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Western Sydney Rams . NRC Official Team Thread

stoff

Bill McLean (32)
Yeah. But WTF happened to change Pappy's mind?

First question of all Australian rugby establishment: what's in it for them?
Wonder if it is a bet both ways against super rugby's future. If the NRC becomes the basis of a national comp at some point they have their foot in the door. Being able to guarantee a spot on an NRC squad has also got to help your SS recruiting.


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Sauron

Larry Dwyer (12)
I'm assuming that with Eastwood apparently moving quite some way away from Eastwood itself, maybe they'll rebrand Eastwood as the North-West Rams as well.

After all, it doesn't make much sense to have a club called Eastwood in Castle Hill (or wherever).
 

amirite

Chilla Wilson (44)
Wonder if it is a bet both ways against super rugby's future. If the NRC becomes the basis of a national comp at some point they have their foot in the door. Being able to guarantee a spot on an NRC squad has also got to help your SS recruiting.


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There is nothing other than forum fans saying that Super Rugby will cease, and that if it does the NRC will be elevated.

I really doubt this is the case.
 

Rugbynutter39

Michael Lynagh (62)
Not really that surprising as national club championship they want and best route for that is via NRC.

Pappy also reading the tea leaves that more and more voices calling for national domestic comp and realistically best chance for that is semi pro competition that is financially self sustaining but also can attract broadcasting dollars.

NRC mark 3 in the making perhaps
 

Rugbynutter39

Michael Lynagh (62)
I'm happy for Papworth et al to be inside the tent BUT not if they're just looking to carry on as they have before.



Pissing in or pissing out, its just pissing.



Yes agree with that. I also hope games would still be played in the inner west re: at concord as after the stars folded I switched last season my allegiance to Western Rams and quite liked Concord as a venue.
 

Rugbynutter39

Michael Lynagh (62)
So do we see the national club championship unfolding here with Vikings taking over Canberra NRC licence and Eastwood taking over Western Rams NRC licence.

Interesting to know what conversations 'may' be going on behind the scenes. As NRC as our national long form domestic semi pro competition got to be the long term ambition.

And gees would be great if they could get that going for next season. Yeh ok probably not realistic timeframes wise but still.....
 

WorkingClassRugger

David Codey (61)
So do we see the national club championship unfolding here with Vikings taking over Canberra NRC licence and Eastwood taking over Western Rams NRC licence.

Interesting to know what conversations 'may' be going on behind the scenes. As NRC as our national long form domestic semi pro competition got to be the long term ambition.

And gees would be great if they could get that going for next season. Yeh ok probably not realistic timeframes wise but still...


I mentioned above about whether this was the beginning of a trend moving forward. Truth be told for a national club championship to evolve it was always going to require several clubs stepping up and in essence elevating themselves above the status quo.

I would not be happy at all and will likely jump ship if the Rams became the North-West instead of Western Sydney but I tend to think that first with Vikings and now Eastwood that we'll see this as more of the beginning of several clubs making the long term investment in becoming more than they are now. Well, I hope.

My issue is I want WS to be involved and this move will likely see that done away with. Which lacks forethought in my opinion.

To speculate I reckon if this were to continue I could see Bond Uni wanting with QLDC in the near-ish future. Not sure if there is any one club in Brisbane financially strong enough to buy into Brisbane City (mainly because I have no idea about that side of QPR) or the Rays for that matter. Perhaps Manly. Maybe.
 

Sauron

Larry Dwyer (12)
The only club in Brisbane that could do it is Sunnybank, though I have no idea if they have any appetite to do so. It'd be good to see the second QLD team play out of Ipswich/Logan, but I don't think there are any appropriate facilities down that way. Maybe the Ipswich Jets home ground, if they're willing to share?
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
I'd suggest that the QRU have things in hand nicely with their two teams. More of that kind of centralisation is useful IMHO, rather than the self-interested dick measuring that goes on in NSWRU circles.
 

joeyjohnz

Sydney Middleton (9)
The only club in Brisbane that could do it is Sunnybank, though I have no idea if they have any appetite to do so. It'd be good to see the second QLD team play out of Ipswich/Logan, but I don't think there are any appropriate facilities down that way. Maybe the Ipswich Jets home ground, if they're willing to share?

You'd train out of Sunnybank and play games between Ballymore & the Gold Coast. After the teams established and connected with their catchment area, by 2020 a 2nd Brisbane NRL licence will be on the cards. They could find themselves a home at a boutique venue in Springfield.

I don't think the Rams have a future unless Eastwood intends on basing them at Parramatta or Penrith.
 

amirite

Chilla Wilson (44)
I think for the Rams "ownership" and "club affiliation" is far less important than connection to the area.

As long as all of the players have Western suburbs connections you're sweet. That means grew up there, live there, play there, or ideally all of the above.

This is because:
  1. In a little league like the NRC, 80% of the crowd will be there because they have a connection to a person in the organisation.
  2. What's the fucking point of it if the team isn't a pathway for Western Sydneysiders, people can smell BS.
While we're at it, how can they connect with the Western Sydney community more? Clear representative teams in juniors (I believe there's just the one currently in the Junior Gold Cup) and perhaps even a Women's team at nationals (Sydney keen cleaning up, plenty of merits to splitting them into the Rays and Rams) would both be a good start. In Aussie rugby it feels like every rep league has its own teams with their own branding, time to align them a bit I think.

People from Western Sydney will see past who's signing the cheques as long as they feel their community is being represented (people would struggle to name the leadership of most Aussie sports clubs). This'll all be A-OK as long as the team is well run.
 

Pfitzy

George Gregan (70)
While we're at it, how can they connect with the Western Sydney community more?

Depends how you define it. In the area around Concord it works really well for some people. There are several Subbies clubs in the area, and you can't really go any further west because the rugby is diluted by league support.

But it would be nice if they could host the odd game west of the M3.
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
The only club in Brisbane that could do it is Sunnybank, though I have no idea if they have any appetite to do so. It'd be good to see the second QLD team play out of Ipswich/Logan, but I don't think there are any appropriate facilities down that way. Maybe the Ipswich Jets home ground, if they're willing to share?

Sunnybank in conjunction with Griffith Uni bid for the second NRC licence & were "extremely disappointed" to miss out to GC/QC (Quade Cooper) + Bond. The Club official I spoke to at the time & on a few occasions since is possibly (:)-)) a little biased, but believes theirs & Griffiths facilities are at least as good as GC/QC (Quade Cooper) + Bond's. Plus their intention was always to take games to the actual QC (Quade Cooper) e.g. Toowoomba & Rockhampton initially, possibly Townsville & Cairns once established.

It's always been my belief that Logan-Ipswich makes way more sense than GC & needs to be done before the Jets get Brisbane's second NRL licence circa 2019 - 2021, once that happens Rugby is as good as dead in the corridor.
 
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