The more I think about a second Brissie team, the more I I think it should be (and will be) the Dolphins. This contrasts with the fact I’d be more inclined to back the Firehawks though. Partly growing up on the Southside, the Firehawks would definitely be my second team, whereas the Dolphins would be a third or fourth team.
The NRL has come out and stated on the record that another team cannot cannibalise either existing team. This is something that unfortunately the Firehawks will do to both- they will appeal to areas that have the potential to have both Broncos and Titans fans. Redcliffe on the other hand, won’t impact “both” clubs half as much.
Also, watch the growth of Titans fans in the Logan area over the next few years as they go from strength to strength, it’s actually planned for and focused on inside the club. Donkeys- I know you’re not a believer and I know that I’m biased here totally, but there is a lot of synchronicity between Logan and the Titans, especially with the Leagues Club being built at Oxenford (completely planned to be accessible for fans from Logan).
The Dolphins also sits in a growth corridor, unlike the Easts consortium, so has natural opportunity to grow too. Easts growth will all come from prying away existing fans. There is an initial sugar hit of all the non Broncos Brisbane based league fans, but that’s about it. The wider Moreton Bay area has plenty of people moving to it from interstate and internationally, so these people are where actual growth of Rugby League can come from.
Finally, the infrastructure and capability to sustain themselves much more than anyone else puts the Dolphins as the logical choice for a club to take on #17 in 2023, let’s now just hope it’s gonna happen!!