The review starts in November and the early stages will be about defining the areas they want new teams (and not just the next 2 to be added, but the next 8 or where current teams could move to, etc.)
The start of next season will probably be the confermation of locations for new teams (if any are to be taken) and the beginning of the tender process.
Personally i hope they dont close the tender until 2016/17 to give new bids an opportunity to form and establish themselves. This idea that the bids we have now (bids that were rich/brave/dumb enough to work without even confirmation that a team was wanted) or the best possible options is ridiculous...
We currently have 5 possible serious bids with maybe 2 others from upto 5cities. Anyone else seriously interested would have come forward by now.
Really a straight forward decision process
1. Can the NRL afford two new teams
2. Which 2 cities are strategically most important
After that they can either a) open up bids from those two cities B) choose 2 of the existing bids c)ignore current bids and develop new clubs themselves in partnership with others
Ideally they will make the decision around middle of next season so the new clubs can be building momentum and signing players for kick off in 2018.
