Maroons legend Billy Moore likes the ideal of Titans merging with Central Coast Bears
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/
QUEENSLAND Origin legend Billy Moore says a takeover of the Titans by the Central Coast Bears could be a realistic option to help both parties.
Moore said it could be the Titans’ best chance at survival without relying upon NRL ownership.
“Something is better than nothing and from my point of view if someone said to me you can have your colours back in the game, the Bears emblem and therefore take on the history of the club I don’t care whether they play in Timbuktu,” said Moore, who played 211 games for the North Sydney Bears in the 1980s-90s.
“I’ll take it every day of the week and twice on Sunday. That should be the theme that all our old clubs have right now.
“If it means you have to go there to survive and they try to argue then you just say, do you want to go the way of the Newtown jets? The North Sydney Bears?
“To survive and have your club colours, your emblem and your history then that’s the legacy. The venue you play at is really only secondary.”
Moore said taking games to the Gold Coast, Central Coast and North Sydney Oval could engage some of the biggest untapped supporter bases with no downside.
“You would re-engage a massive supporter base that has been lost to the game and also re-engage the third largest CBD in Australia which is North Sydney,” he said.
“It’s a feel-good story and great for the game and would be enormous.”
Moore said the potential move should be coupled with the introduction of a second Brisbane team.
Titans chief executive Graham Annesley was adamant no approach had been made to either the Gold Coast or NRL about the move.
“It is rubbish and there is nothing in it at all,” Annesley said.
“We are the Titans, we are staying the Titans and we are staying on the Coast.”
Bears chief executive Greg Florimo said that their focus was on building their own bid without the support of the Gold Coast.
“We are not buying into the Titans,” Florimo said.
“It was just an interview where we talked about the options for the Central Coast Bears and I was pressed on a point that there may be an opportunity at the Gold Coast.
“My response was that our efforts are directed towards our current bid.
“We have had many discussions with the NRL in all sorts of capacities but (buying the Titans) is not one of them.”