NRL being challenged by AFL in NSW, Gold Coast

The NRL has come under threat with the expansion of the AFL into the heartland of Western Sydney and the Gold Coast as the Victorian code seeks to expand in 20011 and 2012. Boosted by strong support for the Sydney Swans in NSW and the largest population in Australia, the AFL thinks the NSW market is ripe for the picking and is targeting junior levels to boost its popularity.

In it's 100th year the NRL is contending with dwindling crowds as their crowded Sydney market of 9 NRL teams each fight for their sector and try in vein each week to bring larger crowds through the doors. With such a strong television product, the Rugby League and NRL tournament screen through Channel 9 and Foxtel - with every single team game on television, many fans choose to watch their team play from home.

The NRL has offered 8 million dollars to any team who relocates and the likes of John Singleton wait with open arms with venues such as the Bluetounge Stadium on the Central Coast, ready to snap up a struggling team looking to move its base into bigger heartland. While the NRL Results and over NRL Table position might be consistently closer each year - what is the cost of Sydney teams eventually dwindling and perishing forever?