NRL 2024: Expansion contenders reveal dream inaugural coach, player signings to lead new side
The Newtown Jets have expressed their interest in supporting an NRL franchise in WA, positioning themselves as a brand that supports a fun, young and diverse rugby league culture. See their pitch alongside expansion contenders from Australia and NZ.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Rugby league’s expansion hopefuls are shooting for the stars when it comes to their inaugural coach as they target a trio of the game’s biggest names in pursuit of instant credibility.
This masthead spoke to the key players for the respective consortiums in Perth, PNG, Brisbane and New Zealand as the ARL Commission prepares to officially launch the countdown to expansion by opening its doors to bid chiefs next week.
The commission will meet only hours before the second State of Origin game in Melbourne to discuss their road map to 20 teams and finalise a criteria for the consortiums looking to win the coveted licenses.
It is understood they will officially call for expressions of interest after Wednesday’s meeting as they look to add an 18th team as early as 2027, before expanding to 20 sides in the ensuing years.
Perth and PNG are the favourites to claim the 18th and 19th licences, with the south island of New Zealand vying with another team in Brisbane to eventually become the 20th team.
Supercoaches Craig Bellamy, Wayne Bennett and Ivan Cleary – with a combined 13 premierships between them – headline the list of coaching targets expected to be pursued by the respective expansion teams when they eventually get the green light.
Bellamy has a rolling contract with Melbourne until the end of 2027, which makes him an ideal candidate to take over one of the new teams.
Seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett, whose deal with South Sydney expires at the end of 2027, has already been identified by ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys as an ideal figurehead for the PNG bid.
“It’s a shame Wayne Bennett is signed with Souths but maybe we can get Craig Bellamy,” WA bid boss Peter Cumins said.
“He is used to working in an AFL state and he knows the challenges that brings. I love the culture he brings to a club.”
Cleary, the winner of the past three premierships with Penrith, is also off contract at the end of 2027.
“Ivan Cleary played for the Bears in 1992 and 1993,” North Sydney chair Daniel Dickson said.
“The thing you would hope for is a coach with a rich history with the club and Ivan has that.”
Queensland coach Billy Slater is the other prominent coach in the sights of the Brisbane Tigers, although he has shown little interest in becoming a full-time NRL coach to date.
“Craig Bellamy is a great coach but Billy Slater would be our first choice,” Tigers chief executive Shane Edwards said.
“He is a proud Queenslander and he has done an excellent job with the Maroons Origin team. If he ever wanted to coach in the NRL, he would be a great fit for the Tigers.”
The successful expansion teams will no doubt look to take a leaf out of the Dolphins book as they target a coach capable of giving them instant clout in the NRL.
Bennett has been lauded for his work at the Dolphins, having exceeded expectation in year one and repeated the feat this season by leading the side into the top four,
The more immediate priority for the bid teams is to get their house in order and convince the NRL that they are ready to enter the premiership.
With that in mind, talks over a PNG franchise have heated up again in recent days with discussions between the PNG Prime Minister and senior officials from the federal government.
It is understood representatives of the Western Australia government will also be in Sydney for meetings with potential partners from the North Sydney Bears and the Newtown Jets in coming days as well as prospective investors including multi-millionaire ad guru John Singleton.
Those talks come at a crucial time in the negotiations over expansion.
The ARL Commission has made no secret of its desire to see the Perth bid aligned with the North Sydney Bears, who would bring with them an army of fans and established pathways.
Yet talks between the parties have been hampered by the demands of the Bears and the presence of Singleton, who is willing to pour in millions if it means that the Jets are revived.
The broadcasters have also made it clear that they would prefer the Bears involved in some capacity, another important aspect in the criteria for entry that will be finalised and shared with the interested consortiums when they make their interest official.
The aim is to have a window of about a month for bids to be finalised and then another month to reach a decision on how expansion will take place, meaning the NRL should be in position to make an announcement in October.
There is a view that eventually expanding to 20 teams will allow the game to tinker with its scheduling, potentially shortening the regular season, extending the finals series and moving Origin to a more palatable place on the calendar.
Western Australia bid
BID CHIEF: Peter Cumins
COACH?
It’s a shame Wayne Bennett is signed with Souths but maybe we can get Craig Bellamy. He is used to working in an AFL state and he knows the challenges that brings. I love the culture he brings to a club.
PLAYER?
Nathan Cleary would be a dream signing. He is the best player in the game and a wonderful halfback
WHY YOU?
For a small population we punch above our weight.
It’s very attractive for players to come here with their families. It’s a great city with great weather, our health and education systems are first class, we have blue skies and clean air. I’m not so sure I want to join up and go to play in Papua New Guinea if I was a player. We have that lifestyle attraction and some of the biggest companies in Australia are in Western Australia, so there is a lot of corporate money.
Newtown Jets
BID CHIEF: Stuart McCarthy
COACH?
Newtown Jets’ focus is on development, scouting, and pathways to support an NRL franchise. The franchise owners will be responsible for selecting a head coach. Our role as a partner will be to support participation and pathways in WA, help recruit talent from WA and beyond, and develop them through our system to support the club’s elite player development and high-performance program by providing the best possible coaching and regular playing time in the NSW Cup
PLAYER?
A dream first signing would be one of our young guns in our NSW Cup squad or to identify talent out of Western Australia who can work through our system to be a foundation signing for the new franchise.
WHY YOU?
Newtown Jets has a proven history of nurturing young talent. We are a proven talent developer for the NRL. Under an expanded elite player developmental framework, Newtown Jets can continue to harvest greater talent for the NRL. We are also competitive in the NSW Cup, having won two premierships and played in five Grand Finals. Culturally, we also bring something unique to the NRL. We bring a fun, young and diverse culture to rugby league that doesn’t exist now. Despite our exit from the national competition decades ago, we have one of the most relevant brands in rugby league.
North Sydney Bears
BID CHIEF: Daniel Dickson
COACH?
Ivan Cleary played for the Bears in 1992 and 1993. The thing you would hope for is a coach with a rich history with the club and Ivan has that, not to mention three premierships as well.
PLAYER?
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow would bring so much to any team he plays for. He is an excitement machine and you would love to see him in a Bears jersey.
WHY YOU?
It’s a fantastic story for rugby league. When you talk about the growth of rugby league, you can’t just plant a seed and expect it to grow tomorrow. With our history and our fans, we are in the barrier and we are ready to jump. Bringing a foundation club back to the game, it would be the right thing to do.
Brisbane Tigers
BID CHIEF: Shane Edwards
COACH?
Craig Bellamy is a great coach but Billy Slater would be our first choice. He is a proud Queenslander and he has done an excellent job with the Maroons Origin team. If he ever wanted to coach in the NRL, he would be a great fit for the Tigers.
PLAYER?
Our dream first player would logically be a player with strong playing and family ties to Queensland’s south-west corridor. A player like Sam Walker, who hails from Ipswich, ticks all the boxes and would certainly be of interest.
WHY YOU?
The Brisbane Tigers’ bid will provide the strongest returns to the NRL in terms of revenue, television audiences and pathways development in both the immediate and long term.
There is a great need for a team in Brisbane’s western corridor, the AFL has started their Academy in recent weeks and we need to give people in that region an NRL team to support.
PNG Bid
BID CHIEF: Andrew Hill
We appreciate the interest in our Bid and the discussions we are having, however, in terms of those conversations and plans with players and staff, we will keep those private.
Rugby League in PNG and the pacific is very important to the long term growth for the game and as the national sport in PNG we are looking forward to opening the pathways for young players to enter the NRL & NRLW in coming seasons.
KIWI EXPANSION HOPEFULS
South Island NRL Bid
BID CHIEF: Tony Kidd
COACH?
Either Wayne Bennett, or Craig Bellamy. Both are in high demand and they can’t be everywhere, so maybe the most innovative coaches rugby league has seen in a while – Ben and Shane Walker. It’s a crime they haven’t been picked up as head coaches by an NRL side already. Or a coach with a lot of local knowledge and mana, from Christchurch, David Kidwell.
PLAYER?
Bringing local players back to Christchurch would be a strong signal of their faith in our club going forward. The Dolphins have shown you don’t need a marquee player. Happy to let the coach pick the side that suits him. My personal favourites? Jordan Riki, Griffin Neame and Jamayne Isaako.
WHY YOU?
There are compelling reasons why the South Island of New Zealand deserves its very own team; Twenty six per cent of current NRL players are from New Zealand, New Zealand is the second-biggest broadcasting market the NRL has, Te Kaha (Christchurch) and Forsyth Barr (Dunedin) and it’d create a derby for the Warriors.
South Island Kea
BID CHIEF: David Moffett
COACH?
We have several coaches in mind and will reveal our list in order of preference when we lodge our bid.
PLAYER?
We would like to sign Jordan Riki, his family live in Christchurch and he played for the Hornby Panthers. He grew in Christchurch and attended St Thomas’s of Canterbury College in Christchurch.
WHY YOU?
Our laser focus on development and pathways will ensure that we develop local talent rather than signings from existing clubs. Having said that we will always have the welcome mat out for Kiwis and Pasifika who want to come home. Christchurch, New Zealand’s second-largest city and the South Island offer a fresh and untapped market for the NRL
Market Watch: Talagi makes call on Eels future
Rising Parramatta Eels star Blaize Talagi has made a call on his future at the club. See the latest NRL transfer news.
Panthers to hold talks with restless To’o
Penrith Panthers have scheduled a meeting with winger Brian To’o’s management following revelations the State of Origin star is restless at the club.