NRL 2021: Clubs set for showdown over expansion, new Brisbane team, Titan on chopping block
The Gold Coast Titans are clearing the decks at season’s end with a former NSW Origin utility facing a $300,000 pay cut to continue his career at the club. It’s Sports Confidential.
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The NRL is set for an expansion showdown with the game’s current clubs who are ready to fight against the introduction of a new team in Brisbane.
The ARL Commission is edging towards making a decision on whether a 17th team based in Brisbane will enter the competition from 2023 or 2024 after meeting with the prospective bid teams this week.
But expansion will not be given the green light without a fight from a host of current NRL clubs that do not want to see a new team in the league.
The NRL’s Expansion Assessment Committee is also under pressure to ensure the battle for a second Brisbane team is not purely decided by money.
There is a view cash is king in the fight for a 17th NRL licence but top-secret documents, obtained by Sport Confidential, can reveal the five key pillars the NRL claim they will consider when deciding a winning expansion team.
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In the Expression Of Interest documents sent to the Firehawks, Dolphins and Jets in June, the NRL outlined five crucial areas that must be addressed.
Intriguingly, according to the five categories imposed by the NRL, money is not the most important factor.
Growth of the game and evidence of new participation is given the highest weighting with 30 per cent, followed by financial viability, which is rated at 25 per cent.
The final three areas are all weighted at 15 per cent each. They are Governance and Risk, Commercial Strategy and Football Competitiveness.
ARL Commission boss Peter V‘landys has previously declared participation will be crucial to the winning expansion bid as the NRL faces a sporting turf war from rival code the AFL, which is targeting Brisbane’s western-corridor region.
WHAT’S IN A NAME FOR EXPANSION
The NRL expansion battle has taken an intriguing twist with the ARL Commission to consider the name ‘Brisbane’ being compulsory for a new 17th team.
The Firehawks and Jets will both have Brisbane in their name if successful, but bid rivals the Dolphins are unlikely to be called Brisbane if they are added to the NRL competition.
The Redcliffe-backed consortium is exploring a number of options, including Moreton Bay Dolphins and Sunshine State Dolphins.
But any new team could be asked to include the name Brisbane given the area’s strategic importance to the NRL as a future Olympic city in 2032.
Jets official Nick Livermore said any new NRL expansion team must feature the name Brisbane to create a genuine derby with the Broncos.
“It has to be essential. A second team must be called Brisbane,” Livermore said.
“If we are going to create a derby with the Broncos, you want Brisbane versus Brisbane.
“Brisbane is going to be an Olympic city. If we want to grow the game properly, Brisbane is the largest market between Sydney and Singapore.
“We need to learn from the South Queensland Crushers experience.”
PEACHEY NEXT TITAN ON CHOPPING BLOCK
Former NSW Origin utility Tyrone Peachey is facing a $300,000 pay cut to continue his NRL career as the Gold Coast Titans complete a $2 million roster purge that is expected to see Ash Taylor leave the club.
Peachey remains without a contract for 2022 and has only received lukewarm interest on the open market.
On a deal worth $550,000 this season, the Titans have discussed offering Peachey around $200,000 to remain at the club.
Intent on securing $400,000 next year, Peachey has switched managers and been shopped to rival clubs.
The Titans are clearing the decks and are expected to farewell up to 10 players at season’s end.
Taylor was dropped for Thursday night’s crucial game against Newcastle and has not been offered a deal, with coach Justin Holbrook expected to experiment with AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell at five-eighth next year.
Holbrook maintained he hasn’t made a decision on Taylor’s future, however the writing appears to be on the wall for the $1 million man.
“Nothing has changed on that front to what I’ve been answering the last four or five weeks,” he said.
“It’s open. We haven’t made a decision there. It (dropping Taylor) is no big statement of mine.
“It’s not a yes or no on his future.”
Holbrook said the same applied to Peachey, who he picked at No. 6 for the Knights game in Taylor’s place.
“It’s obviously getting to the crunch end and we’re worrying about the next game rather than the future,” he said.
The Titans have also not offered new deals to Mitch Rein, Jonus Pearson, and Darius Farmer while Sam Stone and Jai Whitbread will head to England.
Centre Treymain Spry was released mid-season and veteran winger Anthony Don will retire.
MAROONS SECURE SON OF A BLUES GUN
Another young gun has landed in Queensland’s backyard with Titans fullback sensation Jayden Campbell officially eligible for the Maroons.
Campbell is the son of Titans legend Preston Campbell, who is a diehard Blue, having been plucked from the NSW country town of Tingha to enjoy a brilliant 13-year career in the NRL.
While ‘Presto’ never played State of Origin, he went close to NSW selection a number of times, especially during his magical 2001 Dally M-winning season at Cronulla.
But in a coup for Queensland’s Origin stocks, his son Jayden is eligible for the Maroons after moving to the Gold Coast as a kid when Preston left Penrith to join the Titans in their foundation year.
Campbell confirmed he is a Queenslander under the NRL’s Origin eligibility rules.
“I was born in NSW but I have spent most of my life here in Queensland,” he said.
“That’s the only thing that made me eligible for NSW, the fact I was born there, but I’ve lived most of my life in Queensland.
“There’s all these questions in your NRL contract that you have to answer and I answered most of them as Queensland so I’d say that’s who I’m eligible for with State of Origin.
“Just playing in the NRL right now is a big achievement for me. It’s a lifelong dream to play Origin and if I ever had the chance to play for Queensland, I would be ecstatic, I wouldn’t be able to explain it.”
BRONCOS SOCK IT TO COVID
The Broncos have joined a push by Deadly Choices to urge eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations to get the COVID-19 vaccine, in support of the ‘I Stepped Up’ campaign and website.
The Broncos will wear specially-designed campaign socks against the Sharks on Saturday to highlight the importance of the Covid vaccine particularly among South East Queensland’s Indigenous communities.
Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said the club is only too happy to declare its support for the campaign.
The campaign features informative videos, answers to frequently asked questions and a slew of other resources which are all available on the campaign website.
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) CEO Adrian Carson lauded the work of the Broncos.
“It is crucial to provide our community with the information and resources they need to feel comfortable about coming out to get vaccinated,” Carson said.
“Everyone has a different motivation for getting the COVID-19 vaccine, whether to protect their community, to keep family members safe or to make plans for the future, so we want to highlight the different reasons which will resonate with more of our mob.”
NRLW ON LIFE SUPPORT
Judgement day is approaching for this year’s NRLW competition as the league scrambles to save the expanded season.
The ARL Commission is expected to deliver a verdict on the status of this year’s NRLW premiership in the coming days.
The NRL is determined to play the 2021 season but NSW’s Covid outbreak has created a logistical nightmare for the competition.
The NRLW has been expanded to include three new teams this year – the Titans, Knights and Eels – and has already been postponed until the completion of the current NRL season.
But there are genuine fears it could be abandoned as the NRL attempts to navigate the logistical issues of making the competition happen.
The NRL is even considering playing the season next year if it needs more time for the Covid situation to become clearer.
SUPERCOACH GOD AXED
It was a huge surprise to SuperCoach enthusiasts and even Gold Coast Titans players were stunned to learn of Greg Marzhew’s axing this week.
Marzhew was dropped by Titans coach Justin Holbrook in favour of Phil Sami for Thursday night’s game against Newcastle on the Sunshine Coast.
His omission came as a shock after Marzhew ran for 195m, busted five tackles, made two line breaks and scored a try against Melbourne last week.
The rookie winger has some defensive flaws but he was far from outclassed against the Storm.
Sport Confidential has been told some Titans players were left scratching their heads after learning of Marzhew’s axing.
MUNSTER LOOKING SWYSH
Storm star Cameron Munster looks swish on the field and he is just as ‘Swysh’ off it.
The Queensland Origin pivot has signed up for Swysh, a personalised video platform in which sports stars can provide birthday shout outs, coaching tips or motivational messages to everyday Australians.
Munster is one of more than 700 Australian sports stars who have signed up and helped raise more than $200,000 for children’s charities.
“I am currently signed up, I joined about three weeks ago and I’ve enjoyed interacting with fans and people in the game who idolise NRL players,” Munster said.
“The money goes to the Starlight Foundation and they raised $200,000 last year, so it’s great for NRL players to be able to help out a good cause.”
SHARKS AND TIGERS GET SPRING IN THEIR STEP
Relocated Sydney clubs Wests Tigers and Cronulla have enjoyed some downtime during their Covid-enforced move to Queensland.
Sharks and Tigers players were given clearance earlier this week for a night of fun at BOUNCE Inc, a huge indoor trampoline park at Tingalpa in Brisbane‘s east.
Wives, partners and children of Tigers and Sharks stars were given one hour to enjoy some fun away from the confines of their Covid hotel at Southbank.
Those in attendance included Tigers coach Michael Maguire and prop Stefano Utoikamanu, who will take on the Panthers this Sunday at Moreton Daily Stadium.
STORM AND TIGERS EXTEND DEAL
The Brisbane Tigers have prepared for life without an NRL team by striking a new feeder club arrangement with the Melbourne Storm.
The Tigers and Storm are in the final stages of negotiating a new deal for Melbourne players to turn out for the Brisbane-based club.
The alliance has worked wonders for both clubs since they struck up an arrangement in 2010, with the Storm sending fringe players to the Tigers to play in the Intrust Super Cup.
The Tigers, backed by Easts Group, are currently bidding for the NRL’s 17th licence via the Brisbane Firehawks.
If they are successful, the Tigers will become the Firehawks’ feeder club.
But if they don’t become the NRL’s latest expansion club then they will continue their relationship with the Storm for at least another three years.
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Originally published as NRL 2021: Clubs set for showdown over expansion, new Brisbane team, Titan on chopping block
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