While working at the local bottle shop the other night a customer asked me ‘is there any rugby league in Darwin?’
I said there is a local comp but nothing a on a state level or national level.
There is the NT Thunder, but they are AFL and that’s a different sport.
So it got me thinking, should the Queensland Cup, being the closest state comp to the NT, expand to include at team in Darwin?
With the comp already having two teams outside of the Queensland border (Papua New Guinea Hunters and the Tweed Heads Seagulls) why not expand to the NT?
AFL is pretty dominant here, but due to the growing population in Darwin with many coming from outside the Territory mainly for work, there are plenty of Queenslanders living here now.
They would love to see more than just one game of NRL per year. Parramatta comes here once a year for a promotion, but the only reason that anyone turns up to the game is to watch Parramatta lose to the Queensland team that also travels here to play against them.
This year it’s the Cowboys. So why not have a second tier team here with the possibility of being a feeder club to the Eels or another side?
Darwin has the population and facilities and the money to support and build a team that would be very competitive in the competition.
Marrara Sports Complex has a six-thousand seat stadium that is more than capable of holding a second tier team for home games and training.
The Central Queensland Capras have been in the comp for over 20 years and have not won anything or even made the finals so there is hope for the NT. If having a team in Papua New Guinea can be achieved then why not a team here to expand the game?
What do you think Roarers? Should the Queensland Cup expand to the NT?
Justin Kearney
Guest
Ignore davo. But of a misery guts mate. Its a great idea putting a qcup team there. Plenty of interest in league in the nt and a growing player base.
BigJ
Roar Guru
well maybe you should get one of the strip clubs to sponsor the team, ha ha ha. celebrate my 1000th comment roarers!!!!!!
BigJ
Roar Guru
your just sad, and i spoke to the Treasurer today and she likes the idea and will talk to the sports minister about it.
Britexit
Guest
The Rugby Union has many more adult players...
davo
Guest
There are 7 adult male clubs in the territory so hardly the quality to match it with Qld Cup
davo
Guest
Has the idea that someone has to fund it occurred to anyone??
BigJ
Roar Guru
Pending on whom the curent cheif minister supports if anybody would have a great influence on it. As i stated in the articel AFl has a large following up here. Actually the next time i see the treasuer I will ask her what does she think of it and get the sports minister on board, do not know how it would work but worth a shot.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Absolutely bring it in if the financial side of things makes sense. Would there be much in the way of government support? Thats one of the main reasons why the PNG bid works besides a quality football starved and rugby league mad demographic. As one of the other posters said a Toowoomba based team needs to come back along with the NT if its feasible. It has been touted that the Perth team will play in the QRL however so not sure it would work along with an NT team
BigJ
Roar Guru
certainly like the idea
anthony15
Roar Rookie
A NT team would be a great addition to the Queensland Cup as it would slightly promote the game in that state. If there is a PNG team, why not have a NT team!
BigJ
Roar Guru
Certainly is the nightcliff dragons are the current champs I think (they definitely won 2015) and there are the Souths Rabbitohs and a couple of other teams , Palmerston, marrara and I think the islands have a team
Joel
Guest
Yes, it is the next natural progression of expansion for the QRL, defiantly on the cards. to add to this we should have a Brisbane vs Regions origin ... what would the teams look like. Then to keep us busy maybe the QRL expand into Indonesia? though I think there is only Union and Football there, no League.
terrence
Guest
Great article Big J. Why not. It'd be a massive hit up in Darwin I reckon.
Riley Pettigrew
Roar Guru
I can't see why not, expand the ISC to 16 teams by bringing in the NT Rangers and Western Mustangs (Toowoomba). NT could even play a couple of games down at Anzac Oval in Alice Springs during the season. Hopefully the NSWRL confirm Fiji for 2018, then they can look to WA to round the ISP out to 14 teams.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Absolutely they should. If a side from PNG is accepted to the competition, then Darwin has to be a logical step. Whichever code gets into Darwin first could make plenty, given they have no professional sports team up there at all. I know other sports are starting to lobby for a team up there. The NBL is certainly one, and while that won't stop the NRL in the future, it's something to act upon and start looking at - through the Queensland Cup.
Billy Stevenson
Roar Guru
Interesting – I had no idea that Darwin was an AFL city (I always kind of imagined it as an NRL city). I seem to remember that there was an internal Rugby League competition in the NT (I remember the names Kakadu Storm and South Darwin Rabbitohs for some reason). Is that still going?
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Why not. More the merrier I reckon. If the Hunters can work then why wouldn't a Darwin side, seems like a natural step towards expanding the NRL to me.