NRL 2024: Brisbane Tigers rally to become next NRL expansion side, warn NRL against Papua New Guinea team
Brisbane Tigers chairman Shane Edwards has rallied for the club to become the fifth Queensland team in the NRL, while issuing a warning against the league expanding to Papua New Guinea.
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Brisbane Tigers chairman Shane Edwards insists Queensland is ready for a fifth NRL club and has warned ARLC boss Peter V’landys of the perils of expanding to Papua New Guinea.
Fresh expansion is on the horizon with V’landys revealing during last week’s Magic Round that the ARLC could make a call on adding more teams as early as next month.
Papua New Guinea is considered the hot favourite to win an 18th licence, while the Perth Bears and a second New Zealand franchise are other contenders to be part of a 20-team NRL within the decade.
But Edwards says the NRL would be making a grave mistake overlooking the Tigers as the code’s fifth Queensland team to safeguard Brisbane’s western corridor and combat the growing AFL threat.
Edwards, the former Broncos CEO who oversaw three premierships at Red Hill between 1995-2002, believes the Brisbane Tigers’ $25 million bid is more advanced than PNG.
“Politically, it looks like PNG are in the box seat to be the 18th team, whether that’s right or wrong. But Queensland deserves another team in the NRL,” Edwards said.
“The south-west corridor should have a team and deserves a team at some stage in the plans for a 20-team competition.
“If you ask Fox, of all the regions the NRL is looking at, I’m sure the most attractive team for TV subscribers would be another team in Queensland compared to other regions.
“The other clubs they are talking about, like Perth and PNG, don’t have pathways. We have the cash reserves and the infrastructure to hit the ground running in the NRL as soon as a new team is announced.”
V’landys insists he hasn’t closed the door on the Brisbane Tigers, but stressed a fifth Queensland team must not cannibalise the Broncos, Titans and Dolphins’ supporter bases.
“I won’t rule out a fifth Queensland team,” he said.
“It’s in the mix, but you have strong bids from a number of other areas.
“Queensland will definitely be in there, we’d be mad not to look at another Queensland team put it that way.
“The analysis will show us what the best options are and what the bid teams have to prove to us is they will bring in new fans.
“We don’t want current fans or fans taken away from the Broncos or Titans.
“Whoever comes in has to prove they will bring in new fans.
“Papua New Guinea is an easy one. They will bring in new fans. Perth is an easy one because that’s another new market.
“Christchurch in New Zealand will attract new fans as well.”
Edwards scoffed at suggestions the Tigers heading to Brisbane’s western corridor – considered the Broncos’ membership heartland – would damage Queensland’s flagship club.
“The Broncos would not be threatened,” he said.
“There were concerns about the Dolphins taking away from the Broncos, but the Broncos now have even more members, they have in excess of 50,000 members and the Dolphins have more than 30,000.
“In greater Melbourne, there’s 10 AFL teams and about 520,000 fans per team. In Sydney, there’s nine teams and an average of around 520,000 as well.
“If you look at greater Brisbane, there’s 2.4 million people, which is 1.2 million people per team for the Broncos and Dolphins, so there’s a population base for another Queensland team.
“We’re not low risk, we’re just the best option.
“We are 100 years old, we have an established club and stadium facilities in place.
“If you go to PNG, Perth or a new area in New Zealand, what history and infrastructure have they got?
“If PNG are going to be the 18th team, I think Queensland deserves to get the 19th licence.
“We could be operational by 2027. The Dolphins had an 18-month lead in and if we were given 18 months to prepare, we would certainly take up the challenge.
“The south-west corridor should have a team and deserves a team at some stage in the plans for a 20-team competition.”
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