Any new NRL Dolphins fans on here?
There are a couple on BHQ (Official Broncos fan forum) that are supportive of Redcliffe getting a team in the NRL but I haven't seen anyone pledge their allegiance to Redcliffe over any other team as of yet, it has the same feel about it as the Titans had when they were introduced.
I suspect it will be a team for those in Brisbane who despise of the Broncos and possibly support another team but locally, they aren't able to get out to many games for geographical reasons. Not really many people's "first team" but a team that they are happy to support, does that make them a fan? Does that grow the game? I think time will tell but for me (and I could be biased), I don't think this is necessarily expansion.
I think it's years and years of people based in Sydney sick of having to fight like a caged lion to secure quality players in a red hot market.. meanwhile Brisbane being a 1 team town, the perception is that the Broncos have an entire state to choose from but it's nowhere near the truth, not anymore. Look how many quality QLD based juniors have popped up in other teams, it's not by chance.. sure, we screwed up a few times and let some good ones go but it's not the case with all of them. I think it's the same situation in NZ too, which you can probably relate to. It's all well and good to say NZ have the entire of NZ to choose from but how many kids show up playing for other clubs? It's not as easy as people may think. It's a hot hot market these days, you don't simply have the rights to all sorts of talent just because your team is based in the area.
This season alone for example, before Brendan Piakura and Selwyn Cobbo even played an NRL game there were other clubs dipping their toes in the water, Reece Walsh is another obvious example.