA or QLD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 4 hours ago, Farmduck said: That has to be 1998. The merged team started in 1999 and the NRL started in 1998 so there's only one option. Brilliant deduction, Sherlock. I wasn`t thinking straight when I said generically "90s". For some senile reason I was racking my brains to think which year they changed the badge from NSW RL to Australian RL. - completely irrelevant. Wonder if that picture is from the Steelers` final ever game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omott91 Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 Reports suggest new team to be announced middle of '21 ready to play in '23. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted December 26, 2020 Share Posted December 26, 2020 1 hour ago, The Rocket said: For me I find having to add `Illawarra` on every time I mention St. George a pain in the If there is genuine encompassing affinity, it won`t matter. Only occasionally do people take the trouble to say Warringah, Sutherland, or Bankstown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulga Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 3 hours ago, unapologetic pedant said: I know you`re in QLD, but can you explain why 30k+ regularly attend Swans games. Particularly given that this was a relocated team. I`ve heard there are still South Melbourne fans who go to their games in Vic. The above is relevant to some of the suggestions there`ve been on this thread about the prospects for moving a Sydney NRL identity to WA or QLD. Honestly, I don't know. The AFL is an anomaly by global standards with an average attendance just shy of the English Premier League in a country with a third of the population. Moving a team will never work. Ever. The bad blood would outweigh the benefits of a new club. We already have the perfect model in the Melbourne Storm. Why are we looking for better examples when the Storm is arguably the best run club in all of Rugby? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Mackem Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 3 hours ago, Pulga said: Honestly, I don't know. The AFL is an anomaly by global standards with an average attendance just shy of the English Premier League in a country with a third of the population. Moving a team will never work. Ever. The bad blood would outweigh the benefits of a new club. We already have the perfect model in the Melbourne Storm. Why are we looking for better examples when the Storm is arguably the best run club in all of Rugby? What about merging and relocating teams within the greater Sydney area and NSW? For example Ive always thought that merging Canterbury bulldogs and western suburbs was a better solution than merging wests and balmain. The new club could be called western bulldogs and could represent the massive and sprawling region of greater western Sydney playing out of a new stadium built in Liverpool ? Also another logical merger would be that of the bears and sea Eagles. They could be known as north Sydney sea Eagles and could represent north Sydney area right upto the northern beaches. They could also play out of a upgraded north Sydney oval? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulga Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 4 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said: What about merging and relocating teams within the greater Sydney area and NSW? For example Ive always thought that merging Canterbury bulldogs and western suburbs was a better solution than merging wests and balmain. The new club could be called western bulldogs and could represent the massive and sprawling region of greater western Sydney playing out of a new stadium built in Liverpool ? Also another logical merger would be that of the bears and sea Eagles. They could be known as north Sydney sea Eagles and could represent north Sydney area right upto the northern beaches. They could also play out of a upgraded north Sydney oval? Mergers within Sydney are definitely more palatable. I don't think an already merged club could be merged again and I don't think bringing back the Bears to merge would be a good idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Mackem Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 42 minutes ago, Pulga said: Mergers within Sydney are definitely more palatable. I don't think an already merged club could be merged again and I don't think bringing back the Bears to merge would be a good idea. Maybe so but what I’m saying is that a merger between Canterbury and western suburbs playing out of Liverpool representing the greater western Sydney region was better than a merger between balmain and the magpies. Likewise with the bears and sea Eagles playing out of the north Sydney oval and representing the whole of north Sydney and northern beaches region compared to the central coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapologetic pedant Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 9 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said: What about merging and relocating teams within the greater Sydney area and NSW? For example Ive always thought that merging Canterbury bulldogs and western suburbs was a better solution than merging wests and balmain. The new club could be called western bulldogs and could represent the massive and sprawling region of greater western Sydney playing out of a new stadium built in Liverpool ? Also another logical merger would be that of the bears and sea Eagles. They could be known as north Sydney sea Eagles and could represent north Sydney area right upto the northern beaches. They could also play out of a upgraded north Sydney oval? There`s a Western Bulldogs in the AFL so that name would never be considered anyway. Neither Tottenham nor Arsenal need a generic title to attract support from all over North London and further afield. Likewise in other parts of the capital. In 2009 the Bulldogs/Eels preliminary final had a 74k crowd at ANZ, with a roughly even split. Between 2009 and 2013 the Bulldogs regular season average crowd was over 20k. They have a big enough fanbase on their own, it`s just that like all Sydney NRL teams when they lose more games than they win, most of their "fans" evaporate. The same would happen to a merged club. For this reason, decisions on mergers or relocations should never be taken when a club`s playing fortunes are at a low ebb. North of the harbour, I assume you`re familiar with the experience of Northern Eagles from 2000 to 2002? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 20 hours ago, Futtocks said: They aren't going up against Cricket or Professional Whingeing, though. The AFL want to kill the NRL just like the Rugby union would like to see the end of rugby league in England and if you don’t believe me look what happened in France the Tv companies pay the big bucks to the winners union in Australia got dumped by Fox this year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellsy4HullFC Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 12 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said: Also another logical merger would be that of the bears and sea Eagles. They could be known as north Sydney sea Eagles and could represent north Sydney area right upto the northern beaches. They could also play out of a upgraded north Sydney oval? It appears you never heard of the Northern Eagles... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Eagles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Mackem Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 10 minutes ago, Wellsy4HullFC said: It appears you never heard of the Northern Eagles... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Eagles I’ve indeed heard of the northern Eagles. My argument is that north Sydney obviously has a larger catchment area than manly and the central coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellsy4HullFC Posted December 27, 2020 Share Posted December 27, 2020 28 minutes ago, Cumbrian Mackem said: I’ve indeed heard of the northern Eagles. My argument is that north Sydney obviously has a larger catchment area than manly and the central coast. Well I can't imagine they'll be going back to that merger anytime soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo5 Posted December 27, 2020 Author Share Posted December 27, 2020 9 hours ago, Cumbrian Mackem said: Likewise with the bears and sea Eagles playing out of the north Sydney oval and representing the whole of north Sydney and northern beaches region compared to the central coast. That ship has sailed,Manly with work starting on a centre of excellence and an upgrade of Brookvale won't be looking at anything other than their own development. The North Sydney Oval is a wonderful iconic old ground but it's hardly suited to the demands of the modern day NRL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.