Peter V’landys reveals NRL is exploring expansion options for third Brisbane NRL team
The NRL is exploring another Queensland expansion team as it looks to capitalise on an explosion of playing numbers in the Sunshine State, while killing off the AFL threat in Brisbane.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has revealed the NRL is exploring another Queensland expansion team to join forces with the Broncos and
kill off the AFL threat in the battle for Brisbane’s west.
This masthead can reveal the ARL Commission will meet with Queensland Rugby League bosses to devise plans for a possible third Brisbane NRL franchise to satisfy a rugby league registration boom in the Sunshine State.
V’landys’ revelation comes as
Ipswich NRL bid boss Steve Johnson declared the Jets could be operational by 2030 as the ARL Commission marches towards a 20-team competition by the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
A second New Zealand team was widely considered the hot front-runner for fresh expansion, with three Christchurch consortia jostling to win the NRL’s 20th licence.
But the ARL Commission may yet pivot to Queensland and give the Sunshine State a fifth NRL licence - and second in less than a decade following the admission of the Dolphins in 2023.
Peter V'landys wants to kill off the AFL threat in Brisbane’s west. Picture: Jonathan Ng
Not only is V’landys mindful of the explosion in playing numbers in Queensland, but the ever-growing threat of a rival AFL code that is pumping $1 billion into dominating Brisbane’s western corridor.
The ARL Commission will investigate several regions, including central Queensland, but a Jets franchise in Brisbane’s western corridor would be a powerhouse in a region that also has strong support for the Broncos.
“New Zealand has a strong case, absolutely, but we’ve never discounted the fact we want another Queensland team,” said V’landys, who is closing in on the NRL’s next TV rights deal.
“The Queensland Rugby League, under the guidance of Brian Canavan (chairman) and Ben Ikin (CEO), have done such a fantastic job that we can’t keep up with registrations at the moment.
“Queensland is booming.
“Having another team in Queensland is definitely not out of the question.
“We’ll sit down with the Queensland Rugby League and work out where they believe it (a fifth NRL team in Queensland) has got the most potential.”
QRL data shows registrations are up 12 per cent on the corresponding period last year, putting Queensland on track to surpass their 70,209 club participants in 2025.
The NRL has previously been unimpressed with bids from Christchurch.
There are also concerns about the smaller economy of New Zealand at a time when Brisbane’s west is one of the fastest growing corridors in Australia.
An Ipswich-based bid has been gunning to enter the NRL for the past decade, with the Jets losing out to the cashed-up Redcliffe Dolphins organisation in 2021.
Toowoomba’s Western Clydesdales already field a team in the Queensland Cup and would be the perfect feeder club to a 20th NRL franchise in the Ipswich region.
There were fears the dawn of the Dolphins would cannibalise the Broncos, but Brisbane’s commercial strength and crowds have increased - underlining the power of NRL expansion into Queensland.
V’landys stressed the NRL is focused on ensuring their incoming clubs, Perth and Papua New Guinea, have smooth success ahead of their entries in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
But with the Brisbane Olympics looming in 2032, the western corridor is crying out for an NRL franchise in a region that has produced Wayne Bennett, Allan Langer and Kevin Walters.
“Their efforts have got to be rewarded at some point,” V’landys said of Brisbane’s western corridor bid.
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“It’s going to be a tough decision, but we don’t want to rush any timeframes.
“We want to settle these two new teams in first. The PNG Chiefs and the Perth Bears are our priority and once they’re settled in, we’ll have a look then for the 20th team.
“I don’t think people realise the exciting times ahead with PNG and Perth Bears.
“Expansion shows the game is as popular as it’s even been and it’s a great place to be when we can’t keep up with the amount of people that want to play the game in Queensland.”
Johnson is adamant the Jets could hit the ground running in the NRL for 2030 - if not sooner - and warned the AFL threat is real.
“It’s very heartening to hear Peter V’landys’ comments,” he said.
“Whether it’s Ipswich or central Queensland, this state can sustain another NRL franchise.
“The AFL is committing huge revenue to grassroots and they are looking at our western corridor because that’s where the future is.
“Our region is basically the Penrith of Queensland.
“We would have the playing talent and juniors to be ready for the NRL in 2028, but if they want us in 2030 or 2032, that’s fine.
“We will have a $40 million redevelopment of North Ipswich Reserve finished in 2027 and the dressing-room facilities will be as good as anything in rugby league.
“There’s only one choice in my eyes for the 20th licence and that’s Brisbane’s western corridor.”
