Almost as soon as the Dolphins were
confirmed as the NRL’s 17th team, the conversation immediately shifted to who would become the 18th.
The losing Brisbane bids were upbeat in defeat, while Perth and a second side in New Zealand also remain confident they can still become expansion teams.
While the majority of NRL clubs are keen on an 18-team competition to avoid one team having a bye each round, concerns remain over whether the talent pool is deep enough to maintain a strong competition standard.
A fifth team in rugby league heartland Queensland looks the obvious next step but the time zones in Western Australia and New Zealand would give the NRL with more flexibility in scheduling.
A 7:30pm start during winter in Western Australia would be 9:30pm on the east coast, which could result in a four-game Super Saturday. An extra New Zealand team would help with the Friday 6pm fixture.
If they do expand again soon, the NRL must decide whether to venture into untested regions or draw on areas with an already strong rugby league presence.
The NRL has made no secret of the fact it trades off tribalism and a third Brisbane franchise would only add to the theatre.
The Jets were well in the race with the Dolphins for the 17th licence and the bid based in Brisbane’s expanding western corridor would be a major contender for the 18th.
The region is a rugby league heartland with a huge catchment of players. In 2016, Brisbane had 11,000 registered players while the western corridor had 16,000.
They would be based out of Ipswich, but play the majority of their home games at Suncorp Stadium.
Similar to the Dolphins, the Jets already have a Queensland Cup side and with that comes a level of identity and history.
They would forge an immediate and fierce rivalry with the Broncos and Dolphins. As a part of their last bid, the Jets promised to run an academy.
They have the financial backing of the Ipswich City Council, who are committed to a $220 million redevelopment which would double the capacity of 10,000-seater North Ipswich Reserve Stadium.
Additionally, the Jets have the backing of a leagues club.
The Dolphins will effectively be the canary down the mine for the Jets and if they prove a runaway success the NRL could go back to the well.
PROS
- Brisbane’s western corridor is a growing population in a rugby league heartland.
- The Jets already have a Queensland Cup side that provides a level of identity.
- They would forge an immediate rivalry with the Broncos and Dolphins, while also providing an academcy.
CONS
- Expanding their fanbase will prove difficult with the Broncos and Dolphins already established.
- Majority of their home games at Suncorp in their early years, losing local attachment with fans.
- Financial model has been questioned.
PERTH
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
The famous proverb will be ringing in the NRL’s ears when it considers taking the game west for a second time.
The Western Reds lasted just three seasons and proved a major headache for the governing body in the 1990s.
However, Perth has proved in recent years they still have an appetite for rugby league - selling out Origin in 2019 and attracting strong crowds to club games.
Whether it’s enough to sustain an NRL club on a full-time basis is the million-dollar question, but it remains an untapped rugby league market.
Junior rugby league participation rates are growing in Western Australia, where four other professional football teams already exsist.
Perth’s population has tripled since the Reds were in town, and even then they had healthy crowds.
The city now boasts a state-of-the-art stadium and its time zone could prove a major attraction for broadcasters.
Supporters say if the NRL is serious about being a national game, it must expand its footprint. But Perth is also the most isolated city in the world and travel would cost a small fortune.
PROS
- An untapped market that has proved through Origin that a healthy appetite for rugby league exists.
- Junior rugby league participation rates are growing and an NRL team would create a genuine pathway for players.
- A state-of-the-art stadium and a time zone that could benefits the game.
CONS
- Establishing a rugby league fanbase in a diehard AFL city that already has multiple professional sports teams.
- Travel would prove costly on the financial front and on players’ bodies. Boarding a five-hour flight after an NRL game is nobody’s idea of fun.
- You’ll never ever know if you never ever go. Unfortunately for this bid, the NRL has been, and they do know. The Western Reds lasted three seasons in the mid-90s.
NEW ZEALAND
Rugby union is a religion across the ditch but Kiwi-born players still make up almost a quarter of the NRL.
Around 115 New Zealanders played in the NRL in 2021 and 90 per cent of then were born on the country’s North Island.
Kiwi businessman Andrew Chalmers believes the region has come a long way since his 2004 Southern Orcas bid.
Chalmers wants to relaunch the Wellington bid and land an All Black star as his first signing, claiming it would cost $30 million to establish the side.
They would play most home games at the 35,000-seat capacity Sky Stadium and also take games to the south island in Christchurch and Dunedin.
The Orcas would create an immediate rivalry the Auckland-based Warriors, and establish a pathways system for juniors.
An NRL team in the region could see potential code switches from professional and up-and-coming players to local juniors.
PROS
- Would create an immediate rivalry Warriors, while establishing another junior pathways system.
- Beneficial time zone and huge talent pool in rugby union ripe for the picking.
- Wellington already has 35,000-seat stadium.
CONS
- Rugby union is a behemoth and will prove an extremely tough competitor in a small market.
- Lacks a detailed financial model.
- No established identity or history.
The $30m sleeping giant; bid set to ignite bitter rivalry: Contenders for NRL’s 18th team
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