Problem with NRL is too many clubs in Sydney yet far too many grounds to watch teams ( remember the 2 team West Tigers playing out of 4 venues 10 years ago doesn't help) and the f**kin Roosters should f**k off to CC and Crowe should move SS back to Eastern Seabed but hey you are still strong as English Rugby League is f**ked I think. Norths went on to make the finals again in 1953 and 1954, losing to Souths and St. George respectively. Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work Indeed like Souths fans will, for theyll be there, as Bears fans were for them, and their game, the one the media barons had so buggered. JavaScript is disabled. July 22nd, 2022 11:47 am. I had a yarn once with an academic, Hunter Fujak, of University Technology Sydney. As of 2014, there have been several attempts for the Bears to come back into the NRL by being based at the Central Coast, North Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast and Brisbane. But how can you blame Manly for doing the right thing by Manly? Manly officially returned to the NRL in 2003 (playing out of Brookvale Oval, though they played at least two games per season in Gosford until 2015) and have since played in four NRL Grand Finals (2007, 2008, 2011 and 2013), winning the premiership in 2008 and 2011. It was a wet, Autumnal day in May 1994. New South Wales Origin coach Brad Fittler has suggested the Sea Eagles and Bears combine with the Central Coast region to form a "behemoth" club stretching north from the CBD all the way to Gosford and beyond. During that time, North Sydney produced arguably the greatest winger the game has ever seen in Ken Irvine. Theyre not just a floating entity that sells merch. And if you brought back the North Sydney Bears to represent these 600,000 people in the northern suburbs of Sydney - and the 400,000 people of the Central Coast - it would be an instant and . [12], On 14 July 1994, the club was fined $87,000 for breaching the salary cap. Probably not irrevocable, either, given the volatile nature of this greatest game of all. We lost thousands and thousands of rugby league fans.. Norths also amalgamated with the Seagulls, a border club at Tweed Heads on the far north coast of New South Wales, the oldest provincial rugby league club in Australia. For all the people saying the CEO and Commissioners need to be "RL people", just remember; A solution that may work is a Bears and seaeagles in nsw Cup remain as sepeate identities and a new club takes the license, based at Gosford but with couple of games in manly/NS. I was eight, Norths were first. The record attendance for the club was 20,059 for the club's opening game against the Newcastle Knights at Grahame Park on 6 February 2000. Article proves that ice is a scourge on Australian lives. Because: emotion, tribalism, and all that good, human stuff. Theres still people holding a candle for the Newtown Jets, though not enough that the Jets arent destined to forever be a reserve grade feeder out of Henson Park. And the Bears didnt get a licence when using the press is what they shouldve done along with all the other weapons in their armoury to shift public opinion to the Bears. They love the club. Not only would it be good I think its a must for the NRL to look at and this is the time, the time is right now.. Thats a lotta eyeballs. Dont need to have surfed the Long Reef bommie to back the maroon and white. If that's the marker, then the ARLC suited bean-counters should do this: Granted! North Sydney was in a partnership with South Sydney serving as Souths' reserve grade side from 2007 until the agreement ended in 2018. Twice the Bears have adorned the back page of the West Australian, and ahead of Perths hosting of the State of Origin on Sunday, Bears chairman Daniel Dickson will be in the city to meet a West Australian government group to further explore the partnership. I cant see any government wanting to throw any money towards that shit hole especially with how small their supporter base is. Now Brad Fittler wants the Manly Bears. Who are these people? Their subsequent, rapid demise was not organic, and hundreds of thousands of Bears people are still out there, wandering. The Roosters 200,000. Allow up to 5 days for home delivery to commence. It didnt matter: the Bears were done, their cards were marked. The Official North Sydney Bears. If the NRL wants to expand it should look inside itself: And bring back the North Sydney Bears. But the region continued to grow. Interim Eels boss Max Donnelly could well be presiding over the Parramatta Bears had he not blocked a push to merge the Eels with foundation club North Sydney. [3], North Sydney was formed as a foundation club of the newly arrived rugby league game in 1908 and were initially known as the Shoremen. Monday to Friday 7:30am 6:00pm, Saturday & Sunday 7:00am 11:30am (AEST), App or digital edition only customer? Relocation disenchants and disenfranchise existing fans, while new ones get a sort of half-arsed mob from somewhere else. See: The Northern Eagles. But only like the two Koreas. We want to see it! North Sydney chairman Perry Lopez said of the deal "We are the North Sydney Bears, were not South Sydney," The decision is based on whats best for our club. People from outside can conflate Sydneys north shore with the northern beaches. The 1990s was a decade of hope for the North Sydney Bears and while it ultimately ended in tears they almost claimed rugby league's ultimate glory along the way. And we had a $50 million bank guarantee, so we would have been strong. Please call us on 1800 070 535 and well help resolve the issue or try again later. And have a massive march in March. featured alongside some of Australias most prominent sports journalists. On 3 November 2017, it was revealed that Norths had failed in their bid to purchase The Gold Coast licence. They both have a point, but how its executed is important. Before this, Norths were the feeder team for South Sydney from 2007 to 2018. . In 1986 North Sydney missed the finals. If Brookie is not up to NRL standard, why does the NRL allow them to play there? But this: Throw in the Central Coast and the Bears would have the biggest junior catchment of any Sydney team including the Dragons and Steelers. After Norths were booted out of the bad marriage, mates of mine havent been to a league game since. There are hundreds of thousands of Bears people, just like me, who will invoke the same, mechanised caution at the prospect of a miracle: a return to first grade, footy at Bear Park, even just once a year, in the red and black. To be a part, even if its a minor part, of a northern Sydney nrl club or remain a nswrl leagues club suburban entity? [55][56][57], On 9 August 2019, rugby league immortal Andrew Johns said that having a team on the Central Coast would be a "no-brainer". In the 2022 NSW Cup season, North Sydney finished third on the table and qualified for the finals. V'landys knows the Bears remains a popular NRL brand, despite exiting the NRL in 1999 after merging with the Sea Eagles to become the Northern Eagles. ll never forget the first time the Bears caused me pain. Perry went on to say "You need 12 and 12, so 24 key markets, and stricter criteria about those clubs around their funding model which means all of the 24 may not fit the top tier criteria, it may only be 16-18 franchises that make the cut, their catchment areas, their population, and their commercial growth, because currently I believe a lot of clubs havent been accountable as much as they should have. And they didn't. Manly's licence is redistributed to a WA or Bris2 franchise. [40], There is a movement for a return to first-grade Rugby League for the club, with the North Sydney Bears moving to Gosford (on the Central Coast, New South Wales) and becoming the Central Coast Bears. Carney spoke to the media saying "I had that option with the Bears but Souths have blocked that, I'm sure something will come up". [64], Updated: 11 February 2021Source(s): 2021 Squad Numbers, On 26 August 2006 the club announced their "Team of the Century". In September 2018, North Sydney announced that it had signed a 5-year deal to become the Sydney Roosters feeder club and reserve grade side with Taylor returning to the club as head coach. See www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscriptionterms for full details. After Norths were booted out of the bad marriage, mates of mine havent been to a league game since. The Northern Eagles represented Manly. Follow the Bears. Its why people follow footy teams. The Dragons have 260,000 (not counting the Illawarra). Hes presented Powerpoint shows to many suits detailing the findings of his years of study into Sydney peoples sports-consuming habits. [54], On 11 November 2018, new North Sydney CEO David Perry said he was aiming at seeing a North Sydney/Central Coast bid come to fruition when the current television deal ends at the end of 2023. Prominent rugby league personalities who have publicly backed the club include Phil Gould, Andrew Johns and Peter Sterling while support has also come from as high up as Federal Treasurer and North Sydney MP Joe Hockey. The North Sydney Bears believe their vast fan following and 113 years of history make them the ideal fit for an 18th team should the NRL explore further expansion. Anyway: old mate also said the next step wouldnt be Bears to Perth or the Central Coast or where I reckon, the northern region of Sydney with all those people, but rather Port Moresby, for sweet Mal Meningas sake, because the Australian government would like to use rugby league to do something with regional aid or sufficiency, or something, I dont know. Hyde, who was living in Lane Cove at the time, had been forced to switch from Balmain to Norths in 1941 due to the league's residency rules which stated that a player was required to live in their club's district. A great brand and a new supporter base.. This option is only available where expressly indicated with the offer. Rebranded as Norths, the North Sydney Leagues Club was established by the district's football club, the North Sydney Bears, in 1955 in a house in the Sydney suburb of Neutral Bay. Manly Sea Eagles and North Sydney Bears must merge into a 'behemoth' club, says Brad Fittler Michael Di Lonardo 3 min read First it was the Gold Coast Bears. If you wish to change or create a new subscription, please call 1800 070 535 Monday to Friday 7.30am 6.00pm & 7.00am-11.30am AEST on both Saturdays & Sundays. It was more a fishing exercise by suits in high places, the paper leaked to select media to disseminate in the court of public opinion. I can live on the beach". "Never going to happen. [17][18], In 1998, Norths finished 5th on the table and qualified for the finals. Its not all about numbers, of course. [26] On 19 September, it was announced that Ben Gardiner was leaving as coach of the club after two and a half years in charge.[27]. We used to cry when the Bears won a game! Guttural laughter from my uncles. "They want to buy everyone. Hes a doctor of demographics. But moot it they did, these people in suits, because Television as we ranted about the other week told them to. On a fine and sunny afternoon at dear little Brookie, against the Eels, say, thered be what - 15,000 fans? [51][52][53], On 22 February 2018, it was announced that North Sydney were in talks with a Western Australian consortium with the possibility of creating a franchise and to seek inclusion into The NRL. You must log in or register to reply here. After being behind on the scoreboard 12-0, Norths fought their way back into the match to level the scores at 14-14. The North Sydney Bears would be back and there would be, give us your best Rabbits Warren, deadset jubilation. Anywhere from the Harbour Bridge - take in the Central Coast - that would be such a powerful area and if they could come to some sense you could encapsulate Brookvale Oval, North Sydney Oval and Gosford and have a wonderful, strong club.. If you subscribe directly with us you will also get access to our News+ Network which is made up of some of our most popular news sites, like. Its why they invest in a footy team with themselves, with emotion, with money. Earlier this year there were reports the Bears were attempting to organise a consortium that will make a bid to purchase the NRL license off the Manly Sea Eagles. Ill never forget the first time the Bears caused me pain. Freddy Fittler has called for the two clubs to merge once more. Bring back the bears, throw manly under a bus. The people of Gosford preferred to wait until a home-grown team was based there. As would electric Dog-Eels. With the scores locked at 12-12, Newcastle player Matthew Johns kicked a field goal with 2 minutes to play to make it 13-12. Missed out. They love that place. Florimo then went on to say "I don't see too many other options presenting themselves, The energy and finance that we put into the Central Coast bid really didn't come to fruition so we're going hard to the plate on this". Probably not irrevocable, either, given the volatile nature of this greatest game of all. And relocating an entity, be they Bears, Dragons, Sharks, Tigers, Roosters, whoever, well, knowing fans as I do, and being one of them, youd just as soon they kill your team as see it move away. You are using an out of date browser. Home ground - North Sydney Oval. 380 following. I trudged in the rain with my Mum, Dad, and four uncles, back to the pub Percys across Miller Street. Yeah the Northern Eagles were such a success. Cronulla has 220,000. Brad smokes too many bongs and Joey seems to still be on the pingers. They were eliminated by Balmain in a playoff for 5th place. For mine, sports fans, that is freakin La La Land. Each payment, once made, is non-refundable, subject to law. Cronulla has 220,000. This decision comes on the back of that. Bring Back The Bears! Bring Back The Bears. Speaking . But they are separate, distinct entities. Norths were formidable in the 1990s, regularly bettering storied opponents like Canberra, Manly and Brisbane, upon whom the folklore of 90s rugby league has been built. They last won a premiership in 1993, defeating Newcastle in the grand final 5-4. [2] Until the end of season 2009, Souths were coached by the Bears' record-breaking top points scorer, Jason Taylor. West Australian desire. Steve Menzies played the most games for the club, with 69 caps.[3]. Norths player Drew Hutchison also had a bad match kicking two goals from six attempts including one from right in front to send the game into extra-time. Rugby league historian Andrew Moore once suggested that the Northern Eagles joint venture may well have established a record for being the least loved football club in sporting history. Norths & Easts. two very financially strong leagues clubs together. Commercial viability. Its more than watch footy in the catchments serving Roosters, Rabbitohs, Dragons, Sharks, Sea Eagles and Bulldogs. Maybe not instant. But theyd be into, the northern Sydney Bear people, all six hundred thousand of em, or whatever percentage the NRL could plane off and declare allegiance, and consume the club and love it one way or many. Some fans will tell you the Bears are a relic of the past. And lo did journos On The Pulse and in encrypted WhatsApp chats spread the love about the arcane and business-like practices the Commission was mooting to shift a Sydney club out of town, to ensure viability and profitability, to uphold the greater good, or whatever reason they might use to shift a team in a Ken-Cowley-taking-Super-League-to-the-massive-untapped-markets-of-New-York-Johannesburg-and-Hong-Kong kind of way. [39], The Bears have won eight premierships in reserve grade, making them the second most successful club currently participating in the competition. Manly has 270,000. However, poor on-field performances and factional fighting led to the collapse of the Northern Eagles in 2002, after only three years. A WA-Bears joint venture will be judged very much on their business model rather than the emotion around the Bears. In 2014 facilities comprised two dining areas, function rooms, a 530-seat auditorium, a fitness and wellness centre, indoor and outdoor lounge areas, a bottle shop, a TAB, two squash courts, a courtesy bus service, a members rewards program and a multi-level car park for 320 vehicles. In the fifty years the new building has stood, a number of redesigns and refurbishments have taken place. Editor Matt Cleary is an award-winning sports writer, contributor to The Guardian, Inside Sport, Big League and Inside Rugby, among several dozen other journals. Full Digital Access + Weekend Paper Delivery $8 billed every 4 weeks for the first 12 weeks, then $36 billed every 4 weeks. Each payment, once made, is non-refundable, subject to law. And there are lots and lots and lots of eyeballs. The North Sydney Bears would be back and there would be, give us your best Rabbits Warren, deadset jubilation. Victory may be close, but the Bears do know how to make it hard. Its like when politicians are parachuted into safe seats. They were beaten 20-15 by Weller Hauraki, scoring a controversial try with just 13 seconds to go, which many believed should not have been allowed due to a forward pass. In the 1996 ARL season Norths came within one match of the Grand Final but lost the game to the St George Dragons 29-12. It could take up to 5 business days before your first paper delivery arrives. For two wilderness-riven decades, Bears hopefuls have been scoffed at, cast as hopeless, foolish tragics, and blind to the realities of economic rationalism in the 21st century. In that time Norths made the preliminary final 4 times but lost on each occasion. Gee lock up him up it already happened and didn't work, I could be wrong but Im sure if seen a merged club, possibly the Northern Eagles that went well. [47], With weekly membership drives and ongoing community involvement, the Central Coast Bears targeted entry into the NRL in 2015,[48] but this date passed without admission. The Northern Eagles ultimately didnt represent anyone from Milsons Point to North Turramurra, from west Willoughby to east Epping. It made sense to relocate one of the Sydney teams to the Central Coast". Going with the Flo. Matt is the Tribunes head curator of content. Supporters of grass roots Rugby League. Former North Sydney internationals Greg Florimo and David Fairleigh play a prominent role in the club's push to join the NRL. And the fans went with them. At a private event some years ago, a former senior administrator in the NRL laughed in the face of a Bears official explicating the case for a return on the Central Coast in a ground the club built, underwritten by John Singleton, coached by Wayne Bennett. Prices after the introductory pricing period may be varied in accordance with the full Terms and Conditions. Bears Banter; Bears TV; Teams & Draws. However, no such sentiment appears to exist in Perth. The Gold Coast colors would also change to Norths red and black with the logo being changed as well to fit the proposed new club. [29][30] The Knock On Effect NSW Cup. An independent voice that will not be influenced by power or money, and will not be silenced by any official heirachy. It was more a fishing exercises by suits in high places, the "paper" leaked to select media to disseminate in the court of public opinion. In November 2010, it was reported that Ken Sayer, CEO of Mortgage House, planned to underwrite the bid for $10 million to help ensure their financial equity was shored up when the bid was submitted. With only seconds remaining Norths frantically threw the ball around and lost it, the ball was swooped up by Newcastle's Owen Craigie and he raced away to score a try and won the game. [65], Midweek Cup [as Amco Cup]: Runners-up: 1976, Reserve Grade Premierships: 1940, 1942, 1955, 1959, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, Third Grade Premiership [and equivalent competitions]: 1937, 1945, 1946, 1959, City Cup: Winners: 1920, 1922 Runners-Up 1913, 1959, Pre-season Competition: Runners-Up: 1964, 1966, 1977, North Sydney District Rugby League Football Club, National Rugby League reserves affiliations, "NRL: Bears, North Sydney confirm bid to become NRL's next franchise, Dolphins", "South Sydney Rabbitohs North Sydney Bears Affiliated Players", "North Sydney Bears announce new alliance with the Sydney Roosters - North Sydney Bears", "Up From the Ashes: The Phoenix of a Rugby League Literature", "Football, family and faith - a fortunate life - Obituaries - smh.com.au", "North Sydney Bears - Rugby League Project", "NSWRFL 1965 - North Sydney Bears - Rugby League Project", "NSWRFL 1964 - North Sydney Bears - Rugby League Project", "North Sydney Council - Heritage Leaflets", "ARL 1996 - Prelim Final - Rugby League Project", "ARL 1997 - Prelim Final - Rugby League Project", "The Greatest Goalkickers in NRL History Rugby League Opinions", "NRL 1998 - North Sydney Bears - Rugby League Project", "Why the demise of the North Sydney Bears has Sydney Roosters officials worried", "NRL 1999 - Round 26 - Rugby League Project", "Are the North Sydney Bears about to buy the Manly Sea Eagles? 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