NRL: Don’t damage the Broncos brand, says Ipswich bid chief
Ipswich consortium chief Steve Johnson has declared the western-corridor bid is the best option for the NRL.
Ipswich consortium chief Steve Johnson has declared the western-corridor bid is the best option for the NRL as the battle to become the code’s 17th team gathers steam.
While ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys has given no guarantees expansion will happen, his preference is to grow the game and he will push for a second Brisbane team to join the NRL as early as 2022.
The Brisbane Bombers bid is well advanced with the consortium having finalised a 200-page document ready for tender, but Johnson is adamant Ipswich is the most complete choice for the NRL.
“We would be ready to go in 2022,” Johnson said. “We would create a tremendous rivalry with the Brisbane Broncos and the Gold Coast Titans.
“The NRL will need to be very careful not to damage its marquee club, the Broncos. Of the known rival bids, only the western corridor can deliver what the game will need. We are the only bid that ticks all the boxes and will give the fans a real voice by giving the community ownership of an NRL team.”
The population of Ipswich is around 200,000, a figure dwarfed by the 2.5 million residents in the Brisbane metropolitan region.
There is a view Ipswich lacks the corporate support and population to ensure a successful franchise, but Johnson scoffed at suggestions the western corridor bid can’t be an NRL force.
“The western corridor is home to some serious corporates, we have over 45,000 businesses, who for the first time will have a team to support,” he said.
“With us, the Brisbane Broncos’ corporate base will be unaffected but at risk if another bid were to succeed.
“We represent Queensland’s rugby league heartland with almost 30 per cent of the game’s participants in the state and the game’s biggest fan base.’’
COURIER MAIL, AAP
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