Fumblers paying for the NRL's new PNG team

[Quolls2019]

why thank you

most generous of you
600 million is the bill Australian tax payers will pay & fumblers make up around half the country

300m from tanktopball fans

thanks for chipping in

Only fair after AFL robbed the tax payer for GWS to play in Canberra and getting plenty of money once again off the tax payer for the new Tasmanian team.

GWS's tax dollars came from residents of the ACT , & the Fed funding for the stadium in Tassie is no different to contributions to primarily RL grounds
& the feds will put up about 250 mill for the new stadium in Canberra too , as i said no issue with any of this

this PNG team is completely different , not even close infact

A sensible post from Azif??? Who is this really?

[azif]

Only fair after AFL robbed the tax payer for GWS to play in Canberra and getting plenty of money once again off the tax payer for the new Tasmanian team.

GWS's tax dollars came from residents of the ACT , & the Fed funding for the stadium in Tassie is no different to contributions to primarily RL grounds
& the feds will put up about 250 mill for the new stadium in Canberra too , as i said no issue with any of this

this PNG team is completely different , not even close infact

A sensible post from Azif??? Who is this really?

all my posts are dripping with sense

[Quolls2019]

GWS's tax dollars came from residents of the ACT , & the Fed funding for the stadium in Tassie is no different to contributions to primarily RL grounds
& the feds will put up about 250 mill for the new stadium in Canberra too , as i said no issue with any of this

this PNG team is completely different , not even close infact

A sensible post from Azif??? Who is this really?

all my posts are dripping with sense

Well there is a drip contained somewhere therein.

But back on the expansion, reports I am seeing indicating that support for PNG is dwindling and Perth is now the favourite.

Or is it just about getting a 20 team comp up quicker?

[azif]

A sensible post from Azif??? Who is this really?

all my posts are dripping with sense

Well there is a drip contained somewhere therein.

But back on the expansion, reports I am seeing indicating that support for PNG is dwindling and Perth is now the favourite.

Or is it just about getting a 20 team comp up quicker?

Perth has ... according to media reports .. over taken PNG as the favourite for the 18th franchise
& noises coming out of the NRL are a lot more ..cautious... about the prospects of a PNG team

the word is .. PNG is not ready even with Aust tax payer $$ for team 18 & may swap positions with Perth who will be ready

so Perth 2027
PNG 2029 ( I hope a new govt withdraws the promised support & it never happens )
NZ2 2032

SEQ4 will come in with NZ in 2032 if PNG falls over which it well might

[azif]

The 4th SE Qld team will be out of the South West Corridor out to Ipswich ... a booming population area & a perfect choice for the NRL.

[Fred]

Perth first then seq Ipswich as you say - seem the most logical particularly given the lions push into the area.

[azif]

Perth first then seq Ipswich as you say - seem the most logical particularly given the lions push into the area.

well they're the outlier atm , the long bow & will only come in if PNG doesn't ..... the NRL wants to get to 20 teams by around 2032
heres how I think it will play out between now & then

Perth announced as team 18 in July , for a 2027 start date , it will be announced that PNG is not ready & will instead come in as team 19.... in 2029
NZ2 the final piece of the puzzle to enter in 2032.
The govt will go cold on the funding for PNG under growing pressure from all quarters , & withdraw the offer of support for a team in 2027 , NZ2 brought forward to 2029
SEQ4 announced as the 20th team to enter in 2032

[leeroy*NRL*]

June 26th NRL Commission will confirm NRL Expansion Blueprint and layout.

logically and financially (PERTH team 18)
be interesting how they go about it

Perth Pirates
Perth Bears
Perth Jets
Perth ????

i really hope NRL
GO

PERTH 18th
NZ (South Island Kea) 19th
BRISBANE (IPSWICH) 20th

[leeroy*NRL*]

i am really off the PNG TEAM (unless it had billions in funding)

think of it this way. PNG $600mill over 10 years. (is peanuts)

NRL would get that from having a PERTH TEAM ALONE
let alone NZ Team in Tv rights.

[azif]

So , if i was a betting man & I occasionally am .... I'd have Perth at $1.58 to be team 18 & PNG around $2.95
If Perth happens , this is the right decision & the catastrophe that would have been a PNG team has thankfully been averted

What needs to be sorted out now is if the Bears or Jets ( old defunct Sydney teams ) will get a look in & have some involvement.
below is an article from yesterday
I fear the Bears are asking for too much of a stake in this WA side with silly statements like it will be a 2 city team

It won't !!
It will be the Perth or WA bears , playing in black & red out of Perth 100% controlled by them
The only concession may... may be a back to the past old boys day against Manly during rivalry round ( their traditional rivals for 52 years ) at North Sydney oval each year ... on a Sunday arvo. That would sellout 3 times over.

My understanding is the ARLC has indicated it would welcome the involvement of either the Bears or Jets in a Perth team ... however ... it is not a condition of entry & if the Perth team wishes to go it alone that will not harm their chances of entry.





NRL expansion: ARL Commission backs Bears joint venture with Perth, Perth bid team prefer solo licence over merger with Bears or Jets
The ARL Commission wants the Bears back in the big league as part of a push for North Sydney to join forces with Perth, despite the WA bid team’s preference to set up a stand-alone club. WA bid boss Peter Cumins said they are willing to compromise to get a team approved, but made clear the mixed marriage of Perth and a foundation club raised concerns. “We are very parochial in Western Australia and, with due respect, the history of the Newtown Jets or North Sydney Bears doesn’t carry a lot of weight in Perth,” Cumins said. The Perth Bears are the preferred candidate for an NRL licence, with North Sydney just 10 days away from learning their fate as part of the ARL Commission’s expansion masterplan. WA bid powerbrokers will hold talks with North Sydney and Newtown Jets chiefs in the next two weeks to satisfy any ARLC demands.

North Sydney was axed from the premiership in 1999, but if ARLC chair Peter V’landys gets support, the Bears will be back as an NRL force in 2027 or 2028. V’landys will preside over a board meeting on Wednesday week – the day of Origin II – that shapes as one of the most historic conventions in the code’s 116-year history. At that meeting, the ARLC board will mull over an expansion document which is likely to result in a call for three new franchises. Following the meeting, the Commission is expected to call for expressions of interest from consortiums bidding to be part of a 20-team league, with their introduction to be staggered in the lead up to the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. The existing 17 clubs will be included in the expansion process – and rewarded with extra grants totalling at least $60 million. Western Australia is now the frontrunner to oust Papua New Guinea and be the NRL’s 18th team by 2027.

V’landys is keen for North Sydney to form a strategic alliance to launch the Perth Bears. The ARL Commission’s June 26 meeting could see an 18th NRL team named for 2027, followed by a 19th franchise 12 months later. Cumins believes the code’s most aggressive expansion drive since Super League is imminent. “I do get a sense that there will be an announcement in June and it will be expansion (is going ahead),” Cumins said. “I think Perth will be included, whether we’re the 18th, 19th or 20th team, for us it doesn’t matter, as long as we know we will be back in the game. “They are talking 2027 (for the 18th team), so that’s not far away and we’ll have to get cracking.

“There has been a lot of talk about a marriage with the North Sydney Bears and the Jets has popped up as another option for us. “We think we can do it on our own.” It is understood there are concerns over Perth’s grassroots, supporter base and development pathways. The WA bid consortium will be advised to join forces with the Bears, a foundation Sydney club with a latent supporter base, plus established junior and senior structures, to secure NRL admission. Under the plan, there is scope for the Newtown Jets to broker a feeder-club arrangement, giving the Bluebags second-tier links to a Perth Bears NRL franchise. The Newtown Jets and North Sydney Bears squared off in the NSW Cup at Henson Park on Saturday ahead of their respective meetings with Perth bid bosses. Cumins said he has not received a formal directive from the ARL Commission to merge with the Bears, but Perth will do so if it means entering the NRL. “We’re led to believe at the moment it won’t be a condition (to secure an NRL licence), but that’s not set in stone,” he said. “If it was a condition, well we are desperate to have a team in Perth and we would make the Perth Bears a success. “If it’s not a condition, we would have to consider what the Bears or the Jets would bring to an NRL franchise in Perth. “It’s got to be more than just a logo and a name that has no relevance in Perth. “I will meet with both clubs at the end of June and hopefully they put a compelling case forward to satisfy everybody.”

North Sydney chairman Daniel Dickson believes the Perth Bears can be a smash hit as the NRL’s 18th or 19th club. “This is by no means a takeover plan from us,” he said. “This can be a two-city team. “The game has been speaking favourably about the Bears and its history and we think this is a wonderful marriage to bring a state like Western Australia into the game, combining it with the rich history of the Bears.

“If the NRL desires a team to be housed in Perth, that’s fine by us – we took the name ‘North Sydney’ out two years ago in order for the game to position the Bears in the right place. “The Perth Bears is the perfect marriage.”

[azif]

Happy Origin day Fumblers

Today is a big day for the game of Rugby League , not because we take over the City of Melbourne again today playing our show piece event there tonight

no
the most Important meeting our code has had in the last quarter of a century takes place today in Melbourne , with the ARLC deciding the expansion path the game will take , getting the NRL to 20 teams. Who the 3 new teams will be & the time line to bring them in. The WA govt has been in deep discussions with the commission & has guaranteed their support for a new team there & significant upgrades to HBF park if Perth is brought in. The Team will be privately owned by a consortium of business men

Billionaire John Singleton has doubled down on his pledge to financially support the Perth team if they decide to be called the Jets with some serious $$ to be thrown in if they do



Millionaire adman John Singleton has sent a letter to the ARL Commission doubling down on his heavyweight financial support for the return of the Jets on the eve of a crucial meeting where the doors of Rugby League Central are expected to be thrown open to expansion bids.
Singleton told News Corp at the weekend that he was prepared to do “whatever it takes” to see the Jets moniker to top-flight rugby league and he has reiterated his backing of the foundation club as a minority partner in a consortium which would see a team based in Perth.
The Perth consortium, which has the backing of the WA government and potential investor Peter Cumins – the man behind Cash Converters – is at the front of the queue to join the NRL as the 18th team, potentially in 2027.
WA government officials have been in Sydney in recent days, where they have held meetings with Singleton as the iconic ad man pitches for the Jets to be part of a partnership with WA that would see the foundation club revived.

WA officials have also held talks with North Sydney Bears, the preferred partner for the NRL and their broadcast partners given their return would ignite a supporter base that has laid dormant since they were kicked out of the competition.
The WA government’s priority is to go alone but there has been a strong push from the corridors of power at Rugby League Central for the Bears to be brought back as the game eyes off expansion.
WA officials have also met former Parramatta coach Brad Arthur in recent days, having previously held talks with Bulldogs head of football Phil Gould as they look to pick as many brains as possible in the lead to their potential return.
Those meetings have been held as the ARL Commission prepares to meet in Melbourne only hours before the second State of Origin game to discuss their expansion plans and begin outlining a roadmap to 20 teams.
They are expected to emerge from that meeting to call for expressions of interest from consortiums interested in being part of expansion – it is understood as many as 11 parties are waiting in the wings.

The return of a team in Perth and the addition of a side in Port Moresby are considered formalities, although they will need to go through the process and meet the criteria that the NRL will finalise on Wednesday.
That criteria is expected to call for consortiums to show how their addition to the competition will strengthen pathways, grow the game and appeal to broadcasters.
A final decision is expected to be made in September in the lead-up to the grand final, once the NRL and the ARL Commission have had time to digest the bid proposals and consult with clubs, players and broadcasters.
The NRL is intent on bringing the clubs on the expansion journey – they are expected to receive a financial sweetener in return for diluting their share in the ARL Commission by adding as many as three teams over the next decade.
Bid teams will also need to show they have the financial muscle to back a successful team, which makes Singleton’s last-ditch plea potentially decisive given he has deep pockets and a longstanding desire to see the Jets revived in some form.
Money won’t be an issue for the PNG bid either given they will be armed with a $600 million commitment from the federal government, the bulk of which will be spent on pathways in the Pacific and ensuring a team based out of Port Moresby is able to flourish.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subsc ... nt-1-SCORE

[azif]

So the NRL has mapped out its expansion path , indicating how many teams it will have & by when.
20 teams by the start of the 2032 season , It has also set the time line for announcing the teams & when they will each enter the comp ( team 18 as early as 2027 )
1 month for all bids to be tabled , announcement in October.

The NRL continues to show up the AFL with its wishy washy expansion plans , its reluctance to include a 19th team in Tasmania & no clear idea about when , where or what they will do for team 20. Uncertainty reigns supreme while the NRL has a clear vision & its fans will know exactly what its comp will look like in 2032.

It’s official. The NRL is ready to drive further expansion as part of a march towards a proposed 20-team league.

This masthead can reveal the ARL Commission has instructed NRL boss Andrew Abdo to preside over a business case for more teams in the most definitive sign yet fresh expansion is on the cards.

That will be a preamble to the ARLC calling for formal submissions from prospective bid teams as part of the most ambitious growth project since the Super League war in 1995.

At a marathon board meeting held just hours before Origin II in Melbourne, the ARLC backed chair Peter V’landys’ expansion masterplan with three new franchises set to be added before the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

The ARLC is injecting an estimated $80 million annually over a five-year period to invest in grassroots, pathways and development to produce more players for a 20-team premiership.

The bid consortia are set to be given until the end of July to lodge expressions of interest - with the Bears on the cusp of a triumphant return to the big league after a 25-year hiatus. Well-placed sources say Perth remains a frontline contender to win the NRL’s 18th licence, most likely for entry in 2027, with Papua New Guinea slated to join the big league 12 months later in 2028.

The NRL’s most recent expansion outfit, Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins, have been a revelation in just their second season and that has convinced the ARLC the code can benefit from fresh growth.

The NRL’s study will identify the best expansion zones, the bid process and a timetable for formal entry to the Telstra Premiership.

Speaking exclusively to this masthead a fortnight ago, V’landys revealed the NRL would begin due diligence on a 20-team league and the ARLC board gave the imprimatur for new expansion on Wednesday night.

“I am super confident there will be 20 teams, that’s the ambition,” he said.

“The analysis will show us what the best options are and what the bid teams have to prove to us is they will bring in a new audience.

“If we don’t expand, we will never reach our full potential. “If we do it, we do it as a masterplan and we will present the masterplan to our members (the NRL clubs).”

V’landys is in the advanced stage of talks with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese as the Federal government closes in on a $600 million funding package for a historic PNG franchise.

PNG was originally a raging favourite to be the NRL’s next team but the Federal government is content with the Pacific bid receiving the 19th licence to buy extra time for setting up infrastructure.

That opens the door for Perth, backed by millions in funding from the West Australian government, to return to the NRL by 2027, most likely in union with the North Sydney Bears. Influential Perth figures are in Sydney this week meeting with key stakeholders including potential bid partners Newtown Jets and North Sydney Bears.

It is understood Bears and Perth bosses are meeting on Thursday, aware of ARLC boss V’landys’ desire for the two parties to form a strikeforce in what has been termed a “perfect marriage”.

The Bears maintain support from the NRL’s top brass but there is a reluctance from the West Australian government to partner with the Bears.

The Jets are continuing to mount a strong push to align with Western Australia, with John Singleton’s representatives meeting with Perth officials on Wednesday.

Singleton has continued to give a multimillion-dollar commitment if Western Australia aligns with Newtown. However, V’landys is a huge fan of North Sydney and believes the Bears’ heritage will give Perth instant gravitas, heritage and a latent supporter base that will attend NRL games in Sydney.

Norths chairman Daniel Dickson said recently the Bears could hit the ground running in the NRL with Perth. “Perth has a great flavour and we’d be only too happy to march in that direction,” Dickson said.

“Our job is to be a ‘de-risk’ option for the NRL’s growth plan and by using our history and heritage, we will be a great inclusion to the game without having to start a new franchise with no identity.

“We could be up and running by 2027, no problems.” Multiple bids are expected from New Zealand. There are three bids alone emanating from Christchurch, including the South Island Kea, led by former NRL boss David Moffett, and the South Island NRL bid which has the support of former Warriors coach Frank Endacott.

Another secret consortium of millionaire businessmen have also reached out to the NRL from the same region.

Other prospective bidders will include the Brisbane Tigers, who lost out to the Dolphins for the NRL’s 17th licence two years ago, and a surprise application from Fiji to broaden the code in the Pacific.

The parties will have a month to finalise their submission before the ARL Commission deliberates. That is expected to last up to two months with a final decision expected by October.

[azif]

All we need now is for Labor to lose the next election & Peter Dutton to withdraw the funding for this PNG team , ending this pipe dream concept.