Thursday 15 September 2011

Who's Next? (2005)

With the NRL deciding recently to re-admit the Gold Coast into the competition, I started thinking, “Who’s next?”

Not as in who’s going to be the next team brought into our game. More so, which pathetic under achieving team from the past, who has been removed from the competition, is going to be readmitted?

Souths, kicked out of the competition in 1999 for many reasons, including poor on-field performance, poor crowds and finances. Now, Souths still perform poorly on the field, at drawing crowds and the way they are throwing money around at big name, under-achieving players, it can be assumed financial strain will come again soon.

Gold Coast, a team that knows failure better than most other teams, a team that was so poorly run that the ARL had to appoint its own officials to manage the team, a team that had to relocate to try and draw bigger crowds, a team that failed when given substantial support from the games governing body.

Now, they have again been recalled to participate in the NRL.

So which pathetic performing side, which seemingly had no future and was subsequently removed from the competition, is going to be recalled for future seasons?

Lets take a look at the candidates.

Wests – A team that has been booted from the competition twice. A plethora of juniors, large supporter area combined with no money, abysmal crowd attendances and pathetic on field performances should be enough to make them candidate number 1 to be brought back into the competition.

Norths – A foundation club who had no idea how to make it to a grand final, let alone win. The perennial chokers of the competition. Also have no money, which was the main reason for them having to merge with rivals Manly. Fittingly, just like Norths have done in the past, their half of the merger failed, Manly came back and Norths are…well somewhere. All of this makes them a hot contender to be brought back next.

Glebe – The very first team. One of the most disliked teams amongst league officials that ultimately lead to their demise in 1929. They had everything, players, support, money, unhappy officials. This game needs a good ‘us vs them’ between a team and the people who control the game. This rivalry could be the spark to revive waning interest in the game.

Annandale – A team that never achieved. They were cut from the competition for breaking rules regarding players from other areas playing for them, their rough style of play and the simple fact that they were just plain crap. If their bank account from 1920 were to be brought forward, it’d be fair to assume that they might have enough there to buy a mouthguard. The thought of bringing a team so dismal back into the competition, a team that would do nothing for the game, puts them right at the top of the tree to be included once again.

Adelaide – A team made by a media magnate to generate funds for his own bastardised version of our great game. After two years it was decided by News Ltd and the NRL that there was no financial viability in the team and it was shut down. The game wants to expand, as well as reintroducing teams that go broke quicker than a bombed Skase idea, so lets take the game back to Adelaide!

South Queensland – Habitual losers, heavily relied on funding by the ARL for survival and was an all round stupid idea. They never showed promise; all they did was improve every other teams for and against record. They attracted nobodies, fielding teams of nobodies and surprisingly, did nothing. If you want a team that never should have been, look no further than the inappropriately named Crushers. If the NRL aim to be consistent in recalling the worst teams they’ve cut, then surely the Crushers would be high on their list.

Perth – Another of the failed teams from the 1994 ‘lets expand the game’ idea. Strangely though, this team was not the victim of financial issues, poor crowds or lack of junior development. It wasn’t due to pathetic on field performances either, as they were consistently mid table finishers. The NRL closed the door on the Reds for God knows why. They wouldn’t be high on the “lets bring back a pathetic team that should never have been brought back” list, as they actually hold promise. We should probably keep quiet about this one.

So, who’s next?

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