NRL expansion could lead to raid on Canberra

[Lui_Bon]

This new team could provide an opportunity for us to cut our losses on some of the silly long term contracts were entered into that aren’t destined to work out for us.

As long as we know which ones were silly.

[greeneyed]

It’s the rubbish result that the ARLC was bound to take. Disgraceful.

[Billy Walker]

This new team could provide an opportunity for us to cut our losses on some of the silly long term contracts were entered into that aren’t destined to work out for us.

As long as we know which ones were silly.

I’d be offering up a young winger with a couple of seasons first grade experience by the name of Semi, and throwing in a couple of co-captains to sweeten the deal. A new team needs experience.

[LimeGreenMachine]

Hunting season: Every NRL club’s deadline day scenario as 157 stars up for grabs

RAIDERS

Off-contract 2022: Matt Frawley, Corey Harawira-Naera, Josh Hodgson, Corey Horsburgh, Tom Starling, Ryan Sutton

Analysis: Hookers Josh Hodgson and Tom Starling are key players off-contract at the Raiders. Hodgson turns 33 in 2023 and has been linked with a move north for the remainder of his career. Hodgson has been linked with the Broncos and Titans as well as the new Brisbane expansion team as the Raiders look to re-sign Starling. At 23 Starling is the future for the Raiders at hooker and is currently in negotiations for a contract extension. Queenslander Corey Horsburgh is expected to be forced out of the club after playing just 14 games over the last two seasons. The 23-year-old has been linked with the NRL’s 17th team for 2023 along with Englishmen Ryan Sutton. Back-rower Corey Harawira-Naera needs a big season to convince Ricky Stuart he is in his long-term plans.

Read more: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... 208613db8d

[Timbo]

CHN does not 'need a big season' to prove his worth. He was great last season. His worth is a known quantity.

[Raiders_Pat]

CHN does not 'need a big season' to prove his worth. He was great last season. His worth is a known quantity.

He's hands down our best backrower

[greeneyed]

Why would Ryan Sutton be linked to the new team? Not sure why the club wouldn't want to re-sign Corey Horsburgh either.

[Botman]

I really dont know what people watch at times
I understand CHN is a polarising player and he's certainly got his faults, but anyone who knows what they're watching couldnt possibly come out of his 2021 season thinking CHN isnt our best edge forward

Literally he's the only guy we have who seems to understand natural lines and angles, he's certainly the only edge forward teams respected enough as an edge runner to freeze defenders and create space for his outside men.

I understand he got caught up a number of times chasing the football from marker, and getting out of position defensively, that's a coaching thing. You just have to coach him hard on that, and make him accountable for that... if were his coach i'd simply tell him "unless it's a scrabble play after a long line break, when you're at marker, you cover the A-B gap and pursue the ball only to your side of the field, if i catch you going past the play the ball to the other side of the field, ill hook you straight away"

and then do it. You'll only have to hook him once before the message gets sent that you're **** serious about it

But really outside of that issue, which is easily correctable, he was not only our best edge forward, he was our only effective edge forward

[BadnMean]

All told his defence was better than Young and Whiteheads- by small and large margins respectively. Way less errors than either of them.

In attack he again was probably better than Young (though Young had his moments), once you factor in his offloading ability and the rest.

He's our best edge I agree. And we're capable of getting a bit more out of him if we smarten our right edge up with Crawley and Fogarty.

[Raiders_Pat]

Agree with all of the above. If we were smart, we'd get a deal done before he goes to market in November.

[bonehead]

I'd be having a chat to Briton Nikora and Blayke Brailey off that list

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[Billy Walker]

I find this interesting - I think it’s often the very good but not great players that screw up a roster. If you have a dud player it’s an easy call. If you have a champ you hold that card. It’s the ones in between that are tricky. For arguments sake let’s say you need your squad averaging 8/10 performance to win a comp. The challenge is around the 5 or so players that are a solid 7/10. Do any have another gear, which ones can you offset against the 9/10 players in the squad. It seems odd moving them on because all are above average often quite good players but possibly not top shelf. I think CHN and Sutton were strong for us last year and there would be others like Hors that I’d be moving on before them. Papa and Jack are really the only two that shouldn’t have any questions asked about them and Jack didn’t help himself last year. Discussions about very good players like these are always emotive. I’d say do your best to keep CHN and Sutton but I’d understand some having a different view.

[Roy Rover]

Every club will lose a couple of players.

If we lose a 33 year old Hodgson and and Horsburgh I'll be ok with it.

I mean I may be sad but I'll get over it, a bit like when we lost Kris Kahler to the Titans.

[Timbo]

Every club will lose a couple of players.

If we lose a 33 year old Hodgson and and Horsburgh I'll be ok with it.

I mean I may be sad but I'll get over it, a bit like when we lost Kris Kahler to the Titans.

The very definition of a 6.5/10 player right there.

[julian87]

It makes sense to me that Horsburgh will be a target for them. They have to sign bulk Qld players for it to work. He'd be well and truly in their plans imo.

I'd say you'd almost definitely lock in Munster as their main man and they'll work around that.

[RTW]

It makes sense to me that Horsburgh will be a target for them. They have to sign bulk Qld players for it to work. He'd be well and truly in their plans imo.

I'd say you'd almost definitely lock in Munster as their main man and they'll work around that.

Munster hasn’t done himself any favours recently but would definitely be in the conversation.

If it was me I would go all in for Harry Grant and have him as the face of my team. Christian Welch would be my next signing and I would consider making him captain. Deals with the media really well and is a natural leader of men.


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[julian87]

He's exceeded my expectations as a player but now has concerns moving forward with concussion.

[papabear]

Why would Ryan Sutton be linked to the new team? Not sure why the club wouldn't want to re-sign Corey Horsburgh either.

Corey Horsburgh was a dead set plodder last year. Honestly we would have been better with him playing for the opposition, which by the sounds of it the raiders tried to do. As the game moves faster, his game doesn't fit.

I'd like him to prove me wrong but at this point losing Corey Horsbrough wouldnt be the end of the world.

Also I agree with botmans commentary regarding CHN - he is absolutely quality and should be our first second rower picked in 2021, losing him would be a big loss... at this point he is adding way more value to the side then elliot whitehead.

[papabear]

It makes sense to me that Horsburgh will be a target for them. They have to sign bulk Qld players for it to work. He'd be well and truly in their plans imo.

I'd say you'd almost definitely lock in Munster as their main man and they'll work around that.

Munster hasn’t done himself any favours recently but would definitely be in the conversation.

If it was me I would go all in for Harry Grant and have him as the face of my team. Christian Welch would be my next signing and I would consider making him captain. Deals with the media really well and is a natural leader of men.


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They will go for them both.

[Colk]

It’s the rubbish result that the ARLC was bound to take. Disgraceful.

It’s a terrible decision - have picked the worst option out of the 3. This administration will probably make it worse by going with Brisbane 3, CQ or CC as the next side and miss an opportunity to take a risk and actually expand the game

[the bone]

What a pathetic decision. It’d be like having one team in Sydney, say Parramatta, and then locating a 2nd team in Manly or Cronulla - a geographically isolated area that is going to have very limited fan support compared to other areas. I don’t know why they bothered expanding. This decision makes me so sad. There is no independence in this game; News Ltd rule it all. Sad, sad times.

[Colk]

What a pathetic decision. It’d be like having one team in Sydney, say Parramatta, and then locating a 2nd team in Manly or Cronulla - a geographically isolated area that is going to have very limited fan support compared to other areas. I don’t know why they bothered expanding. This decision makes me so sad. There is no independence in this game; News Ltd rule it all. Sad, sad times.

Exactly. I must admit that I’m not the most attuned to Brisbane geography but they are situated on the same side as the Broncos and they are what 40kms north of the Brisbane CBD. Isn’t the whole idea of putting a second side in Brisbane is actually having them in Brisbane?

The whole mechanics of this decision is just another reflection of the small ground suburban mentality of the game. Furthermore, the commentary surrounding the 18th team leaves me with no confidence that they won’t go with a big market option and instead go with another small, safe option with no money making potential like CC, CQ or Brisbane 3 because they are Rugba Leeg areas or some other crap reasoning

[greeneyed]

What a pathetic decision. It’d be like having one team in Sydney, say Parramatta, and then locating a 2nd team in Manly or Cronulla - a geographically isolated area that is going to have very limited fan support compared to other areas. I don’t know why they bothered expanding. This decision makes me so sad. There is no independence in this game; News Ltd rule it all. Sad, sad times.

Exactly. I must admit that I’m not the most attuned to Brisbane geography but they are situated on the same side as the Broncos and they are what 40kms north of the Brisbane CBD. Isn’t the whole idea of putting a second side in Brisbane is actually having them in Brisbane?

The whole mechanics of this decision is just another reflection of the small ground suburban mentality of the game. Furthermore, the commentary surrounding the 18th team leaves me with no confidence that they won’t go with a big market option and instead go with another small, safe option with no money making potential like CC, CQ or Brisbane 3 because they are Rugba Leeg areas or some other crap reasoning

It should have been. But News Limited, through Fox League, has yet again preserved the monopoly on Brisbane for the team that they own. It highlights how the NRL should ensure that broadcasters do not own teams. Massive conflict of interest... or should I say confluence of interest.

[-TW-]

Who would want to play for "the Dolphins" anyway

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[Timbo]

So the team is just going to be called 'The Dolphins'. Taking a page out of the failed marketing tactics of the 2002 Sharks and Bulldogs. Bold.

So this team, 'The Dolphins', who have started it off by making it deeply unclear where they actually represent, are saying they will play home games at Suncorp, Redcliffe and the Sunshine Coast.

It's a bold **** strategy Cotton to use The Wests Tigers as the template for your team. Let's see how it works out for 'em.

[greeneyed]

Isn't that because they don't know what they're going to call the team yet? Apart from the "Dolphins" bit? I thought they were having a competition etc to find a name other than "Redcliffe".

[Billy Walker]

Looks like they have locked in a reasonably experience coach I guess https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/wayne ... be83de61ed

[greeneyed]

Isn't that because they don't know what they're going to call the team yet? Apart from the "Dolphins" bit? I thought they were having a competition etc to find a name other than "Redcliffe".

Announcing the move at RLC on Wednesday, Abdo also confirmed the 'Redcliffe' part of the club's name had been dropped and would not be replaced, with the franchise to simply be known as 'The Dolphins' in the NRL Premiership moving forward.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/10/13/dol ... m-in-2023/

Even more ridiculous.

[greeneyed]

"The population in the northern corridor that includes Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and beyond is more than 800,000 people. That's almost as big as Brisbane city. It's forecast to grow to 1.1 million people by 2031."

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/10/13/dol ... m-in-2023/

The NRL up to their usual spin.

[Raiders_Pat]

Isn't that because they don't know what they're going to call the team yet? Apart from the "Dolphins" bit? I thought they were having a competition etc to find a name other than "Redcliffe".

Announcing the move at RLC on Wednesday, Abdo also confirmed the 'Redcliffe' part of the club's name had been dropped and would not be replaced, with the franchise to simply be known as 'The Dolphins' in the NRL Premiership moving forward.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/10/13/dol ... m-in-2023/

Even more ridiculous.

'The Dolphins' is terrible. Why don't they just go with Norths Dolphins?

[greeneyed]

Isn't that because they don't know what they're going to call the team yet? Apart from the "Dolphins" bit? I thought they were having a competition etc to find a name other than "Redcliffe".

Announcing the move at RLC on Wednesday, Abdo also confirmed the 'Redcliffe' part of the club's name had been dropped and would not be replaced, with the franchise to simply be known as 'The Dolphins' in the NRL Premiership moving forward.

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/10/13/dol ... m-in-2023/

Even more ridiculous.

'The Dolphins' is terrible. Why don't they just go with Norths Dolphins?

The Greater Northern Brisbane Dolphins! If there were such a thing!
South Queensland Dolphins.

Plenty of options. Probably were not allowed to call themselves anything Brisbane by News Corporation.

[Colk]

"The population in the northern corridor that includes Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and beyond is more than 800,000 people. That's almost as big as Brisbane city. It's forecast to grow to 1.1 million people by 2031."

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/10/13/dol ... m-in-2023/

The NRL up to their usual spin.

Good spin. They’ll use the same spin when they announce the CC Bears or CQ as the next team or something else that is stupid. They missed a big trick by adding another regional team when they could have picked a south Brisbane side. Another reason for picking a south Brisbane or city side is you wouldn’t have to put another team which they will probably end up having to.

[sprintman]

I think we’ll lose 2-3 players.

[BJ]

North Brisbane Dolphins was a better option.

[dubby]

Don't see anything wrong with the Redcliffe name.

I'm ambivalent to the new addition BTW.

I think they will look to Ipswich next though.