With the Dolphins entering the NRL in 2023 as the 17th franchise, clearly the competition will seek to admit an 18th side. There is nothing we can do but begin to speculate about the ideal location for such a side to be based.

Whether you are one who questions if there is enough playing talent for the 17th side, depending on your views of the recruitment done by the Dolphins, and whether there would be enough to support an 18th franchise, you cannot deny that all indicators point towards an 18th franchise being introduced by the National Rugby League – with all expectations of it being done as early as the next broadcast deal.

Let’s spend a couple of minutes to discuss the potential locations for the franchise.

Western Australia

It is absolutely no secret that Perth want an NRL side. Many pundits believe Perth is the best location for an 18th franchise into the National Rugby League. Recently the independent commission have taken two State of Origin matches to Western Australia, while the new stadium was opened back in 2018 with an NRL doubleheader.

Perth could immediately dispel any concerns of the ‘lack of players’ already available to the 17 NRL Franchises due to have their own junior and senior pathways well and truly removed from the east coast season most of the Australian-based sides ‘fight’ over.

WA has not been represented in top-flight rugby league since the Western Reds came to an end at the end of the 1997 season following the Super League war. The government and Western Australia Rugby League have already taken the steps by establishing the West Coast Pirates for a bid for eventual inclusion into the National Rugby League.

The WARL form a side each year to compete in the Affiliated States Championship and are considered to have the strongest state team of the three non-rugby league states after having won the most Affiliated States Championships.

The time delay between the east and west coast is also seen as a highly desirable aspect of any future bid of the WARL, although some remain concerned about the travel that would be involved when adding cross-country trips to the already busy domestic travel teams, players and coaching staff endure.

Papua New Guinea

With the rise in players wanting to represent their heritage, and that of their families, the international game has strengthened over recent years. The Papua New Guinea and Australian governments, along with Andrew Abdo, have all publicly stated a desire to add a PNG Rugby League team into the competition.

The Papua New Guinea Hunters have recently been competing in the Queensland Cup, taking the Queensland Cup title in 2017, and remain the only side without NRL affiliation.

Unlike Western Australia, Port Moresby is the same time zone as Brisbane and therefore does not allow for fancy broadcast play to take advantage of the time zone differences some other potential candidates can offer.

Rugby league is, however, the national sport of PNG and like Perth should not provide too much of a ‘drain’ on the current player pool. If anything, it would provide an additional pathway for players in PNG to break into the game at the biggest level.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

New Zealand – South Island

When the Gold Coast Titans were added to the NRL in 2007, one of their opposing bidders were the Wellington Orcas. While it has been a long time since we heard any sort of buzz from our friends across the ditch in relation to an additional franchise, there is a method to the madness of introducing a South Island franchise to the competition.

In New Zealand it is usually union or cricket – as such much of the pathways are directed towards union and identifying the next crop of all dominating All Blacks.

With the right management and action plan, imagine providing all those union players a different pathway to stardom.

Only 40-ish players are picked for an All Blacks camp. Eventually, the realisation sinks in for many, and trust me it does, that they may be good but 3 million into 40 doesn’t leave good odds. Having a suitable back-up, with programs, notoriety etc could help resolve the player drain complaint.

I hear many of you screaming at your screens for my manager now. Why, when the Warriors have been in the competition for over 25 years and effectively haven’t made a dent? One critical reason is the game the Warriors have brought in over the years has shaped the NRL into what it is today.

The physicality, the passing the ball around basketball-style, not to mention producing some of the game’s biggest moments and players.

But every decision made by those at the NRL, in clubland, even every decision we make in a daily life is one where we are hoping it is for the best.

Establishing a side in the South Island not only creates a real local rivalry for the New Zealand Warriors but think of the long-term possibilities from a marketing perspective from the game itself.

(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Anzac Day clash: Warriors versus Team 18. Future of North versus South State of Origin where the eligibility is as basic as you represent the Island of birth.

North Sydney Bears

It wouldn’t be fair to discuss the expansion of the National Rugby League to 18 teams without some of the ‘would it work?’ franchise ideas that have been floated in the past.

The North Sydney Bears are desperate to return to the NRL. However, with an oversaturated Sydney market as it is they have never been considered a real threat of being handed a licence. The Bears’ offer is to play minimal games at Central Coast Stadium, with some other conditions, in return for strong financial support and a large supporter base who’d do anything to see the Bears back in action.

As such whenever the prospect of a new franchise is being discussed the North Sydney Bears pop up pledging to align with any potential franchise candidate.

Traditionalists would love to see the Bears back into the competition, new age supporters have long moved on, but an idea floated previously – throughout many article and opinion pieces – is the Bears aligning with the Western Australian bid.

This bid would see the ‘bulk’ of the matches played in Western Australia, however four or five to be hosted from Central Coast Stadium.

With each article that comes out relating to the pure mention of expansion of the NRL it, at times, seems the Bears (perhaps rightly so?) demands change and increase. Reports have suggested everything from the Bears moniker must be used, to colours, to 50-50 ownership and until appropriate discussions between any potential franchise holder and the Central Coast Bears do take place it truly is unknown as to what their real conditions are.

As such, any discussion relating to the Bears and their inclusion is difficult without knowing what they bring and want from any partnership.

In conclusion

It is a matter of when, not if, the National Rugby League add the 18th franchise. Above are just some options and reasoning for the licence to go to the candidates listed – but when the time comes, who knows who will throw their hand up.

Will one of the defeated Brisbane-based franchises who lost out to the Dolphins go through the process again? Will a roughie come out of nowhere?

Where do you think the next franchise should go?

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