Hoops

The End of the Crocs

More teams = better TV deal = more money. Money fixes a lot of problems.

Mick : Its funny you should mention that Townsville are a 'pretty amateur organisation' at the moment.


Have you seen the NBL recently? Townsville arnt the only organisation that should be having a look at itself.

The NBL website should be being updated every day with articles and information. It isnt. Ive yet to see any tv advertising or radio advertising by the NBL (ie advertising that isnt from my local Wildcats team).

I think we really need to slow down on this expansion push. More teams might sound really awesome, but its not doing anything to fix the teams we have right now.

swish, I see your point about consolidating NQ teams for the sake of the league but asking Cairns and Townsville to merge would be like asking Port Adelaide and Adelaide to merge.
As Cairns are quite strong as a standalone entity the better solution would be if TSV folded for Cairns to play one or two home games out of TSV, but not as a merged team.

Also why don't the Crocs have their naming rights sponsor on their jersey.

Interesting stat from the Cowboys - 60% of the members aren't from the Townsville area with well over 70% of the home game crowd (lots of people from Cairns will only buy a few game tickets cause of the travel etc) not from Townsville. Basically the cowboys survive due to fans outside of the Townsville.

Agree with Podge its just the general malaise in da ville - employment is the highest in the state, mining jobs are shrinking rapidly, Fly in Fly out jobs are now based out of Cairns/Mackay. Townsville is struggling in general.

Will they close ? Dont think so but there will be alot of pain in the near future.

The idea of having a Nth Qld team playing out of 2 cities is just an attempt to keep the Crocs legacy alive. If the town can't support a full team maybe they can share with Cairns. I know there is a rivalry but the concept is based on what is being suggested as the answer to a Tasmanain team playing out of three towns. Just an idea I had with no real answer to the many issues.

Not sure how it would go down in Cairns BUT it is a better look for the league from the outside to be seen to be consolidating its presence in Nth Qld rather than being seen as simply having another team fold.

one team across Cairns and Townsville wouldn't work. Most people here don't support the Cowboys because of the fact they're in Townsville.......
Wouldn't work and doesn't make much sense, especially given the off court success the Taipans have had (posting profits, sponsorship etc). If they were going to head down that track i'd suggest they look at places south of T'ville (Mackay for example)

I think it's a bit early to throw the Crocs out with the bathwater. I don't think the league will let them fail and Sunday games are notoriously hard to fill (esp when Bathurst is on).

In saying that though, if i remember correctly, even the Cowboys have struggled to put bums on seats the last couple of seasons (with the exception of finals) so maybe it's just systematic of a malaise in the T'ville marketplace?

Let's remember though that it is amazing how quickly things turn around after a couple of wins.

"Townsville has the worst stadium and is coming off the wooden spoon... and they have the highest prices in a league of high ticket prices."
They might have the highest-priced cheapest ticket, but their cheapest ticket is still a much better seat than the cheapest ticket in most venues around the league, and their most expensive tickets aren't even in the ballpark of, say, Perth.

They got 1.5k people on Sunday, so they're clearly doing something wrong, but you can't just compare them to other teams with much bigger venues, who are selling worse seats and have more ability to make up for the money they don't make off the back few rows by charging an arm and a leg for the front few rows.

swish, the NRL has one team in NQ but it only plays out of Townsville. They don't play any games in Cairns or Mackay. I don't see any problem with 3 or 4 QLD teams IF they met/meet the criteria. What's been stopping Victoria having 3 or 4 teams? Have consortiums been knocking on the NBL's door asking for licences? I don't think so.

End of the day, the death of the Crocs will have to be sheeted to the TEC whose ruthlessness towards the Crocs will end up costing them all in the long run.

From what I've read, there really was no choice but to move.

Why not see if Nth Qld can field one team playing out of 2 venus, much like is being proposed for Tasmania. The NRL has one team up there as far as I know so why not have 1 NBL team. Its aa bit hard to justify 3 teams ( was 4 when we had Blaze and Bullets as well) playing out of Qld when only 2 out of NSW and 1 out of Vic, SA, WA annd NZ.

I don't think the NBL can afford anymore negative publicity when we are about to expand. I remember whenever s team folds we just keep getting told basketball is dead and it is a basketcase.

Was it just me or did all the courts seem very plain - lack of advertising this season, is this an NBL directive?

It is a great shame. But with all due respect, let's not keep them on longer than we have to/delay the inevitable.

The league has a clear direction it wants to head in.

The league will only ever be as strong as its weakest link.

Keep positive guys, crocs fans have faith, have a great team with plenty of firepower. They will work harder than ever this week, and come out firing next week, I will always support the crocs and try to get to the games when I can. Go crocs Go!!!

I don't understand how they can get 3000 to each game for most of last year and now only get 1,400. I guess basketball has gone out of fashion in TSV and also the high ticket prices have contributed.

still a much higher percentage per capita attendance than melbourne

As soon as they got rid of Homicide that was beginning of the end.

You can't just blame the 'new board' though.

At the end of the day, the 'fans'/basketball public in TVL should take some of the blame.

The board can only do so much with a shoestring budget.

It does not make for good reading though.

To be fair, a lot of people would have been watching the cars go around in circles on TV this weekend.

I agree . The stadium is almost empty.

what a crowd at the Ford centre