Expansion is a contentious word in rugby league.
Expanding and removing teams has been part of Australia’s rugby league landscape since its inception. Cumberland played in the foundation year of 1908, and did not play in 1909. Newcastle, who joined as one of the competition’s first teams, did not play in 1910, making room for Annandale, and so on.
The dominant teams of the current NRL competition are expansion teams. In fact, every club in one way or another has had to go through identity changes throughout their history as rugby league expanded and contracted over the 112 years here.
The question still rages today: should the NRL expand its number of teams?
Answering yes takes you into a rabbit warren of long problems and difficult solutions. Answering no takes you into a deep, dark well of stagnation and missed opportunities. Both propositions are challenging and worth defending.
Expansion seems to be the most exciting and positive way forward, and so this is the direction this article will take.
Sixteen teams is a lot for an Australian and New Zealand competition. It already encompasses different time zones, different states, and the vast majority of the nations’ populations. Investing in just these teams for a long period of time attempts to further strengthen their historical and cultural connections to their respective fan-bases.
But where then does the growth happen? How can we still grow the game? The best place for growth is in the NSWRL and QRL competitions.
This is not a new idea, and it is certainly not my original idea. We have seen the successful application of the PNG Hunters into Queensland’s top grade competition.
Is Papua New Guinea fertile soil for expansion? (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Recently the Fiji Silktails successfully applied to play in NSW’s top grade. Even more recently the collection of Pacific Islands have put in a bid to also join Queensland’s Intrust Super Cup competition in 2023.
This is the way forward. This is where successful growth can happen in rugby league. And this proposal is not limited to island nations around Australia. This is an open invitation to all of Australia and New Zealand’s regions: the developing regions of South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and more.
The creation of a large and welcoming second-tier system, similar to the ones run in other sports that have minor leagues, would be greatly beneficial to the game of rugby league.
A large farm system underpinning the NRL would have several positive impacts:
• A larger pool of players to select from, improving the quality of play
• Larger sections of different cultural groups, further strengthening the inclusivity of the game
• A larger audience watching and supporting the game, generating more cash flow
• An endless list of possible teams and areas, as places like the Northern Territory and Tasmania plus the northern parts of New Zealand would all see this as an achievable goal to reach
There are flaws and pitfalls in this simple plan. With cooperation from the NRL, NSWRL and QRL, these could be negotiated and navigated.
With the additions of PNG, Fiji and hopefully soon the Pacific side, this will be the great redevelopment of rugby league.
Mick Holland
Roar Rookie
Good article ! I wrote a similar article a few months ago about expanding the 2nd tiers. My piece was more about expanding the NSWRL with Country NSW teams though. I mentioned a bit about expanding the QLDRL into Darwin & WestCoast with SA joining down the track. The difference in my idea to yours is mine is about expanding the NZRL into a 2nd tier comp that includes the 8 teams from NZ and a team from Fiji, Tonga, Somoa and maybe this might be a far fetched idea but maybe Hawaii could be added to that list down the road.
Matt Church
Guest
The Hunters currently only receive the same amount of grants as every other ISC club. The Hunters not only pay there own travel and accomodation costs to get to QLD. They also pay for all travel, accomodation and food costs of visiting teams to PNG. Their home stadium is 15k capacity and all games, home and away, are televised live across PNG. The club sits under PNGRFL that looks after all the tiers of football in the country. Therefore revenue is used across these tiers so difficult to say it is turning a profit, which you seem to use as your measure of success. Important to note that most NRL clubs struggle to turn a profit even when their grants total more than the salary cap of the club.
Matt Church
Guest
The Hunters currently only receive the same amount of grants as every other ISC club. The Hunters not only pay there own travel and accomodation costs to get to QLD. They also pay for all travel, accomodation and food costs of visiting teams to PNG. Their home stadium is 15k capacity and all games, home and away, are televised live across PNG. The club sits under PNGRFL that looks after all the tiers of football in the country. Therefore revenue is used across these tiers so difficult to say it is turning a profit, which you seem to use as your measure of success. Important to note that most NRL clubs struggle to turn a profit even when their grants total more than the salary cap of the club.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
It would be interesting to see the financial situation at the Hunters, in terms of making it work. I doubt they would be making a profit which would be the criteria for making it work. I get your idea and it is interesting but I don't think there is enough money from clubs below NRL level to be travelling all over the place
Big T
Roar Rookie
The same way Fiji and PNG pay for it now. Or how Pacific 13 are planning to pay for it.
Big T
Roar Rookie
Its a great question mate. I don't know. Speaking to Matt Church, the coach of PNG's team, finance isn't an issue. That of course doesn't mean it is not a problem for others.
Steve 50
Roar Rookie
England would be happy, why would they feel threatened by a pacific team or French investors?
Steve 50
Roar Rookie
Tv ratings are good. RL is a tv sport$$
Steve 50
Roar Rookie
Disagree about Titans. They are an established Brand. Been around since 2007, big local junior Base, a club on the rise. Burleigh bears don’t have a big fan base outside of the Gold Coast . Why bring them in, the name Burleigh has no wider audience market appeal, unlike the name Gold Coast which is famous globally. GC is getting good people and business backing em and has NRL full support. What makes you think Burleigh would do a better job? Using Burleigh a suburb on the GC would be terrible idea to come into a national comp. And don’t use manly as an example of suburb in national comp, they have been around in national comp since 1995, and Manly is more famous globally than Burleigh heads.
Larry
Guest
Me too. But it’s a French Pac Island mob that is references for the QLD cup. Wouldn’t be surprised if is dollars coming from Europe. As in dollars NOT connected England RL any way. England RL should be soiling their pants that this has even been suggested.
Lurkin Larry
Guest
Of all the expansionist talk the pacific proposal is probably the most realistic I’ve seen for a while. It’s QLD cup, achievable and makes a great deal of sense in almost every way. The sustainability of the Comp is another discussion altogether. Hoping that they can hang on.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
And where is that coming from? Is it currently running at a profit?
no one in particular
Roar Guru
You can expand the second tier comps all you want. Obviously the of cost of basing and transporting players overseas in countries barely above 3rd world standards mean little to you Where is the money coming from to pay all this? In case you haven't been paying attention the game is cutting spending, not finding new ways to burn it And NRL expansion should not and will not happen
Big T
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Big T
Roar Rookie
The same people doing it now. PNG and Fiji are already doing it. So it could be the same model for others.
Big T
Roar Rookie
Fair comments sir. I have been to plenty of Bears, Jets and and Wests games, but I take your point. Fiji, PNG and making the cost work now. Others can in future. And, like we saw with the Wolf Pack, maybe if we change the league we change who turns up? Thanks for taking the time to read it and respond mate. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your response.
Big T
Roar Rookie
Well said sir.
Big T
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
Big T
Roar Rookie
I love all of this comment.
trilby
Roar Rookie
Sûre, if you can find more billionaires and heavily subsidise teams but don’t think the finances will be there for a number of years