NRL: Controversial Titans founder Michael Searle helping New Zealand in expansion bid, Peter V’landys pushes expansion aspirants to up their game
Controversial Gold Coast Titans founder Michael Searle is back in the rugby league scene, emerging as a shock key figure in a bid to bring an second NRL franchise to New Zealand.
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Controversial Gold Coast Titans founder Michael Searle has emerged as one of the shock key figures in a bid to bring an NRL franchise to the South Island of New Zealand.
Searle, who brought Gold Coast back to the big league in 2007 before selling out when the Titans hit financial turmoil, is helping the Southern Orcas with their bid to win an NRL licence.
It is understood Searle has also been at the centre of merger talks between at least two of the three bid teams out of Christchurch.
All three bids were officially rejected by the NRL last week, although they refuse to take no for an answer and will continue to lobby head office to enter the competition at some point in the future.
The NRL has suspended plans to add a second team in New Zealand while they focus on finalising a licence for Papua New Guinea and work on reviving the Bears bid with the West Australian government.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand bid teams will be forced to bide their time and strengthen their claims to become the 20th team.
Orcas boss Andrew Chalmers confirmed Searle had been enlisted to help his consortium and insisted he would continue to be involved as they persist with plans to secure a licence.
“We have been mates for years,” Chalmers said.
“He has been providing advice. He was actually fixed to one of the other bids when I told him that we were putting in.
“He was very keen to be involved and help in any way he can. He’s been there and done that. He has had his challenges, but he has a wealth of experience.”
Searle was the architect of the Titans entering the competition in 2007 but the club hit the financial skids, in part because they committed to building a $25 million Centre of Excellence.
After the club was at the centre of a series of controversies, Searle eventually parted ways with the Titans before they ended up in the hands of their current owners Darryl Kelly and the Frizelle family.
Searle was also one of the driving forces behind the formation of the ARL Commission. Ironically, that body will now make a decision on whether the bid to add a second team in New Zealand is given the green light.
Former New Zealand coach Frank Endacott is involved in another of the south island bids that was rejected late last week.
It is believed he has held furtive talks with Searle, Chalmers and the Orcas about a merger.
“We’ve received an email notifying us the bid had been rejected,” Endacott said.
“We haven’t got further information at this stage, but we’re not giving up this easily. We haven’t given up hope.
“It came as a shock because we felt we had put together a strong bid. But we’re determined to have a second team in New Zealand and there’s three bids from this region.
“Obviously I feel we, the south island bid, have the strongest bid.
“But I just want to see an NRL team in Christchurch and if one of the other bids was to be successful, that would be wonderful for the game in New Zealand.
“There is no doubt in my mind this city can sustain an NRL team. If an NRL team came to Christchurch, it would be the best thing to happen to the city for decades.”
Endacott insisted a second team in New Zealand would threaten rugby union’s grip on the country.
“Rugby union would be seriously under threat in this country if the NRL had two rugby league teams in New Zealand,” he said.
Chalmers was defiant in the face of rejection and remains confident that his bid will prevail despite being knocked back by the NRL only days ago.
“What we are very conscious of is the NRL having clear air to get the 18th team resolved with the games’ stakeholders - the clubs,” Chalmers said.
“That needs to play its way out.
“The level of financial backing we have got is unbelievable. The amount of wealth in New Zealand is phenomenal.
“When I show you the plans we have got and the path we are going down, I’m telling you it is the best thing for the game.”
V’LANDYS CLAIMS NRL EXPANSION BIDS ARE TAKING PROCESS FOR GRANTED
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has warned expansion hopefuls to lift their games after Queensland’s hopes of winning a fifth NRL licence suffered a crippling blow.
V’landys insists fresh expansion is not dead but the ARLC chief has put prospective consortiums on notice after eight proposals - including three from Queensland - were formally rejected by the NRL.
Breaking his silence on the slew of bid rejections, V’landys lashed the consortia for taking the expansion process for granted, declaring the prospective NRL hopefuls had arrived at the last-chance saloon.
The Brisbane Tigers and a Central Queensland consortium had tabled bids, while Ipswich’s western corridor joined forces with Newtown to form a Jets alliance in the hope of winning a licence.
The NRL has devised a masterplan to expand to a 20-team league, with the Western Bears and Papua New Guinea initially slated as the 18th and 19th franchises to enter the big league in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
But after rejecting a host of bids, including a Perth consortium behind the Western Bears and a trio of Christchurch-based New Zealand teams, the NRL’s expansion process is at a crossroads.
Papua New Guinea’s $600 million bid, backed by Australia’s Federal government, is the only palatable proposal thus far and V’landys made it clear the NRL hopefuls must shape up - or ship out.
“They all just took it for granted,” V’landys said.
“We asked for a business case from each of the interested bid teams and quite simply, they don’t stack up.
“At the moment, their bids aren’t good enough.
“The PNG bid is going well, but it is still to be finalised and the next step is to go to the (existing NRL) clubs for consultation.
“The other bids now realise they haven’t gone far enough.
“They (the rejected bids) want a chance to review their bids and we’re happy to consider that - but they need to do more.”
The NRL’s decision will come as a particular shock for the Brisbane Tigers, who were unsuccessful during the code’s most recent expansion foray three years ago, when their Firebirds bid lost out to the Redcliffe Dolphins for the 17th licence.
The Easts Leagues-backed operation is a financial juggernaut with cash reserves of $25 million, total assets of $57.4m and equity of $52.4m.
Meanwhile, the Ipswich Jets, who have struck an agreement with Newtown, are adamant the NRL cannot ignore Brisbane’s booming western corridor region, including Toowoomba, which is being targeted by the AFL.
But unless the Brisbane Tigers and Jets make urgent improvements to their bids, the door will shut on a fifth Queensland NRL club.
“We haven’t ruled out another team in Queensland but the Brisbane bids failed as well,” V’landys said.
“We want those consortiums to show us where a new fan base is and that they won’t be stealing fans from the Broncos, Titans or Dolphins.
“One of the reasons the Dolphins were admitted to the NRL in the last process was because they were able to demonstrate how they would bring a new fanbase to rugby league.
“And they have done that.”
V’landys will arrive in New Zealand on Sunday for Australia’s Pacific Championships clash against the Kiwis in Christchurch.
The ARLC boss will use the trip as a part fact-finding mission on Christchurch’s suitability for an NRL team and he is adamant expansion is not dead at this stage.
“Expansion isn’t off at all,” he said.
“Things are still looking positive, but we have major expectations around what a bid must deliver.
“We’re not just going to give away licences and accept any bid because we have an interest in expanding.
“Our discussions with PNG have gone well and we will now take it to the clubs as part of the consultation process.
“We’re not dealing with the Perth consortium but I’ve had talks with the Western Australian premier (Roger Cook) and he is just as committed as he always was to an NRL team.
“A second New Zealand team is absolutely still an option. I am going over there on Sunday for the Test match so I will have a good look at the region.
“These consortiums need to have a strong business case that shows how coming into the competition is going to bring a lot of benefits to the game of rugby league.
“If those benefits aren’t there and the investment isn’t there, well, we won’t go ahead with expansion.
“But the initial plan (for 19 teams in 2028) is still possible depending on how discussions go with the clubs and the WA government.”
Former NRL boss David Moffett was disappointed his Christchurch-based bid was shunned, but vowed to press ahead with plans for the South Island Kea to be part of an expanded competition.
“We are really disappointed to get the notification that our bid had been rejected,” Moffett said.
“We are reviewing it and we will be attempting to address the issues in respect to our bid and we will go back to the NRL and see whether we can provide another bid which meets their requirements.”
The Kea are one of three bids from New Zealand’s south island and Moffett said he was happy to continue working with the NRL.
“We’ve always taken the view especially with my experience in sports administration that it’s entirely within the rights of the NRL to decide when, if and who they are going to choose for an expansion team,” Moffett said.
“We actually respect that.
“We are fully supportive of their decision to go to Perth, PNG and whoever in New Zealand. We will continue to put our best foot forward and try to work out exactly where our bid fell down and address their issues.”
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