NRL Grand Final Confidential: Peter V’landys slams Western Bears’ bid; Storm, Panthers signing news
ARLC boss Peter V’landys has dropped an expansion bombshell on grand final day, pouring cold water on the expansion dream of the Western Bears. See the details in Grand Final Confidential.
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ARL Commission chair Peter V’landys has poured cold water on the expansion dream of the Western Bears after warning that the financial terms of their official bid had fallen short of expectations.
While V’landys praised the Papua New Guinea bid team for their submission to the NRL, he conceded more work had to be done on the other bids as the game looks to expand as soon as 2027.
PNG’s Prime Minister James Marape mingled with Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at the game on Sunday. PNG chief executive Andrew Hill was also in a private suite.
So too was Western Australia government official Peter Tinley. The WA representatives are in town to meet with North Sydney officials on Monday and their conversations are set to be even more vital given V’landys’ public comments.
The Western Bears were expected to be added to the premiership in 2027 before PNG joined the competition 12 months later, with a 20th team likely to join the competition in the lead-up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
However, V’landys suggested those plans were in jeopardy in an interview on Triple M NRL on Sunday afternoon.
“Look, we have run into a bit of a hiccup at the moment in relation to the bids weren’t as good as we hoped they would be, except for the Papua New Guinea bid,” V’landys said.
“That was exactly like we expected but the others weren’t. That has probably slowed us up a bit but we will certainly be looking nevertheless in trying to expand in the next few years because we need to have our content right when we go to the broadcasters to get our maximum broadcast deal.”
V’landys’ comments have put officials from the WA and North Sydney joint venture on notice. It is understood WA bid chief Peter Cumins, who made his money with Cash Converters, was at the grand final on Sunday.
Asked specifically where the bids had fallen short, V’landys said: “I think it’s the financial aspects of the bid haven’t been sufficient.
“They need to invest more and they haven’t invested enough. I think they have taken it for granted that they will get a licence.
“I have said from day one that it has to be a strong business case in order for us to expand. We’re not going to go to (our) clubs unless there is a solid business case to show that expansion is going to return substantial new money to the game and more importantly substantial new fans.
“Unfortunately the bids have not done that.”
MELBOURNE TO LOCK IN LOIERO
Melbourne lock Trent Loiero is on the verge of signing a new deal with the club that will keep him in Storm colours until at least the end of 2028.
Loiero has been one of the most consistent players in Melbourne this season and his form was rewarded with a place in the extended Queensland squad for State of Origin II and III.
It is understood that talks are well advanced on a contract extension that will ensure he remains in Melbourne colours for the foreseeable future.
The 23-year-old has played 25 games this season after moving to lock and taking up a position in the middle of the field.
PANTHERS RE-SIGN VETERAN
Penrith veteran Matt Eisenhuth has extended his time at the Panthers with the prop inking a new two-year deal with the club.
Eisenhuth, 32, was the only player heading into Sunday’s premiership decider without a new deal for next season. However, it is understood he had already agreed to terms where he will now most likely finish his career at the Panthers.
Eisenhuth has been ever reliable for the Panthers since joining the club from the Tigers in 2021.
HAIL TO THE BUS DRIVER
The Storm are renowned for being one of the best organised teams in the competition. So much do they have even had staff and players not selected in allocated seats. The bus driver was also given a prime spot.
PAPS TABLED EXTENSION
Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp has revealed that the club has tabled a three-year extension to Ryan Papenhuyzen as they attempt to prevent one of their key figures heading to the open market on November 1.
Papenhuyzen has one year remaining on a deal that pays him just shy of $1 million a season and the Storm are keen to ensure he stays until at least the end of 2028.
Tripp was tight-lipped on the size of the deal but it is likely to be nudging $3 million as the club goes all out to retain one of the key members of their spine.
Asked whether he hoped Papenhuyzen would stay, Tripp said: “It is his right if he wants to test the open market. So be it, that is fine.
“But I think he will acknowledge and realise that our offer, while it mightn’t be able to match the other offers in terms of dollars, that consistency and continuity piece is going to be important to him.
“Off the field I am not sure there would be many guys out there with more third party deals as Paps. The whole world wants him to market their products.
“You have to be careful what you wish for. We have had a lot of blokes leaving the club chasing bigger dollars and all of a sudden they are missing Origin and they are missing rep footy.
“All of a sudden those dollars attributed to that add up.”
Papenhuyzen is knocking on the door of higher honours and although he was not part of a preliminary squad for the Pacific Championships, a big grand final may be enough to bring him back into contention.
The 26-year-old is expected to field some big offers if he heads to November 1 but Melbourne are doing everything in their power to retain him.
His future could yet have ramifications for young fullback Su’A Faalogo, who is waiting in the wings and has signed until the end of 2028.
“It is going to be hard to keep both,” Tripp said.
“Who knows? Jahrome was a fullback too. It is a first-world problem but is a problem nonetheless.
“It is something that some point in time we are going to heave to deal with.”
BRONCOS EYEING ARCHITECT OF STORM SUCCESS
Melbourne are once again under siege from Brisbane after it emerged that Storm head of football Frank Ponissi was in the sights of Broncos powerbrokers as they look to arm new coach Michael Maguire with the artillery to make the club great again.
The Broncos have hired a headhunting firm to identify someone to head up their football department, with Ponissi believed to be at the top of their list. In-demand Newcastle head of football Peter Parr has been identified as a potential target – Parr has also been approached by St George Illawarra over their chief executive role.
Ponissi is regarded as one of the key pillars at the Storm, having worked alongside coach Craig Bellamy for more than a decade. However, he also has a strong relationship with Maguire, having worked together previously in Melbourne, and with the NSW side during this year’s State of Origin series.
Storm owner and chair Matt Tripp said he would be shocked if Ponissi decided to leave the club given the passion he has for developing the pathways program in Victoria.
“I don’t think they’ll get Frank — I’d be really surprised,” Tripp said.
“Frank might have desires to live around the world — he’s a traveller and he’s been involved in rugby before. But he’s so passionate about that pathways program in Victoria — that to me feels like a natural progression for Frank to move into something like that.
“There’s no-one better served in the country to steer something like that and really get the best out of these Victorian kids.
“But to my knowledge he doesn’t want to go anywhere. I don’t think he would want to go to Brisbane – that would surprise me.”
DALLY M RITA ORA LOOK-ALIKE REVEALED
She turned heads at the Dally Ms and now we can reveal the identity of the Rita Ora look-alike. It was Sky Racing presenter Kiersten Duke who caused a stir. And she too is an Englishwoman.
“I had no idea that anyone was talking,” Duke said. “At the end of the night I caught up with some other Fox Sports presenters. I was talking to them halfway through then one of the producers said ‘I feel like I’ve like I’ve been stood next to Rita Ora’. They were just joking around and calling me Rita but apparently The Hammer (Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow) was convinced that Rita Ora was at the Dally M Awards. I only found out when we were leaving because the Dolphins players were walking out behind us.
“Lily Pickles who is Herbie Farnworth’s girlfriend came up to and said ‘you look so much like Rita’.
“It’s one of the best compliments I’ve received.”
TEDDY’S KANGAROOS QUESTION
James Tedesco’s Kangaroos future may hinge on the fitness of Penrith fullback Dylan Edwards and whether the Australian selectors have forgiven Kalyn Ponga.
The fullback and halves spots loom as the most contentious when the Australian selectors sit down to pick their squad on Monday.
Tedesco has been in outstanding form and is the incumbent Test skipper. But, just like he was with the NSW earlier this year, Tedesco is under pressure to keep his spot.
Kangaroos officials have been told that Nathan Cleary is out. Cameron Munster is also struggling with a groin injury. That would pave the way for Mitchell Moses to make his Australian debut. Moses, Daly Cherry-Evans and Tom Dearden are in the mix to be in the Pacific Championships squad. Unless there are a stack of injuries the squad is expected to be picked from the 31-man preliminary team which was picked last month.
GRAND FINAL WHISPERS
While the Accor Stadium surface was looking sublime for Sunday’s grand final, across down the pitch at Allianz Stadium was getting a much needed facelift. Allianz Stadium staff are using the break from the winter sports to get the playing order back up to scratch after a drainage issue in August.
SUAALII’S EARLY RELEASE
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is on the verge of securing an official release from the Sydney Roosters as he prepares to join the Wallabies in camp within a fortnight with a view to linking with them on the Spring Tour of Europe.
It is understood Rugby Australia and the Roosters spoke on Friday afternoon and the NRL club indicated they would not stand in the way as Suaalii prepares to begin his rugby adventure a month ahead of schedule.
Suaalii’s contract with the Roosters runs until October 31 but in a show of goodwill, the NRL club has agreed to an early release.
Suaalii’ is expected to join the Wallabies on their tour of Europe and could link with them in less than a fortnight at a preparatory camp in mid-October.
The 21-year-old has signed a deal with Rugby Australia believed to be worth as much as $5.4 million over the next three years, which will see him become a central figure in series against the British and Irish Lions, and then the 2027 World Cup.
The Roosters season came to an end last weekend when they were beaten by the Melbourne Storm in their preliminary final.
SHARKS’ TO’O CHALLENGE
Which two Cronulla NRLW players were channelling their inner Brian To’o when they were seen smashing up some McDonalds at Sydney Olympic Park just hours before kick-off?
OLYMPIANS’ GRAND APPEARANCE
Swimming legend Ian Thorpe took his place in the Olympics room no less. Olympic champion Jess Fox was also on hand, as was recent Immortal Ron Coote.
Ex-NRL boss Todd Greenberg also attended.
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Originally published as NRL Grand Final Confidential: Peter V’landys slams Western Bears’ bid; Storm, Panthers signing news
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