Bears deserve revival

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I always knew that Gould was a smart man.

Phil Gould | December 7, 2008

The North Sydney Bears want back in. Why not?

In fact, could someone please explain to me why they were allowed to fold in the first place? I'll get over this one day, I suppose. Maybe.

The new world order deemed years ago it was in the best interests of rugby league to get rid of South Sydney, the Gold Coast and the Bears. My God, there was a time they were also happy to see the mighty Manly Sea Eagles wither away without trying to save them.

Look at them all now. Where would our game be without these brands?

I'll throw other sacrifices like Adelaide and Perth into the mix here as well, who, despite their infancy at the time of the game's restructuring after the Super League debacle, were also victims of this most destructive period in our game's history.

I'll come back to the theme of a truly national competition in a moment.

The North Sydney Bears story is indeed a sad one and it has been (conveniently for some) swept into the background over the years; for far too long, in fact.

Despite their relative anonymity these days, a loyal band of North Sydney greats have managed to keep the colours flying in second-tier competitions. So, too, the mighty Newtown Jets, who never ever say die.

Now the Bears see an opportunity to resurrect their club into the big time and the NRL should be doing everything in its power to make this a reality.

For those of you just joining the program, the North Sydney Bears went broke years ago courtesy of an ill-fated campaign to survive at all costs during the Super League war.

At the time, an unsustainable wage structure was hurting all in the game. Clubs were also being threatened with expulsion if they could not satisfy certain criteria which were formulated specifically to reduce the number of teams to a more pay-TV friendly cost structure in the late 1990s.

The Bears bit the bullet and decided to move their operation to the Central Coast. Weather and finance conspired against them and they went broke before they could realise their dream.

They must shake their heads at the thought that within a short period of their painful demise, other clubs were back playing in the NRL with less than secure financial models and at venues well short of the criteria set down in the initial evaluations.

They were then forced into an unhappy marriage with the Manly club, which also had the backside out of its trousers.

The Northern Eagles captured nobody's imagination and bumbled along the inevitable path to failure.

Out of the wreck, a number of passionate and well-heeled football lovers saved the Sea Eagles and were rewarded for their efforts with a stunning premiership victory this year. The Bears, though, dropped out of the NRL and into virtual oblivion.

Since that time, the loss of the Bears has slowly eaten away at the rugby league supporter base in the North Sydney strip like a cancer.

When you talk to junior league administrators, school principals and parents, you get a feel for just how damaging their omission has been for league in the area.

Many junior clubs folded.

Others changed their allegiance to rugby union or football. Schools no longer offer rugby league as a sporting option. It truly is tragic and like a sick grandparent in the back bedroom, no one likes to talk about it.

Maybe this one-time stronghold of rugby league can never be fully revived.

However, there is surely plenty of upside in bringing the Grizzly Bears back to the magnificent venue at Gosford and further developing the game and its supporter base between the crucial areas from Manly to Newcastle.

Why stop there?

Long-term plans should already be in place for another team playing out of a burgeoning area between Newcastle and the Gold Coast. We should also be looking at another club between Brisbane and Townsville, so rugby league ties up the whole eastern seaboard.

From this position of strength, we can make the rest of the country our aim. The likes of Adelaide and Perth can succeed in time off the back of this eastern dominance.

It might take 20 years but what a legacy an aggressive and forward-thinking administration could leave for the future of the game if it just comes out of its cocoon and spreads it wings. Surely we are looking at these options? Expansion is a must.

At least give us the luxury of a dream to say it's possible.

Two teams in Brisbane and another in New Zealand, please. South Pacific Cups and tournaments involving Islander and Indigenous entities are all great development strategies for our game both domestically and internationally.

Even the pride of our game in this neck of the woods, State of Origin football, needs to be modernised. Queensland and NSW need and would welcome other competition.

What a product this could be. You want ways to raise revenue?

When the State of Origin concept was first introduced to our rugby league calendar, the incidence of players from Polynesian and Islander heritage was minimal in our local competitions.

The registration rates in junior football of kids from these backgrounds have now reached staggering proportions and our game needs to capitalise on this potential bonanza for our code.

There is more opportunity in our NRL competition for kids to pursue a rewarding career in professional rugby league than football or rugby could ever hope to offer in this part of the world.

That's not to say rugby and football can't make big inroads if the NRL sits on its hands and does nothing proactive about its future.

It's easy to bemoan the economic climate and call for a tightening of the belts.

However, this pain won't last forever. The NRL should be positioning itself to take full advantage of the next wave of good times by investing research dollars into new locations and competitions.

Let me tell you, years ago the Manly club was no better off than the North Sydney Bears are right now.

It takes money, know-how and passion. But anything is possible.
 
How is it a local derby?  When the Bears, what was laughlngly called, 'played' out of North Sydney oval, fair enough, but if they're resurrected as some sort of Central Coast team surely their local derby thing would be Newcastle.  If they do come back from the dead, they'll struggle to get any crowds up there, there's no public transport, little parking and a bogan support group who'll lose interest very quickly.  I noticed the Central Coast mariners soccer team, who are winners, got about 8000 at their last game, so just how many will turn up to see a bunch of losers go around.     
 
If they’re going to promote 2nd tear tams back into the comp the Jets deserve to be there on results before the bears do.

I like the idea of the central coast jets.
 
here is an idea have a promotion relegation system in place and restructure the 2nd tier comp, so that the strong teams that get promoted deserve it and visa versa for relegation.
 
Ryan link said:
LoL - are you actually getting excited about this Tooks?

Whilst I would love to see the bears back this is just a bit of stirring to liven up the forums in the offseason with a bit of Manly/norths rivilary. 

But I disagree with the bears having anything to do with the central coast and all the coasties that i know feel the same way.  They want their own team not a resurection of a dead team or a relocated team.  You cannot call them the central coast bears or anything to do with Norths because they have to be a brand new identity like the Titans if they are to survive. 

I would love to see norths back playing out of bear pack just like I would love to see Balmain back playing out of leichhardt, souths at redfern, wests at Lidcombe/campbeltown and the dogs at Belmore. 

Manly wouldn't be Manly if they didn't play out of Brookie oval.  Imagine if they played all their home games out at Homebush.   It would be a disaster. 

The NSW governments should have provided the money over the years to rebuild these old grounds so that league retained its traditions.  Imagine if every club was forced to play every home game at either the SFS or Homebush?  The game would die.  But play it at the tradtional grounds and the game is alive with support and tradtional rivalries. 

I still also want to see the league go back to the old days of the under 23's and reserve grade playing at each home game as well but that it just me being and old fart but I know that it won't happen in the current news corp era. 

Whilst I still have a soft spot for the bears and would love them to come back I am a realist and know that it won't happen and even if they are associated somehow with the central coast it wouldn't be the same. 

It is now Manly for me and always will be in the future.

At least my kids have seen their team win a grand final now.   
 
Next thing Tookey will be wanting the 5 metre & unlimited tackle rules brought back.

As for Norths whilst I enjoyed beating them over the years and would love to be able to laugh myself silly at their pathetic ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory I feel Tookey is right on this one.  If they are to put a team on the Central Coast then it must be a true local team without baggage - esp the amount of 'losing' baggage  the bears would bring with them.
 
The Wheel link said:
Next thing Tookey will be wanting the 5 metre & unlimited tackle rules brought back.

Not bad ideas wheel.  Bring back the old fibro vs silvertails days while you are there. 
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
3 2 1 45 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 22 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
3 2 1 10 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
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