More games, more teams: NRL boss hints at NRLW expansion plans

NRLW expansion is not completely off the table within the next few seasons, with CEO Andrew Abdo saying he’s open to negotiating with the players’ union for more teams and an expanded season following the entry of the Bulldogs and Warriors.

NRLW expansion is not completely off the table within the next few seasons with CEO Andrew Abdo saying he’s open to negotiating with the players’ union.

As part of the NRLW collective bargaining agreement signed in 2023, expansion for the women’s competition is capped at 12 teams until the end of 2027, a threshold reached this season with the inclusion of the Warriors and Bulldogs.

However, at the 2025 NRLW season launch on Monday, Abdo said the rapid growth of the women’s game requires constant review and flexibility.

The 2025 NRLW season launch. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“We’ve done a collective bargaining agreement that contemplated growing from 10 to 12 teams, and the current set up of the salary cap doesn’t preclude us from growing beyond that, but obviously requires a renegotiation, and we’re at the point now where really want to focus on making sure that this season successful,” he said.

“And then again, we’ll review and have a look at what the road map looks like over the next couple of years.

“It’s a key strategic question and one that we’re working on together with everyone in the system, so the clubs, the players association.

“The commission is really focused on growing the women’s game. But that growth doesn’t necessarily mean just more teams, it’s making sure that we have an increased pipeline of talent.

“And it’s also the type of competition that we run, the length of that competition. So it’s multiple factors. It’s not just the number of teams.”

Georgia Hale and Ali Brigginshaw. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The ultimate goal is for every NRL club to have a women’s team, including incoming franchises Perth and Papua New Guinea.

Of the current NRL teams, five don’t have a women’s team in the NRLW premiership – Manly, Melbourne, Penrith, Dolphins and South Sydney.

“We’re in dialogue with all the clubs who don’t have a licence around a number of factors, their investment into pathways and grassroots football, their geographical regional areas and facilities, high performance facilities, centres of excellence, and their plans and their strategy and stadiums as well as well so and their plan and their strategy for growth, and how that sort of fits in with our overall plan,” Abdo said.

“We’re all aligned around our vision of ultimately having each team housing both a men’s and women’s team, and we’re in dialogue with each club on a bespoke strategy for that.”

Roosters captain Isabelle Kelly. Picture: Rohan Kelly

The latest franchises, PNG and Perth, represent huge opportunities for the women’s game.

“If you think about it, both of those teams represent huge markets for us, and that is an opportunity for whether it’s young women in Papua New Guinea, or whether it’s young women in Western Australia, to be able to see a pathway through to becoming a professional footballer is pretty enticing,” he said.

“So we have in those discussions with the establishment of those franchises, the commission has made it clear that the vision is for both the men’s and women’s competition for those franchises because of the market they’re in, and how that enables us to bring new talent into the game.”

Originally published as More games, more teams: NRL boss hints at NRLW expansion plans