Perth and Adelaide are preparing bids to attempt to take the NRL’s Magic Round from Brisbane.
Suncorp Stadium again hosted the marquee event this year and holds the rights for the 2024 edition. Queensland is keen to extend the relationship, but sources with knowledge of the situation speaking on the condition of anonymity due to the delicate negotiations, have told this masthead that competition will come from the Western Australian and South Australian governments from 2025 onwards.
The eyes of the NRL will turn to Perth on Saturday when Optus Stadium hosts a double-header which will have significant ramifications for the composition of the top eight. Up to 50,000 spectators are expected to attend the Dolphins-Knights and Rabbitohs-Sharks fixtures.
A strong turnout will boost Perth’s prospects of poaching Magic Round and earning an NRL license, although PNG are currently the frontrunners to become the competition’s 18th team. The WA government has been aggressive in attracting premium events to Optus Stadium; four Premier League soccer teams were hosted last year, two this year - including Ange Postecoglou’s first game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur last month - as well as State of Origin matches, Bledisloe Cup clashes, a cricket Test and two exclusive Coldplay shows in November.
Adelaide will also submit a strong pitch, having hosted the opening game of the Origin series this year, as well as successfully hosting the AFL’s inaugural Gather Round.
WA Rugby League chief executive John Sackson said the staging of a Magic Round in Perth would boost the state’s hopes of becoming the NRL’s 18th franchise.
“I would love to have Magic Round in this city, I think it would really go off,” Sackson said. “It would be a massive turning point for the code here. Perth is well and truly in the consideration for an 18th franchise when the powers that be choose for that to happen.
“Any event like this would enhance the chances for Perth and strengthen the foundations for the game here if Perth was to be awarded a franchise moving forward.
Papua New Guinea celebrate a try in their victory over Ireland at the Rugby League World Cup in 2017. The local fans may soon have much more to celebrate.
“The city would host an event like that really well, it would do a great job with it. It’s got the facilities, accommodation and all the other appeal. We saw with State of Origin here on two occasions the number of people who travelled across the country to come to Perth.
“Magic Round has even greater potential. It would attract a lot of people from the east coast and New Zealand, such would be the power of a Magic Round.”
Sackson said events such as the weekend’s double-header and, potentially, Magic Round shine a spotlight on the sport in Perth.
“They give us a more potent share in media voice and help win the hearts and minds of more parents and Western Australian boys and girls,” he said.
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“We want them to engage with rugby league and participate in it moving forward, hence growing the game.”
Magic Round has been held in Brisbane every year since its inception in 2019, although it was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid. The event draws about 130,000 fans - almost half from interstate - over three days and has an estimated impact of about $28 million on the city.
Tourism Western Australia and South Australian Tourism Commission were contacted for comment.
The NRL has shown a willingness to take its showpiece events on the road. It’s become custom for one Origin game to be held outside of the heartland states of NSW and Queensland, at interstate locations including Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne.
The NRL last week announced that its grand final will remain in Sydney in 2023, but no agreement with the NSW Government has been struck beyond that. The governing body is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in suburban stadium upgrades in exchange for a long-term commitment to keep the decider in the harbour city.
