Toowoomba NRL match: Six NRL clubs asked for support of concept

Can Toowoomba secure an annual NRL fixture in the coming years? The support of an existing club would sure help — here are six ideal candidates and their answers.

ON THE RADAR: Gold Coast Titans star David Fifita; Brisbane Broncos prop Payne Haas; Canberra Raiders player Hudson Young.

Toowoomba’s leaders have set their sights on securing an annual NRL match for the city from 2023 — but a major problem has emerged in this plans.

After the overwhelming success of the clash at Clive Berghofer Stadium in August between the Roosters and the Dragons, Mayor Paul Antonio and Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald plan to set up a meeting between the council and the NRL about feasibility of a regular fixture.

But NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, who expressed support for more games in regional areas, said any annual match would require the support of a club to make it happen.

Mr Abdo pointed to the model laid out by the South Sydney Rabbitohs bringing matches to Perth, or the Parramatta Eels hosting games in Darwin.

But which club would be a good fit for Toowoomba?

The Chronicle has selected six teams who could bring a home match to the Garden City, for a variety of reasons.

Here is the case for all of them, as well as the responses from the clubs.

1. BRISBANE BRONCOS

The case for it: By most metrics, it makes sense for the Broncos to be the club to host an annual match.

Not only is it the closest geographically and enjoys a strong fan base in the Garden City, but the club used the Toowoomba Clydesdales as its feeder club during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The Clydesdales won two Queensland Cup premierships with teams that were essentially a Broncos B-side, filled with players who would go on to play in the NRL.

Some of the Broncos’ finest players either grew up or played in the Darling Downs, including Darren Lockyer and Shane Webcke.

What the club said: New Broncos head of football Ben Ikin, who himself played matches in Toowoomba, said the biggest hurdle was that Brisbane was contractually obligated to play all 12 home matches at Suncorp Stadium.

“We are restricted by our stadium agreement and we also have contracts with our existing affiliates at the moment,” he said.

“That’s not to say that it wouldn’t happen in the future — we’re heavily committed right now (to our current contracts), but we’ll see what lies ahead.”

2. CANBERRA RAIDERS

The case for it: It’s almost poetic — the flagship team in Australia’s largest inland city taking a home game to the nation’s second-largest.

But there are legitimate financial ties between the Raiders and Toowoomba.

The club owns the Toowoomba Sports Club in the CBD, one of just two assets it holds in Queensland.

The team is also no stranger to taking matches to regional areas, having played the Knights in Wagga Wagga earlier this year.

What the club said: A spokesman for the Raiders said the club’s agreement with the Riverina to bring an annual match there made it difficult in the short term, but didn’t rule out something for Toowoomba in the future.

They said any agreement would need to provide “benefit to the local community and opportunities for club Members and sponsors”.

3. CANTERBURY BULLDOGS

The case for it: The potential for the Bulldogs to call Toowoomba a second home largely stems on two things.

Firstly, the club has rarely taken home matches outside their three main stadiums over the past four years — Stadium Australia, Belmore Sports Ground and Bankwest Stadium.

The only exception has been a regular Perth fixture with the Storm, which has occurred twice before and was going to happen this year before the competition headed north due to Covid-19.

The second reason is the club’s new football general manager, league identity Phil Gould.

“Gus” spearheaded Penrith’s regional outreach when he was boss at the Panthers, bringing regular matches to towns like Bathurst.

As head of the Doggies, Gould’s could be open to growing the club’s brand and membership right in the backyard of four other clubs.

What the club said: The Bulldogs did not respond in time for publication.

4. GOLD COAST TITANS

The case for it: The Gold Coast is no stranger to Toowoomba — they played a home game here in 2018 while the Commonwealth Games were on.

While the result (a 54-8 thumping by the Dragons) was hardly memorable, the massive crowd and strong economic results left a good impression with residents.

As a regional team with current and former players who have hailed from the Darling Downs, the Titans feel like the best fit of the current Queensland teams.

What the club said: The Titans officially declined to comment but it is understood the club is restricted by its current stadium agreement at Cbus Stadium.

5. NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

The case for it: As probably the most remotely-based team in the NRL, the Cowboys have a truckload of Toowoomba fans and supporters.

The club has played trial games in Toowoomba, as recently as 2018 against the Broncos.

What the club said: Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel said the franchise was hamstrung due to its contractual obligation with Stadium Queensland, which required all games to be played in Townsville.

“From my perspective, it’s not a lack of want or understanding, there’s also the modelling that happens around that,” he said.

“It comes down to each club’s individual arrangements.

“We’re really fortunate for the support we have so it’s our preference to play games around North Queensland.”

But Mr Reibel said the Cowboys would be keen be the opponent if a club from south of the border wanted to bring a match to Toowoomba, pointing to its strong supporter base across regional Queensland.

“What I say to whichever team does want to bring a game, make the Cowboys your opposition,” he said.

6. ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

The case for it: The Dragons have a rich history in Toowoomba, with a number of players based on the Darling Downs going on to wear the famous red V.

Most notably, Elton Rasmussen was part of the All Whites in Toowoomba before playing alongside the legendary Norm Provan in five successive grand finals from 1962 to 1966.

The joint-venture’s founding clubs, St George and the Illawarra Steelers, both played matches in the Garden City on the same day as part of the 1991 Lotto Challenge Cup.

Largely because of that, the club has a strong supporter base in Toowoomba.

These fans were on display when the Dragons played both of the city’s recent NRL matches in 2018 and 2021, with the red-and-white dominating their opponents in the stands.

What the club said: The Dragons did not respond in time for publication.