NRL NRL Expansion

[Makasene]

So the NRL are expected to announce the staggered entry of three new teams between 2027 and 2032?

Perth in 2027
????? in 2029?
????? in 2031?

If a second NZ team is not one of the latter two, then you'd have to think it'll never happen.

So who is in the running after Perth?
- PNG we know about
- Keas we know about
- whispers of a 3rd Brisbane team.
- possibly another QLD team in somewhere like Mackay or Rockhampton?

 

[Teets]

If a second NZ team is not one of the latter two, then you'd have to think it'll never happen.

Agree.

I always like to think NZ rugby league is bigger than the Warriors, but under the current status quo it's not by much.

If we don't get in as team 19/20 it's never happening and we're losing our opportunity at ever being anything more than a niche sport here.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

Former Eels coach meets with Perth NRL expansion bid​

Representatives of the Perth NRL expansion bid have met with former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur ahead of an ARL Commission meeting on Wednesday that could decide the future of the sport. Sources talking under the condition of anonymity due to the confidential nature of discussions told this masthead that a Perth bid representative met with Arthur on Monday as part of its push to enter the competition as early as 2027.

The chairman of the Western Australian government working group responsible for the NRL bid, Peter Tinley, was in Sydney on Monday to meet with the sport’s key stakeholders. He met with NRL executives and Foxtel boss Patrick Delany to better position the Perth bid ahead of an NRL announcement that could be made as early as Wednesday.

The ARL Commission will meet in Melbourne ahead of State of Origin II. The commission is trying to establish a 20-team road map. Perth has emerged as the preferred location for the 18th team, potentially as early as 2027. The NRL wants the WA government to link with the North Sydney Bears as part of the next license, but the WA government’s preference is to stand alone as its own team.

Also, discussing with Newtown Jets about a partnership. Tinley met with Arthur after learning the coach’s partner was born and raised in Perth and still has family residing on the west coast of Australia. Arthur has also been linked to the vacant Leeds Rhinos job in the Super League. The Papua New Guinea expansion bid is still before government, with the NRL now shifting its focus to including a team based in Port Moresby as the 19th team.

The delay will provide the NRL time to build a mini-city which would house the players, staff and their families. The facility, which will include a hotel and centre of excellence, will be funded by the government and owned by the NRL as an asset.

The preferred destination for a 20th team is down to another Queensland side and a team on the south island of New Zealand.

 

[Sixagain]

Guys, I have a little bit of an insight into the South Island NRL bid so if you have any questions and i can answer them I will.

 

[Akkerz]

Guys, I have a little bit of an insight into the South Island NRL bid so if you have any questions and i can answer them I will.

With the knowledge you have do you think there is enough interest in league in NZ to support 2 teams long term. Personally I doubt it but interested in your POV

 

[Riz]

With the knowledge you have do you think there is enough interest in league in NZ to support 2 teams long term. Personally I doubt it but interested in your POV

There is so much interest in League down here in the south, there seems to be a misconception particularly from the Auckland folk that this is Union country and that's all we care about. I can tell you that that idea is completely wrong. I can go to a public area in Christchurch and see many Warriors jerseys but almost never see anyone rocking a Crusaders or AB's shirt, and this is not a new thing brought on by recent success.

 

[Sixagain]

With the knowledge you have do you think there is enough interest in league in NZ to support 2 teams long term. Personally I doubt it but interested in your POV

In 1980 the South Island team beat the touring Australian team 11-10. Right up until rugby went professional both the Canterbury RL and West Coast RL were very competitive again NRL (NWSRL) teams at full strength. What's changed in that time is the birth of professional rugby. Historically it has been estimated by the Canterbury RL that for every top tear rugby player produced in the province the CRL got 3 out of the 10 young players. From about 2000 on that estimate is about 0.5 to 1.0 maximum. The South Island has no pathways for young talented players since union went pro. The only way to pull that talent back to league across the South Island is to offer a legitimate home grown pathway.
The South Island bid while based in Christchurch will have home games around the South Island so as not to over saturate the fan base centered around Canterbury.
There is a significant body of fans that don't support the Warriors or that support other clubs having once been Warriors fans. It's these fans in the South that will build bedrock support.
The South Island bid team is making headway with the bid and has realistically targeted the 20th team into the league as the ideal time frame. Sponsors are coming on board as are the districts. Wellington as of last week having thrown their weight in behind the bid.
It's a realistic and feasible project.

 

[Lord Gnome of Waiheke]

I was chatting to an Auckland rugby board member at the weekend and he was saying he just cannot get the other old farts around the table to understand what the Warriors are doing right and what Auckland and the Blues are doing wrong.

It'll all be brushed under the carpet again next week when the All Blacks beat an understrength England team 50-0, but fundamentally rugby in New Zealand is broken and lurching back towards armature status.

 

[Akkerz]

Thanks for those explanations guys. Most interesting & definately a S I league team is somethiong to look forward to

 

[Sixagain]

I was chatting to an Auckland rugby board member at the weekend and he was saying he just cannot get the other old farts around the table to understand what the Warriors are doing right and what Auckland and the Blues are doing wrong.

It'll all be brushed under the carpet again next week when the All Blacks beat an understrength England team 50-0, but fundamentally rugby in New Zealand is broken and lurching back towards armature status.

Interestingly the Crusaders called an emergency meeting of their constituency districts under the Crusaders banner the day the Warriors played the West Tigers in their pre-season match in Christchurch. So at least one super rugby franchise is aware of the bid and are worried about the possibility this South Island team might bring to the table.

 

[hornbybrown]

Southern Keas - 3 games Welly, 6 games ChCh and 3 games Dunners?

Yeah Southern can be south of Auckland. It’s not saying South Island

 

[Sixagain]

Southern Keas - 3 games Welly, 6 games ChCh and 3 games Dunners?

The Keas brand is the David Moffett lead bid. He has teamed up with Andy Marinos I believe. Some within the Linwood Keas club aren't happy with the appropriation of the Kea as a logo. I don't know a great deal about this bid and even less about the third bid team that seems to have grabbed a bit of interest.

 

[hornbybrown]

Interestingly the Crusaders called an emergency meeting of their continuance districts under the Crusaders banner the day the Warriors played the West Tigers in their pre-season match in Christchurch. So at least one super rugby franchise is aware of the bid and are worried about the possibility this South Island team might bring to the table.

Doesn’t surprise me that the Crusaders are the team that realises rugby has problems. By miles the best run rugby team in the country

 

[Sixagain]

So the NRL are expected to announce the staggered entry of three new teams between 2027 and 2032?

Perth in 2027
????? in 2029?
????? in 2031?

If a second NZ team is not one of the latter two, then you'd have to think it'll never happen.

So who is in the running after Perth?
- PNG we know about
- Keas we know about
- whispers of a 3rd Brisbane team.
- possibly another QLD team in somewhere like Mackay or Rockhampton?

PNG is almost certainly going to be the next team into the league. Even with the $600au million being gifted to the PNG government by the Albanese lead government I personally can't see this idea working. PNG has the stadiums and passion to make it work but it also has a high murder rate. The team will need to be based in Cairns and fly in and out of PNG.
As far as the second New Zealand it will almost certainly be the South Island NRL bid team and not the Keas (in my opinion) and from memory the NRL are looking at a time frame of 2026, 2028 and 2030 for the three new clubs.
I personally haven't heard anything about another Queensland club.

 

[Lord Gnome of Waiheke]

Doesn’t surprise me that the Crusaders are the team that realises rugby has problems. By miles the best run rugby team in the country

Everything below the All Blacks is in dire financial trouble, and without the pyramid the All Blacks will struggle too - vicious circle.

 

[Kav1]

PNG is almost certainly going to be the next team into the league. Even with the $600au million being gifted to the PNG government by the Albanese lead government I personally can't see this idea working. PNG has the stadiums and passion to make it work but it also has a high murder rate. The team will need to be based in Cairns and fly in and out of PNG.
As far as the second New Zealand it will almost certainly be the South Island NRL bid team and not the Keas (in my opinion) and from memory the NRL are looking at a time frame of 2026, 2028 and 2030 for the three new clubs.
I personally haven't heard anything about another QLD club.

Why in your opinion do you not support the Keas? Also why are their three bids? (can't they see a way to join forces and therefore make a Southern franchise more feasible?) Is it just a power struggle or an ego trip?

 

[Matiunz]

Guys, I have a little bit of an insight into the South Island NRL bid so if you have any questions and i can answer them I will.

With all due respect the grass roots systems in NZ are light years behind what Aus offers- how does this bid hope to change that? Without producing Juniors the new team will be one of the hardest recruitment sells.

 

[Worried2Death]

PNG is almost certainly going to be the next team into the league. Even with the $600au million being gifted to the PNG government by the Albanese lead government I personally can't see this idea working. PNG has the stadiums and passion to make it work but it also has a high murder rate. The team will need to be based in Cairns and fly in and out of PNG.
As far as the second New Zealand it will almost certainly be the South Island NRL bid team and not the Keas (in my opinion) and from memory the NRL are looking at a time frame of 2026, 2028 and 2030 for the three new clubs.
I personally haven't heard anything about another QLD club.

Which Southern bid do you have insight into if not Moffett's Keas group, is there any proposed branding, name, colours yet?

 

[Makasene]

PNG is almost certainly going to be the next team into the league. Even with the $600au million being gifted to the PNG government by the Albanese lead government I personally can't see this idea working. PNG has the stadiums and passion to make it work but it also has a high murder rate. The team will need to be based in Cairns and fly in and out of PNG.
As far as the second New Zealand it will almost certainly be the South Island NRL bid team and not the Keas (in my opinion) and from memory the NRL are looking at a time frame of 2026, 2028 and 2030 for the three new clubs.
I personally haven't heard anything about another QLD club.

Everything is pointing to Perth being the next team is it not?

NRL have even asked them to align with the Bears.

 

[JaggedJ]

Perth is the right choice. 25 odd years too late for the NRL to come to their senses, but the right move.

After that it should absolutely be a second NZ team provided it's a good bid of course.

After that I'm open to that 20th team. Ideally it would be a 20th team alongside a Sydney team relocating to give us two new markets as opposed to keeping Sydney over saturated, but I don't see that happening.

PNG would be a bad move based mainly on politics, and the Bears need to give it up unless they can get a Sydney club to move to the CC.