SWANNING IT
THE North Sydney Bears say their bid for the Titans will help a Gold Coast NRL team become a truly sustainable product by bringing another “metropolis” to the potential supporter base.
The Bears are ready to submit a tender for the Titans when the NRL officially announces the process, something that is expected to happen as soon as next week after the successful sale of the Newcastle Knights.
If successful, the Bears plan to play 11 of their 12 home games on the Coast and chairman Perry Lopez says the foundation club’s tender should not be seen as a takeover.
Instead, he has likened it to the South Melbourne Football Club’s transition to the Sydney Swans, with the history and supporters of the foundation organisation integrated into the new outfit, while adding a new population base of fans to help the club grow.
“If you look at the Swans and South Melbourne, when the South Melbourne Football Club folded and decided that they had to change or else they would die, they came to Sydney,” Lopez said.
“The Sydney Swans have always maintained that they are part of the South Melbourne Football Club.
“And the South Melbourne Football Club is always part of the Swans.
“(The North Sydney Bears’ buyout of the Titans) is the same model.
“It drives two communities together to ensure the sustainability of a club and a fantastic football region in the Gold Coast and now we can have an emerging region on the North Shore.
“It’s really fantastic opportunity for rugby league.”
The NRL has made it clear it wants a club on the Gold Coast and any Bears buyout would not include a relocation of the club.
“This isn’t about taking rugby league away from the Gold Coast – that’s got to be driven out of the communication,” Lopez said.
“It’s not about a North Sydney takeover at all.
“This is about a Gold Coast franchise driving sustainability, IP, heritage club, colours and it’s a similar, if not the same kind of model you’ve seen with the Swans.
“And look how prosperous they’ve become.”
A successful Bears bid would mean the end for the Titans brand, though.
The Bears moniker would be used, along with the club’s intellectual property, logos and branding giving the Gold Coast its sixth incarnation after the Giants, Seagulls, Gladiators, Chargers and Titans.
It’s the point that will be the hardest sell for the Bears consortium, with the NRL wary of more change after a period of relative stability after the financial troubles that almost sent the club under more than two years ago.
But Lopez said change was needed.
“(The Titans) have done a great job to get to where they are today but I think we need to rethink how rugby league is going to survive and prosper on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“When you look at membership for example, you need to be growing to a point where you can get to 20,000 and drive additional revenues for the club and foot traffic.
“I just don’t think it’s doable on the Coast.
“The colours and the IP that this new consortium can use brings all of the people who were Bears supporters back into the fray and they get an opportunity to become part of a club again.”
The Bears are far from the only option though.
Titans White Knight and board member Darryl Kelly has assembled a group of local businesspeople – including the family of chairwoman Rebecca Frizelle – ready to support the club to stay on the Coast and has a business plan he believes can be at least cost neutral.
Two other Coast groups are also interested.