Just as there are rugby league followers who either love or hate Manly, there is a split in opinion over the Sea Eagles’ growing presence on the Sunshine Coast.

“Bugga off Manly this is Broncos’ territory” was the comment a Maroochydore-based reader left on our Manly-Warriors match report on Saturday morning.

It was quickly followed up with another league fan’s views – “when was the last time the Broncs played a trial on the Coast? The answer to that question is not in a long time.

You have to go back to a Tooheys Cup match played on the driving range at Hyatt Coolum in the early ‘90s to find the last time the Broncos’ first grade side played a match here.

And it’s the lack of a strong, visible Broncos presence in this region which is one of the reasons why Manly is making a strong push to build a “second home” on the Sunshine Coast.

Manly chairman Scott Penn said as much after Friday night’s trial at Stockland Park.

“The Broncos are a Brisbane team. They’re not the Sunshine Coast team,” Penn said.

Brisbane hasn’t completely neglected the Sunshine Coast, among other things the club has supported Mountain Creek High School’s rugby league school of excellence program, but it could be doing more to help the game and build its profile in these parts.

While the Broncos have three development officers – Mick DeVere, Michael Hancock, Paul Green – based in Brisbane, and another – Darren Burns – in Gympie, there are none on the Sunshine Coast.

And with the Gold Coast once again having its own team, converting at least some former Broncos supporters into Titans fans and reducing their future fan base, the time is right for the Broncos to look north much more often and at a population of 250,000 which doesn’t have a club to call its own.

It won’t have one for many years to come, however Manly sees plenty of off-the-field and on-the-field potential in building a strong connection with the Sunshine Coast.

The Eagles have pumped $1 million worth of investment into the Coast’s FOGs Cup team and not only have played two pre-season trials at Kawana, they’ve committed to another one in 2009 and are in negotiations to play an NRL premiership match at Stockland Park towards the end of next season.

That can only be good news for the game here.

As the crowd of 8040 at Friday night’s trial showed, there is a huge desire on the Coast to see more top-level rugby league.

These people turned out despite the poor weather and ticket prices which were probably a bit above the limit of what should be charged for a pre-season trial, especially considering Stockland Park still boasts facilities which are basic at best.

The more Manly does here, the more they will be welcomed and the more they will be accepted as part of the Coast community.

It would silly if the Broncos don’t seriously look at what their rivals are doing in their backyard.