All of the above sounds true and I'm hearing more and more of an anti-CCBears stance around.

I am not a "local" but a quick look at a map places CC Bears 45 minutes north of Sydney...hardly expansion.

I believe Expansion has to be NEW areas.....areas where other codes are strong, but where you vcan get a foothold and in the case of the NRL, 2 new teams should really offer 2 new STATE CAPITALS if they want the TV deal that some here think they deserve. Perth and Adelaide?
Another NSW or Qld team dilutes the offering IMO.

I think Adelaide maybe the last place on the NRLs minds, didnt Cronulla play a few one of games to average crowds?

All depends on if they call for bids! These are 6 bid developments that are 100% works in progress. Wellington has been muted but not in progress and very unlikely they could put a competitive bid together in a short space of time if they decided to when the bids are called for.

Until the NRL decides if it is going to expand there is in fact no bids, merely interested bidders!

The bid team for WA's proposed new rugby league team - likely to be named the Reds - say they will carry the mantle of favourites when they pitch their case for an NRL spot in Sydney next month. Project manager Ralph McManis told WAtoday.com.au that the bid for a Perth-based NRL side, at a cost of $300,000, was ready to be presented as soon as an invitation came from the league's new independent commission. The formation of the NRL's independent commission has been a stop-start affair, but McManis said he had been told it could be completed within a week and that a decision on the league's prospective expansion would be one of its first tasks. Advertisement: Story continues below Perth is competing with Brisbane, Rockhampton, New South Wales' Central Coast and Wellington for what are projected to be two new spots in the NRL from 2013. "I think we're the favourites. From what I've heard people are going around in the Eastern States saying Perth is already in and that the rest are competing for one spot,'' McManis said. "But that's not to say we are counting our chickens before they have hatched. "I'd expect we'll be presenting (to the commission) by either the second or third week of May.'' McManis said market research had indicated the Reds name, carried by WA's previous NRL and Super League team from 1995 to 1997, still had a strong resonance in the Perth market. The bid team is currently market testing colours and logos and expects to finalise those details by the end of the month, although they may not be publicly revealed until the bid is presented. McManis said the bid team hoped to know by the end of June whether its proposal had been successful, even if there is a decision to delay expansion until 2015. McManis also revealed: The proposed new "Reds" would cost $18 million per year to run A target of 20,000 members has already been set The club could be part public-owned, like the Brisbane Broncos Several high profile coaches and players have already informally flagged an interest in joining the team, should it be accepted into the competition The club would hope to sign an inaugural chief executive and coach during the second half of this year "Headhunters" have already been appointed to identify potential coaching and administrative targets A "Reds" team could feature in the existing NRL youth competition as soon as 2012 and might be based in the Eastern States. www.watoday.com.au/rugby-league/ ... 1df95.html

The bid team for WA's proposed new rugby league team - likely to be named the Reds - say they will carry the mantle of favourites when they pitch their case for an NRL spot in Sydney next month. Project manager Ralph McManis told WAtoday.com.au that the bid for a Perth-based NRL side, at a cost of $300,000, was ready to be presented as soon as an invitation came from the league's new independent commission. The formation of the NRL's independent commission has been a stop-start affair, but McManis said he had been told it could be completed within a week and that a decision on the league's prospective expansion would be one of its first tasks. Advertisement: Story continues below Perth is competing with Brisbane, Rockhampton, New South Wales' Central Coast and Wellington for what are projected to be two new spots in the NRL from 2013. "I think we're the favourites. From what I've heard people are going around in the Eastern States saying Perth is already in and that the rest are competing for one spot,'' McManis said. "But that's not to say we are counting our chickens before they have hatched. "I'd expect we'll be presenting (to the commission) by either the second or third week of May.'' McManis said market research had indicated the Reds name, carried by WA's previous NRL and Super League team from 1995 to 1997, still had a strong resonance in the Perth market. The bid team is currently market testing colours and logos and expects to finalise those details by the end of the month, although they may not be publicly revealed until the bid is presented. McManis said the bid team hoped to know by the end of June whether its proposal had been successful, even if there is a decision to delay expansion until 2015. McManis also revealed: The proposed new "Reds" would cost $18 million per year to run A target of 20,000 members has already been set The club could be part public-owned, like the Brisbane Broncos Several high profile coaches and players have already informally flagged an interest in joining the team, should it be accepted into the competition The club would hope to sign an inaugural chief executive and coach during the second half of this year "Headhunters" have already been appointed to identify potential coaching and administrative targets A "Reds" team could feature in the existing NRL youth competition as soon as 2012 and might be based in the Eastern States. www.watoday.com.au/rugby-league/ ... 1df95.html

Exactly what the Bears have said. ie They're sitting ready and waiting.

So that IS us receiving outside help? You said we didn't get any.

Just heard bids are hoping to be in by June. I presume that the IC will obviously be up and running by then of course.

Hopefully before the TV deal is announced as well.

I'm sure I heard Gallop say he wanted the tv deal in place before the ic took over.

No.
Your original comment was "being helped like Melbourne and London" (somethign along those lines anyway), which implied "cash" help. This wasn't cash help.....it was good business for the other SL Chairmen. I believe leigh and a couple of others voted againts.....Leigh then whined like a stuck pig when they didn't get a licence which is why the didn't bother applying this time around IMO.

This is again "assistance, but not cash help......but it pretty much nails Quins on for another 3 years
[urlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_league/super_league/london/9456539.stm[/url

Other clubs voted us to stay in and you don't see that as help? I do.

[i"Look at my club London or indeed Melbourne and how both have been kept alive thanks to outside help."[/i


I never mentioned cash for London. You've taken it as that. I knew London had been helped over the years, but not how. You've just told me how. Ta for that as I never followed the story.

Fair enough RB probably just me being defensive after years of the flatearth brigade saying we were getting bailed out financially

There are currently six official bids in progress, all intent on joining the NRL when the current media deal comes up for negotiation around 2012/2013.

• In 2005 the North Sydney Bears planned on rejoining the league as the Central Coast Bears and basing themselves out of Gosford, New South Wales and will use Central Coast Stadium. The bid team plans to unite the current North Sydney and Central Coast districts under the one team.

• In 2006 the Western Australia Rugby League announced that the Perth-based WA Reds were to be resurrected with an aim to re-join the NRL in 2013, playing out of nib Stadium. Currently they contest the under-age S. G. Ball Cup, with an aim to having a number of WA-born juniors when the bid joins the NRL

• In October 2008, a Papua New Guinea bid team was launched with government funding and support. An official website was launched in September 2009 detailing the progress of the PNG bid and its aim to provide social and economic benefits for the country as a whole.

• In April 2009, a consortium from the Central Queensland region declared their intent to launch a bid for an NRL franchise to be based in Rockhampton in the next expansion period. The bid is aiming to be a new club by 2013.

• In August 2010, the Ipswich Jets formally announced the creation of a bid team for 2013 with the future club to based in the Ipswich-West Brisbane corridor in order to capitalise on the massive population boom projected for that region. The move would effectively see the promotion of the existing local Queensland Cup side to the higher NRL premiership.

• In January 2011, David Gallop, CEO of the NRL, confirmed he had spoken to a bid team delegate seeking to create Brisbane's second team who would be based in south Brisbane area. If their bid is successful they would play at Suncorp Stadium on alternate weekends to the Brisbane Broncos.

Other possible bids include teams from Wellington, Fiji, Logan, Adelaide and Christchurch.

Surely the long term goal should be for teams in PNG and Fiji as well as 2 more teams in NZ along with the extra teams in Auss to create two divisions of the NRL, one being mainly Sydney based.

Division 1

Manly Sea Eagles
Sydney Roosters
Sydney Rabittohs
St George Illawarra Dragons
Parramata Eels
West Tigers
Canterbury Bulldogs
Cronulla Sharks
Penrith Panthers
Canberra Raiders
Newcastle Knights
Central Coast Bears


Division 2

Brisbane
Melbourne Storm
North Queensland Cowboys
Gold Coast Titans
NZ Warriors (maybe Aukland)
WA Reds
Second NZ team Wellington/Christchurch
PNG
Fiji
Ipswich Jets/Second Brisbane team
Central Queensland
Adelaide


A league structure like this could potentially mean megga bucks!

By the way, info taken from Wikipedia

PMSL









I hope that division 1 teams get a tenner and a bus/FERRY/travel pass between then and division 2 get all the Money...FFS........



If I were going to back a NZ bid...and as much as I would love to have a team here......WTF? I know you got this from Wiki, but it was most definitely put together by a sydneysider

I am not at all suggesting this is exactly how it would go. It just demonstrates the potential amount of strong RL clubs possible in the NRL.

Sydney based clubs was the best way to split the teams up. You can't just have a 24 team league can you....

Nope...but I'll tell now...if the 9 current Sydney clubs, + the three nearest were to form 1 'division" then the other 12 would get nearly twice the money from TV.

Auckland to Perth 5,500+ Km's......and about NZ$1,000 for a return flight....7hrs in the air each way?
Roosters v Central Coast 52kms and 45 mins in the car.

If that were to happen the AFL would pi55 themselves......NSW need to realise they are not the NRL.....they are an over populated part of the NRL. If the game is to grow then teams like WA or the 2nd NZ team need to be playing The Rabbits and The eels......not just amongst themselves and Brisabane

I think that's similar to Phil Goulds idea!

Figures

You have taken it completely the wrong way. That was just a simple way of illustrating the split of a division.

Just for the record though, you don't want NSW being the NRL on it's own. Surely a league structure like that would completely move away from NWS dominating.

I am not saying for one second it should or will happen but with the amount of clubs who might be prepared for the NRL in 25 years time... what else could you do other than split the league?

Rationalise. Reality is some of the Sydney clubs are not going to keep pace with one team cities in years to come. either the league will be held back to keep them viable or they will relocate or drop down to NSW cup. It is inevitable.

I can see a 20 team comp in 30 years time with two conferences.

I was thinking the same thing.

It could/should have happened after the Super League war.

lol it did happen and the game almost didnt recover

rubbish

not many non sydney teams can comete with the strong sydney clubs

I hold my hands up. I'm an idiot.

sarcasm aside SL did rationalize the number of sydney teams and it didnt help the game

i can understand someone whose not from australia saying sydney has too many teams

its really not true

i could easily make an argument that there are too few teams in sydney, let alone nsw

only the sharks are weak and lets be honest they average 10,000 - 13,000

this is fine when compared to SL clubs or RU crowds in england

the game is growing in sydney