If the Perth Western Reds had been making shed loads of bucks and been seen as good money making investment they wouldnt have had the plug pulled on them.

Fact.


Thanks for coming though

No ones saying they were making money, but then nobody was back then due to massive super inflated running costs due to the war. Being saddled with all travel expenses at a time when it cost $1500+ for a return trip to the East coast didn't help either. Reds were simply a quid pro quo for the cutting of some ARL loyal teams. News had no affinity to the Western Reds despite enticing them to jump ship and in fact pillaged the club to start up the Storm.

It was a political process. No wonder you didn't understand it.

Adelaide done as well or even better than Perth, I think the NRL should seriously look at both places.

I can't see any problems for rugby league re- expansion for the next 50 years to be honest.

We have a stack of places crying out for teams...the AFL has effectively none left and the last two were foisted upon an unwanting public. They have already spent a fortune advertising each of them, so they will get a few bandwagoners to start with. Over say a period of 10 years though, the AFL will be bailing them out constantly.

As for rugby league: Perth, Central Coast, Ipswich, Central Qld, Cairns, Sunshine Coast, NT, all want teams (from within Australia).

We still have the second and third largest cities in NZ to consider. Both would draw well.

PNG are crying out for a team, especially with infrastructure projects with PNG looming as growing areas of government interest a la yesterday. There is support from the highest levels of government on both sides for a PNG NRL team.

The possibilities are nearly limitless.

Agree 100%.

Out of all the codes out here, RL is definitely in the strongest position in regards to expansion.

Throw in Adelaide and the entire country (plus teams in NZ and PNG) is pretty much sown up.

All we hear though from AFL fans is that they are taking over NSW and Queensland and when they do it will kill off RL in Aus.
First of all I need to ask will this ever happen(with me not living in Aus).
We are also hearing from union fans is that when the Rebels take off in Melbourne it will destroy the Storm.

Going to be interesting to see how the Storm v Rebels, Reds v Force battles are won and lost. Realistically AFL will always be dominant in Perth and Melbourne and RL in Sydney and Brisbane so the real battles are for the number 2 spots in each of those cities and making that number 2 spot as strong as possible. Soccer are the outside bets but they seem to lurch from one financial crisis to another. Canberra interesting battle between RU and RL for the number 1 spot, as tonight showed, give them a winning Raiders team and they will wipe the floor with the Brumbies.

How the codes line up imo:
Sydney: 1.RL 2. AFL 3. RU 4. Soccer
Melbourne: 1.AFL 2. Soccer 3. RL 4. RU
Brisbane: 1. RL 2.AFL 3. RU 4. Soccer
Canberra: 1. RU 2. RL 3. Soccer 4. AFL
Perth: 1. AFL 2. RU 3. Soccer 4. RL
Adelaide: 1. AFL 2. Soccer 3. RL 4. RU
Darwin: 1. AFL 2. RL 3. Soccer 4. RU
Hobart: 1. AFL 2. Soccer. 3. RU 4. RL

Sydney: RL 1. RU 2. Soccer 3. AFL 4.
Brisbane: RL 1. RU 2. AFL 3. Soccer 4.
Melbourne: AFL1. Soccer 2. RL 3. RU 4.
Perth: AFL 1. Soccer 2. RU 3. RL 4.
Adelaide: AFL 1. Soccer 2. RL/RU 3/4.
Canberra: RL 1. RU 2. AFL 3. Soccer 4.
Darwin: RL1. AFL 2. Soccer 3. RU 4.
Tas: AFL 1. RU 2. Soccer 3. RL 4.

Thanks for worrying Barry but I am fine.
The thought of the Rebels taking over the Storm is making me p155 myself laughing.

Whatever happens you will still be a union patsy.

That is the main thing.