Ipswich officials confused by Brisbane NRL bid team's message but are committed to low-profile approach
* From: The Courier-Mail
* February 02, 2011 12:00AM
IPSWICH officials chasing the right to form the next NRL club are "totally confused" by the messages sent by their arch rivals in Brisbane.
The Ipswich Jets are jostling with bids from Brisbane, Central Queensland, the NSW Central Coast and Perth for the right to host the next NRL side, which could debut as soon as 2013.
The bid by a group of leading Brisbane businessmen to host the second team has gained huge publicity since it was revealed in The Courier-Mail last week but Jets chairman and bid team leader Steve Johnson believes Ipswich has lost nothing by being lower-profile.
"I am totally confused about their bid," Johnson said.
"Day one they were northside, now they are southside. They were going to get Wayne Bennett as a coach and now they are chasing Mal Meninga. They called it the Battle for Brisbane now they don't want to battle the Broncos."
Johnson sees the key difference between his and the Brisbane bid is that Ipswich, backed by the local Jets club, would be community owned. Brisbane, by contrast, would be owned by a cartel of wealthy businessmen.
"Their model is very different to ours," Johnson said.
"They have come up with a proposal that suits their needs. Our fundamental thought is that with (television rights) money coming into the game, does rugby league need persons in the game to profit from it or does it need people in it for the good of the game?
"Their fundamental objective will be to generate a profit for their shareholders. Ours is a community-based club where every cent will be put back in to the game.
"Obviously with private ownership you get that bit of financial certainty at the start but with investors, when they put their hands in their pockets, where do you go?"
"The good thing about their bid is that they have generated a lot of public interest, which is one of the cornerstones of the expansion of the game.
"It's all healthy competition. If a game decides to expand, having a competing bid will make us work harder."
Brisbane have already spoken to Reds rugby union star Quade Cooper and have their sights set on other big names but Ipswich are refusing to make any moves on the player front until their fate is known.
"If you start looking there you are looking past yourself," Johnson said.
"You have to get a licence first. If you make up a wish list of players you are getting far too ahead of yourself.
"The best players may not be the best player for the club you are going to build. It is great to get fabulous rugby league players but you don't want fabulous rugby league players who are not going to fit your culture.
"Get your structure in place first. We don't see ourselves as competitors with the Broncos or the Titans. If we don't complement those clubs then we won't benefit the game and shouldn't be there."
