Sydney teams with the NSWRL added Canberra and Illawarra in 1982 and then added Brisbane, Newcastle and Gold Goast Giants in 1988 then became the ARL then went on to become the NRL with others teams being added, merged and being discarded over the years.
The Hostplus QLD Cup is the alternate to the Knock On Effect NSW Cup but in all honestly their top teams just don’t measure up to the standard of the NSW Cup.
I have spoken to players who have played in both and this is their opinion.
They say the NSW Cup is more professional and that the QLD Cup is like a Country Competition in comparison.
I know plenty of players in the Hostplus Competition having coached them and against them at club and representative level Cooper Page-Wilson (Wynnum-Manly Seagulls), Jaron Purcell (Redcliffe Dolphins), Bennett Leslie (Brisbane Tigers), Nicholas O’Meley (Burleigh Bears), Ryan Jones (Burleigh Bears), Corey Fenning (Clydesdales), Kyle Schneider (Northern Pride), Morgan McWhirter (Townsville Blackhawks), Jacob McCudden (Tweed Seagulls), Tom Steadman (Tweed Seagulls), Harry Croker (Tweed Seagulls), Toby Marks (Tweed Seagulls) and Jakob Kernick (Tweed Seagulls).
I personally look forward to the State Championship match every year on NRL Grand Final day.
There have been 8 matches, NSW Cup have won 6 to QLD Cup 2, QLD Cup won the first two which were close games, NSW Cup teams with the exception of 2019’s Newtown Jets v Burleigh Bears 20-16 result have won by an average of twenty points.