With overwhelming support to expand the competition in 2013 and with this possibility looking likely to drive up the value of the TV deal this NRL sponsored report has been "leaked". Scandals, no expansion, hysteria of Sydney clubs going bust, we must be coming up to to TV contract negotiation time! NRL told to ditch plans for Perth, Adelaide expansion Brent Read | May 21, 2009 Article from: The Australian THE NRL is set to remain national in name only after an independent report revealed having teams in Adelaide and Perth would do little to increase the game's value as a television product. The report, commissioned by the NRL with a view towards the next round of broadcast negotiations, also warned fans were becoming disenchanted by the off-field behaviour of players. Only last month, NRL chief executive David Gallop put prospective franchises on notice when he raised the possibility of expansion in time for the next TV deal in 2013. Perth, the NSW central coast and central Queensland have all gone public with plans to submit bids to the NRL. For Perth, however, the confidential report's findings will come as a sledgehammer blow. The report, prepared by consulting firm LEK and tabled at a meeting of chief executives in Sydney last week, claimed basing teams in Perth and Adelaide would not increase viewers over current programming in the respective cities. That would lend weight to the theory that having teams in those cities would do little to make the game more attractive to broadcasters. The report instead encourages the NRL to maintain interest in Perth and Adelaide by taking more games interstate. Cronulla played in Adelaide this season, while St George Illawarra and the Sydney Roosters played a pre-season game in Perth. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 22,00.html

With overwhelming support to expand the competition in 2013 and with this possibility looking likely to drive up the value of the TV deal this NRL sponsored report has been "leaked". Scandals, no expansion, hysteria of Sydney clubs going bust, we must be coming up to to TV contract negotiation time! NRL told to ditch plans for Perth, Adelaide expansion Brent Read | May 21, 2009 Article from: The Australian THE NRL is set to remain national in name only after an independent report revealed having teams in Adelaide and Perth would do little to increase the game's value as a television product. The report, commissioned by the NRL with a view towards the next round of broadcast negotiations, also warned fans were becoming disenchanted by the off-field behaviour of players. Only last month, NRL chief executive David Gallop put prospective franchises on notice when he raised the possibility of expansion in time for the next TV deal in 2013. Perth, the NSW central coast and central Queensland have all gone public with plans to submit bids to the NRL. For Perth, however, the confidential report's findings will come as a sledgehammer blow. The report, prepared by consulting firm LEK and tabled at a meeting of chief executives in Sydney last week, claimed basing teams in Perth and Adelaide would not increase viewers over current programming in the respective cities. That would lend weight to the theory that having teams in those cities would do little to make the game more attractive to broadcasters. The report instead encourages the NRL to maintain interest in Perth and Adelaide by taking more games interstate. Cronulla played in Adelaide this season, while St George Illawarra and the Sydney Roosters played a pre-season game in Perth. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 22,00.html

adelaide is a no goer for a few years yet. dont forget the indpendant report is mostly about maximising tv money not about why/how/when game should expand. I still feel that the Reds and Bears will be introduced in next five years but probably not in same year.

When is the report due to be complete, should make interesting reading!

sorry JB but this is what a lot of people in the nrl have been saying, like michael searle.

this means when we expand next time it will be central coast and another queensland club, either central queensland or more likely brisbane

your best bet is to try and get the sharks to move over there.

perth has lots of fans from RL people. on nrl on fox the panel were saying perth is a great location as the 2 hr time difference allows a new TV slot for eastern australia.

I wouldn't trust anything written about rugby league in The Australian any time soon...

Perth is clearly a must for the game in the next round of expansion.

Yeah sorry Brent Read wrote it. Rah rah hack...

Ignore it completely.

I love how the Super "insert number" teams are "jostling for position..."

Talk about shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic.

I don't see how a team in an area that watches RL is worth more to a TV company than a team in area of 1.5million that currently does not watch RL because it isn't on TV and the game has no profile there?

There is strong evidence that a team in Perth would add significantly to the number of viewers a channel will get. i'd love to know how this report came to the conclusion that having an extra 1-200,000 a week viewers is worth nothing?

Also the value from a sponsorship viewpoint at club and league level for exposure to a brand new potential audience of 1.5million people has to be a valuable thing for the game.

Adding more heartland clubs adds little value, why doesn't the report mention CC or Q'land areas values?

Something very iffy about the whole "leaking" of this if you ask me.