NRL NRL Expansion

[snake77]

The NRL seem like they are keen on expansion. That is understandable with the current situation where we have an odd number of teams. Even going from 17 to 18 should be planned to ensure the right team/location is approved.

The other comments coming out around expansion seem like getting to 20 teams will happen reasonably quickly when you compare it to adding the Titans and then adding the Dolphins. I am not sure if it will be go to 18 or if they will go straight to 20. I think the later may have also been reported as an option.

So it is looking like we will get a second NZ team. The questions are which bid, where will they be based and when they will enter the competition.



On the Warriors being asked about a new team in NZ. Their thoughts are valid but it also needs to be taken with caution.

• They are on the ground here and familiar with the local game.
• Across the business side in terms of sponsorships, competition with other codes.

Although the Warriors do not have a monopoly on the local players. As the other sides do recurit from New Zealand. They do kind of have one in terms of being the only NRL team here and have interests they would want to protect. Brisbane has in the past wanted to limit the number of teams in Brisbane or close by as well.

The Warriors have struggled on and off the field over the years. That can be learned from but shouldn't totally delay a second side. Some of the Warriors issues have been self-inflicted. Competition should also help keep the Warriors focused on what they need to do.

 

[Falcon]

Any expansion into NZ is positive. It should increase the pool of players and not the opposite.
Any expansion side out of ChCh would probably comprise of at least a NSW cup side in the first season, probably an 18’s too if they want to be strategic with development and talent identification, before going full noise in all the same grades as The Warriors within 2/3 seasons.

 

[Playdaball]

I favour a Perth team as this then gives true meaning to the term, NRL.
A WA side with backing from either the Jets or Bears, should be there ahead of a 2nd NZ team .
PNG are there for political reasons.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

I reckon, it’ll be harder for the Perth team to recruit than it will be for the Warriors. At least there’s loads of kiwis to off set it a little.

Have you noticed that barely any Wallabies play for the western force. And apparently the Melbourne rebels wallabies are reluctant to go there too.

It’ll obviously be easier for them than PNG.

 

[Beastmode]

Grass roots has to expand first before considering another team.
The foundation is there, but i think another 4-5year before a larger talent pool becomes available.

 

[sup42]

Agree with this.

If NZ2 is team 20 coming into the NRL 2030, we need a full Matts > Ball > Flegg > NSW cup pathway up and running by 2028 at the latest.

The Warriors did not need any more than the NSW cup to be a thing in the NRL.

And for twenty something years they only had three teams.

I agree that all the levels are better, and I would bet my left nut that a Matts team from down south populated by St Thomas boys and other South Island schools combining under their own NRL brand would thrash the Auckland lot in their first season.

 

[sup42]

Grass roots has to expand first before considering another team.
The foundation is there, but i think another 4-5year before a larger talent pool becomes available.

I think what people are forgetting is that it is in the DNA of any rugby code down south to bring down Auckland.

So saying they will have no problem in their undergrade locally sourced players with troubling the Warriors.

 

[sup42]

The thing about the difference between a South Island and a Warriors franchise is that the South Island will start better than the Warriors did.

The Warriors entered the NRL off the NZ reputation of playing David vs Golliath (thanks to the Auckland team pre NRL that beat the Kangaroos, Great Britain and any fools silly enough to play them).

That back bone that the pre Warriors Auckland side had, is gone. The Warriors destroyed that legend by becoming a bunch of entitled soft bellied Gen X overweight floss for NRL teams to embarrass for twenty years and more.

That inconsistent circus mentality that Auckland league has, does not exist in the South Island sporting psyche.

Frankly a South Island franchise might not have the star power and depth at first, but it will be ten times harder than the Warriors because that is how they roll down there.

Thanks to the Warriors popularity there is a revolution happening around the country including the relevant South Island in this discussion.

When St Thomas came into the Nationals and destroyed all of the Auckland big boys in the qualifying rounds, they earned themselves the right to play the greatest NZ Rugby league school Nursery that is St Pauls.

Stacey Jones came from St Pauls, they are the monster school in this code in this country.

The South Islanders met them in the final and put on 40/20s, Grid lock defence, set plays, and pretty much exposed how weak the Auckland/Warriors favored catchment system has been in the Warriors Ackland ball (big kids like Manu, smaller grinders and skilled smaller grafters need not apply....those kids end up in Australia).

The South Island Franchise would have no problem improving on what the Warriors #since 1995 have done.

A South Island Franchise would leave the Warriors history in their dust, and their hardcore fans would be the equivalent of two Warriors bus loads to insulate them in the lean years.

The thing about a South Island team that the NRL better get on board with fast, is that every single Warriors fan in this country (as it stands that is millions of people) would tune into every SKY sport screening of the South Island team like Lemmings.

Tell me I am wrong. Tell me none of you would watch every single South Island game.

Tell me any of you would not join their Forum or make their thread in here hit thousands of pages.


Tell me after we lose that you will not desperately turn to the next game with the South islanders and yell at your tellys in the literal millions for the South land goat herders.

The fact that the NRL and the fans do not understand that the most exciting NRL new Franchise and for that matter the most exciting development globally in this sport would be two NZ teams is astounding.


If NZ had two teams the NRL would be changing the narrative of the entire competition and making it a genuine two country conversation.

 

[Shogun]

I have some real concerns of PNG being able to attract players. They may get Lachlan Lam and some island born players but there are players that don't want to even live in NZ, even the Dolphins had their troubles recruiting.

Marriage of expedience: Politis, Bears in bed with Perth to push expansion case​

Story by Adam Pengilly

The men leading the Perth consortium vying to be the NRL’s next team insist they will be ready to enter the competition by 2027 as they prepare for talks with the North Sydney Bears about a “potential marriage”, while leaning on Nick Politis for support.

A Western Australian franchise has rocketed into calculations to be the NRL’s 18th team – surpassing the federal government’s $600 million supported Papua New Guinea push – as the ARL Commission nears an announcement about an expansion road map.

Perth’s bid boss Peter Cumins, executive chairman of Cash Converters, will visit Sydney this month to discuss a potential alliance with the Bears, despite confirming the consortium’s preference to brand the team as exclusively Western Australian.

The meeting between Perth officials and the Bears could prove crucial to the NRL’s expansion plan, which is rushing towards a 20-team competition and an 18th franchise as soon as 2027 – the final year of the broadcast deal.

A new entity by 2027 would allow the ARLC to potentially renegotiate its existing contract with broadcasters given a ninth game would be played every week, and provide a unique time slot for Perth’s home matches.

Asked if the Perth bid would be able to launch in 2027, with doubts over PNG’s readiness, Cumins told this masthead: “We would. We’ve been sitting here like [an elastic] band wound up, ready to be sprung.

“There’s a substantial amount of money required, probably $30 million before you’ve kicked a football, but there’s a lot of money here in Perth. We’ve had people on the east coast willing to be investors, and it’s quite a compelling case.”

One of their biggest advocates is Roosters owner and chairman Politis, who has argued the merits of the NRL introducing a Perth franchise.

Politis has been approached to advise the Perth consortium through the final weeks of the bid process, which will include talks with the Bears. The NRL is exploring aligning a new Perth franchise with the historic club, potentially allowing some home games at North Sydney Oval.

“We’ve got talks about a potential marriage later this month,” Cumins said.

Optus Stadium.© Getty

“The consortium I head up, our preferred option is to go a standalone West Australian team, based on the fact West Australians are very parochial. And without being rude about the history of the North Sydney Bears, it doesn’t have a lot of relevance to people in Perth. We want a team where all the players reside in Perth and the players who are not in the NRL side play in the local competition.

“But I’m a commercial animal, and if the case is compelling, you’d be silly not to consider it.”

The Newtown Jets have also explored the possibility of linking with the Perth bid. The NRL is weighing up whether it will be ready to enter the competition before the high-profile PNG push.

On Wednesday, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo admitted on-field competitiveness would be a key factor in determining expansion plans, with fears PNG will struggle to attract top talent.

“Absolutely, on-the-field-football competitiveness is a criteria that will be assessed and analysed,” Abdo said at the Beanies for Brain Cancer launch.

“So the ability to invest in infrastructure, a centre of excellence that creates a high-performance centre, investment in pathways and talent development.

“And then, obviously, the recruitment of football staff appropriate to get a team that can win on the field. That is absolutely a criteria that will be assessed.”

 

[Kav1]

Agree with this.

If NZ2 is team 20 coming into the NRL 2030, we need a full Matts > Ball > Flegg > NSW cup pathway up and running by 2028 at the latest.

I disagree. To have any impact, a new club must start up in the NRL, drawing coaches and a couple of high profile players from the NRL as well as local based players (the same that was adopted by the Warriors). Fans will not support anything less. The NRL will also want a new team that adds to its current number.

 

[sup42]

For all the talk about the South Island lacking undergrade development.....

Go check the facts.

The South Island owns the Premiership at school boy level held by Auckland for one hundred years....after the South Island Schools only just barely entered the comp.

They have the grass roots, shit their grass roots are better than ours, they just play Ünion is all, the NRL needs to attack that.

What really grinds my gears is that the South Island is ready for an exciting new Sports focus, and putting an NRL team there would be the first thing any conqueror would do to build a sports empire, because they are sickly stacked with Rugby code talent.

Ïf the NRL are serious about taking on Union in NZ then the rich ground in this country is Canterbury.

The Warriors heavily raided the South Ïsland for their Juniors....hello....all the talk about a lack of depth is utter bullshit. A south Island team would have retained the best of all those players from the Warriors.

 

[Kav1]

I favour a Perth team as this then gives true meaning to the term, NRL.
A WA side with backing from either the Jets or Bears, should be there ahead of a 2nd NZ team .
PNG are there for political reasons.

How about Australasian Rugby League? ARL

 

[Teets]

I disagree. To have any impact, a new club must start up in the NRL, drawing coaches and a couple of high profile players from the NRL as well as local based players (the same that was adopted by the Warriors). Fans will not support anything less. The NRL will also want a new team that adds to its current number.

The Dolphins have had plenty of impact without starting up straight in the NRL. If anything being an already established entity helped them build a fan base.

Getting your clubs pathways up and running early should give you at least a couple of NRL squad level players for your inaugural squad with the added benefit of getting your branding out in the community ahead of your NRL launch.

Also the Warriors foundations are a terrible model. Bunch of insane hype built up on a foundation of sand.

 

[Est95]

When's the last time the NRL played a game in Perth? Was it well attended? How much of an appetite do Perthonians (Perthites?) have for league?

At least in NZ it gets a lot of interest

 

[WahsUltras]

When's the last time the NRL played a game in Perth? Was it well attended? How much of an appetite do Perthonians (Perthites?) have for league?

At least in NZ it gets a lot of interest

i do recall we played there in 2018 when there new stadium opened and had about 40k in attendance.

 

[Kav1]

The Dolphins have had plenty of impact without starting up straight in the NRL. If anything being an already established entity helped them build a fan base.

Getting your clubs pathways up and running early should give you at least a couple of NRL squad level players for your inaugural squad with the added benefit of getting your branding out in the community ahead of your NRL launch.

Also the Warriors foundations are a terrible model. Bunch of insane hype built up on a foundation of sand.

The South Island franchise cannot afford to wait least other franchises are established before them. The set up of age group teams will come by way of natural support for the club's NRL team.
The Warriors did eventually survive the ownership changes and financial problems and are now stronger than ever.

 

[Teets]

The South Island franchise cannot afford to wait least other franchises are established before them. The set up of age group teams will come by way of natural support for the club's NRL team.
The Warriors did eventually survive the ownership changes and financial problems and are now stronger than ever.

It's not waiting, it's getting ahead. NZ2 by most reports will not be team 18 (likely either PNG or Perth in 2026/27)

Th NRL have reportedly also indicated the 19th and 20th teams would be in 2030.

So get your pathways teams up and running beforehand in 2028/2029.

 

[Falcon]

With the NRL openly stating the desire to take Rugby in NZ head on, the time is now.
Rugby is in a rut and giving the code time to get their house in order will only make this ambition harder.
On the back of the current Warriors support country wide a 2nd NZ team would be the way to go.
The NRL would then have a clear vision where to and how to invest in NZ Rugby League to continue player growth and development and ensure NZ2 has greater resources to succeed.

 

[Brightman]

With the NRL openly stating the desire to take Rugby in NZ head on, the time is now.
Rugby is in a rut and giving the code time to get their house in order will only make this ambition harder.
On the back of the current Warriors support country wide a 2nd NZ team would be the way to go.
The NRL would then have a clear vision where to and how to invest in NZ Rugby League to continue player growth and development and ensure NZ2 has greater resources to succeed.

Further, it'll be a walk in the park with the huge existing player pool of kids that have the fundamental oval ball skills. Easier than seeing up WA or PNG and with at least the same or greater commercial returns.
The NRL only need to invest and manage pathways to facilitate depth in our code of rugby, something that union has basically sanctioned the NZRL from achieving since forever.
But the tables are turning..

 

[JaggedJ]

Bring the Keas in now while there are so many high quality players out on the open market or ready to play the homesick card for a 2025 kick off.

1. Hayze Perham
2. Taane Milne
3. Kayal Iro
4. Daejearn Asi
5. Starford Toa
6. Keiran Foran
7. Chad Townsend
8. Matt Lodge
9. Kodi Nikorima
10. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown
11. Euan Aitken
12. Ben Murdoch-Masila
13. Jazz Tevaga

14. Paul Turner
15. Valinga Kepu
16. Ofahiki Ogden
17. Aaron Pene

Let's F@*king Squawk!!!