The Brisbane Broncos and the Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league clubs will play one of their National Rugby League (NRL) fixtures at NIB Stadium in Perth on June 24. With two big clubs playing an exhibition fixture over here in the west, the issue of a Perth team joining the NRL competition has again been raised.
Rugby league is a football code that experiences fanatical support in the eastern states of Australia but what are the chances of the game being brought to WA in a national incarnation?
A proposal is currently being put to the NRL which suggests Perth for the base of a new rugby league franchise and the CEO of the WA Rugby League Association, John Sackson, says there are a lot reasons why Perth should be given the opportunity to enter a team into the NRL.
He says that WA, and in particular Perth, offer facilities and qualities which the NRL will find very appealing.
“WA has the strongest economy in the country and the corporate economy can support an NRL team. We already have a sponsor lined up for the new team and we have a few more that have suggested they would be very excited to get behind a Perth-based franchise. From a sponsorship point of view, we’re in a good position.”
“Perth currently has a dedicated rectangular stadium in NIB stadium which is ideal for league. The State Government recently approved an $88 million refurbishment for the eastern grandstand at NIB Stadium to improve the ground for patrons. But even more encouragingly, NIB Stadium in its present form has got the tick of approval from the head of the NRL, David Gallop, to hold games there.”
Although it seems Perth has the facilities to build a successful franchise, the NRL has not even yet made a decision about expanding the competition which puts a dampener on the speculation.
John Brady, the media officer for the NRL told 3rd Degree that although there are encouraging signs coming from the west, there are a few massive hurdles that need to be overcome before a decision about where a new franchise would be based, if and when it ever does become a reality.
The expansion of the NRL is a fairly regular debate in the media according to Mr Brady and without a decision being made about whether or not it will occur; there is no number value which can be put on the likelihood of Perth getting the new franchise.
He says the most important step towards a decision being made is the deliberations over the television rights to broadcasting the NRL which are currently underway.
If a deal is brokered and there is a cash injection into the NRL he says it is not just as simple as a geography based decision on who gets the new franchise.
“You have to be careful to expand somewhere that’s going to add value to the competition, both for the club themselves and for the game.
“If it’s just about the money we have to look at how a team will add value to the NRL with a quality product rather than just increasing the amount of matches in a season.”
“We’ve worked hard at the NRL to build a quality competition with teams who work hard and we want to focus on the strength of the competition so we have to be very careful when considering new teams.”
In an encouraging sign for Perth however, Mr Brady and Mr Sackson mentioned that in a meeting of NRL CEOs and chairmen in November 2010, Perth was unanimously voted as the preferred place for a new franchise should the NRL decide to expand.
WA has a chance to taste NRL in its current form when The Brisbane Broncos face the Sydney Rabbitohs on June 24 and Mr Sackson thinks this event will be another great stage for rugby league to make an impact in WA.
“The Broncos and the Rabbitohs are great sporting brands and they’re both strong teams. The game will also be the last chance for WA fans to see the great Darren Lockyer play here in Perth.
“We want West Aussies to vote with their feet. We want them to come out and support league here in WA. A big crowd at that game will reinforce to the decision-makers in the east that rugby league is alive and well here in WA.”
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