Brisbane expansion gets the nod from ARLC

[Newtown]

Brisbane expansion gets the nod from ARLC
Pamela Whaley 57 mins ago
Comments

The NRL is preparing to announce the first expansion of the competition in 14 years with Brisbane to be granted a long-awaited second team.
The NRL is set to add a 17th team to its competition with an announcement due in the next fortnight.

Queensland are expected to be granted a fourth club from 2023 with an official announcement set to be made after the NRL grand final on Sunday week, according to a Newscorp report.

It follows an ARL commission board meeting where the expansion of the competition to 17 clubs was backed pending approval by the 16 other clubs.

Once confirmed it will be the first time another team has been added to the competition since the Gold Coast Titans joined in 2007.

Following the official announcement of expansion in a fortnight, the league is then expected to hold further talks with bid clubs Brisbane Firehawks, Jets and Redcliffe Dolphins to grant a licence in October.

It will then allow the winning club to launch a signing spree with off-contract players from November 1 to start building a roster for the 2023 season.

The Dolphins have been considered the front-runners to be added to the NRL after impressing in a round of meetings with the ARLC last month.

All bid teams have reportedly held talks with off-contract South Sydney coach Wayne Bennett, who will return to Brisbane at the end of this season with no concrete employment but plenty of options.

Expansion has long been on the cards for the ARLC with chairman Peter V'landys wanting to advance the rugby league market in Brisbane.

"If we bring in a 17th team its got to bring in new audience and take a casual fan and turn them onto a rusted-on rugby league fan," V'landys told 2GB last month.

"There's no good taking fans from the Broncos or Titans or Dragons, they have got to be new fans, with new tribalism and they've got to reinvigorate Brisbane rugby league and that's what we are looking at."

 

[Fraze23]

I think this will be a poor decision. There isn't enough talent to sustain 16 competitive teams as it is.

 

[Demps]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" 🐬

 

[pawsandclaws1]

I think this will be a poor decision. There isn't enough talent to sustain 16 competitive teams as it is.

Exactly. That is why it is good to be in a strong financial position.

 

[Guest]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" 🐬

You didn't watch Flipper?
He belted sharks regularly.

 

[gallagher]

I think this will be a poor decision. There isn't enough talent to sustain 16 competitive teams as it is.

I dunno, Melb seem to recruit blokes why seem ordinary but get them to perform. Alom and Lee were their centres last year, both nobodies at the start of the season.
I think this will just continue to show up the clubs that have no right to be in the national comp.

 

[Snake]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" ?

You didn't watch Flipper?
He belted sharks regularly.

When they score it will be Flipper speak you know the one “what did you say Flip”? not many here would know what I mean !

 

[facepalmer]

I will tell you one thing, Stefano Utoikamanu is going to be highlighted and in bold as a key recruit of whatever club gets the nod and his agent is going to be rubbing his hands together right now because of this.

 

[barra]

Yep we really need to be locking him up.

 

[gallagher]

I will tell you one thing, Stefano Utoikamanu is going to be highlighted and in bold as a key recruit of whatever club gets the nod and his agent is going to be rubbing his hands together right now because of this.

He of contract for 23?

 

[Guest]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" 🐬

The dumbest emblem in the comp. is the South Sydney rabbit.
The team name is the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
A rabbitoh was a bloke who killed, skinned and sold rabbits.
Those dummies need to work out whose side they're on.

 

[gallagher]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" ?

The dumbest emblem in the comp. is the South Sydney rabbit.
The team name is the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
A rabbitoh was a bloke who killed, skinned and sold rabbits.
Those dummies need to work out whose side they're on.

Iike Saints. St George slayed the dragon.

 

[BAGNF05]

I think this will be a poor decision. There isn't enough talent to sustain 16 competitive teams as it is.

I dunno, Melb seem to recruit blokes why seem ordinary but get them to perform. Alom and Lee were their centres last year, both nobodies at the start of the season.
I think this will just continue to show up the clubs that have no right to be in the national comp.

Yep. NRL should do more around rookies like they do in NFL. Draft, hype, awards etc. make it an honour to debut and excel.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" ?

You didn't watch Flipper?
He belted sharks regularly.

It makes me think of that movie The Birdcage when Nathan Lane is trying to pass himself off as a manly man, and he walks up to Robin Williams and says “how about those Dolphins”

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I will tell you one thing, Stefano Utoikamanu is going to be highlighted and in bold as a key recruit of whatever club gets the nod and his agent is going to be rubbing his hands together right now because of this.

So will a lot of other clubs come November next year. My advice, don’t get too attached to him. Think of him as on loan, like Harry.

 

[balmain boy]

This has about as much planning and foresight as a Covid protest rally in Melbourne.

Disaster written all over it.

 

[Fade.To.Black]

I think this will be a poor decision. There isn't enough talent to sustain 16 competitive teams as it is.

There is enough talent to sustain 16 teams and still have a decent, competitive comp if the talent was spread evenly and teams were policed more stringently as far as payments outside the salary cap go IMO.

 

[Chicken_Faced_Killa]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" 🐬

Would be funny if it end up the Dolphins. People may remember that was the name of the Gold Coast team when they first announced and Redcliffe put up and fight and said that’s our name and we might want to entered the NRL one day. At the time it was considered just a dream but the name was changed to the Titans and here we are with the Dolphins coming in (maybe).

 

[jirskyr]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" ?

The dumbest emblem in the comp. is the South Sydney rabbit.
The team name is the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
A rabbitoh was a bloke who killed, skinned and sold rabbits.
Those dummies need to work out whose side they're on.

They have friends.

St George killed the dragon.

Roosters' major sponsor is Steggles and Premium Partner is Red Rooster.

 

[cochise]

Ooooo scary
"The Dolphins" ?

The dumbest emblem in the comp. is the South Sydney rabbit.
The team name is the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
A rabbitoh was a bloke who killed, skinned and sold rabbits.
Those dummies need to work out whose side they're on.

Iike Saints. St George slayed the dragon.

They were actually known as the St George Dragon Slayers.