Singo's Hit List
By BEN BLASCHKE
BIG LEAGUE - 23/6/2004

High-profile businessman John Singleton will launch an aggressive bid to sign a number of star local products should the Central Coast be given a green light by the NRL Partnership Committee to field a 16th team in 2006.

And a poll conducted by Big League has revealed that at least seven of the region’s biggest names would jump at the chance to return home.

State of Origin props Mark O’Meley and Ryan O’Hara, in-demand Melbourne Storm halfback Matt Orford and teammate Danny Williams, Cowboys lock Glenn Morrison and South Sydney pair Paul Stringer and Brett Kearney all said they’d be among the first to put pen to paper should the Central Coast win the race to field the NRL’s 16th team ahead of Wellington and fellow front-runners the Gold Coast.

Asked this week if he had spoken to any of the Central Coast contingent currently playing elsewhere, Singleton said, “No we haven’t, but if we’re admitted that’s the first thing we’ll do.

“Our local contingent is one of our strengths. We’ve got a great stadium, tremendous support from the community and one of Australia’s best junior bases.

“We’d be looking at those players very closely.”

The NRL Partnership Committee will gather on July 25 to further discuss the merits of admitting a 16th club from 2005 after a decision was again delayed on March 5.

Of greatest concern is how a new franchise will affect the $2.5 million dollar grant currently pro vided to the 15 NRL clubs.

Most clubs fear admitting a 16th side would reduce the NRL’s capacity to provide the same level of funding in the future, despite assurances from Singleton that he would personally fund the Central Coast side for the life of the franchise.

He already holds ownership rights to Gosford’s Express Advocate Stadium until 2021.

However, NRL chief executive David Gallop has denied the decision will be based purely on money, insisting most consideration will be given to what is in the best interests of rugby league.

And he said the capacity to field a strong side from day one would also weigh heavily into the equation.

“The ability of the proposed teams to be com petitive on the field will have a fairly large bearing when we consider applications,” Gallop explained.

“It will be one of a number of areas to be addressed, along with stadium facilities, the population and demographics of the area and financial ability.

“The Central Coast has been a strong rugby league nursery for a long time — so has the Gold Coast and the far northern NSW area it would draw from.

“In our mind, there’s little doubt they could provide a reasonable depth of talent on an ongoing basis, but the partnership board has to decide first on whether to extend the competition to 16 teams. Then we’ll consider the applications of the three consortiums who have approached us.

“All of them have redeeming features in some way.”

Big League contacted a number of Central Coast products this week, each to a man saying they could see themselves returning home if Singleton’s bid was successful.

Melbourne half Orford, among the hottest properties on the market this year, admitted he’d already considered the possibility and would gladly move back if the right offer came along.

“If the bid was successful I’d seriously want to know if they were a competitive side because footy comes first, but lifestyle is close behind,” he said.

It’s been speculated that, should he knock back big offers from the likes of Parramatta and the Warriors in the coming weeks, Orford may sign a one-year deal with the Storm ahead of the Central Coast’s admission in 2006.

“I’d definitely consider it — back home, my own backyard so to speak.”

North Queensland’s Glenn Morrison, also off-contract this year and having already rejected the Cowboys’ opening offer, said he’d spoken to friends and family about the possibility.

“I’d love to be a part of it if they got in,” he offered.

“It would be a great thing for the Coast. It’s a great spot to live, has good juniors and a good support base so I think everyone would say yeah, they’d want to play there.”

Morrison, from Terrigal originally, began his career with the Sydney Tigers (Balmain) in 1996 after a successful trial but moved to Norths in 1998 when their plan to move to Gosford’s Express Advocate Stadium first came to light.

Even now he owns a house in his former home town.

“That’s why I went to North Sydney — their plan was to move to the Central Coast,” he recalled.

“That was the main reason I went across. I’d bought a house at Terrigal which I still own so hopefully I’ll be able to move in one day.

“After footy I plan to move back but if there was a chance to play footy therel’d jump at it.”

Souths duo Paul Stringer and Brett Kearney have both indicated a move north in the future was foremost in their minds, Stringer going so far as to suggest he’d “neck” himself if he missed the boat.

“I’ve decided I’m going into the market and I’ll see what offers are out there,” he told Big League. “To be honest, I’d neck myself if the Central Coast came into the competition and I wasn’t a part of it.”

Added Kearney: “I’m happy at Souths ... but playing for a Central Coast team is always in the back of my mind.”

The problem for Singleton’s consortium is that, even if they are welcomed into the NRL, luring their star locals may not be as simple as asking them to sign on the dotted line.

Last month Bulldogs prop O’Meley, who also owns a house on the Central Coast near Lake Munmorah, signed a new three-year deal with the Bulldogs because he couldn’t afford to wait for the partnership committee to make a decision.

‘If there was a team up there in the future I’d look at it for sure but I have to look after myself and my family and wasn’t going to sit around wondering,” he explained.

And Singleton is aware of the dilemma.

“Even if we’re given the go-ahead on July 25, what then?” he queried.

“The partnership committee had the opportunity to make a decision a few months ago and we could have gotten on with the job of signing players.

“Now we’ll have to sit back and watch everyone else collect their signatures.”
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