SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 01: Channel 9 Wide World Of Sports commentators Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler talk during the round 26 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium on September 1, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

A series of genuinely frightening and potentially game-changing reports broke yesterday.

If reports from multiple sources are to be believed, Channel 9 is placing pressure on the NRL to relocate a team to enable a second Brisbane side to enter the competition.

This is based on the next television deal and the obvious value a second Brisbane side would offer the broadcaster.

Truthfully, I am absolutely disgusted these reports ever saw the light of day as surely a broadcaster shouldn't be allowed such a huge say in the future of a code.

Surely ...

Channel 9 have referred to themselves as the home of rugby league for as long as I can remember. This is despite the network showing three games a week and persisting with a self-parody version of the "footy" show for years.

Meanwhile, Fox Sports dedicate an entire channel to the game, show every game live and dedicate literally hours and hours of programming each day to the game.

Fox has their obvious downfalls but Channel 9's statement always bothered me.

If the NRL brass are taking ANY consideration of Channel 9's ridiculous demand, the entire organisation needs to be sent packing.

An ivory tower Channel 9 executive should not EVER be in a position to affect the future of a club.

The Titans, Sharks and Sea Eagles are supposedly the three sides being mentioned as the potential relocations.

As a Sharks fan who has dedicated more hours than I care to admit to this club, I would be absolutely filthy if my club was relocated to line a few pockets.

Manly have had their struggles and believe me when I say no tears would be shed if they were to never win another game again, but not in a million years would I want them relocated.

To take clubs that have been around for literally 50+ years to appease a television partner who treats the product as an afterthought? ... The NRL need to release a statement NOW to distance themselves from this filth.

The Titans have obvious problems on and off the park, and I know they're only an hour or so from Brisbane etc.

A short shift up the highway makes sense, but that should purely be an NRL decision and have absolutely nothing to do with a broadcaster.

Seriously, how is this even being discussed?

What's stopping Channel 7 from coming in, throwing in a few extra mil a season and demanding the banning of tackling?

Or Channel 10 winning the rights and deciding to make the NRL a reality show!?

Both scenarios are absolutely ridiculous but neither is any more ridiculous than a club being shifted just to suit ratings.

I've long been against relocation.

Doesn't work!

Broncos fans won't jump in huge numbers to a second team. Especially if it's the relocated Titans.

I guarantee you the huge majority of Sharks fans would brush a club shifted to suit television.

I wouldn't support them. I'd dedicate every waking moment to bringing down the NRL... That isn't hyperbole.

What a seriously ridiculous and offensive idea.

Channel 9, stay away from our game.

Show the games at the advertised time. Stop insisting on a Thursday night fixture.

I honestly don't think the NRL leaders will give this a second thought, but what if they do?

They'll be selling the soul of the game. Literally affecting the lives of supporters and players and other stakeholders of an entire club.

Imagine putting a jersey on your young son and daughter only later having to explain no more games at the local stadium because some multi-millionaire at Channel 9 wants an extra 10k viewers on a Friday evening.

I've never heard such ridiculousness, and again, I'm a Sharks fan.

I expect an NRL release by the time this is published, rubbishing the link.

If not, serious questions need to be asked why an organisation with zero interest in the game gets a say before a contract is even signed.

If 9 want that say, take a few extra million and sign with 7.

Might get an Origin that kicks off before midnight.

31 COMMENTS

  1. Channel Roosters (David Gyngell) is what is better known as.
    Explains why the roosters get most of the free to air coverage in an effort to boost exposure.
    This, along with ticketed members who can take 2 friends for free to games to boost attendance unfortunately has failed reverse the depleting membership every year. Currently down around 600 on last year.
    Also offering to memberships for the price of 1 for $40 on the roosters website.
    This club is struggling to maintain popularity in the NRL yet overlooked for relocation for some strange reason.

  2. Spot on Dan! Channel 9 did their best to ruin Cricket and are now on the hunt for the NRL.

    As a Sharks fan too, I’m sick of all the speculation and whispers about my team being relocated. As much as I dislike some other clubs I respect the fans right to support them. I’d hate to see a relocation destroying the fans and the soul of any club. It’s devastating enough when mergers take place for business reasons and a club loses it’s original identity let alone a TV channel dictating to the NRL. The idea is an abhorrent disgrace.
    If this rubbish goes ahead hopefully the fans backlash will match that of the Souths travesty. P*ss off Channel 9! It’s Fox for me from now on (even if Hook Griffin’s commentary and bias against Cronulla drives me nuts)

  3. As a kiwi who has always lived in NZ and not Australia I don’t exactly know much about Aussie sports coverage.
    But from what I’ve seen It seems that channel 9 is to outdated and dumb. I remember years and years ago when channel 9 was really good with its sports (Cricket and league). Since then the Footy show which was great is now gone and the best shows are the Matty Johns show and NRL360. Marty’s is funnier and is an easy watch, 360 is more in depth and pushed by opinions and headlines.
    Plus Channel 9 use to have really good coverage of the cricket and be a good partner to Australian cricket now all you hear from channel 9 is complaining and figures.

    I know broadcasting is huge and the money they give is very vey important but the NRL as a competition is the home of rugby league and if you make the wrong decision you could ruin the game. I think relocation is a terrible idea. What would get more viewers is a second tier competition were teams that did well were assured of promotion into the main competition if they did well.

    For the English football competition the 3 bottom teams in the premier league in terms of attendance averaged 10k, 20k and 20k and all three teams stayed in the prem. The top 5 teams in the division below the championship averaged 36k, 34k, 28k, 26k and 26k. 2 of these teams got promoted. Meaning the second tier of football there had some attendances better than top tier teams did.

    If they scrapped the NSW and QLD cups and had a real second tier competition system that got broadcasted attendance and views would go up. Jobs and opportunities go up all over the place and most importantly Rugby league grows hugely.

    Obviously there has been call for a second Brisbane team he is at from Redcliff, Ispwhich or something new. There is also former top grade teams such as Western Sydney Newton Jets and North Sydney Bears who both have grounds big enough and a good support base to work from. PNG Hunters obviously would have huge support and attendances for games plus they would be able to attract good players to play for them. Perth has been crying out for an NRL team for ages, they would definitely have good attendances and support. NZ has been waiting for a second NRL team and would have heaps of supporters jump on board and would have good attendance.

    Why not continue on from these teams a build up a second comp?

  4. I feel like a broken record pointing this out – but we already had a second brisbane team – the south queensland crushers. They were playing out of Lang Park. The interest for this team was tepid, at best. I went to a couple of games.

    I often am quite offended by the way people look at the Brisbane viewership with dollar signs in their eyes. Newsflash, it isn’t that Brisbane have an exploitable audience – it’s that there are too many teams down south. I don’t mean that there shouldn’t be that many teams, I just mean that there are a lot of teams, which makes Brisbane’s patronage look better than it really is. Instead of accepting that the competition has that, they look up north to us, as if we’re about to embrace another team. Wrong.

  5. @swa9 tbh I think second tier competition like soccer is a terrible idea as there just isn’t enough talent to make it work. It works in English super league because of the lack of top tier talent and even then a team from the lower division finds it nearly impossible to stay up.

    Maybe when the game grows 50 years from now and rugby league is popular in more countries other then England, NZ and Australia then a second tier might be introduced. Also only the die hard nrl fans would watch second tier the ratings would be no different then a QLD Cup or NSW Cup game and whoever got put up would have a very little fan base which would get destroyed by round 1 when they lose 50-0 to whoever they verse.

    The reason it works in soccer is because it is truely a worlds game the teams can scout all over the globe(literally) to find talent. where as not only does league not have that stretch we also have rugby union taking a big portion of the potential playing pool.

    Imo expansion and relocation is the only way to go for the nrl not just for broadcasting but the attendance issue that plagues the game atm. The problem is that the nrl doesn’t suit the current rugby league landscape in terms of where we get our talent and having a comp so dominated by 1 city only hurts the game.

    Now Relocating should be attendance based only in terms of the 9 Sydney based teams and I don’t have the attendance record in front of me but I’m assuming it’s the Roosters, Penrith, Tigers and maybe Manly in that discussion. I’m not saying all 4 should move but at least 3 of them should as well the Gold Coast. my suggestions would be Logan(Brisbane), Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Christchurch, Central Coast, and Perth.

  6. Before we get to excited about who sho replace Channel Nine remember that those who control Foxtel are the same forces of evil that caused the super league war. The net result of that is still playing out today. No more North Sydney in NRL. No more Western Suburbs and Balmain is just a whisker away from ceasing to exist at all. Perhaps the Brisbane Bears might be the way to go. Try as they might North Sydney hadn’t been let back into the NRL. Whatever is done Foxtel and the dark forces controlling it should never be given any control over what goes on in League. There is no track record of taking the interests of the game to heart there. A seventeen team competition is the way to go or get ride of the team that doesn’t pass any of the NRL criteria except for money. Ops that’s the Roosters

  7. @wayne i don’t think I was even alive when they were a thing, you are aware that Brisbane has grown in 30 years? A second Brisbane team is a must, with its own stadium and support would come rushing in. its hard to believe because of the attendance of the broncos games but there is a deep hatred for the broncos in Brisbane buy a lot of people and they are just waiting for a second team so they can actually support a Brisbane based team.

  8. Back2back19 as insightful as usual. How about the club with no junior league and the smallest geographical area is offed ie the one with the least scope and least to offer the game. Makes as much sense as anything else in this joke. But yet again money, particularly the type travelling around in brown paper bags does the talking .

  9. why would they get rid of the most successful team in Sydney when there is a stain of a team that has cheated with drugs and rorrted the salary cap the only year they had success. It’s about time you stain pays for all the $hit they’ve been doing for the last 8-9 years

  10. Back2smack19 the most successful club in Sydney are the Rabbitohs by the way.
    Imagine your hype if it was souths with no juniors and a failing and dismal membership?
    Try pulling the other one.

  11. We win premierships, Souths don’t.

    Premierships = success

    souths have only made finals 6 times in the NRL, it will be 7 this year but that’s still embarrassing. You have only been alive to see your stain win 1 premiership.

    So what’s the point in bragging about members? What does a fan get if there is 5000 or 50000? Nothing you fool, I couldn’t care less if I was the only rooster member, real fans follow football not member numbers. You can tell you played soccer growing up Stephanie.

  12. Frankfried and Back2smack19 you are both way behind the times.
    The middle and upper class of the rooster territory are now following AFL which leaves the majority lower and struggling class that follow the roosters.
    This is reflected in the failing membership and a thriving cash converters across the road from your club.

  13. Souths demographic which includes Surrey Hills, Alexandria, Redfern etc is now one of the trendiest and progressive real estate hubs in Australia not to mention the culinary and fashion explosion there over the past 15 years.

  14. “Souths demographic which includes Surrey Hills, Alexandria, Redfern etc is now one of the trendiest and progressive real estate hubs in Australia not to mention the culinary and fashion explosion there over the past 15 years.”

    AGAIN none of that garbage wins premierships, keep your fashion to yourself Stephanie.

  15. The NRL were talking about expansion only recently, so where has this brainwave come from? If any organisation tries to get rid of one of the Sydney clubs they will have a huge legal battle to deal with, and those of us who remember the Super League designed for the Broncos to win the Premiership farce won’t want to see this kind of bitterness again.
    For what it’s worth, I don’t think any Sydney club should or will be relocated. Perhaps the Sea Eagles should consider adopting the Central Coast as part of their juniors and play half of their home games at Central Coast Stadium, but that”s are far as it would go.
    The Gold Coast are a basket case and they should be the club to relocate. They could be the second Brisbane team and play their home games at Suncorp Stadium.
    Any attempt to relocate Cronulla, Souths or Manly would be a disaster. These clubs are just as important as any other Sydney club, and while they are financially viable any talk of relocation would make their supporters furious, and rightly so. The other factor in this is the probability that the supporters of these clubs would be lost to Rugby League.
    The day that a Television channel takes over the running of the NRL will be the day I stop supporting Rugby League.
    Put simply, it can’t be allowed to happen.

  16. Channel 9 ruined cricket, the motogp and now they aiming for the NRL keep channel 9 away from ruining another sport.
    If this relocation actually happens I like to know how much the NRL puppets will be pocketing just to please channel 9
    The whole thing is about money and nothing else who care about the fans

  17. @warriorsemg, I do totally understand your view about football being world wide and obviously a lot more talent and stuff and I to kinda agree about by round 1 they would get smacked and tv views in a second tier would be down but you have to start somewhere.

    My idea for a second tier system competition would start with giving the league 3/5 years to establish its feet and grow so teams can get bigger support bases and have time to get financial backing and recruit players. This way teams can start to recruit fringe NRL coaches and players. Coaches for example Walker brothers, Kristian Wolfe, Tim Sheens, John Cartwright, Laurie Daley, Nathan Cayless, Geoff Toovey, Craig Fitzgibbon, Adrian Lam and so on.

    In terms of talent and players, firstly I would make NRL squads 25 players and only have 5 development contracts, meaning they have to drop 5 players each from there full squad (80 players total) that gives you a good start. A second tier would also be able to compete with the super league for players that want game time but aren’t good enough to always start in the NRL.
    For example players that what more game time such as Trent Merrin, Tui Lolohea, Konrad Hurrell, Blake Austin, Lachlan Coote, Matt Parcel, David Mead, Jackson Hastings and so on.
    And players past their prime that might want to step down and lead a new team into the NRL like Greg Bird, Ben Matalino, Josh Reynolds, Issac Luke, Elijah Taylor, Tony Williams, Akuila Uate, Jamie Burher, Trent Hodkinson, Tim Mannah and so on.
    Plus there’s also the pool of young talent that is worth giving game time but for whatever reason they don’t make the match day 17s such as Lachlan Timm, Steven Masters, Brad Abbey, Lachlan Lam, Connor Tracey, Caleb Aekins, Abbas Mitski, Lloyd Perret and so on.

    Already I have listed atleast another 20 players that could potentially be added to that 80 players meaning about 100 NRL level players become available for a second tier. If you have a second tier of 10 teams, that’s potentially 10 players per team.

    So personally I do think there is enough talent in terms of players and coaches and staff. After you give a second tier about 3/5 to establish itself and grow. I think the first couple years of promotion/relegation would be hard to introduce but teams would get use to it eventually.

    Relocation is definitely not going to improve the game of rugby league itself. Instead you’ll be left with a big bunch of grumpy fans and a new club which could be hot or cold. Look at the last new year added to the Comp. The titans have been the laughing stock of the Comp years, what happens if you move the sharks who won a comp not so long ago and are in the top 8 away. Big risk… little reward

  18. Back2smack19 I have to agree with you that premierships bring success which explains 30000 as a product of 21 premierships.
    But there is a club that defies this rule being your roosters slurry having just bought a premiership are losing members in droves.
    Even your leader EDWoodope has abandoned you LOL

  19. @warriorsemg

    Correct, the crushers was a good 25 years ago. Thing is, the landscape really hasn’t changed. I’m aware that there is a dislike for the Broncos by some – but the question is, when that new team is inevitably playing for the wooden spoon, will those people still be generating enough money to sustain the team? I don’t think so. I don’t see it going well. That’s what happened with the Crushers. They weren’t too good and interest cooled in them.

    I’m not even sure how Brisbane’s attendances really does prove there is a market for another team. Those people have largely turned up to watch Brisbane – ergo, they aren’t the people who will be turning up to watch Logan or whoever.

    The fact is, there is not enough talent in the NRL right now, to sustain the interest in teams we have. Bringing in another team or two will further dilute that. Any new team will face the same problem the titans have – which is that they will need to pay overs to mercenaries to come play at a team that will be challenging for 15th place.

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