Sport Confidential: Cowboys, Titans to go it alone in Queensland’s Hostplus Cup
Queensland is set to unveil two “new” rugby league teams, great news for the Broncos bravest fan and more in this week’s Sport Confidential.
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The Titans and Cowboys have formally lodged plans with the Queensland Rugby League to field their own teams in next year’s Hostplus Cup.
The QRL is currently in discussions with the two NRL clubs about expanding the 2024 premiership to a 17-team competition.
At this stage it looks as though the Titans and Cowboys will get their way, however there is a lot of water to go under the bridge. It is likely the ARLC will need to approve the move.
The QRL is a fan of the feeder arrangement strengthening second-division clubs, but is open to allowing the Titans and Cowboys to field their own sides.
That would mean the NRL franchises end their current feeder club arrangements next year.
The Titans currently provide fringe NRL players to the Tweed Heads Seagulls and Burleigh Bears each week.
The Cowboys have partnerships with the Northern Pride, Mackay Cutters and Townsville Blackhawks, however they have allocated the majority of their fringe players to the Blackhawks this season.
Both NRL clubs want to have more control over how their fringe players are coached and managed to create autonomy across their operations.
They believe that will help improve their pathways and the NRL team’s overall performance.
The Titans have never had their own reserve grade team while the Cowboys’ old team, the North Queensland Young Guns, ceased in 2007.
The Brisbane Broncos are currently happy with their system of sending players to Souths Logan, Norths and Wynnum-Manly.
The Dolphins will continue their feeder relationship with Redcliffe and the CQ Capras.
EXTENT OF NRL’S DOLPHINS SNUB REVEALED
Alex McKinnon has highlighted the stunning difference between the NRL and AFL around expansion concessions for the launch of the new AFL team in Tasmania.
The AFL will expand to 19 teams from 2028 after announcing the introduction of a new club in Tasmania this week.
And the game will go above and beyond in an effort to ensure the team is successful from day one.
That will include the Tasmanian team getting four or five first round draft picks in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 national drafts.
They will also be given $1 million outside the salary cap to sign marquee players and a father-son clause.
This is in stark contrast to what the NRL did to help the Dolphins enter the top grade.
The Dolphins received no concessions or assistance from the NRL when it came to putting together their foundation roster.
In essence, they had the same salary cap as the other 16 established clubs and only 15 months to get a team together.
Despite failing to land a marquee signing, the Dolphins have made a positive start to life in the NRL and are sitting ninth on the ladder heading into Magic Round.
McKinnon highlighted the difference in treatment between the two codes.
“To put things in perspective, this is how the AFL supported their future expansion team in Tas,” he wrote on Twitter, with a photo showing the AFL’s concessions.
“What assistance did the Dolphins receive?
“The performance from the Dolphins this year has been historic & unbelievable considering…”
WAYNE’S WORLD IN SIN CITY
He doesn’t drink. He doesn’t smoke. He doesn’t gamble. But Wayne Bennett can’t wait to go to Vegas.
The super coach believes the Dolphins should be one of the four teams to feature in the NRL’s Las Vegas double header next season and says he is happy to be a poster boy for rugby league in America.
Bennett has made three trips to America for league ventures, including the State of Origin exhibition game in California in 1987, and is relishing touching down in Sin City.
“I love Vegas, it is my favourite place in America,” Bennett said.
“If the NRL is playing a double header, myself and the Dolphins would love to be there.
“I don’t drink or gamble but I love Vegas because it’s a city that never sleeps.
“I went to America 36 years ago and it was meant to be a game changer for rugby league. It wasn’t, but at least we had some great memories. Allan Langer came third in a male modelling competition.
“The Broncos and Dolphins would be good options to go to Vegas for the NRL because the NFL has the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins, so there would be some good links there between the two brands.
“I have been to a number of NFL clubs and every time you take a video over of our game, they get excited and start yelling out in the corridor, look at these crazy blokes, they have no helmets on, they have no gear on. They love our athleticism and contact.
“The market is there, there is no doubt about that. I remember a Denver Broncos coach came out here and spent a week with me in Australia and couldn’t believe how good our game was.
“The problem is we don’t follow up in America. We don’t make a commitment. The American people are not going to invest in us unless we make a genuine commitment to them.”
GREAT NEWS FOR BRAVEST BRONCOS FAN
NRL coaching can be a cutthroat world but Broncos mentor Kevin Walters has taken time away from the pressures of the job to help a young fan win his battle with cancer.
Young Nate Wilson has been a regular at Broncos training over the past two years during his struggle with leukaemia.
Broncos Origin star Pat Carrigan and Walters have been two of Nate’s biggest supporters and the great news is the youngster is in remission.
Nate’s father Ben lauded the help of Walters and the Broncos.
“Nate finally got to arm wrestle Marty Taupau,” Ben said. “He had a post-training Powerade and Zooper Dooper with Kev and Patty was still out playing with Nate an hour after training finished.
“They are a great club.”
MAROON BID TO OWN MAGIC ROUND
The Queensland Government is ready to launch a fresh bid to keep Magic Round in Brisbane as rival states prepare poaching raids for the NRL Premiership’s marquee event.
This weekend’s fourth instalment of Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium is expected to be the biggest yet, with up to 150,000 fans expected over the three-day NRL extravaganza.
The Super League-adapted concept, which sees all eight matches of an NRL round played at the one venue, kicked off in 2019 and has been a raging success since.
It injects millions into Queensland’s economy as fans flock from across the country and has been hugely supported.
That hasn’t gone unnoticed, with Queensland’s current contract to host Magic Round ending after the 2024 event and leaving the concept open to heading elsewhere.
But the Queensland Government is determined to make the Sunshine State the permanent home of Magic Round.
“The Queensland Government has an agreement with the NRL for 2023 and 2024,” Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said.
“Introduced in 2019, Magic Round is a Queensland innovation and we have backed it from the start, creating the world’s largest rugby league festival in true rugby league heartland.
“This marquee event made for Queensland and for the best rectangular stadium in the world Suncorp Stadium has been a resounding success, with crowds of more than 130,000 in the past two seasons.
“We have always enjoyed a strong relationship with the NRL, and we look forward to continuing discussions with them about the future of Magic Round at the appropriate time.”
Crowds of up to 50,000 are expected each day and Suncorp Stadium general manager Alan Graham said he wanted it to remain in Brisbane.
“Absolutely we want it, the fact it is such a mature product now and is one of the jewels in the NRL’s crown,” he said.
“When you’ve got something like that, you’d hope they see it as a major benefit and highlight that gives strength to their season. We’d be hoping they take all those things into account.
“There will always be others that want to pinch something once it’s proven to be a really good product.
“You’ve also got to look at the bigger picture of how successful it’s going to be and what that means for the code overall.”
STORM ALERT FOR NEW COACH
Jason Ryles has rocketed into favouritism to succeed super coach Craig Bellamy at the Storm.
Sport Confidential understands Bellamy is on the verge of finally standing down as Melbourne coach, opening the door for Ryles to take charge at the Storm.
Bellamy has flirted with retirement for several years but the 64-year-old had set his sights on serving 20 years as Storm coach and he has reached that milestone.
The champion Storm coach will make a final call in the coming weeks and if Bellamy finally decides to draw the curtain, Ryles is a frontline contender to replace him.
Ryles has previously served at the Storm as an assistant to Bellamy and Melbourne were keen for him to pick up other ideas at the Roosters, where he is currently helping Trent Robinson.
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon served a fine apprenticeship under Robinson and Ryles is doing the same at Bondi with a view to returning to Melbourne.
Storm legend Billy Slater is another option to succeed Bellamy but he is expected to commit to the Queensland Origin side for another term next year.
Storm chairman Matt Tripp is resigned to Bellamy moving into another role next season and confirmed Ryles is in the mix.
“Craig has given every indication that this year will be his last year and this time I believe him compared to years gone by,” Tripp said.
“He suggests this year is his last and I have to take him on face value.
“I’m clinging on at the moment and living in hope that he decides to coach on for another year.
“We would want someone that has been in our system before and we have some able assistants would be part of the process to replace Craig.
“There are assistants at other clubs that we would look at it if they were interested, guys like Brett White and Jason Ryles know the DNA of the Storm.”
PAYNE RELIEF FOR BRONCOS
Brisbane prop Martin Taupau has urged superstar teammate Payne Haas not to quit the Broncos in the face of a poaching raid from Rugby Australia.
Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan has made no secret of his desire to poach the Broncos bookend and he has held talks with the Haas camp in a bid to lure the NSW Origin for the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Taupau said he would understand if Haas craved a new challenge in rugby, but hopes he stays loyal to the Broncos.
“All of us here hope he will stay in rugby league,” he said.
“It’s really hard to be in his position.
“A lot of people criticise what is happening at the moment, but for an individual like Payne, you have to do what’s best for yourself and your family.
“He is a phenomenal athlete and a great human being.
“It was hard playing against him because for a player like Payne Haas, you don’t know where to tackle him. He has got a big engine, he is fit, fast and strong and he is a different specimen. I am glad he is on our side.
“Rugby league isn’t going to go anywhere. As long as you look after your body and your mind, mentally, whether you go elsewhere or stay in the game, rugby league isn’t going to go anywhere.
“For Payne, I believe he has great people around him, great mentors and advisors, so he will make the best decision for himself and his family.”
CRONK PUTS PONGA UNDER THE PUMP
Queensland legend Cooper Cronk says Kalyn Ponga should be retained for Origin I, but has challenged the Knights skipper to show more leadership.
Ponga had a defensive ‘Knight-mare’ in last week’s heavy loss to the Eels and there is a push for him to be axed for Origin I in favour of Broncos fullback recruit Reece Walsh.
Cronk believes the Maroons must keep the faith in Ponga, but he urged the Newcastle custodian to play with more consistency as he settles back into the NRL after his trip to Canada for concussion testing.
Asked if Ponga is in his Queensland side for Origin I on May 31, Cronk told NRL 360: “Absolutely he is.
“But in terms of his leadership … the Penrith game (when Ponga didn’t play) they defended well, then the captain comes back the last two weeks and he just had to set a better example.
“Be more resilient, have better defence because at the end of the day your leaders set the example of how to do it.”
Cronk doesn’t believe Ponga is gun-shy over his head-knock concerns.
“Two things, when you are tackling and you miss a tackle, one, it’s technical, but the other layer to all this is he has missed a bit of footy through concussion, so is that underpinning a little bit of his decision-making at different stages,” Cronk said.
“A little bit of it sits with the concussion. Anyone who has concussion fears should double-down on (tackling) technique because technique is the greatest thing to protect you.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s concussion or you are a bad defender, just like if you are trying to improve your kicking game, spend time working on tackling, it is half of the game.”
NRL’S BIG CALL ON QUEENSLAND TEAMS’ VEGAS FATE
A Queensland club is set to be included among the four teams to embark on the NRL’s historic double header in Las Vegas next season.
On the day he jetted off to the United States on Thursday, ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys told Sports Confidential the NRL is keen to have a Queensland flavour for their historic venture on American soil.
The ARL Commission is backing plans to host two premiership games to launch the 2024 season in Las Vegas and while V’landys is heading to the US to meet contacts in the racing industry, he will use the trip to advance the NRL’s strategic push into America.
The NRL has yet to decide which four clubs will be ‘Coming to America’, but V’landys confirmed one Queensland franchise from the Broncos, Cowboys, Titans or Dolphins are frontline contenders.
The Broncos are one of the most famous brands in Australian sport, North Queensland share the same nickname as NFL side Dallas Cowboys, while Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett is one of the most powerful figures in rugby league.
V’landys said the claims of all 17 teams will be considered, but a Queensland club is firming for the NRL’s ambitious trip to Sin City.
“We haven’t decided on the four teams as yet,” the ARLC chairman said just before boarding his flight to the US.
“There has been a lot of speculation, but naturally, we would like one of the four teams to be a Queensland team.
“That’s still to be formalised.
“We haven’t spoken to the clubs, we haven’t discussed anything with the Commission.
“The first opportunity is to discuss it with the clubs and they are meeting as a group during Magic Round in Brisbane with Andrew Abdo (NRL CEO), so I’m sure it will be discussed there.
“But the Broncos are one of the biggest brands in Australian sport and they will certainly come into consideration.”
The NRL had explored taking a premiership game to the US this season and the Broncos were one of the clubs sounded out by the governing body.
The Broncos have star power. Media mogul Lachlan Murdoch is a long-time fan of the Broncos, who recorded a record $60 million turnover last season and are consistently one of the highest-rating NRL clubs with TV audiences.
Brisbane chief executive Dave Donaghy said last week he would support Queensland’s flagship club being part of the NRL’s American dream.
“We are certainly open to it and hearing more about the concept and what the NRL’s long-term plans for the US may be,” Donaghy said.
“Subject to aligning with our schedule and planning, I’m sure we would have a level of interest to have a discussion about what an NRL double header in Vegas would look like.
“The game is keeping its cards close to its chest for now, but the one thing we want to provide for our players and staff and fans is really great opportunities.
“If you have the opportunity to play an NRL game at a stadium like that in Vegas, it would be negligent of us not to look at and give it serious consideration.”
BRONCOS MAD FOR BARRA
THE Broncos have caught barramundi fever.
Broncos trio Kurt Capewell, Cory Paix and Kobe Hetherington went on a fishing charter the day after Brisbane’s recent match against Parramatta in Darwin.
They landed 12 barramundi between them in the short morning session and even encountered a saltwater crocodile at the boat ramp before flying back to Brisbane that afternoon.
Broncos chairman Karl Morris has also been in the Top End over the past week chasing the prized sport fish.
Morris flew into Darwin then headed to The Kimberley region in Western Australia to snare a few barra before Magic Round.
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