QRL boss Bruce Hatcher protests over plan to add NRL teams to Hostplus Cup

An interstate showdown is looming over plans to shoe-horn NRL clubs into Queensland and the state’s most fearless administrator has his gloves in the air.

Angry Queensland rugby league officials have phoned ARL commissioners to protest over a push to shoe-horn NRL clubs into the state’s domestic competition.

QRL chairman Bruce Hatcher said his body was extremely concerned to learn the NRL was discussing a plan to have teams from the Broncos, Titans and Cowboys injected into the Hostplus Cup next year.

The fourth Queensland club, the Dolphins, grew from the Redcliffe club which will continue to exist without any issue in the local competition.

QRL officials feel some clubs based in the regions of bigger NRL clubs might struggle to continue as players migrate to the NRL scene and bigger pay packets.

QRL officials fear a side like the ladder-leading Burleigh Bears could be severely hampered if a Gold Coast Titans team was included in the Hostplus Cup.

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Queensland Rugby League chairman Bruce Hatcher fearless administrator Picture: AAP Image/Dave Hunt

“I think it’s very ordinary,’’ Hatcher said. “We are happy with what we have got and the way it is going.

“I don’t think any of the commissioners have been to the country and seen the glue that really holds our competition together.

“I have rung half of the commissioners to tell them about our opposition to this sort of stuff and I plan to ring the other half.

“When you start going down a path like this you don’t understand tribalism and what it means in rugby league.

“I know what this is about – creating a national brand run out of Sydney – but we have built a geographical competition which runs from Cairns to Tweed Heads and includes Papua New Guinea and we will have a Toowoomba team next year. We are also looking at getting Pacific Islands involved.

“I know what they want. There is a view that everything has to be badged NRL but Queensland and NSW have looked after their competitions for 100-odd years.

“I sense they want the power to control our competition but the greater good of the game is more important.’’

Norths celebrate last season’s grand final win. Picture: Richard Walker

The Cowboys are believed to be the only Queensland club supporting the new hybrid league.

The Broncos have no complaints with their current arrangement in which they are linked to feeder clubs Norths, Souths and Wynnum.

“We try and keep talent in the regions,’’ Hatcher said.

“Our participation numbers are up five per cent. We won the State of Origin with a team that included a large number of players who were country raised.’’

Hostplus Cup clubs have a salary cap of $400,000 and a maximum spend on their top players of around $30,000 which means most of them are semi-professional.

Players signed by the NRL clubs earn a minimum of around $80,000 so there are fears among the existing Hostplus clubs their fragile talent pools could be stripped by players leaving to play for the NRL backed teams.

There are also concerns over having semi-professional players competing against full-timers, some of whom are on a pay packet which could be the equivalent of an entire regional team such as the Mackay Cutters.

Next year in the 90th anniversary of the birth of teams such as the Norths Devils and one official said “to exist for that long in the various competitions and produce such top players over all eras you must be doing something right.’’