Quote JB Down Under="JB Down Under"Perth and brisbane are dead certs. The NRL has taken over the WARL and rebranded it NRLWA for a reason. The NRL has put expansion firmly back on the agenda, with Perth a favourite to be offered a side when a new TV rights deal is struck. PERTH FAVOURED TO FIELD NRL TEAM The current $1.2 billion broadcast agreement finishes at the end of the 2017 season, but the NRL has confirmed expansion talks for 2018 will start next year, with plans to invest more than $200 million in the game. NRL officials were in Perth this week for discussions with State Government and local league representatives as the competition changed its name from the WARL to NRLWA. NRLWA has already registered the West Coast Pirates as the name for its franchise bid. https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport ... -nrl-team/'" There was the ill-fated Perth Western Reds. Why did they fail, and why will this one succeed? Is it just a case of the increased draw of RL?

Quote JB Down Under="JB Down Under"Perth and brisbane are dead certs. The NRL has taken over the WARL and rebranded it NRLWA for a reason. The NRL has put expansion firmly back on the agenda, with Perth a favourite to be offered a side when a new TV rights deal is struck. PERTH FAVOURED TO FIELD NRL TEAM The current $1.2 billion broadcast agreement finishes at the end of the 2017 season, but the NRL has confirmed expansion talks for 2018 will start next year, with plans to invest more than $200 million in the game. NRL officials were in Perth this week for discussions with State Government and local league representatives as the competition changed its name from the WARL to NRLWA. NRLWA has already registered the West Coast Pirates as the name for its franchise bid. https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport ... -nrl-team/'" There was the ill-fated Perth Western Reds. Why did they fail, and why will this one succeed? Is it just a case of the increased draw of RL?

5 main differences:

1. Western Reds were financially screwed from day one due to the ARL not being able to afford expansion and making the reds pay all travel and accomodation costs for themselves and visiting teams

2. Perths population has grown nearly 500k with many of these new comers being East coast, kiwi and pommie RL fans. WA is tipped to grow another 1million over next 20 years.

3. Perth now has a decent 21,500 capacity rectangular stadium, the Reds played at the waca which was god awful for watching rl at.

4. SuperLeague war, disillusioned fans walked away from the game and caused a drop in attendances from 1995-1997

5. Decent corporate support waiting to back a club. We have a 7 figure main sponsor lined up ready to go.

A taste of what's to come when we get a team. Ground record held by rugby league. www.3news.co.nz/sport/video-all- ... z3Mit9HdMt

A taste of what's to come when we get a team. Ground record held by rugby league. www.3news.co.nz/sport/video-all- ... z3Mit9HdMt

I dislike the West Coast Pirates name. I don't know why, but it just hasn't ever sat well with me. I much preferred the Perth Reds and the simpler logo.

I agree. The Pirates name is too deferential towards a type of criminal, in fact romanticising them. Watch the film "Captain Phillips" to see how nice pirates can be.



Reds is OK but I would prefer something more imaginative, or more representative of Perth and WA. Otherwise they should choose an animal, and an impressive one. How about Perth Cougars?

Convicts has a nice ring to it

Erm. Think you'll find Keighley got there first.

Took a while but it's grown on me and kids love it. My nephews all wear the Pirates gear I have bought them regularly even though they know nothing of RL, yet! It will be massive for merch sales and if done right and not cheesy will be great for game day branding etc. just need a club now!



Also not many people know but WA had Australia's only recognised pirate, capt black jack, and one of the most famous historical figures here was a buccaneer, William Dampier.



I loved the Reds Name and logo but can see being the only club in Australia being called the Pirates will be a marketers dream.

It wouldn't be a bad name for a Perth side.

They were the last place in Australia to take convicts - largely Irish political prisoners - up till 1868.

The last one died in about 1950 (sent out as a 14 year old in 1868 - died in his late 90s).



I can't recall the guy's name now, but one prominent political prisoner was rescued by an American Whaling ship, and the guy spent years giving lectures and raising money in America. He was originally a member of the Irish guards in England and was arrested as a so-called Fenian Rebel. They even made a TV mini series out of it.



They could be called the WA Fenian Rebels and have a motto of something like "Death to the English".

If your interested in following the WA bid and NRL expansion generally: https://www.facebook.com/groups/323519177733792/

If your interested in following the WA bid and NRL expansion generally: https://www.facebook.com/groups/323519177733792/

Last seasons Pirates SG Ball jerseys, brand colours look to be black, red and gold/yellow



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I am not fussed on either of those designs JB, they look like Pub team Jerseys.

Is Cash Converters on a long term sponsorship deal?

I'm not too keen on the West Coast name to be honest. It's not really a place. It's an area to describe one side of any country that borders water.



There was a lot of talk of relocations being an option on LU Forums. Of all the relations that could work from a naming perspective, I reckon Wests Magpies could have been a good one.

Bang in the Brisbane Tigers as the other half and include the Wellington Orcas and you've hit all the major expansion areas in one go then.

Cash converters have been a major supporter of WA RL since the early 90's. The perth guy who owns the company is a multi millionaire and big rugby league fan. He is putting in around $200k a year to our jnr program.



Design needs some work and I'd prefer to see the colours a bit more classy; scarlet red, old gold and black. Similar to what the Tampa bay changed to. They wanted to come up with a name that embraced the state as RL is popular in the far north and growing in the SW. It was either WA or West Coast.