Steve 'Blocker' Roach suggests Wests Tigers move to Perth

[AL The Tiger]

Balmain Tigers legend Steve 'Blocker' Roach has called for Wests Tigers to put their hand up to be the Sydney club that moves to Perth should the NRL pursue expansion.
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Growing the game in Western Australia has been a hot topic lately, with the success of the round one double-header at the new Optus Stadium in Perth adding to the chatter.

There were 38,824 fans in attendance on Saturday, with players and staff reporting a genuine appetite for the game out West.

Speaking on Fox Sports' 'Big League Wrap' on Monday evening, Roach, who played 186 first grade games with Balmain, said the opportunities were there if a club was willing to relocate.

"Everyone will howl me down here, but a team like the Wests Tigers, if you have a look at it, they've already got half the name," Roach said.

"All the board will howl me down and say 'mate, you shouldn't be saying this and you shouldn't be saying that'.

"Everyone talks about relocation, until it's about their club.

"I'm not saying they're going to do it, I'm not saying they should, but here's the positive - look at the new stadium you've got over there. One state, look at all the sponsorship you could have."

Perth will also play host to the second game of the 2019 State of Origin series.

Roach continued on, saying the game didn't have the depth of talent to support new teams and that a Sydney club would need to move if expansion was to work.

"There's not enough players in the game if we go and try to make another club. One of the Sydney teams has to relocate."

Fellow panelist Phil 'Buzz' Rothfield disagreed.

"I'm up for expansion and I think we need two new teams," The Daily Telegraph journalist said.

"Reason being, we're getting two billion dollars off the TV broadcasters, next time we go back to them we've got to offer them more, we've got to give them more programming."

Former ref Bill Harrigan agreed with Roach that the current talent pool wasn't big enough.

"There's not enough quality," Harrigan said.

"I'm with Blocker, relocate."

With nine Sydney clubs in the league, there is no shortage of possible candidates should the league go down that route, but clubs are unlikely to be throwing their hands up to be the one that gets shifted.
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Just off a great win, and Blocker went ahead and started the relocation BS again :brick:

 

[shane2801]

Wow.

 

[Tweed_Tiger]

I watched it last night.

Blocker admits also he is no longer close to the club but still supports them.

The whole thing just smells like a scripted Buzz conversation.

 

[jrtiger]

Somebody gag him please. Him and Elias have been the two absolute worst in terms of talking about the tigers, cannot stand him.

 

[NT_Tiger]

"if you have a look at it, they've already got half the name," Roach said.
What about this one blockhead: What is West Australia known for? Sharks. Howsa bout we move Cronulla instead?
Looks like Blockhead's been on the turps with Uncabenny.

 

[jadtiger]

Good player in the past but i am so happy he has no say in our future.

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

We've done enough Blocker you twat. Someone else's turn to sacrifice for the good of the game.

 

[WT2K]

Thankfully he has no say in our future. Perth Sharks gets my vote though.

 

[clifferdSH]

Imagine gifting the AFL the entire MacArthur region.

That’s what would probably happen

 

[domster]

To say we have half the name is obviously a silly comment.

Having said that, moving to Perth is actually a good idea IMO.

1) We open up our supporter base to Perth increasing membership for our "new" home.

2) We package up an "away supporter" membership. Lets face it, there will be still be 8 teams left in Sydney. Lets say we play 5 games in Sydney as the away team most of which will be at ANZ. Why not have the club buy say 5,000-10,000 seats as needed (the stadium is obviously big enough), package them up with merchandise and re-sell them as an "away membership" to Sydney fans who can sit together in adjacent bays.

3) We do not have to fight we 8 other Sydney teams for sponsorship as the singe NRL team in Perth.

4) NRL will give the us x dollars to relocate paying for the move and marquee signings.

Negatives boys and girls?

 

[innsaneink]

I watched it last night.

**Blocker admits also he is no longer close to he club** but still supports them.

The whole thing just smells like a scripted Buzz conversation.

Well at least there's a little positive in all this

 

[Telltails]

We are going to keep hearing this I fear, and not just from Blocker.
When it comes to Sydney clubs we are the current prime target - I suppose having no exact base doesnt help - until thats sorted one way or another we better get use to it.

 

[FOD001]

The talent pool theory by Harrigan…... NRL squads went from 25 to 30 and how good was the footy. I think they need to have 2 more teams in Brisbane to stop that monopoly 1st before looking at WA.
A team that has already merged surely has already done enough for the game so they should look at other teams if they are serious about going West

 

[tiger05premier]

The Sydney team with the lowest following the smallest junior area and therefore the smallest rusk of losing ground to other codes should go.

We all know who it is.

They survive solely on poaching the talent that other club's develop and brown paper bags.

The only people who notice they're gone is the one handing out the browb paper bags and NRL big wigs that get handouts to turn a blind eye to it

BYE BYE RORTERS

HELLO WESTERN RORTERS

YOU WILL STILL HAVE teddy he's a believer

 

[Magpie_Magic]

Blocker he's just a Blockhead.

 

[supercoach]

Blocker has the IQ of a house brick. Probably a push from the NRL so the Chooks can get their hands on the South West and they get imbeciles like Roach to sow the seeds

 

[Geo]

I am shocked Blocker hss a thought. ..

 

[Silentio]

Sydney - an NRL city with eight teams and four million people. So, one team per 500,000 people.

Brisbane - an NRL city with one team and two million people. So, one team per 2,000,000.

Melbourne - not an NRL city with one team and four million people. SO one team per 4,000,000.

Perth - not an NRL city with 1.6 million people. Also twice as far from Sydney as Auckland.

I'm all for making the game stronger, but Perth is a dumb choice on many levels. Moving a team to Brisbane (the Roosters) is the obvious way to go.

The Broncos will hate it, but the game is bigger and more important than them.

Interestingly, the team to population ratio that the Broncos enjoy is the same as the Sydney based AFL and A-league sides.

 

[Masterton]

I suggest Blocker goes west and shuts his mouth. Honestly, between Block, Tommy & Backdoor, we have more than our share of rent-a-comment nongs.

(ps., yes, they're all former champions. still nongs.)

 

[gallagher]

So would Wests be running the cjub from Ashfield? That would work well.

If they can't make our club successful in Sydney with our large supporter base then they won't be able to do it anywhere.