Just checked calendar to see it wasn't April 1st but apparently being discussed! Can't see it myself and probably will hit the bin before it goes any further but still...... Quote: "THE Western Australian Rugby League is toying with an audacious idea to enter its West Coast Pirates team in the English Super League after rugby league's Independent Commission put its expansionary plans for the NRL on the backburner. The WARL was one of several organisations, including those from Port Moresby, Brisbane, Central Queensland, the Central Coast and New Zealand, vying for a place in an expanded NRL. John Sackson, the WARL's chief executive, said his group was in a position where it had to investigate ''other options'' to help promote the code in that state and to maximise the Pirates brand. The club will consider finding a British city in which to base itself. ''We're looking at all options into the future given the delays with the expansion,'' Sackson said. ''The English Super League is definitely an idea we are exploring. The idea is still in its infancy, we have another board meeting coming up and we'll be looking deeper into that and start asking the relevant questions.'" www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 294vr.html

Just checked calendar to see it wasn't April 1st but apparently being discussed! Can't see it myself and probably will hit the bin before it goes any further but still...... Quote: "THE Western Australian Rugby League is toying with an audacious idea to enter its West Coast Pirates team in the English Super League after rugby league's Independent Commission put its expansionary plans for the NRL on the backburner. The WARL was one of several organisations, including those from Port Moresby, Brisbane, Central Queensland, the Central Coast and New Zealand, vying for a place in an expanded NRL. John Sackson, the WARL's chief executive, said his group was in a position where it had to investigate ''other options'' to help promote the code in that state and to maximise the Pirates brand. The club will consider finding a British city in which to base itself. ''We're looking at all options into the future given the delays with the expansion,'' Sackson said. ''The English Super League is definitely an idea we are exploring. The idea is still in its infancy, we have another board meeting coming up and we'll be looking deeper into that and start asking the relevant questions.'" www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 294vr.html

Didn't they come up with this silly idea before? Wasn't it a 2nd NZ club they were mooting as applying to join SL?

But anyway, it smacks of "Well, if were' not allowed to join the NRL we'll take our ball home" pie in the sky nonsense.

Not that this makes the idea any good, but....

Based in London they'd probably get more fans than the Broncos.

yeh the Southern Orcas bid rumbled something similiar when they were overlooked for the Gold Coast Titans. Quote: It's fair to say they are looking to make sure the cost of bringing in a new side is exceeded in terms of tangible dollars generated. This type of expansion would increase the value of sponsorship and TV rights and actually grow the market. "New Zealand Rugby League acting chairman Andrew Chalmers has revealed that Wellington-based Southern Orcas have made a bid to join the engage Super League. Chalmers led a bid for the Orcas to join the Australian NRL two years ago but the Gold Coast Titans were awarded the available expansion place. Chalmers claims to have been in talks with Super League officials and told The Sunday Star-Times www.metro.co.uk/sport/extra/4449 ... per-league

yeh the Southern Orcas bid rumbled something similiar when they were overlooked for the Gold Coast Titans. Quote: It's fair to say they are looking to make sure the cost of bringing in a new side is exceeded in terms of tangible dollars generated. This type of expansion would increase the value of sponsorship and TV rights and actually grow the market. "New Zealand Rugby League acting chairman Andrew Chalmers has revealed that Wellington-based Southern Orcas have made a bid to join the engage Super League. Chalmers led a bid for the Orcas to join the Australian NRL two years ago but the Gold Coast Titans were awarded the available expansion place. Chalmers claims to have been in talks with Super League officials and told The Sunday Star-Times www.metro.co.uk/sport/extra/4449 ... per-league

Given we are the West Coast Pirates I am thinking Bristol would be the ideal spot! Either that or Cornwall where at least our boys can keep up their surfing practice.

All teams might as well just upsticks and play on the moon.

so thats 4 french teams and an aussie team - anymore for anymore.

Bloody hell let Fev, Donny, Oldham, Whitehaven, Toulouse, WCP and the Orcas in!

Balls to your 2 sets of 10 teams, Lump in on a big 20 team Super Duper League!

I'd love it, base them somewhere in which RL as at least some basic interest, like Coventry or Nothingham (sic) possibly Wales.
Reverse the eligibility rules, so they're all Antips with a sprinkling of Brits/Europeans.

It will liven up the comp, bring with it a lot of press and i would imagine they won't be poor financially and in support.

Obviously it won't happen but i wouldn't be against it.

It is a crazy notion, but why would a Perth team want to play anywhere other than Perth? The logistics would surely be that they would play a block of away games here, and then a number of teams would travel to Perth for a few weeks for games against Perth and among themselves; repeated in blocks of 4 or 6 games.
As I say a crazy notion, but not as crazy as a Perth team based in Newquay!

Utterly ridiculous.

Well, that passes the RFL criteria test then.

It's a winner. They can have a local rivalry against that Wellington team.

The NRL missed a trick in not adding the Pirates now to a 17 team league. The amount of time, money and effort that I believ has been invested in WA on this potential team is impressive and for them to have to tread water for anohter 4 or 5 years in unacceptable.

As for them playing in Superleague.......the only way thay could have a team in SL is if they buy the London Broncos from David Hughes. Then, they would need to attract 10,000 fans to all home games, just to break even.....and even then, they would need special dispensation to field a team packed with foreign talent (kind of like HKA).

I reckon Hughes would sell the club for a pound if he believed they were going to invest and be there for the long term......can't see it happening myself.