NRL NRL Expansion

22 team competition eventually with the central coast bears and a western Brisbane team.
PLEASE NOT ANOTHER BRISBANE TEAM! I've lived in Brisbane. The city grows north to south not west and Ipswich to the south west is a hole. Maybe Sunshine Coast.
 
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Who would be in favour of a South Island team entering the NSW cup or Qld cup, another feeder club for the Warriors.
Fiji Bati and PNG hunter both respectfully have teams in reserves.
Full credit to NZRL Alot of work is being done in Otago and Tasman areas to grow the game.
More and more youngins from far south are getting into league especially since the rule changes to lower grades, having a team in reserves would be massive for the south.
As long as they make it able to watch on sky instead of signing up to the bloody nswrl website
 
Who would be in favour of a South Island team entering the NSW cup or Qld cup, another feeder club for the Warriors.
Fiji Bati and PNG hunter both respectfully have teams in reserves.
Full credit to NZRL Alot of work is being done in Otago and Tasman areas to grow the game.
More and more youngins from far south are getting into league especially since the rule changes to lower grades, having a team in reserves would be massive for the south.
As long as they make it able to watch on sky instead of signing up to the bloody nswrl website

I think the SI KEA should join the NSW Cup. Dolphins and PNG both played QLD Cup so I think that makes sense.
 
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Who would be in favour of a South Island team entering the NSW cup or Qld cup, another feeder club for the Warriors.
Fiji Bati and PNG hunter both respectfully have teams in reserves.
Full credit to NZRL Alot of work is being done in Otago and Tasman areas to grow the game.
More and more youngins from far south are getting into league especially since the rule changes to lower grades, having a team in reserves would be massive for the south.
As long as they make it able to watch on sky instead of signing up to the bloody nswrl website

Is there / was there a senior comp running in Tasman this year?
 
They have a small comp with teams like the Taniwha, Motueka Tigers, Victory Phoenix maybe a few more making up the Tasman Titans.
Playing teams like Aoraki Eels (South Canterbury) and West Coast chargers.
 
If Warriors are going to be Warirors it will be very detrimental to all New Zealanders to have the Keas also be a bottom dweller team which they will be for their first few years.
The Kea bid only makes sense if the Warriors are a consistent strong performer.
 
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If Warriors are going to be Warirors it will be very detrimental to all New Zealanders to have the Keas also be a bottom dweller team which they will be for their first few years.
The Kea bid only makes sense if the Warriors are a consistent strong performer.
The South Island team's future success has nothing to do the Warriors. That's like saying a second Melbourne team would be super successful just because the Storm has been historically.
 
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The South Island team's future success has nothing to do the Warriors. That's like saying a second Melbourne team would be super successful just because the Storm has been historicly.
No it isn't. I disagree with your parrallel although can see why you made it.
I am not saying the Kea's will fail becuase the Warriors don't do well.
I am saying IF they happen to not do well AND the Warriors also don;t do well that will be humiliating for all NZ league fans and all of NZ as a whole.
 
That's why I suggested they play in NSW or Qld cup.
Not sold on the keas name.
I love the name and the logo and the colours but we already have the established SI Scorpions.
Linwood is one of the oldest clubs in the city Abit hard for all the other local teams to get around the Keas.
They basically stole the logo from Linwood and now it's the SI team
Linwood wasn't too happy
 
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That's why I suggested they play in NSW or Qld cup.
Not sold on the keas name.
I love the name and the logo and the colours but we already have the established SI Scorpions.
Linwood is one of the oldest clubs in the city Abit hard for all the other local teams to get around the Keas.
They basically stole the logo from Linwood and now it's the SI team
Linwood wasn't too happy
It's unlikely (in my opinion) that the Kea bid will be successful, more likely to be Franks crew.
 
Talking to a few people over the last week who have had some dealings with the Kidd/Endecott bid out of ChCh, finances might be holding up any formal bid. A planned trip to Sydney with the ChCh Mayor was postponed.
No info on the KEAS bid status.
There seems to be some consensus that one bid is by passionate league people who have a series of strong qualities, the other a commercial sensibility without as strong roots in the game, hence why they have tried once or twice to work together albeit unsuccessfully to date.
 
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IMG_4578.jpeg

The Bears' long wait to return to top flight rugby league is over with the Western Bears now made official.

Months of protracted negotiations finally reached an end point on Friday afternoon with officials from North Sydney and Western Australia's bid team signing off on the historic agreement to resurrect one of rugby league's most famous brands.

The Bears will return to the NRL for the first time since 1999. While the Perth Bears name was floated, the parties have agreed to the Western Bears which is a nod to Western Australia's first team - the Western Reds.

The Western Bears will now spend the next few days finalising their submission ahead of the August 14 deadline imposed by the NRL to be part of the expanded competition. By the end of this year, the Western Bears will be formally announced as the NRL's 18th team to compete in 2027, with PNG introduced a year later.

It is understood the agreement between the two parties include:
  • An adaptation of the Bears logo;
  • One heritage match in NSW with the hope it will be against arch rivals Manly. The match could v played at North Sydney Oval, Allianz Stadium o, on the Central Coast where they will wear a traditional North Sydney jersey;
  • The main colours will be red, white and black, however there will be a tinge of yellow too which again pays homage to the former Reds outfit. The Reds may have their own heritage jersey;
  • A pre-season game at North Sydney Oval;
  • North Sydney Bears to remain the main feeder club to NSW Cup for the NRL side.
 
Wow I didn't see that coming. Thought PNG would get in there. And thought the Keas were a chance.
 
Wow I didn't see that coming. Thought PNG would get in there. And thought the Keas were a chance.
PNG was in 6 months ago and then it seems to have fallen away once the realities of getting up and running sunk in. Still set for 2028 according to the article.

Keas realistically aren’t developed enough. Would be years of just building the foundations before they will be ready.
 
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So what happens with the schedule in 2027 Wizards with 18 teams. Still 27 rounds - only byes for origin instead three byes per team?
 
Strangely enough I heard from a source just this week that the WA had fallen out of favour and NZ2 and PNG were soon to be announced coming in ‘from’ 2026.
 
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NRL PHYSIO

@nrlphysio

Shaun Johnson ruled out for the Warriors tomorrow with a quad injury picked up in Rd 22. Big blow for QLD footy fans - lose their final opportunity to see the great man tear it up after he announced his retirement. Hopefully only a minor issue so he can finish out the season!
 
I'd favour a second NZ team or Perth over PNG. If this plan does get announced lets hope it is with a plan to get to 20 teams including NZ and not the two listed. I'll put the if there as the media have been pushing a few bids as being close to being a done deal only for nothing to happen.

I know teams play the odd game out in regional areas. But it does feel like the NRL has outgrown North Sydney oval. The trial match there is okay. The competition games should be at Allianz or the Central Coast.

A trial, a competition fame and integrating the traditional colours isn't too much. When they used to debate relocation it seemed like the Sydney sides would push for too much games to be back in Sydney. At some point you need to be more from where you are based now, not the past. The first 5-10 year is fine. The Bears being gone for so long probably helps.
 
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