Central Queensland for NRL thread

[DIEHARD]

Yea team competitiveness is vital, we enjoy a great balance where any team can beat any team. If we expand we also need to dg deep and strive for more junior development.

[DIEHARD]

Reeves backs stadium

QUEENSLAND?S Sport Minister Phil Reeves has reinforced the government?s commitment to build a rugby league stadium in Rockhampton if a licence is granted by the NRL.

?Once the NRL make a decision on the next licence and if a Queensland bid is successful, we will work with the bid team, local council and community to ascertain stadium requirements,? Mr Reeves said while in Rockhampton this week.

The backing from the minister came as the region learned NRL CEO David Gallop had accepted an invitation to visit Central Queensland to see why it deserved to have its own team in the top flight.

While no date has been set, CQ NRL Bid CEO Denis Keeffe said the visit was likely to be in the next couple of months, once the upcoming season was underway.

Mr Reeves said the government assessed proposals for infrastructure, such as stadiums, on a case-by-case basis.

?The CQ NRL bid is in its early stages,? Mr Reeves said.

?Requests for funding commitments to build a stadium in Rockhampton are premature at this time.

?However, we?re happy to consider future projects that are good for sports fans, good for jobs and great for local economies.?

CQ Bid chairman Geoff Murphy said he had offered to fly Mr Gallop to Rockhampton for a tour of the region.

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au

[titansrawesome]

yeah i dont want an uneven balance, we should stop at 18 because any more will get a bit high.

[DIEHARD]

Bligh backs CQ NRL bid



ANNA Bligh has a message for the NRL: ?You?d be mad to grant a licence anywhere other than Central Queensland.?

Speaking exclusively to The Morning Bulletin yesterday, the Premier delivered the strongest endorsement yet for the CQ NRL Bid and the State Government?s determination to help it succeed.

And she backed Rockhampton MP Robert Schwarten?s commitment to build a stadium in Rocky once the NRL has granted the licence for a new club.

?I support the bid for a CQ NRL licence and I understand that to really make a success of that would require investment in a stadium,? she said.

?I think the NRL would be mad to award a licence anywhere other than Central Queensland.?

Such a ringing endorsement from the state?s most influential politician will be impossible for NRL chief executive David Gallop to ignore when rugby league?s administrators meet to decide where any new licences for the premiership should be granted.

Bid chief executive Denis Keeffe said the Premier?s support should encourage everyone in Central Queensland to believe the region would one day have its own NRL franchise.

?We really appreciate the Government?s support. It?s one of the key elements for us and the whole senior cabinet has been terrific.

?What we are going to do is prepare a case for the NRL as though we are the obvious choice for expansion and the personal comment from Anna Bligh is great to hear.?

The bid team, drawn together by Rockhampton businessman Geoff Murphy, is seeking to win approval for a team to enter the sport?s toughest competition in 2014.

Since the idea was first mooted it has won backing from Rockhampton Regional Council and other local authorities from Mackay to Bundaberg and west through the coalfields as far as Longreach.

It is also strongly supported by business development organisations as a major economic boost. One estimate puts the money-spinning value at $75 million a year.

Rockhampton Showgrounds has already emerged as a frontrunner among potential sites for a stadium with a capacity of at least 25,000, should the bid get the nod.

The NRL has indicated it will consider expanding the premiership to encompass more teams, but Mr Murphy has also made it clear he would be interested in offering a new home to an existing club looking to relocate.

If that were to happen, top-class professional sport could be played here ahead of the 2014 season.

More than 15,000 have signed The Morning Bulletin?s petition to the NRL and the bid has attracted plenty of support from within rugby league?s players and administrators.

Source: http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/

[DIEHARD]

I'm slowly being won over by CQ. I think it would be very good for Queensland indeed.

[DIEHARD]

Anna Bligh Committed to Building a $140 million, 25,000-Seat Stadium

Anna Bligh committed to building a $140 million, 25,000-seat stadium, which led to the building of momentum behind Central Queensland's NRL bid. Denis Keeffe, the CQ bid's CEO, shared that after meeting with Bligh, he had a "compelling case" to present to NRL boss David Gallop.

The Queensland Premier had a meeting with the bid's bosses on Sunday to assign funding to a stadium similar in size to the Gold Coast Titans' Skilled Park. It is expected to be built in Rockhampton.

The other main criteria demanded by Gallop are that Keeffe has to collect 30,000 signatures by the year's end. He became confident after the bid team already collected about 17,000. It also includes Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as "petitioner No. 1".

Keeffe said, "The onus is on us and the general community now to produce 30,000 bid members to back up this fantastic commitment by the very supportive state government and Regional Council".

CQ region brags almost 20,000 supporter members. CQ NRL chairman Geoff Murphy added that the big box - the stadium - is ticked. He further added that this stadium commitment from the Premier is very big for the CQ NRL bid.

http://topnews.net.nz/

[DIEHARD]

I'm getting excited at the idea of another Queensland team. Especially one based in Central QLD. I think they could have alot to offer, without stepping on the toes of existing Queensland teams.

I think the Titans still need a few years to settle in before we think about further SEQLD teams.

It's going to be a hard choice between Central QLD, Perth and Central Coast of NSW.

[Steelers]

This comes less than a year after the Bligh government said it can't afford to fund not only our new stadium, but also our new hospital. (By 'our' I mean Sunshine Coast)

[DIEHARD]

And after they threw away all that funding on Carrara!

[DIEHARD]

PREMIER BLIGH ANNOUNCES STADIUM FOR CQ NRL

Resounding applause at the CQ Leagues Club on Sunday night followed an unprompted announcement by Premier Anna Bligh, to build a NRL compliant stadium for the Central Queensland NRL team when the NRL license is granted.

A beaming CQ NRL Chairman, Geoff Murphy, confirmed that Premier Bligh also pledged to confirm this vital commitment "IN WRITING" in the near future.

"The CQ NRL Bid has experienced a wonderful week" Geoff Murphy said. "The CQ Bid received a great report card from an article in the NRL's official publication - the Big League, which compared the likely five bid contenders, and now our big BOX - the STADIUM is ticked" Murphy said.

The weekend's article in Big League rated the CQ NRL BID as being clearly superior to three bids and one of the favourites along with the one other bid but suggested the lack of a NRL Stadium would be an impediment.

Denis Keeffe, the CQ NRL Bid CEO said, "This Stadium commitment from the Premier is massive for the CQ NRL Bid. It fulfils the main criteria that David Gallop (NRL CEO) spoke of when we talked in Sydney recently. The CQ NRL Bid and the CQ region are very fortunate to have committed local members and a supportive Mayor and Council. The Bid process would be impossible without these people.

"The onus is on us and the general community now, to produce 30,000 Bid members, to back up this fantastic commitment by the very supportive State Government and Regional Council."

Source: http://www.rleague.com

[DIEHARD]

WHAT IS THE BASIS OF THE DECISION?
by CQ NRL Bid

When deciding the location of an expanded NRL club, the decision making process is simple.

Three vital factors need to be identified and every applicant for an NRL licence will be scrutinised or rated against these three key requirements. The applicant with the best overall rating will be the one which can demonstrate that it is the most commercially viable, the best supported and the club with the highest local player content. That is, the club that will benefit the NRL and other NRL Clubs by 'growing the pie' as David Gallop insists.

The contenders are:
* Central Queensland
* Perth
* Adelaide
* Ipswich
* Sunshine Coast
* Gosford

It is commonly accepted that the three vital variables are:-

1) The position and popularity of Rugby League in the respective community / region / city which is under consideration for NRL expansion
2) The status of a currently available or committed stadium. i.e. NRL compliant stadium and associated facilities
3) The number, nature , popularity, and resourcefulness of any competitor in any other national sporting competition based in the same region, city , etc

1. This is easy to measure. Count the numbers of registered players in formal competitions, i.e. active participants - normally juniors, and look at the television audience who watch the "big games" e.g. State of Origin. I know these numbers for Central Queensland. We have almost 7,000 registered juniors playing Rugby League and over 400,000 Central Queenslanders watched each of the recently played State of Origin games. I can't find the numbers of players for Perth, or Adelaide. I would expect that player numbers would be much lower than our numbers and I know State of Origin viewers in these cities were less than 10% of CQ viewers of the same game. Junior numbers are strong in Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast and Gosford but nowhere near the CQ numbers.

2. This is also easy. Perth and Gosford have NRL compliant stadia. CQ has been promised one by our very supportive State Premier (and Government). Adelaide is uncommitted and Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast will not have a separate compliant stadium unless they play at Suncorp which is not ideal for them. It's really the home of the Broncos.

3. Again really easy. Central Queensland has no other national sporting team representing the region. It's all "BLUE SKY". Perth is home for two AFL teams, one A League, one Super 15, two National Basketball teams and the State Cricket team. Adelaide is almost the same but doesn't have Super 15. Ipswich, and Sunshine Coast both encompass the Broncos (Roar, Lions, Reds) territory and Gosford is an important region for the Newcastle Knights NRL Club.

From my somewhat biased tallying the winner is an absolute no brainer.

Central Queensland is the easy winner of criteria number 1.
Central Queensland is equal first in number 2
Central Queensland is the easy winner of number 3

So the obvious overall WINNER is CENTRAL QUEENSLAND by a "knock-out"

Show your support for our own CQ NRL team. Join as a Member or Corporate Partner online at http://www.cqnrlbid.com.au

http://www.cqnrlbid.com.au

[Coaster]

I have to say that is a pretty ordinary sales pitch by CQ.
You would think if you were going to put a piece like that into the public, they would have researched the exact numbers on every bid.

That does more to turn me off with its unprofessional-ism then it does to entice me

[DIEHARD]

Bid could bring new stadium

IF Central Queensland's bid for an NRL franchise gets the tick, Rockhampton will get a 20,000-seater stadium modelled on Skilled Park, the home of the Gold Coast Titans.

But ours will be better, with conference and corporate hospitality embellishments.

Bid chief executive Denis Keeffe revealed the details yesterday in a presentation to councillors in which he also unveiled plans for a sports academy.

The academy, for youngsters who would otherwise slip through the net, is linked to the bid, but will be established even if the NRL ambitions falter.

Mr Keeffe told councillors the academy had the backing of the government's Regional Development Agency with the goal of producing educated first-class footballers equipped with life skills.

?It will offer school-based education, sport training, mentoring, leadership and employment opportunities,? he said.

?It is all about closing the gap on indigenous disadvantage and helping young people get work, either in sport or outside.?

Bid chairman Geoff Murphy said experts and commentators now put CQ's bid ahead of the main rivals ? Perth, NSW Central Coast, Ipswich and Papua New Guinea.

And, tantalisingly, he said the bid team was talking with corporate backers who would ensure it would be the most successful new franchise in Australian sporting history.

He said he could not expand on details but assured councillors prospects were outstanding.

The CQ bid has already announced QR National as its major sponsor.

Mayor Brad Carter said the council would do all in its power to support the bid.

Councillors unanimously voted in favour of a motion commending the bid team for its outstanding efforts and are working closely with the bid team to identify a suitable location for a stadium.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has committed to funding a stadium if the bid is successful and Rockhampton Showgrounds is the bid's favoured location.

http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au

[Cowboy Titan]

David Gallop impressed by Central Queensland's bid for entry into the NRL in 2013

By Matt Marshall The Courier-Mail November 24, 2010 12:55PM

http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/c...-1225960149515


Bid team... Peter White, Geoff Murphy, Jason Hetherington and Gary Larson. Source: Murray Ware / News Limited

Central Queensland's NRL Bid Team has impressed with its bold vision to become the state's fourth NRL club - with wide-eyed NRL boss David Gallop last night likening its roots to world sporting empire Manchester United.

But CQ's fate still lies with the game's pending eight-member independent commission, to potentially include radio king Alan Jones, under which Gallop is set to be the inaugural CEO. It must rule next year on an ideological dilemma between expansion into the code's heartlands, led by CQ and NSW's Central Coast Bears, or new frontiers such as Perth, Adelaide, or a second New Zealand entrant.

CQ, which is gunning for NRL entry in 2013 alongside existing state flagbearers Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans, is currently hosting its official "wine and dine" pitch to Gallop and NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley.

Speaking from Rockhampton, Gallop admitted he was blown away by the scale of booming industry, led by the resource sector, within the region.

"I didn't need to come up here to know about the passion of rugby league people but it has been an eye-opener to see the scale of industry and plans for the economic future of the area," Gallop said.

"Whether it's Manchester United, the Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL) or Newcastle Knights - it's easy to find examples where sport has followed industry, and indeed our game's birthplace was the coalfields of Northern England."

Gallop and Annesley were escorted to the two-day tour of the region from Sydney in the private jet of local mining magnate and major backer Geoff Murphy.

The whirlwind visit includes tours to the proposed site of a State Government-backed $140 million, 25,000-seat stadium - modelled on Robina's Skilled Park - the bid team's existing leagues club, and expanding industry in Rockhampton, Mackay, Emerald and Gladstone. If social network website Facebook is anything to go by, CQ already has the public's endorsement.

It is yet to kick a ball in anger, or have an official name, but it boasts nearly twice (8398) the Facebook members, or "friends", as potential local derby rival the Cowboys (4437).

While their budding social media following is impressive, and enhanced by more than 25,000 petition signatures, there's plenty more substance in the "Cattlemen" bid.

It includes a major sponsorship commitment from top-50 ASX company QR National, which has dropped its support for rugby's Queensland Reds.

The June pledge of Premier Anna Bligh to build a state-of-the-art stadium, reinforced in a personal meeting with Gallop in Brisbane last week, is another major trump card.

A viable social club is also in the Bid Team's keep, after last year's takeover of Rockhampton Brothers Leagues Club.

[qld power]

the more teams the better