Kiwis- make us the 16th Team The New Zealand bid - for a side to be based in Wellington - is considered a distant third behind the Central Coast and Gold Coast in the race to woo the NRL. i beleive this is regarding the Pacific islander team. considering my long-distance chance of moving to the Golf Coast, i am on favor of them getting the nod. i am still perplexed as to how they could get a franchise after a previous failed attempt.
No, the Pacific Islander concept is for Union - Super 12 This concept is another NZ based team - the Warriors are based in Auckland. As there are 15 teams in the NRL, they are looking for another so as to get rid of the bye. Those in contention are Central Coast (based at Gosford just north of Sydney), Gold Coast and Wellington.
more on the expansion from the Gold Coast Bulletin A COLD War has begun in the fight for the 16th National Rugby League franchise. The Gold Coast Bid Team chose to take a conciliatory approach yesterday to a public launch by rival bidders Central Coast in which they painted themselves as the frontrunners for the new franchise, set to be awarded later this year. While both groups were smiling on the surface, it is obvious that tensions are simmering as they battle to secure the rights to compete in the 2006 competition. The NRL has confirmed that the issue of a new team will come up at the NRL Partnership Committee meeting in two weeks' time. The Central Coast, backed by media heavy-hitter John Singleton, staged a press conference in Sydney yesterday where Singleton refused to admit they were now in all-out war with the Gold Coast. He then proceeded to hand out a folio of statistics that painted a golden picture of the Central Coast in direct relation to the Gold Coast. But instead of blazing back with heavy artillery, the Gold Coast Bid Team chose to fight the bout on their own merits. "This doesn't mean the gloves are now off, not at all," said Bid Team chairman Paul Broughton. "If the NRL are looking at a national blue print for the future of the game then the Gold Coast cannot be excluded. "The securing of the sixth-largest city in Australia is as important strategically as it is geographically." There was however a hint of thrust and parry from the Bid Team, with the group releasing their own set of figures yesterday. They underlined their population advantage on the Gold Coast - with the Central Coast laughably trying to count half a million people from the North Shore of Sydney in their census figure. The also quoted growth figures, favourable population demographic breakdowns, and the fact that the Gold Coast has over three times more junior players than their southern rival. Their trial crowd figures from the past two years, figures that have blown away other regional centres, also got a mention. note- then entire article is posted b/c they remove the story after one day
Worse that Soccer Fans? Roosters win marred by Bulldog fans Police to review brawl footage Roosters 35 Bulldogs 0 THE dark clouds over rugby leage all but suffocated the game last night as Bulldogs supporters hurled bottles on to Aussie Stadium to sour a superb Roosters victory. damn, shut them out! and as if they league and bulldogs don't have enough of the spotlight on them (in a bad way too).
from the GC Bulletin -------------------------------------- Coast bid team expects Players Union support 27Mar04 THE Gold Coast Bid Team expects that their campaign to get the NRL to expand the competition will receive support from the Players Union. The NRL's ruling body, the Partnership Committee, took the first step towards expansion on Thursday when they discussed the issue formally as an agenda item at their monthly meeting. Now the Bid Team has been boosted by reports the Players Union is also in favour of a 16th team because of the draw re-jig a new franchise would require. A 16th team would lower the physical demands on players with the competition likely to be cut from 26 to 22 rounds, a swaying point with the Players Union after the recent burnout problems of young stars Jamie Lyon and Mark Gasnier. "I believe there is a big push to come from the Players Union because 16 teams would probably mean 22 rounds," said Bid Team member Michael Searle yesterday. "The length of the competition is one of the major causes of burnout and it would alleviate that, so we should get some help there.'' The Partnership Committee made up of three Australian Rugby League board members and three News Limited (publishers of The Bulletin) representatives voted on Thursday to consider expansion again at the May meeting. They have decided to continue informal talks with the three bids aiming for the 16th franchise the Gold Coast, the NSW Central Coast and New Zealand's Wellington and probe their claims until May. "The Partnership Committee are still going to have informal talks with the bidders outside the agenda on the blueprint of expansion," said Searle. "Then in May it will be formally brought up again." -------------------------------------------------------- good news for the GC bid in getting the union backing. note- entire article posted b/c stories are removed after one day from the site
how much is this pic worth? -4 points for the b'dogs, for their fans bad/fighting behavior. http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9115037^421,00.html
Also, BBC Rugby League Commentator Ray French has picked his six favourite upsets in Rugby League History. A Couple involve the Great Britain team, a Defeat in Papua New Guinea and a win in Australia. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/ray_french/2949991.stm
Raiders on a Roll not the edible kind, but the winning kind (end corny joke). with the win, they are tied with the roosters and panthers at the top of the table. Rabbitohs rock on LUKE MACDOUGALL scored a hat-trick of tries to help Souths break a 10-year hoodoo with an upset victory over Cronulla at Aussie Stadium tonight.
from todays gold coast bulletin regarding the gold caost team bid{entire article put b/c stories are removed after one day} ================== THE Queensland Rugby League is expected to fully endorse the Gold Coast Bid Team's push for the 16th NRL franchise at their next board meeting. The Bid Team emerged from a meeting with the QRL's executive, chairman John McDonald and managing director Ross Livermore yesterday, buoyed from the results of the meeting. The Bid Team said they are extremely hopeful of the complete QRL board fully endorsing their quest for the next licence at a meeting later this month. "It is a timely move and we are appreciative of the support from the QRL executive,'' said Bid Team chairman Paul Broughton. "The benefits of their encouragement will help our cause no end. "Our strategic plans detailing how we can help strengthen the code in the south-east of Queensland were well received. "They critiqued all our finances and strategies to ensure the game of rugby league in the state of Queensland is protected.'' McDonald is a member of the NRL's ruling body, the Partnership Committee, and said he was impressed by what he saw. The Partnership Committee will make the decision on expansion. The matter will be brought up at the May meeting. "We still have got to make the decision about expansion, but the Bid Team have put in a lot of work,'' said McDonald. The Gold Coast is in a race for the next licence with the John Singleton-backed NSW Central Coast bid, while Wellington is another bidder.
some info for ya- -Wests Tigers have not won successive NRL matches for more than two years -IF you added all the metres that each NRL team have made over the previous two seasons, the Sydney Roosters would be 12 kilometres in front of the next best. -CRONULLA's rising rugby league star Greg Bird was last night sensationally suspended for 10 matches by the NRL judiciary over a sickening knee to the head of an opponent.
Tests take back seat to Origin pretty interesting article on how two kiwi league players want to be left out of the squad for the game vs australia.
Australia trounce Kiwis Australia 37 New Zealand 10 AUSTRALIA applied the blowtorch to New Zealand in the second half of tonight's Anzac Test in Newcastle, but it wasn't the cakewalk many people thought it would be. Story here it was a close first half, but in the second half, the aussies pulled away. my question is- they had 21k+ in newcastle, seems a bit lite, how big is the stadium? and if thats the max, wouldn't they be able to draw a larger crowd elsewhere?
BhoysFC1995, That's the ground capacity. If you had scheduled the game in Sydney or Brisbane (or even Melbourne), it would have drawn more fans but the ARL tries to get big games out into the country-side to let the remote true fans get to attend. Some of those 21,000+ would have travelled some hours from all over NSW (up to about 12 from the western regions) just to get to Newcastle for the game. That's how much it would have meant to them. The State-Of-Origin series between NSW & QLD will be held in Sydney & Brisbane AND will draw capacity crowds in those cities (86,000+ in Sydney).
more talks a the gold coast team (from the gold coast bulletin) Storm should be axed and moved to the Gold Coast 13May04 PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald last night declared the Melbourne Storm should be closed down and relocated to the Gold Coast. The always outspoken Fitzgerald also suggested it should happen in time for the start of next season. "Promoting rugby league in Melbourne is akin to promoting beach volleyball in Iceland,'' said Fitzgerald. "It should be on the Gold Coast. "The area up there is crying out for a team. Melbourne's owner, News Limited, is pouring millions of dollars into the Storm every year for no result.'' The comments will ensure a fiery confrontation ahead of this weekend's clash between the Eels and the Storm at Parramatta Stadium. Fitzgerald said News Ltd was `throwing away good money after bad' by persevering with the Storm. "They would would be better devoting that money to an area where rugby league is No.1,'' he said. The NRL is considering adding a 16th team to the competition in 2006 and there are three contenders the Gold Coast, the Central Coast and Wellington in New Zealand. The game's chief executive David Gallop said there were no plans for Melbourne to be moved.But Fitzgerald, chairman of the NRL club council and a 25-year rugby league administrator, said the Storm were doing nothing for rugby league in Victoria.
more talks a the gold coast team (from the gold coast bulletin) Storm should be axed and moved to the Gold Coast 13May04 PARRAMATTA chief executive Denis Fitzgerald last night declared the Melbourne Storm should be closed down and relocated to the Gold Coast. The always outspoken Fitzgerald also suggested it should happen in time for the start of next season. "Promoting rugby league in Melbourne is akin to promoting beach volleyball in Iceland,'' said Fitzgerald. "It should be on the Gold Coast. "The area up there is crying out for a team. Melbourne's owner, News Limited, is pouring millions of dollars into the Storm every year for no result.'' The comments will ensure a fiery confrontation ahead of this weekend's clash between the Eels and the Storm at Parramatta Stadium. Fitzgerald said News Ltd was `throwing away good money after bad' by persevering with the Storm. "They would would be better devoting that money to an area where rugby league is No.1,'' he said. The NRL is considering adding a 16th team to the competition in 2006 and there are three contenders the Gold Coast, the Central Coast and Wellington in New Zealand. The game's chief executive David Gallop said there were no plans for Melbourne to be moved.But Fitzgerald, chairman of the NRL club council and a 25-year rugby league administrator, said the Storm were doing nothing for rugby league in Victoria.
Man, I can't believe Bulldogs won the NRL Grand Final after starting the season in controversy with all the ugly accusations. I'm sure glad I don't follow Rugby League.
Chandu, If you ignore the off-field Doggies crap, then the game was a really good one, for a Grand Final. Don't disagree with your sentiments on the team & its behaviour at the start of the season.
it was shown live on fsw here in the US. i caught some of it before work, it was an exciting game (but i have always enjoyed the sport).