ARU ponders Super Japanese option

[BLR]

Based on? Sure a few of the AFL teams there are struggling but i'm sure a few companies over there wouldn't mind jumping on an International sport with International coverage?
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Based on the fact they claim they are 'sport mad' yet the league shows they are AFL mad. Judging from my experience at least years Bledisloe the organisers can throw up all the banners and try to garner as much excitement as possible but in the end of the day if it clashes with the AFL the AFL will win out every time. There is no growth left in Melbourne with the strength of AFL being what it is.

[jargan83]

i dont think you can write off Melbourne based on League crowds. Everyone says that Union is a bigger drawcard. Melbourne Victory last year drew crowds of roughly 30-40K to Telstra Dome during AFL finals last year.
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[TOCC]

dont get me wrong, the creation of the Force is much better for australian rugby in the long term, there are so many quality young players coming through now that might not have had the opportunity to get a contract if it was still only 3 S14 teams.

IMO, the 5th team created should be allowed to start off with 10foreigners out of the squad, then reduce that to 5 positions in 2012 and then 3 foreign positions in 2014.

Also they should be given concessions for a larger junior academy for there initial few years, with these two proposals it encourages the new team to recruit juniors as well as discouraging mass-poaching from other teams.

I am happy the Force was created, but i do believe there initial 2 years could have being handled better if the idea above was used in a similar context.

[Cowboy]

It's an interesting issue - how to create a new franchise player base, with the open structure of rugby. There is no draft system or recruiting zones so it can end as a bit of a free for all (or survival of the most ruthless depending on your point of view).
Unfortunately for Queensland (an outsiders view) the players seem to have been dissatisfied with the team management when the Force were created and as a result suffered disproportionately in terms of loss of players. Queensland are now improving (rapidly) and appear to have sorted out their management problems and won't make the same mistakes again. I think they have accepted that the loss of players was partly their own mistake however the media won't let the Force off the hook (it's also a good way for other teams supporters to take the piss out of us when visiting this site).
From the Force's point of view it is hard to see how we could of acted other than the way we did. We either chased players who were out of contract or accepted being uncompetetive for several years. Since this is professional sport the second one of these options is unthinkable. One of the things I like about the Force is the professionalism they have adopted from the beginning and even though it hasn't translated into on field success yet, it has made the other teams lift their standards.

[TOCC]

regardless of how the franchises are run, it was pretty poor the way that the ARU created the fourth franchise in terms of recruitment, the Force did the best with what they were given and allowed to do, but in retrospect the ARU should have adopted some different form of system allowing each franchise a few foreign players or allow the new team to solely contract a large number foreign players.

[waratahjesus]

paying alot of players third party payments had alot to do with them leaving the reds as well! professional sport, you go were the money is, im sure if they were offered the same to stay were there family and friends are they would have made a different call!

[Cowboy]

regardless of how the franchises are run, it was pretty poor the way that the ARU created the fourth franchise in terms of recruitment, the Force did the best with what they were given and allowed to do, but in retrospect the ARU should have adopted some different form of system allowing each franchise a few foreign players or allow the new team to solely contract a large number foreign players.

You are absolutely right, hopefully when the time comes to get melbourne off the ground it will be better handled.

A question for the eastern staters, does Canberra have a big enough buisness base for the Brumbies to get enough corporate sponsorship? in the small time I was there it seemed like a city of government/embassies and little else.

[waratahjesus]

canberra should move to melbourne, the best thing for everyone would be for the brumbies to move to melbourne and play a couple of games in canberra!

they had backing because they were winning, its slipping without the big names there.

they are sort of a one team one town type deal like you guys so they get a fair bit of support but not as much as the other teams.

[thunderchicken9]

regardless of how the franchises are run, it was pretty poor the way that the ARU created the fourth franchise in terms of recruitment, the Force did the best with what they were given and allowed to do, but in retrospect the ARU should have adopted some different form of system allowing each franchise a few foreign players or allow the new team to solely contract a large number foreign players.

Does the Super 14 allow new franchises an "expansion draft" like here in the States, where the new franchise is allowed to choose "unprotected" players from other teams?

[AndyS]

they are sort of a one team one town type deal like you guys so they get a fair bit of support but not as much as the other teams.

True, but they are still financial (I believe) and still the only province where Union is the first football code. It is only the first that matters though - so long as they can get by, there is no justification for moving the team.

[AndyS]

Does the Super 14 allow new franchises an "expansion draft" like here in the States, where the new franchise is allowed to choose "unprotected" players from other teams?

There is no draft at all. Players are contracted and available when out of contract, simple as that.

[waratahjesus]

True, but they are still financial (I believe) and still the only province where Union is the first football code. It is only the first that matters though - so long as they can get by, there is no justification for moving the team.

i think the popular opinion would be that having a presence in melbourne is more important both fanancially and tv rights wise than being in canberra, the brumbies dont get good tv numbers or attendance for being the number one code in canberra, they could do alot better in melbourne and by playing a few matches in canberra (if they increase the number of rounds) it could make both areas viable as rugby catchments. were not going to beat afl for anything in melbourne but there is already rugby in schools and we could put a big dent in rugby league.

[TOCC]

i would hate to see the brumbies move from canberra, yes there isnt massive buisness support or there isnt a massive market potential in terms of the population, but they are still a pretty well supported for what there population is.

It would be a slap in the face to any canberra rugby supporter and would let league get the upper foot down there.

[AndyS]

So to summarise, popular opinion would have Union abandon the one location where they dominate to the AFL and NRL, in order to take on the AFL on their home turf...what a tactical coup that would be! If it is all about prioritising based on potential for financial return, they should probably have a look at dropping all funding to club rugby in NSW and Q'ld (they are just an overhead anyway) and pumping the money into Melbourne so they have five teams to put on telly. Both decisions would make about as much sense...

[waratahjesus]

putting a team in melbourne would increase revenue, as i said, the ideal thing would be if the brumbies (if they do increase the comp to 20 odd rounds) played half in melbourne half in canberra so we had a presence in both areas!

having a fifth team would only stretch the playing talent to thin!
in all honestly how would the force feel if melbourne are awarded a team and an open checkbook comes knocking on there door?