Titans Super 15???

[daveyk]

August 8th, 2009

Opinion by Peter Cameron

TITANS beware. Rugby mandarin Terry Jackman is eyeing the stellar Gold Coast NRL team for a second coming in rugby's Super 15.

Bankrolling a new Super 15 team from the Gold Coast in a rival code may not be top of the Titans' wish list. NRL glory is beckoning.

Jackman held secret talks with the Australian Rugby Union on the Gold Coast this week. With the Australian Rugby Union faced with the costly necessity of taking over the once proud Queensland Reds, time is ripe for private money to win Australia's next Super 15 franchise. Going price -- $5 million a season.

Melbourne, with likely soccer support, remains the next favourite.

But Victoria's bleak capital does not have the equivalent of a purpose-built Skilled Park, Gold Coast's corker stadium for rugby codes and crowds of 20,000.

Hard to argue with the Jackman line that a Gold Coast team in Super 15 would be great for the city as well as the code in Queensland. The Reds finish close to last most years.

Players do not grow on trees but as former Australian rugby league great Gorden Tallis pointed out there are enough Australians playing top rugby overseas to man a team to run rings around the Reds.

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The Titans include former Wallaby ace Mat Rogers and there are two ex-Titans in the Breakers.

Karmichael Hunt's defection from the Broncos to play men's netball in the AFL may have prompted some cruel jibes but Hunt's signing underlines potential in the cross-code footy culture.

Re-marking the field for different rugby codes the same night may be a hassle but what about the economies of scale. Useful when it costs $300,000 to fully open Skilled Park.

The Gold Coast United soccer team join the A-league competition this weekend.

A new Super 15 team in Melbourne will be strictly Austar/Foxtel fodder from a city obsessed with AFL. True, Gold Coast jostling for fans is near boiling point.

"But a Super 15 team here would have unique international reach," observed Rugby Gold Coast chief Murray d'Almeida.

Unless the Wallabies can pull off a miracle in South Africa, Australian rugby needs a new broom. Preferably from Skilled Park. Even better with some Titans' grunt.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au

[DIEHARD]

My original reply disappeared, got a broken link!

Anyway...um...I'll keep it simple.

I would doubt the Titans would be interested in this. It would negatively effect our NRL Premiership campaigns. And the adminstration is too rugby league. They love rugby league! I can't see them being involved with our chief rival, it would be counter productive.

Our administration is far too invested in the future of rugby league. Pushing things such as the Dreamtime vs NRL All-Star game, expansion, getting the most out of our TV deals, the game in PNG and NT and most importantly trying to get one governing body, an independent NRL commission.

The Gold Coast is already saturated with professional teams. It can't handle another. There aren't enough fans or sponsors. Sure some sports fans would love it and support it. But maybe there isn't enough money in their pockets to go to rugby league, soccer and union games.

I also think it would be silly for rugby union. It would weaken an already stricken QRU. And further dilute the union talent pool. The Reds have already lost some good players to NSW.

They should just focus on the Queensland Reds, get innovative and maybe host some games in Townsville and the Gold Coast. be a QLD team.

I think they shouldn't add any new teams, but I know they will.

I believe it will be Victoria. Contray to this article, I do believe their are plenty of union fans in Victoria and rugby fans in general. There is a fantastic new stadium, that the VIC government would love to get them playing at. Making it even more viable.

This is just an attempt to get some notice and headlines by piggy backing off the Titans. The expansion decision is only months away.

I dislike the idea of dual code clubs at professional level. It doesn't work IMO.

- Fulham soccer club and Fulham RLFC in the early 80s. Which became the London Crusaders, the Broncos, then Harlequins RL.
- Leeds Rhinos and Leeds RU
- Parramatta Eels and Parramatta Power in the old NSL. Putting millions of dollars on a bonfire would have been more financially conservative.
- Harlequins RU and Harlequins RL. I am so far from sold on this idea. And would much prefer an independent and vibrant rugby league brand in the London. Deadset, I reckon it has amazing potential. A team for LONDON. Much like the Storm is a team for all of Melbourne, ina city greatly devided by AFL club loyalties. This to me, is alot better than appealing to simply league fans and union fans from one particular club. I can't see union fans of other clubs, passionately supporting Quins. Bad for a London rugby league franchise and bad for rugby league football strategically. But I still cheer for the Quins.

But sorry Peter, the Titans broom is too busy cleaning up rugby league and working on our NRL Premiership campaigns for decades to come.

[DIEHARD]

But that is my take. Any of you would be interested in a Gold Coast based Super 16 team? I know a few of you guys are big union fans.

[GCT_07]

Union does nothing for me........ seems like just a good excuse for a lot of obvious male ummmmmm bonding

[kwigibo]

I would support it if it happened (I was one of a handful of people who attended every East Coast Aces home game), but don't think it would succeed, union is dying in QLD unfortunately. The Reds need fixing before a Gold Coast team can work, and there's no reason the QUEENSLAND Reds can't play some games at Skilled (I know some people like to pretend this isn't Queensland but it ****ing is).

[DIEHARD]

I'm not much of a cricket expert. But the Queensland Bulls could also play some matches at Carrara.

I think it's impressive how you want to all the Coastal Aces games!

[kwigibo]

I'm not much of a cricket expert. But the Queensland Bulls could also play some matches at Carrara.

I think it's impressive how you want to all the Coastal Aces games!

Yep, even went to the local derby at Ballymoore, where I won a random seat prize and so now own a genuine supporter's cap, which must be worth a mint as I don't think any were ever sold.

When Carrara gets upgraded I'll be spitting if we don't get any cricket, at least a Ranger cup game, or a winter one dayer against Bangladesh or something, we're twice the size of Cairns and Darwin put together, and I don't care if the Gabba's only an hour away.