Biggest expansion in RL history

[Gobsmacked]

Even after the setback of Super league war RL is on the doorstep of the biggest geographical spread in history.
With the inclusion of Western Australian making the NRL a truly National sport and the new franchise coming out Papua new Guinea now making the NRL truly international as well!
From Auckland to Perth and Melbourne to Papua new Guinea, the NRL are not only the most watched sport in the pacific but also set to be the most widely represented.

The stage is set to cast the net even further with the inclusion of Christchurch hopefully!

 

[James Rick]

Ipswich before Christchurch the appetite for footy is huge in SEQ and the pie is only growing larger.

 

[Jonty]

Ipswich before Christchurch the appetite for footy is huge in SEQ and the pie is only growing larger.

Be it ipswich or Christchurch the NRL will ultimately be the winner as both options offer massive returns for the competition and game as a whole.

 

[Cactus]

And to think that its all in addition to having the Cronulla Sharks.

 

[Gobsmacked]

And to think that its all in addition to having the Cronulla Sharks.

Yes ! We have the Shire all to ourselves! Eat your hearts out other codes!

 

[Gobsmacked]

Ipswich before Christchurch the appetite for footy is huge in SEQ and the pie is only growing larger.

Same could be said about the appetite for NRL in NZ !!

 

[Gobsmacked]

Be it ipswich or Christchurch the NRL will ultimately be the winner as both options offer massive returns for the competition and game as a whole.

The game has never been in a better position.

 

[BuffaloRules]

$600m a year on the next deal is PVL’s own pass mark

 

[James Rick]

Be it ipswich or Christchurch the NRL will ultimately be the winner as both options offer massive returns for the competition and game as a whole.

A team in Ipswich would put pressure on the government to upgrade Suncorp and who doesn't want more QLD derbies. Titans are bottom of the ladder yet still drew a reasonable crowd to their QLD derby on Sunday.

 

[flippikat]

The game has never been in a better position.

We have enough genuine expansion options to take the NRL well into 22 or even 24 teams.

The only issues are a) what markets deserve priority over others and b) ensuring the game grows into each expansion phase - everything from TV revenue to player depth, to quality coaches & referees.

 

[Gobsmacked]

We have enough genuine expansion options to take the NRL well into 22 or even 24 teams.

The only issues are a) what markets deserve priority over others and b) ensuring the game grows into each expansion phase - everything from TV revenue to player depth, to quality coaches & referees.

Genuine expansion options:
Wellington
Christchurch
Ipswich
Sunshine Coast
Fiji
Adelaide
Melbourne 2
Hamilton

That's 8 !!!

24 teams is more than doable!
My preference after 19 being PNG in order:
Christchurch 20
Ipswich 21
Wellington 22
Adelaide 23
Fiji 24

 

[flippikat]

Genuine expansion options:
Wellington
Christchurch
Ipswich
Sunshine Coast
Fiji
Adelaide
Melbourne 2
Hamilton

That's 8 !!!

24 teams is more than doable!
My preference after 19 being PNG in order:
Christchurch 20
Ipswich 21
Wellington 22
Adelaide 23
Fiji 24

In that order, it'd be Adelaide & Fiji coming in around the same time as the expansion phase that takes us from 22 to 24 teams.

I'm not sure if the NRL would want to take on the risk of a team in AFL-land and a Fiji-based team at the same time.

That phase seems a bit unbalanced, and maybe swapping one with Wellington would be a more balanced approach..

20 Christchurch

21 Ipswich
22 Fiji

23 Wellington
24 Adelaide

It also means Wellington isn't in the very next expansion phase after Christchurch, giving Christchurch a bit more time to bed-in before a 3rd NZ team debuts.

Also, bringing in Fiji in that 21-22 phase means we get Brisbane 3 (a VERY safe prospect) alongside them, and we take the NRL even more into the Pacific - in clear competition with Super Rugby's Pacific expansion - ASAP.

 

[İzmir Zaferi]

I don't Fiji is even close to being big enough from a financial reality and in reality population for the NRL.

A 'Southern NZ' team will cover NZ for atleast 10 plus years. The NRL should have a NZ strategy to move games ot other centres that can't sustain a full team but get good one off or couple games (like Hamiliton, Rotorua etc)

The only other realistic full expansion any time soon after would be Western Corridor in Brisbane.

A strong second teir NRL 2 (merged form of Q CUP, NSW CUP, NZ, PNG as conferences) is where most other coverage can happen.

 

[Gobsmacked]

I don't Fiji is even close to being big enough from a financial reality and in reality population for the NRL.

A 'Southern NZ' team will cover NZ for atleast 10 plus years. The NRL should have a NZ strategy to move games ot other centres that can't sustain a full team but get good one off or couple games (like Hamiliton, Rotorua etc)

The only other realistic full expansion any time soon after would be Western Corridor in Brisbane.

A strong second teir NRL 2 (merged form of Q CUP, NSW CUP, NZ, PNG as conferences) is where most other coverage can happen.

I like to see a second tier NRL set up that encompasses all the areas not big enough for an NRL team. The Q cup covers those well but the NSW cup doesn't at all which is a major missed opportunity.
Dubbo, Bathurst, Coffs harbour, Wagga ect.

 

[flippikat]

I don't Fiji is even close to being big enough from a financial reality and in reality population for the NRL.

A 'Southern NZ' team will cover NZ for atleast 10 plus years. The NRL should have a NZ strategy to move games ot other centres that can't sustain a full team but get good one off or couple games (like Hamiliton, Rotorua etc)

The only other realistic full expansion any time soon after would be Western Corridor in Brisbane.

A strong second teir NRL 2 (merged form of Q CUP, NSW CUP, NZ, PNG as conferences) is where most other coverage can happen.

If Fiji isn't up to it and 2 NZ teams are considered enough, the after Perth (18) & PNG (19) the next 2 of the next 3 teams are surely NZ2 and Brisbane 3.

Which takes us to 21, and one spot left to get to 22 which avoids a weekly bye. The competition for that 22nd team will be intense.

 

[Peach & Apricot]

AFL is going to fade into irrelevance.

 

[Nutz]

AFL is going to fade into irrelevance.

There are too many people living in Melbourne who love the art of the knock on, they won't let the sport become irrelevant.

 

[Nutz]

I like to see a second tier NRL set up that encompasses all the areas not big enough for an NRL team. The Q cup covers those well but the NSW cup doesn't at all which is a major missed opportunity.
Dubbo, Bathurst, Coffs harbour, Wagga ect.

$$$$

 

[Gobsmacked]

I made this thread as being the overwhelming success the NRL now is. With the inclusion of Perth and PNG there's no disputing the fact that the NRL and RL is now the biggest competition and sport in the pacific.
The can be proven to be undisputed by the absence of Perth Red..

 

[taipan]

And to think that its all in addition to having the Cronulla Sharks.

Who showed others how to grow to the 2nd biggest junior league in Sydney , and many still don't get it.