Should the NRL buy expansion clubs rather than super league?

[John bird]

Better outcome all-round for both the NRL and super league as the NRL has the better track record and more money when it comes to expansion success.

obvious candidates would be the London broncos and the midlands hurricanes. Maybe even a Manchester club?

[Eddie]

There isn’t a Manchester club for them to buy. Some people (I forget who) wanted to set one up and enter league one a few years back but the RFL in their wisdom decided against it. 

[John bird]

6 minutes ago, Eddie said:

There isn’t a Manchester club for them to buy. Some people (I forget who) wanted to set one up and enter league one a few years back but the RFL in their wisdom decided against it. 

Swinton?

the Manchester club was the Manchester rangers f#cked over by the RFL for the Ottawa aces I believe.

[Anita Bath]

11 minutes ago, John bird said:

Swinton?

the Manchester club was the Manchester rangers f#cked over by the RFL for the Ottawa aces I believe.

Swinton is no more in Manchester than that lot that won the FACup yesterday.

[John bird]

1 minute ago, Anita Bath said:

Swinton is no more in Manchester than that lot that won the FACup yesterday.

Would be if they moved to the Etihad Campus.

also sale is still classed as Manchester surely?

[The Future is League]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

There isn’t a Manchester club for them to buy. Some people (I forget who) wanted to set one up and enter league one a few years back but the RFL in their wisdom decided against it. 

Which on reflection was a huge mistake by the RFL along with others.

[John bird]

1 minute ago, The Future is League said:

Which on reflection was a huge mistake by the RFL along with others.

A huge blunder as the club is no more I believe?

ditto the Ottawa aces.

[The Future is League]

5 hours ago, John bird said:

Swinton?

the Manchester club was the Manchester rangers f#cked over by the RFL for the Ottawa aces I believe.

Lets not forget that some clown who the clubs hired thought it was a great idea to have a suburb in Wigan as the expense of a team from Toronto in Super League.

Edited May 26 by The Future is League

[Whippet13]

It was local clubs fearing competition for fans and commercial revenue who opposed Manchester Rangers joining the league. Toronto and Ottawa getting the green light had nothing to do with it.

Edited May 26 by Whippet13

[Griff]

1 hour ago, John bird said:

Would be if they moved to the Etihad Campus.

also sale is still classed as Manchester surely?

Sale isn't even in Lancashire, let alone Manchester.

[Whippet13]

2 hours ago, John bird said:

Better outcome all-round for both the NRL and super league as the NRL has the better track record and more money when it comes to expansion success.

obvious candidates would be the London broncos and the midlands hurricanes. Maybe even a Manchester club?

Bearing in mind the very strict RFL rules on multi-club ownership, common in most sports, what league would they play in?

Setting up a new competition would recreate the Super League war and be hugely destructive for everyone.

Edited May 26 by Whippet13

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, John bird said:

Would be if they moved to the Etihad Campus.

also sale is still classed as Manchester surely?

About as Manchester as Salford is.

[John bird]

1 minute ago, Whippet13 said:

What do you see as the advantages to the NRL in buying small clubs that need building up as opposed to existing bigger ones with supporting infrastructure in place, and what league would they play in? Bearing in mind the strict RFL rules on multi-club ownership.

The NRL could potentially develop talent for their own competition 1 day from 2 of the largest cities and metropolitan areas in the UK.

They could also use the clubs to develop some of their own raw and untested players from the reserve grade and u21’s competitions.

[JM2010]

34 minutes ago, John bird said:

The NRL could potentially develop talent for their own competition 1 day from 2 of the largest cities and metropolitan areas in the UK.

They could also use the clubs to develop some of their own raw and untested players from the reserve grade and u21’s competitions.

I like the idea. The RFL just don’t have the money to invest in expansion areas. As you say the NRL could develop juniors which would produce players for the NRL but also for the clubs they’d taken over. Promising NRL players could come over for a season or two. They would also have the money to sign some big name British players to the clubs. Broncos, Skolars, Hurricanes etc would be ideal for this

[John bird]

6 minutes ago, JM2010 said:

I like the idea. The RFL just don’t have the money to invest in expansion areas. As you say the NRL could develop juniors which would produce players for the NRL but also for the clubs they’d taken over. Promising NRL players could come over for a season or two. They would also have the money to sign some big name British players to the clubs. Broncos, Skolars, Hurricanes etc would be ideal for this

It would be a win-win situation for the NRL and they could potentially create new fans/viewers of the NRL as well as for the UK teams they would own.

Also image if you are a youngster from Greater London or the Birmingham metropolitan area playing in the academy sides with the possibility of going on an end of season tour down under to play against Australian youth sides.

would be a great selling point to any potential talented athlete from these areas and beyond.

[Griff]

47 minutes ago, John bird said:

It would be a win-win situation for the NRL and they could potentially create new fans/viewers of the NRL as well as for the UK teams they would own.

Also image if you are a youngster from Greater London or the Birmingham metropolitan area playing in the academy sides with the possibility of going on an end of season tour down under to play against Australian youth sides.

would be a great selling point to any potential talented athlete from these areas and beyond.

All that could be achieved just as well now.

If the NRL would co-operate.

The problem is that the crowds wouldn't flock in to Birmingham or London, so the NRL would have to chuck money at the project.

Edited May 26 by Griff

[M j M]

How much money did the NRL/News plough into Melbourne before they became viable? As a starter that's the sort of commitment which would be required to get serious traction in London (it's probably a lot more).

[Damien]

Something like this would be much more preferable than the NRL buying into SL.

[Lowdesert]

The continuing vibe that  ‘this is not in…..’ is the very reason why things like this will always struggle..  

[Copa]

7 hours ago, John bird said:

Better outcome all-round for both the NRL and super league as the NRL has the better track record and more money when it comes to expansion success.

obvious candidates would be the London broncos and the midlands hurricanes. Maybe even a Manchester club?

Why would London be an obvious candidate? They have few fans, no real home ground, low profile etc. The NRL would also have to deal with all the self serving mess from SL clubs that is amplified because of poor leadership from the governing body.

[John bird]

3 minutes ago, Copa said:

Why would London be an obvious candidate? They have few fans, no real home ground, low profile etc. The NRL would also have to deal with all the self serving mess from SL clubs that is amplified because of poor leadership from the governing body.

Exactly why they would be obvious candidates compared to a club from the heartlands with over 100 years of tradition whose fans would probably offer more pushback. Plus there’s more potential talent to unearth in a city of 9 million or 18 million if you include the travel to work region surrounding London compared to a former coal mining or mill town in the north.

Also the broncos were originally owned by the Brisbane Broncos in the early 90’s.

[Archie Gordon]

The NRL owning a London SL club would be a sensational result.

[Yorks Tim]

Midlands Hurricanes already have ambitious owners with ambitions to take the club into the Championship in the short to medium term. The plans include youth, womens and wheelchair teams to expand the reach of the club in Birmingham. Although I'm sure they would welcome additional investnent, I'm not sure this is the best way to grow the club.

If the NRL could establish and develop a club in (say) Bristol, Northamption or Cardiff then they'd be changing the game in this country below Super League level.

 

[Treizistance]

I can't see merit in NRL owning a couple clubs in a basket case competition, it would need full control for it to work and have a similar structure to the NRL itself. 20 team SL in the coming years anyone?

[John bird]

51 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

The NRL owning a London SL club would be a sensational result.

If anyone can make it work I’d put my money on it being the Aussies.