http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/can-nrl-catch-attention-of-afl-focussed-wa/9525254
Does Perth need to be part of the NRL or does the NRL need Perth?
The idea of bringing a rugby league team back to Western Australia has been bandied around since the Western Reds were axed from the national competition in 1997.
The Reds initially joined the NRL in 1995 before defecting to the rival Super League, but were casualties of a peace deal between the warring competitions.
The Gold Coast Titans were the last team to be added in 2007, and NRL expansion has remained in a state of inertia ever since.
But things took a turn recently when former Queensland Premier and potential new Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter Beattie stated the importance of expansion if the league was to continue to prosper.
Does Perth care enough about the code?
Perth would be an obvious choice for that expansion.
It offers a different time zone which suits broadcasters, is a fresh market that doesn't cannibalise the existing supporter bases in New South Wales and Queensland, and perhaps most importantly it would grow the game outside of rugby league heartland.
But while it appears to be the perfect fit for the NRL, does Perth itself care enough to have a team permanently in the west?
Melbourne Storm skipper Cameron Smith believes so.
"I think the thirst for rugby league is healthy," Smith said.
"I have been involved in at least half a dozen games here in Western Australia [and] every time I have played in a game out here, we have had great crowds, great following, the community gets behind the match.
"I think it would only be a positive for our game to take it elsewhere other than Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and New Zealand."
Smith and the Melbourne Storm are in WA for Saturday's round one double-header at the newly opened Perth Stadium alongside the Rabbitohs, Bulldogs and Warriors.
And next year, rugby league will return to Perth Stadium when the NRL brings its showpiece event — State of Origin — to town.
It is off the back of the NRL's commitment to have a presence in Perth, that has seen South Sydney play home games in WA over the past decade.
Force Super Rugby exit creates void
There are many groups who want to see a team based in Perth permanently, and while they would be unlikely to get financial assistance from the State Government, there is support for it to happen.
"I think there is room there with
the void left there by some degree by the Western Force," West Australian Sport Minister Mick Murray said.
"The makeup of Western Australia is we already have a lot New Zealanders and people from New South Wales who certainly talk to me about it.
"Perth Oval is perfectly made for a rugby league team. The facilities are there. There is no big expenditure to expand that, so I think we are pretty well situated for a team to come."
Before the team was axed, the Western Reds averaged strong home attendances at the WACA Ground — and Perth has evolved significantly since then.
On-field success the key
But as Smith found out when he started at the Storm in 2002, it all comes down to success on the field.
"There wasn't a whole lot of knowledge around rugby league in Melbourne and Victoria," he said.
"Not many people knew about the Melbourne Storm or who played for them."
"But going on the success that we have had … all of the players that we have now get noticed when they walk down the street.
"If you go to a cafe and or a shopping centre people say 'G'day' to them."
