North Queensland Cowboys bosses warn PNG expansion team could cripple club
The Cowboys have hit back at the NRL over plans to expand to PNG via Cairns, saying a second team in the region would spell trouble for the club.
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Cowboys bosses are concerned about the potential dangers of another NRL franchise in North Queensland amid a push for an 18th team to be based in Cairns.
As revealed by this masthead, the NRL is exploring the prospect of fresh expansion, with a Papua New Guinea team the frontrunner to clinch a licence for a proposed 18-team competition by 2027.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is backing the project, describing a government-backed NRL expansion drive as a sporting and political “game changer” for Papua New Guinea.
One option is for a PNG-branded club to have a full-time base in Cairns, which would enable NRL players to live in Australia while embarking on 90-minute charter flights to play matches in Port Moresby.
The Cowboys have had longstanding feeder-club links with Cairns-based outfit Northern Pride in the Queensland Cup and fear another NRL presence in the far north could be damaging.
Cowboys coach Todd Payten backed the ARL Commission’s expansion plans, but is not convinced the North Queensland region can sustain two NRL clubs.
“I'm unsure,” Payten said.
“I like the thought of the game expanding but I don't like the thought of it being in our footprint.
“I support the game expanding and it’s the number one sport in PNG.
“It's a tough one for the club … we’ll see what happens.”
ARL Commission boss Peter V‘landys said League Central has not made a definitive call on an 18th club, with consortiums from Perth, the Brisbane Tigers and North Sydney Bears also in the mix.
There is a view the NRL needs a truly national footprint by expanding to Western Australia and North Queensland chief executive Jeff Reibel is wary of an 18th team in Cowboys heartland.
Reibel said the NRL has assured the Cowboys they will be consulted on expansion strategy when the time is right.
“It (NRL expansion) needs to be looked at holistically,” Reibel said.
“The question is not can Cairns sustain it … it's more a case of whether the whole of north Queensland can sustain more than one NRL team?
“Being the North Queensland Cowboys, Cairns and far north Queensland are such an important part of our region, including player development and player recruitment.
“Guys like Matthew Bowen and Scott Bolton are two life members of our club and they are from north Queensland, right through to our current squad members like Jeremiah Nanai and Heilum Luki, who are Cairns juniors.
“There is a lot of speculation around expansion. It's wonderful that our game is in the position to expand. A lot of games aren’t.
“The NRL has told us they will liaise directly with clubs when they move along the decision continuum and at the moment, we haven't heard anything from the NRL.
“I haven't got all the detail of what the NRL is thinking with expansion.
“There are other bids in the wings, whether that be a Pasifika one, a Perth one or even the Bears or New Zealand, we need to get a full brief from the NRL on what they are thinking, so we can show them how expansion would affect our club.
“I think as a game we could be ready for an 18th team by 2027.
“Our footprint is a wide one, there‘s 600,000 people that live within that north Queensland area and they are all important to us.
“If there's one thing that brings this region together, it’s the Cowboys.
“When you talk about expanding any business, you are looking for where you can consolidate a market or attract a new market.
“In the game of rugby league, it's also the investment of the television rights through Channel 9 and Fox Sports that provides us with opportunities.
“Expansion by the NRL also has to provide economic contributors and outcomes, so where are they going to sell more Kayo and Fox subscriptions and where is Channel 9 going to pick up more advertising revenue?
“From my perspective, a new timeslot is the way to achieve that.”
Originally published as North Queensland Cowboys bosses warn PNG expansion team could cripple club
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