ARLC to meet expansion bidders.

[flippikat]

https://www.couriermail.com.au/spor...m/news-story/f8152e356bf69e7c3513e8ea8d811b23



The ARL Commission will meet with Brisbane’s prospective NRL clubs next month as the governing body prepares to begin due diligence on a 17th team to rival the Broncos in Queensland.

The move comes as Queensland legends Cooper Cronk and Kevin Walters led the call for expansion, declaring the time has come for a second Brisbane team to enter the big league in 2023.

The ARL Commission will convene on Friday and while expansion will not be an agenda item, it will be discussed at another meeting next month. The Courier-Mail has learned:

• Up to five Brisbane-based consortia have contacted the ARLC flagging their intention to submit formal bids;
  
  
• The ARLC will investigate claims a second Brisbane team could kill off the Titans after Gold Coast culture chief Mal Meninga called for NRL financial aid;
  
  
• The ARLC will not slash $13 million in annual funding to the existing 16 clubs, allaying fears a second Brisbane team could erode $208m in league grants; and
  
  
• The tender process is likely to start in September in the hope of announcing the NRL’s 17th team in the New Year.
  

Revelations the ARL Commission will formally meet with executives from Brisbane’s bid teams is the strongest sign yet the code’s governors will head to the negotiating table with broadcasters armed with a 17-team proposal for 2023.

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys exclusively told The Courier-Mail in December he wanted to expand the NRL, saying: “Queensland is our market – we need two games every week in Brisbane.

“The NRL is a billion-dollar business and I will be doing everything possible to make Queensland even stronger.”

Now V’landys is getting serious.

It is understood several Brisbane bid teams, including the Bombers and Ipswich’s western-corridor consortium, will pitch their proposals to V’landys next month.

That will be a precursor to the ARL Commission presiding over a comprehensive study of the Queensland market and whether a second Brisbane team to challenge the Broncos could have dire ramifications for the Titans.

V’landys and NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg are committed to the Gold Coast region. The duo will also give high-level assurances that a second Brisbane team will not financially affect Sydney clubs, who went to war with former ARLC chair John Grant over funding during the previous round of broadcasting talks.

If the ARLC backs V’landys’ vision for 17 clubs, a second Brisbane team could be operational by 2021 – giving them two years to prepare for their official NRL entry.

Retired Maroons halfback Cronk, who made his name at an expansion outpost in Melbourne, urged the ARLC to give the Queensland people another NRL team.

“I’m a proud Queenslander, no doubt about that, but that in no way has an impact on my decision on whether a second Brisbane team should come in,” Cronk said.

“The future of the NRL hinges on another team in Queensland and it has to happen.

“I’m not sure of the number crunching and how it affects the Sydney clubs, but the NRL needs to better at business practice.

“When the next TV rights deal comes up, a second Brisbane team needs to be part of the equation.”

Queensland Origin coach Kevin Walters believes a second Brisbane team must be based in the heart of the CBD to compete commercially with the Broncos.

“The Queensland people love their rugby league and is there enough support for a second Brisbane team … of course there is,” Walters said.

“It should have happened a few years ago but for whatever reason it didn’t happen.

“The second team has to be smack bang in the heart of Brisbane, right in the city. I wouldn’t look too far outside the city, we need a fresh start in Brisbane.”

 

[flippikat]

Anyone hazard a guess at what the 5 Brisbane Consortiums are?

At a guess I'm thinking...

* Brisbane Bombers
* Redcliffe Dolphins
* Western Corridor
* Brothers

...as 4 of them..

 

[MugaB]

Anyone hazard a guess at what the 5 Brisbane Consortiums are?

At a guess I'm thinking...

* Brisbane Bombers
* Redcliffe Dolphins
* Western Corridor Jets
* Brothers Leprichauns

...as 4 of them..

Most likely if its 5 brisbane clubs, im sure the 5th is the Bear in the room,
But if its Qld, then there's the joint Cairns/PNG bid, or long forgotten Central QLD bid has in Rockhampton.

If it has to be a Brisbane based city only team, you'd think only Western Corridor would be the favorite, as they reflect a section of the city (e.g equivalant to sydneys parramatta) but the Bombers would be more Maliable for the NRL as Suncorp is the stadium to be used no matter who gets picked,
but again Bombers, Bears and Brothers dont nessesarly represent a specific area, like dolphins or western corridor would

 

[juro]

“Queensland is our market – we need two games every week in Brisbane."

How many teams is V'landys wanting to add???

 

[Diesel]

“Queensland is our market – we need two games every week in Brisbane."

How many teams is V'landys wanting to add???

I picked up on this too.

Perhaps Brisbane 3 can be Perth Reds team, West Brisbane Pirates?

 

[Diesel]

Anyone hazard a guess at what the 5 Brisbane Consortiums are?

At a guess I'm thinking...

* Brisbane Bombers
* Redcliffe Dolphins
* Western Corridor
* Brothers

...as 4 of them..

That’s the 4th I’m aware of, however, I’m sure there are others that are getting serious behind the scenes.

 

[flippikat]

Will be interesting to see how flexible some of these bids are with factors like mascot, home ground, colours etc. As mentioned before, the Bombers bid is probably in the box-seat in that regard - having formed for the sole purpose of NRL entry, they can pretty much "go with the flow" and not be accused of diluting or turning their back on their club origins.

The closest example we have of a club graduating from state league to national league is Port Adelaide in the AFL, who had to make some brand changes to avoid treading on Collingwood's toes. I wonder if any tweaks would be required for Qld Cup clubs moving to the top tier? The closest clash I see is the Dolphins & Dragons both in red & white, but if Dolphins are mostly red they could get away with it. (Keeping in mind we had the Steelers for so many years).. Would the NRL would ask for some tweak to differentiate the NRL branded club from a Qld Cup club? Should they?

 

[Perth Red]

I thought they had spent the last year conducting a thorough review of expansion? Surely that would have included talking to prospective Brisbane bids?

 

[franklin2323]

I thought they had spent the last year conducting a thorough review of expansion? Surely that would have included talking to prospective Brisbane bids?

The issue always was too many Brisbane bids not there being no need for a new team

 

[Perth Red]

The issue always was too many Brisbane bids not there being no need for a new team

so why the need to talk to them again? And why the need to look at impact on Titans. Surely this should have been done during the review? What did they spend a year doing if not this?

 

[MugaB]

Will be interesting to see how flexible some of these bids are with factors like mascot, home ground, colours etc. As mentioned before, the Bombers bid is probably in the box-seat in that regard - having formed for the sole purpose of NRL entry, they can pretty much "go with the flow" and not be accused of diluting or turning their back on their club origins.

The closest example we have of a club graduating from state league to national league is Port Adelaide in the AFL, who had to make some brand changes to avoid treading on Collingwood's toes. I wonder if any tweaks would be required for Qld Cup clubs moving to the top tier? The closest clash I see is the Dolphins & Dragons both in red & white, but if Dolphins are mostly red they could get away with it. (Keeping in mind we had the Steelers for so many years).. Would the NRL would ask for some tweak to differentiate the NRL branded club from a Qld Cup club? Should they?

You forgot they have grey/silver as a secondary color, much like the cowboys do, so no need to step away from that

 

[MugaB]

Titans coach welcomes NRL expansion talk
Ed Jackson
Australian Associated Press28 February 2020, 2:53 pm
The more, the merrier.

That's the attitude of Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook as speculation intensifies the NRL is preparing to announce a second Brisbane team to enter the competition in 2023.

The ARL Commission is reportedly going to discuss up to five submissions from Brisbane-based consortia when it meets next month and discusses expansion plans.

Despite speculation a third NRL club in south-east Queensland could threaten the Titans' own future, Holbrook held no concerns.

"The numbers are increasing all the time and obviously the population's increasing so it makes more sense to have more teams up here doesn't it?," Holbrook said.

"I'm not against it that's for sure."

Titans head of culture and performance Mal Meninga expressed on Tuesday concerns a second Brisbane team would put pressure on the Gold Coast club.

That prompted NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg to state he saw a "bright, long future" for the Titans.

Holbrook said, in his view, expansion could only be a boost for the competition as a whole.

"I think expansion is a good idea," he said.

"I think there's enough talented players playing rugby league in the country so I think, yeah, I'd be happy with another Brisbane team.

"I'd be happy with another team in Perth.

"The more the better I think. The game's growing and we should grow with it.

 

[MugaB]

Anyone hazard a guess at what the 5 Brisbane Consortiums are?

At a guess I'm thinking...

* Brisbane Bombers
* Redcliffe Dolphins
* Western Corridor
* Brothers

...as 4 of them..

The 5th bid is
The Bayside Coathangers

https://m.betootaadvocate.com/sport...sed-second-nrl-team-the-bayside-coat-hangers/

 

[T-Boon]

It would be a sneaky bonus if a second Brisbane club killed off a weak club or two. If they are still struggling after the gravy train of the last 15 years then see ya!

 

[T-Boon]

Ideally there would be 3 Brisbane clubs.

 

[King hit]

NRL in Brisbane each week has been a long time coming. Brisbane deserves to see top grade premiership footy every weekend and here is the golden chance to do it.

 

[MugaB]

NRL in Brisbane each week has been a long time coming. Brisbane deserves to see top grade premiership footy every weekend and here is the golden chance to do it.

Probably best if they induct 2 teams into the brisbane area

 

[axl rose]

I thought they had spent the last year conducting a thorough review of expansion? Surely that would have included talking to prospective Brisbane bids?

Yeah Greenburger said on 100% Footy last year he will have an answer by the end of 2019. Lies make baby jesus cry, toddles.

 

[Foreign Legion]

In his day job running Racing NSW, Peter V’landys operated in a Field of Dreams kind of way: "If you build it, they will come," as the voice inside Kevin Costner’s head told him in the famous movie.

So Costner turned his corn field into a baseball field and the rest was on-screen history.

Like Costner’s character, V’landys couldn’t ignore the voice inside his head. He could have rolled the racing calendar over, year after year, and the sport would have floated along. Or, he could turn the caper on its head and come up with The Championships in autumn and, later, The Everest in the spring.
He completely revolutionised the 100-year-old racing calendar, dragging the establishment with him.
Some thought he was crazy – particularly with The Everest, where he invented a race so wealthy players in the sport paid $600,000 to start a horse, creating the richest event on turf the world has seen.

The proof was in the pudding: it went off like a firecracker and spawned franchise spin-offs, such as the Golden Eagle, The Gong and The Hunter.

Racing still had its calendar, but it also had shiny new toys to play with to drive revenue and growth. V’landys got what he wanted.

Gorden Tallis and Lachlan Murdoch locked in discussion in 2004.CREDIT:GETTY

Which is why there will be no Perth franchise in an expanded NRL. What there will be is a 17th team – and it will be in Brisbane.


And, it will be a new team – not a reheated North Sydney Bears belatedly relocated two decades after their death. Those advocating that are dreaming.

V’landys’ sole vision is for a new 17th team in Brisbane. But, unlike racing, where he was able to crash his ideas through, in this quest he needs the approval of one man to get it done: Lachlan Murdoch.

We saw proof of that in a small item in last weekend’s papers, in which Foxtel boss Patrick Delany gave a public endorsement of a second Brisbane franchise.

Why does it matter whether Delany approves of a second Brisbane team or not?


Because Foxtel is majority-owned by News Corporation, and News Corp is the controlling shareholder of the publicly listed Brisbane Broncos Ltd, and has been for more than two decades.

Forget who anyone else is at the Broncos: it's Lachlan’s team.

And when big decisions are made – such as the axing of Wayne Bennett as coach, or a change on the club’s board – the final decision is signed off on by Michael Miller, the chief executive and chairman of News Corp in Australia and Murdoch’s right-hand man in this country.

As chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, V’landys knows he must navigate carefully because of the code’s reliance on money from rich broadcast deals. The entire game survives on these deals. The existing five-year arrangement, worth $1.8 billion, expires at the end of 2022.


V’landys, like all chairmen and CEOs in Australia's major sporting codes, will be judged on the strength of the broadcast deal they do. He must get more for the next five-year term.

An extra Brisbane game every week will allow the game to ask for more for the rights, and keep the wolves from the doors of the CEO and chairman.

But, the second Brisbane team will only happen if News Corp approves of it. That’s because of Lachlan’s love of the Broncos. He fell in love with them way back in 1994 when his father, Rupert, sent him from Princeton University to become the general manager of Queensland Newspapers to cut his teeth in the media empire.

By the end of that season, young Lachlan sported a Broncos jersey at home games. News eventually went from sponsoring the team to owning it.


Then came Super League ...

A second Brisbane franchise could seriously harm the monopoly the Broncos have in the league-mad city. And annoying Lachlan and News Corp could stifle negotiations for the broadcast rights and knock around the final figure the game can achieve.

As Raelene Castle and Rugby Australia have done, the NRL will take the broadcast rights to the wider market, including to streaming giants Amazon and Netflix. The more that are interested, the better.

News Corp is vital in this process: V’landys needs them competing for pay TV and streaming rights with the new players, just as he needs existing broadcaster Channel Nine to be competing with channels Seven and Ten for free-to-air rights.


As reported in the Herald on Thursday, V’landys met with Murdoch recently in the US. Take it as read that V’landys has received Lachlan’s seal of approval to expand into Brisbane.

The city will have a second team.

https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/nr...Vb0S4XSfm4S9r_O6aTvlbubxatJPQ7JShJuEAciLUVJDU

 

[Pippen94]

Solution is obvious - Redcliffe now, then Ipswich / Logan later. Maybe Gold Coast can move there when Suns fall.