After recently pouring cold water on the prospects of Western Australia’s expansion bid getting off the ground, ARL chair Peter V’landys has indicated a 20-team competition may not be a reality any time soon.
His comments will go down like a lead balloon in New Zealand where bid teams have been getting their propsals together with a South Island franchise in Christchurch the early frontrunner.
The NRL’s controversial expansion into Papua New Guinea has been given the green light with a team to enter the competition in 2028 but the bids from WA, New Zealand, South-East and Central Queensland look like they will be waiting until well into next decade before getting a chance to join the NRL.
Long-suffering North Sydney fans hoping to see the Bears emerge from their 25-year hibernation are used to disappointment but the latest round of developments will be a hammer blow to their hopes of linking up with a Perth bid.
Expansion plans hinge on the next round of broadcast rights which kick in for the 2028 season.
V’landys has left the door open for a possible 19th team which could revive the Perth Bears if they present a financially viable option.
“The 20th team is not in our immediate plans,” V’landys told The Daily Telegraph. “As I’ve said all at all times, the business case has to stack up and at this stage, the business case doesn’t stack up.
“Nineteen teams is possible because we believe the business case stands up, but we won’t do anything without going back to our (existing) clubs. We’ve just had the annual general meeting and they are an important stakeholder and they are players in this.”
The Warriors have argued against the addition of a second team in New Zealand although the NRL is hopeful that a franchise in Christchurch could help league take some market share from rugby by creating a rivalry among the two outfits.
Brown could earn $13m from mega offers
Eels five-eighth Dylan Brown stands to receive the richest deal in NRL history if he walks from Parramatta.
The New Zealand international, who has a clause in his contract allowing him to test the market for the 2026 season until round 10, has been under scrutiny in the pre-season as his management seeks offers from NRL clubs and rugby rivals.
According to a report in the Courier-Mail, Newcastle and another unnamed NRL club are tabling monster offers to lure Brown from the Eels.
The 24-year-old could earn as much as $13 million over the course of a 10-year contract, trumping the $12m deal that Tino Fa’asuamaleaui signed to remain at the Titans.
Brown’s offer from the unnamed club will reportedly be pulled if that team’s identity is made public.
The rest of his Parramatta deal is worth around $6.6 million so he stands to guarantee himself around double that amount if he signs elsewhere.
Dylan Brown. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
Burgess cleared for Vegas take-off
Sam Burgess will coach his Super League side in Las Vegas after overcoming visa dramas that threatened his chances of participating in rugby league’s showpiece event.
The NRL legend’s previous criminal charges delayed his approval to enter the US, forcing him to stay behind when his team Warrington flew out from England last week.
In 2021, the South Sydney premiership winner pleaded guilty to three offences, including driving with an illicit substance in his system.
NRL players with police records have needed approval from the US consulate to participate in the first two years of rugby league’s Stateside fixtures at Allegiant Stadium.
Burgess had based himself in London this week to await that approval, which he told club stuff was granted on Wednesday morning, local time.
The coach’s flight is expected to arrive in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
“We had plans in place that as soon as he did get the go-ahead, he’d be straight on a plane,” said Warrington assistant coach Martin Gleeson, who was on stand-by to coach the team.
“It was not ideal for him being at home while we’re all here. It’s probably been stressful for him, I daresay, with the uncertainty and the unknown
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
“Hugely relieved that he can get over now. He’s super excited now, trust me.”
Wednesday is a rest day for the Wolves, with players taking the opportunity to see the sights in Vegas or visit the nearby Grand Canyon.
Burgess will assume coaching duties from Gleeson for Thursday’s opposed session against four-time NRL reigning premiers Penrith.
Gleeson said the club was always confident Burgess would be permitted to enter the US for the clash against Wigan, the first of four games being played this Sunday (AEDT).
“The lads just got on with the job,” Gleeson said.
“We knew there was a high probability of him getting over for the week so everything’s gone according to plan. The lads will be pumped, they’ll be buzzing.”
Paul Vaughan, Lachlan Fitzgibbon and Matt Dufty are among the former NRL players in Vegas with the Wolves for what has been dubbed the biggest regular-season match in Super League history.
