NRL Expansion: Brisbane Tigers make their bid to be 18th team

The Brisbane Tigers officially launched their bid for the NRL’s 18th licence - before delivering a chilling message to the game’s heirarchy.

Former NRL Head of Strategy Shane Richardson is leading the Tigers bid for admission. Picture: AAP

Tigers bid chief Shane Richardson has warned the NRL is under attack from the AFL in a Queensland turf war, describing rugby league’s development plan in Brisbane’s western corridor as “horrendous”.

The Brisbane Tigers officially launched their bid for the NRL’s 18th licence on Wednesday as part of a $10 million redevelopment of their Langlands Park headquarters to become Queensland’s fifth franchise.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has hailed the success of the new Dolphins franchise and the rise of the Redcliffe operation has emboldened the NRL to consider fresh expansion for 2027-28.

While a Pasifika franchise based in Cairns is considered the front-runner, the Brisbane Tigers have launched their latest expansion bid, which first began in 1998 when they explored a merger with Balmain and the Gold Coast Chargers.

Former NRL Head of Strategy Shane Richardson is leading the Tigers bid for admission. Picture: AAP

The NRL is represented by the Broncos, Titans and Dolphins along the coast of south-east Queensland, but Brisbane’s western corridor remains vacant and the AFL has begun their aggressive march into rugby league heartland.

Richardson has put V’landys on notice against the AFL’s invasion and says the inclusion of the Brisbane Tigers as the 18th club would give the NRL a crucial weapon in Brisbane’s western-corridor goldmine.

“It’s horrendous that we are ignoring the western corridor of Brisbane,” Richardson.

“The AFL is a massive threat in that region and its schools.

“They are taking us on. Why have they moved there (Brisbane’s west)? Because that’s the growth area for Queensland over the next 10 years.

“Why aren’t we there?

The Tigers have warned the NRL over the impact of AFL in the western corridor of Brisbane. Picture: Floss Adams.

“League is in huge trouble if we don’t go to the western corridor. The AFL has money to spend and they have the financial wherewithal to do it, they are smart, but they don’t have the heart and soul at this stage and that’s league’s trump card.

“The Brisbane Tigers have an established presence in that region, we have links with Booval Swifts at Ipswich.

“We could build a high-performance centre in western Brisbane tomorrow and be right next door to the AFL and take them head on.

“If the Brisbane Tigers won an NRL licence, we would shore up everything from the Logan area to the western corridor and close the door on the AFL.

“The biggest growth of the game is in south-east Queensland, so in the words of David Gallop (former NRL CEO), why not fish where the fish are?

“It’s an outstanding bid ... we can’t be overlooked.”

The Tigers want to make Queensland an even bigger NRL stronghold. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Brisbane Tigers NRL bid chairman Shane Edwards said the consortium has the financial clout of the Broncos and Dolphins. It is understood Easts Leagues Club has $25 million in the bank with a net-asset base of $57 million.

Edwards, the former Broncos CEO, is adamant Queensland would not be saturated by having a fifth team.

“South-east Queensland fans are craving more high-quality rugby league, with our four existing Queensland based teams still leaving our fans wanting more,” he said.

“Suncorp Stadium has the capacity to support another NRL team. This year’s 27 rounds of the regular season will see nine weekends where no game is played at Lang Park.

“With the strong attendance and audience figures we are seeing the Dolphins achieve in their debut year, we believe the Brisbane Tigers can provide a similar stimulus in the south-west corridor that takes in the Logan and Ipswich regions.

“We will build upon our programs that already empower Queensland grassroots footy clubs and thousands of local players to dream big, and offer unique fan experiences with the game we love.

“If successful in becoming the 18th NRL team, our goal is to be the go-to club for sports fans on Brisbane’s southside and western corridor and the millions of casual fans between the ages of 18 to 34 who do not currently support the Broncos, Dolphins or Titans.”

BRISBANE TIGERS LAUNCH $25M BID TO JOIN THE NRL

By Peter Badel

Rugby league’s expansion battle has intensified with the Brisbane Tigers launching a $25 million bid to be the NRL’s 18th team – and take on the AFL in a western-corridor war.

Brisbane Tigers officials have lodged an expression of interest with the NRL and they will formally announce their expansion bid on Wednesday when they unveil a $10 million stadium redevelopment.

ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has said adding another team is “a matter of when, not if” as part of a beefed-up TV rights deal that could see an 18-team league by 2027 or 2028.

A Pasifika franchise, bankrolled by the Australian government and based full-time in Cairns in far north Queensland, is widely considered to be the frontline contender to win an 18th NRL licence.

The Brisbane Tigers have launched their bid to join the NRL.

But the Brisbane Tigers – one of rugby league’s oldest clubs with a 106-year history – want to emulate Queensland rivals Redcliffe Dolphins by stepping up to the big league.

Formerly known as Easts, the famous club were rebranded as the Brisbane Tigers in 2020 and they were behind the Firehawks bid which lost out to the Dolphins for the NRL’s 17th licence two years ago.

Now the Tigers are back with a fresh, beefed-up bid, either as a stand-alone entity or as part of a possible Pasifika joint-venture that could see a fifth Queensland NRL club based at Langlands Park in southeast Brisbane.

The Brisbane Tigers will parade their multimillion-dollar stadium upgrade on Wednesday and bid chief Shane Richardson said last month the Brisbane region was vast enough to sustain another NRL team.

“Queensland can have a fifth team, no question, but it can’t be in Cairns,” Richardson said.

“There is not the commercial backing, there’s not the set up and I’m sure the Cowboys wouldn’t enjoy another NRL team being in Cairns giving all the great work they do in that Townsville region.

Brisbane Tigers bid chief Shane Richardson. Picture: AAP Images

“Cairns is not a viable option from a commercial point of view.

“If you were going to put an 18th team anywhere, it has to be based in Brisbane.”

The Brisbane consortium is open to a name change to avoid a clash with existing Sydney-based NRL joint-venture club Wests Tigers.

The Firehawks name is unlikely to be revisited.

And the Tigers, founded as Coorparoo in 1917, are prepared to spread their wings to Brisbane’s western corridor to counter the AFL, which has identified the sprawling region as a target market in their strategic plan for growth in Queensland.

The Dolphins have proved a resounding success and like Redcliffe, which boasts a $100 million empire, money is not an impediment for the Brisbane Tigers.

Their Easts Leagues Club at Coorparoo, 5km from Brisbane’s CBD, boasts $25 million in cash reserves and has a net-asset base in excess of $57 million, giving ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys comfort they would be a viable NRL operation.

Richardson says the Brisbane Tigers have the infrastructure to enter the NRL as early as 2026 and insists the success of the Dolphins is proof the code has the talent pool for 18 teams.

“The argument is there is not enough players and that’s just rubbish,” he said.

“Look at Isaiya Katoa (playmaking young gun) at the Dolphins.

“I have no doubt more expansion would be good for the game and growing the game has to be a strategic objective.

“Redcliffe have done a great job building with one year, but I’m sure they would have appreciated a two-year runway to come into the NRL.

“I think we could have an 18th team as soon as possible, I think 2026 is achievable, and then another two teams (to expand to a 20-team competition) can be phased in over a period of time.

“David Gallop (former NRL CEO) used to have a great saying, ‘Fish where the fish are’ and it’s so true.

“You have Papua New Guinea which is the only place in the world where rugby league is the No. 1 sport.

“You also have Queensland and there is no reason why another NRL team can’t come into Queensland.”

Originally published as NRL Expansion: Brisbane Tigers make their bid to be 18th team