Best in the west: Kate Jones talks up Ipswich as NRL goes hunting for more teams
ARL commissioner Kate Jones says rugby league heartland in the Ipswich corridor west of Brisbane won’t be forsaken when the NRL expands, as two bid team heavyweights call for another team to be added in southeast Queensland.
Jones, speaking at the launch of Magic Round, reiterated ARL chairman Peter Vālandysā determination to expand the game to 20 teams with a Pasifika side right in the frame to be added when an 18th club is included inside the next four years.
Brisbane Firehawks consultant Shane Richardson told AAP that āone of the three teams for expansion has got to be in southeast Queenslandā.
āIn Brisbane youāve got two teams in an area where Sydney has six with the same population. The whole corridor between Logan City and Toowoomba has massive growth and we are just giving it up to the AFL,ā he said.
āIt is the old David Gallop saying of āyouāve got to fish where the fish areā and there are a lot more fish in southeast Queensland than there are in Western Australia or the south island of New Zealand.
āThe Pasifika concept is a great idea but it is a long-term project.ā
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Brisbane Jets chairman Steve Johnson said āthe western corridor of Brisbane is the home of rugby leagueā.
āThe Dolphins v Broncos sellout shows the rugby league supporters are here. Brisbane is big enough and our financial resources are vast enough for three teams,ā he told AAP.
āThe Broncos, Dolphins and a team in the western corridor are not in competition and they are all big enough to grow their own fan base. They are bolted-on rugby league fans and Magic Round proves Brisbane is the home of the game.ā
The Firehawks and Jets missed out to the Dolphins when the competition expanded to 17 teams and both had plans for the western corridor of Brisbane as part of their bids.
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āI have a lot of empathy for the fact that rugby league has an Ipswich connection and that area is our heartland,ā Jones said.
āWe have to always make sure we keep our heartland in our decision making. We wonāt rush decisions. We are ambitious, but we will make sure we do this sustainably and we do it in consultations with the clubs.
āWe are going to look at all options, but as I have said in the past and as the chairman (Vālandys) reiterated today, Pasifika is very strongly in our mind.
āThe Federal Government is very keen to see that expansion and want to put their money where their mouth is. We also have 50 per cent of our players from Pacific nations, so thatās a great talent base.ā
Jones said there was āno reason why in the future we canāt have 20 teamsā.
āOur goal is to be a truly national competition and that means expansion,ā she said.
āIt wonāt be at the expense of existing teams. We want to grow sustainably, so it will take time, but we are investing in the pathways to create the talent to keep our game strong.
āI think Peter said 2027 (for the 18th team to be added). He will be restlessly devoted to growing the game.ā
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