Perth Reds for NRL thread

[DIEHARD]

I'm a big fan of them re-using the Western Reds monker, but the Western Australia Reds or W.A.R.

And it is like they are mad and are fighting for their rightful admission.

It will warm my heart to see them rejoin the Gold Coast in the NRL, especially under the Reds label.

[DIEHARD]

NRL Opens Door For Future Perth Team

In an address to the new Bartercard Reds Rugby League team?s home season launch breakfast, National Rugby League Chief Operating Officer, Graham Annersley, confirmed this week that Perth would be considered in any future competition expansion.

Annersley was in Perth in the lead up to the Reds inaugural home game against the Sydney Southern Sharks on Saturday night at Members Equity Stadium.

?The Reds have taken the right approach in laying a foundation in the Jim Beam competition, it is obvious that they have the support of the State Government and the home ground at Members Equity Stadium is also another plus, he said

?Clearly the WA Rugby league still has an enormous amount of work to do however the local board and management are an extremely professional group and there is already an impressive level of corporate support for the Reds.

?The WA Rugby League?s decision to establish a team to compete in the Jim Beam Cup as a vehicle to progress back to the NRL is a good one and we will be watching how that goes over the next couple of years, he said.

WA Rugby League Chairman Geoff Baldwin said that he was heartened by the positive comments from the NRL as they represented a significant change in attitude towards expansion and the re-establishment of a Perth based team.

?Our progression back to the NRL depend largely on good management, corporate support and attendances to our Bartercard Reds home games.

?The confirmation of Bartercard as our naming rights sponsor in a two year deal worth around $200,000 along with other major sponsor support has helped us lay a very solid foundation.

?This weekends opening game will be a test for the Reds against a Sydney Southern Sharks line up that includes former State of Origin and Test player David Peachey along with several NRL prospects.

?The WA Reds acronym is W.A.R. and we encourage fans to come along to the ?WAR Zone? for the opening battle this Saturday night with the NZ v Perth City curtain raiser starting at 5pm.? Mr Baldwin said.

Source: WARL

[Queenslander]

?The WA Reds acronym is W.A.R. and we encourage fans to come along to the ?WAR Zone? for the opening battle this Saturday"

That is a great slogan for the team to use; Hopefully we will see some NRL games at the WAR Zone in the near future.

[GCT_89]

?The WA Reds acronym is W.A.R. and we encourage fans to come along to the ?WAR Zone? for the opening battle this Saturday night with the NZ v Perth City curtain raiser starting at 5pm.? Mr Baldwin said.

hahaha.....that is sooooo cool.......one of the best slogans ever.........

[DIEHARD]

The WA Reds held their first game at their home of Members Equity Stadium last night and before over 2,000 fans beat the South Sydney Sharks 38-26!

WELL DONE REDS!

[DIEHARD]

The WA Reds have launched their new website.

http://www.waredsrugbyleague.com.au

[DIEHARD]

WA eyes return as Sydney clubs battle

A DAY after NRL chief executive David Gallop warned Sydney clubs were at death's door, Western Australian officials came knocking, presenting a compelling case for re-entry to the competition should the game's parlous financial state claim a scalp.

WA Rugby League general manager Bill Nosworthy has been beavering away in Perth since the demise of the Western Reds in 1997, who lost their place in the premiership as part of the Super League-Australian Rugby League peace deal of 1998.

Nosworthy believes Perth has the financial clout to support an NRL team, a powerful argument given the monetary woes facing clubs in Sydney as a result of the state government's decision to increase the poker machine tax.

Central Coast also remains a viable venue for the NRL, while Adelaide enjoys an undercurrent of support among NRL chief executives.

Given the squeeze in Sydney, and the financial clout enjoyed by interstate clubs, it is becoming increasingly clear the answer lies in relocation or mergers. The alternative is unpalatable: Sydney clubs will keel over and die.

"We're up for the fight," Nosworthy said. "We want to be part of it. We believe people in the west would support it. We believe rugby league would benefit from it."

Rugby league in Western Australia took a significant hit when the Reds were closed down, but corporate support and participation numbers have steadily returned since.

Junior numbers are up 30 per cent while senior participation is up 10 per cent, a direct result of Western Australia fielding a team in the Jim Beam Cup.

The state continues to lead the way among the traditional non-league playing states, including Victoria, which has the benefit of Melbourne Storm to increase the code's profile.

"We're ahead of Victoria with the Melbourne Storm on their doorstep," Nosworthy said.

"We are the leading state by far. For us, it's not being big-headed, but an enormous head start for the rebirth of the game at NRL level.

"We realise 100 per cent and we accept 100 per cent the philosophy of the NRL of not looking in that area for some time. They really needed to repair our game."

The other benefit of adding Perth - and possibly Adelaide - is the potential financial return they would bring. It may not be immediate, but long-term a legitimate national competition would drive television revenue to record levels.

Given the booming economy in Perth, Nosworthy has little doubt Perth could support two AFL teams, a league team and rugby union's Western Force.

"There's a huge amount of corporate support. We realise what happened in 1997 had to happen. We realise that totally. But we also believe now is the time that expansion has to happen."

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

[DIEHARD]

Wayne Bennett: Perth team essential in future.

ST GEORGE Illawarra coach Wayne Bennett has called on the NRL to base a team in Perth from 2012 after it strikes a new television deal. Speaking ahead of tonight's trial match against the Roosters at Members Equity Stadium - his first match as coach of the Dragons - Bennett said it was fundamental that rugby league return to the west coast.

"I hope when the league addresses the issue of expansion, which I think they will when the new TV contracts are to be done in 2012, they look favourably upon us having a team out of this part of the world," Bennett said. "All the other codes are into it. It works, I know it works, and we have to move in that direction."

Bennett has been impressed with the groundswell of support for the game since arriving here with his squad early in the week. After yesterday's press conference with Roosters counterpart Brad Fittler, he went to great lengths to point out the South Perth rugby league club was formed in 1938 - long before the creation of the Perth Reds in the mid-1990s.

Officials are hoping for a crowd of 12,000 tomorrow night, but it is likely the NRL will need more convincing if an NRL side is be established here.

While South Sydney have signed a three-year deal to play one match per season in Perth, the South Australian government has been heavily lobbying cash-strapped Cronulla about relocation. Western Australian Rugby League chairman Geoff Baldwin said he had met with the NRL and ARL less than three months ago.

"Both have recognised our vision and they can see there is a viable opportunity to expand the game into WA knowing there's a good infrastructure here," he said.

"The NRL's fears is how much they would have to put in to make it work here. The WA Rugby League is trying to convince them they have a strong structure here and they're not far off being ready to go," Bennett said.

Meanwhile, Bennett says he is feeling no nerves ahead of his first game with his new club - his first since leaving the Broncos after 21 years.

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

[kioli]

It seems almost inevitable that they'll be back in 2012 now. About bloody time too, they never should've been kicked out in the first place.

[DIEHARD]

Reds Announce Major Sponsor



Key players from the WA Reds under-18 junior Rugby League team were presented with new team jerseys this Friday, as part of a new $300,000, three-year naming rights sponsorship agreement with Cash Converters.

The under-18 Cash Converters WA Reds squad joined the New South Wales-based S.G Ball Cup Rugby League competition for the first time this season.
WA Rugby League Board Chairman Terry Creasey and CEO John Sackson joined the players in accepting the new club jerseys from Cash Converters national marketing manager, Glenn Donaldson.

Adrian Barich, one of the founding players for the Perth-based Western Reds Rugby League side and former West Coast Eagle, was also on hand to address the young players as they received their jerseys.

Cash Converters was a former sponsor of the Western Reds Rugby League side which entered the NSW Rugby League competition as an expansion team in the 1995 season.

Managing Director Peter Cumins said the opportunity to sponsor a junior side some 15 years later re-affirms Cash Converters? commitment to boost support for Rugby League in Western Australia.

?Cash Converters is proud to commit to this three-year grass-roots sponsorship agreement to support the development of junior Rugby League in this state,? he said.

?We hope it will allow these young players to not only hone their rugby league skills and gain valuable competition experience, but also to shine on the national sporting stage.?

http://www.waredsrugbyleague.com.au/

[DIEHARD]

Im delighted to see Cashies on board.

For those that remember Cashies used to sponsor the Western Reds back in the day.

[DIEHARD]

Perth NRL push gaining momentum

NRL boss David Gallop's push for a Perth team to be included in an expanded NRL competition will gather momentum today when he addresses a business lunch in Western Australia.

Gallop last night said he would talk up moves for Perth to return to the competition for the first time since the Western Reds played in Super League.

"They've got a lot going for them," Gallop said. "They've got a booming economy and they get good crowds whenever we play over there.

"The Western Australian Rugby League has a new administration and there has been a good growth in junior numbers.

"They would also offer the game a new timeslot for broadcasting because of the time difference.

"And they have a great stadium already in place."

The NRL has considered an expansion for 2013 when a new television deal will be in place.

The Central Coast Bears are favourites to be the first new team if the competition is expanded, leaving Perth or a second team from Brisbane as the other candidates.

If Perth happened to get the nod it would be their second venture into rugby league's big time.

The Western Reds - with Mark Geyer their marquee signing - played at the WACA ground with moderate success before reasonable crowds, but folded when peace was restored to the game in 1998.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/

[titansrawesome]

we dont need another bloody nsw team, they already have 10 out of 16 nrl teams

[DIEHARD]

I do think NSW probably has too many teams. It's not exactly fair on Queensland.

I would love to see the Reds back. And very happy to see David Gallop talking up the possibility.

The LIVE 9:30pm TV timeslot would be a real winner for Rugby League.

[titansrawesome]

we should go to perth and adelaide to rival the afl, then maybe more nz teams and a png one.