Aussie Player Exodus
- Thread starter swingpass
- Start date
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
That’s a lot of jobs to fill. 90 players comp wide…
I respect their ambition at this point. I have no reason to doubt them. To me Perth is the only given. Makes sense.
NZ is a prospect due to the warriors run last season but could easily become irrelevant again this year. I get the thinking being the same as the Dolphins coming in that it guarantees a game in the region every weekend.
PNG will be a shit show. Charity team for the sake of the government. They will need such huge cap dispensation to be competitive it will drive other Clubs to try and sink them.
I respect their ambition at this point. I have no reason to doubt them. To me Perth is the only given. Makes sense.
NZ is a prospect due to the warriors run last season but could easily become irrelevant again this year. I get the thinking being the same as the Dolphins coming in that it guarantees a game in the region every weekend.
PNG will be a shit show. Charity team for the sake of the government. They will need such huge cap dispensation to be competitive it will drive other Clubs to try and sink them.
PhilClinton
Geoff Shaw (53)
Interestingly the main bid for the Christchurch side is being handled by Marinos.
I reckon he wouldn’t mind getting his mits on some rugby talent.
I reckon he wouldn’t mind getting his mits on some rugby talent.
PhilClinton
Geoff Shaw (53)
Yeh the PNG side seems to be on the nose with nearly everyone except the NRL board.
The main narrative I’ve heard around all the expansions is exactly what you mention - games being played in every region and time zones.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
PVL said it was a main reason behind the Dolphins and it makes sense. Between the Broncos, Titans and Dolphins there is a game of NRL in SEQ every week. Always something for the fan to engage with.
Perth lands them a TV time slot and the potential to engage old fans if they go the Bears brand. Rugby will take a blow if North Sydney fans who are a large chunk of the Rugby landscape have a side to support. You’d see them in Sydney every 3rd week anyway…not saying kids will stop playing but the competition for bums on seats gets harder.
NRL board should survey players and gauge interest in PNG. Telling people what they don’t know what they need rarely works. Bit of an H MAC move from our play book.
Perth lands them a TV time slot and the potential to engage old fans if they go the Bears brand. Rugby will take a blow if North Sydney fans who are a large chunk of the Rugby landscape have a side to support. You’d see them in Sydney every 3rd week anyway…not saying kids will stop playing but the competition for bums on seats gets harder.
NRL board should survey players and gauge interest in PNG. Telling people what they don’t know what they need rarely works. Bit of an H MAC move from our play book.
The Ghost of Raelene
Andrew Slack (58)
I also think we overestimate the NRLs interest in Rugby. Talent sure, but they have no interest in crushing the comp. They’re going fine so who cares would be my guess.
I think they’d be far more interested in lobbing a team into WA and irritating the AFL. Does it steal players from AFL? No. But the presence is something.
I think they’d be far more interested in lobbing a team into WA and irritating the AFL. Does it steal players from AFL? No. But the presence is something.
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Codesports is one of the few I don't have access to, but it sounds like there has been a big offer from Leinster for Tupou:
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Looks like it has made it's way into the paper's I can access, offer for Tupou from Leinster is for $950k per year. That's a drop of 250k from his reported $1.2m per year.
Apparently Lolesio and Ikitau are also considering their options overseas, but that's not really news at this stage.
Apparently Lolesio and Ikitau are also considering their options overseas, but that's not really news at this stage.
LearningCurve
Bill Watson (15)
If anyone is making Tupou a big offer they can't have been watching any of his games for the Rebels.
Wilson
David Codey (61)
That's Leinster in Ireland making the offer to Tupou, they're backed by the IRFU and would be one of the very last clubs in the world to fail the way things are structured there.
For the English clubs who are still circling though? Who knows what their thinking is, but it sounds like the Australian top ups are dropping back a bit so there's going to be a whiff of a deal around anyone off contract.
Crashy
Arch Winning (36)
I stand corrected - thankyou.
On the subject of Ireland - the more I learn about how they channel and develop their talent over there - the less I think it could possibly ever work over here - and rightly so..
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Yeah, people talk about the Irish model as some sort of perfect execution of a high performance system we should import in its entirety, but the whole reason it works is the fact that it's specifically and specifically crafted for their demographic, geographic and political spread and wouldn't make sense anywhere else.
The thing to take from it is the way in which it was built, not so much the end product.
Derpus
George Gregan (70)
How do they have the money for it though? Those English clubs aren't exactly flush either these days.
Strewthcobber
Mark Ella (57)
How do Leinster have money?
Basically because the Six Nations is a money making machine, through ticket sales and broadcast rights.
The IRFU makes nearly $70m more than RA every year, and has equity of 220m euro.
And a huge portion of that is due to six nations
Wilson
David Codey (61)
Aside from being much more financially stable than the English clubs they're also looking to replace Michael Ala'alatoa, so are pretty motivated to sign a world class prop.