Who will be the NRL's 18th team? Updates, deadlines for Western Bears, PNG bids
Mark Molyneux
10-08-2024
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6 min read
Peter V'landys and Andrew Abdo
"We want to keep growing," NRL CEO Andrew Abdo declared late last year. "By the end of 2024, we will know what it looks like for an 18th franchise and potentially beyond that."
Debate around expansion in the NRL has rumbled on ever since the Dolphins became the first new franchise to enter into the league after the Gold Coast Titans were introduced in 2007.
The Dolphins have proved to be a roaring success since their inception with the Redcliffe-based outfit gaining legions of fans under the stewardship of Wayne Bennett.
However, the Dolphins’ inclusion has brought with it some associated headaches when it comes to scheduling, with the NRL having to implement bye rounds due to the uneven numbers in the competition.
Therefore, the 17th franchise was always going to be the initial step towards a greater expansion effort with an extra game to generate increased television revenue now at the forefront of the Commission’s agenda.
The Sporting News provides all the latest details of the NRL’s expansion plans.
Will Perth be the NRL’s 18th franchise? Updates and latest news on WA bid as Western Bears set to enter competition
The bid stemming from Western Australia poses far less risk than the Papua New Guinea bid and jumped ahead of the queue late in the piece.
Despite the PNG bid being given a tentative green light, the Perth side is the frontrunner for the next expansion spot with the Commission set to finalise their plans soon.
Cash Converters executive chairman Peter Cumins is the man leading the charge for the Perth outfit and revealed to The Sydney Morning Herald earlier this year that he was set to meet with the North Sydney Bears to discuss a possible partnership.
"We’ve had people on the east coast willing to be investors, and it’s quite a compelling case," Cumins said.
Cumins outlined how the WA consortium's preference was to build a stand-alone team in Western Australia where every player would reside.
However, he admitted that a partnership with one of the established clubs on the east coast would strengthen their bid.
"I’m a commercial animal, and if the case is compelling, you’d be silly not to consider it," Cumins admitted.
Perth’s bid has often been linked to the possible resurrection of the Bears as a prominent force once again and earlier last month ARLC chair Peter V’landys voiced his approval of the move.
"It would certainly help their bid because the Bears have a strong supporter base," he said.
"They have also got a feeder system and juniors, so it makes sense for Perth to look at that proposal."
Under this guise, the Western Bears could now become the 18th NRL franchise in 2027 with the two parties agreeing to submit a joint bid before the August 14 deadline, according to The Daily Telegraph.
Who will be the NRL’s 18th team? Updates on PNG bid
The newest NRL franchise has long been rumoured to be connected to PNG.
The bid forms part of a soft diplomacy pitch by the Australian federal government in a move which will try to fend off China’s growing interest in the region.
The support of the Australian government is paramount to the expansion goals with V’landys noting the outline for talks during Magic Round.
"It’s not a done deal," V’landys said of the PNG expansion bid.
"We’ve got a few negotiation points that we haven’t quite got over and if we don’t get over them, unfortunately it won’t happen."
Discussions around the club being based in Cairns but travelling to Port Moresby for games has been floated, as has the construction of a state-of-the-art facility and living compound to house the club in PNG.
"What we want to do is be based in PNG, and that’s important," V’landys stressed.
"But you need to have good facilities there, good accommodation and all of those things are on the table at the moment."
Prime minister Anthony Albanese has often been a vocal supporter of the move to expand into the region, although noted how the ultimate decision would rest in the hands of the NRL.
"It’s not a decision for the government," Albanese said.
"But we know we have a bit of competitive tension in the region and engagement, if you like, in soft diplomacy, showing the relationship between Australia and our neighbours, that is so important."
V’landys revealed during Magic Round conversations had been had to determine the exact details of the PNG bid, before it will be taken to all 17 NRL clubs to potentially sign off on.
In the wake of this meeting, it was reported the federal government and the NRL ironed out a 10-year deal which would see $600m spent as rugby league was used as a source of diplomacy in the Pacific.
However, it is now believed the PNG franchise will enter into the competition as the 19th franchise in 2028.
