Newtown and Ipswich form historic partnership to revive the Jets moniker in the NRL
Queensland could have a fifth franchise in the NRL, with the two famous clubs - both known as the Jets - combining to lodge a formal submission on Wednesday with a view to being part of a 20-team league.
Iconic millionaire advertising tycoon John Singleton is among the key backers who have promised about $20 million to help launch the club.
KEY DETAILS OF JETS REVIVAL The team name will simply be called the Jets.
Newtown and Ipswich share the same moniker which they will keep in the name, mirroring that of the Dolphins’ decision to not have a region attached to it; Ipswich and Newtown would be joint owners of the NRL franchise;
The team will be permanently based in Ipswich. They will train at Ipswich and aim to play at least six homes at Suncorp Stadium;
They will wear Ipswich’s traditional green jersey whenever they play in Queensland but outside of Queensland they will have a Newtown Jets-inspired blue kit;
The potential to play one home game at either Henson Park or Leichhardt Oval;
A plan to have an NRL trial at Henson Park where the Jets team will take on a fellow NRL side. The curtain-raiser would be a match between Newtown and Ipswich.
Ipswich are a feeder club to Gold Coast while the Sharks and Newtown have a formal relationship.
The NRL sought expressions of interest last month and Jets chairman Steve Johnson confirmed the western-corridor bid has been re-launched again in their quest to be the code’s 18th team.
“Yes, we have put in a bid,” Johnson said.
“I think Queensland has room for another team.”
“Without talking about the specific merits of any particular bid, the game can easily support another team in Queensland without affecting the existing four clubs.
“The western corridor of Brisbane has a great nursery, it’s the Penrith of Queensland, so we’ve expressed interest and we look forward to the bid process.”
Famous clubs like the Newtown Jets could be part of an FA Cup-style competition being looked at. Picture: NRL Photos
While the Jets are pushing ahead with plans to be part of the NRL’s expansion race, they face an uphill battle to be the next team included.
The Western Bears are expected to be the NRL’s 18th team in 2027 followed by PNG a season later.
However, the 20th franchise is uncertain.
The NRL are expected to choose between another team in Queensland or a second team in New Zealand. Former NRL boss David Moffett is heading up South Island Kea after submitting a bid which would make Christchurch their home.
The Brisbane Tigers, backed by the rich Easts Leagues Club, shape as a major threat to the Jets in the battle to be the NRL’s 20th team by the 2032 Olympics.
Ipswich lost out to the Dolphins three years ago in the battle for the NRL’s 17th licence and there is a view the code cannot ignore the benefits of having the Jets playing in the big league in Brisbane’s western corridor.
The AFL have identified that area as Queensland’s next major sporting growth market and a Newtown-Ipswich joint venture could give the NRL a potent strategic alliance.
“It’s a great partnership between both Jets brands,” a source close to negotiations said.
“The Jets would love to be the NRL’s 18th team but if the NRL is going with the Bears, then they have a lot to offer in a 20-team league.
“The bid is financially robust, the Jets could be operational in the NRL by 2027.”
The NRL’s expansion plans are expected to reach a crescendo at the end of September with plans to make a formal announcement either immediately before or after the grand final.
It is understood that after receiving interest from 11 potential consortiums , the NRL received formal applications from up to nine parties when the bid process was cut off earlier this week.
Head office is expected to spend coming weeks sifting through the bids and conducting further talks with their preferred candidates, before holding talks with their existing clubs and broadcasters to gauge their view on the future.
The ARL Commission will then likely hold a meeting in September to finalise the 18th, 19th and potentially 20th teams. It is believed the south island of New Zealand is viewed as the logical 20th side, although any decision to add another team across the Tasman will depend on the quality of the bids.
This will be Newtown’s second attempt at returning to top flight rugby league for the first time since 1983. They had advanced talks with Western Australia consortium before they partnered with the Bears.
Singleton has publicly backed Newtown’s bid to return.
“I have a commitment to try and get Newtown back into the competition,” Singleton told this masthead in June. “Sometimes you do things in life because you said you would. This is not for any financial benefit to me. I don’t see it as an investment.”
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