The NRL's grand plans to arrive at a 20-team competition by the year 2030 have been kicked down the road.

While the Perth Bears (2027) and a Papua New Guinea franchise (2028) will join the NRL in the coming years, it's likely the competition will now stay at 19 teams for a number of years.

The Perth franchise is still yet to be formally confirmed, but every indication is it will be in the coming weeks, with major staff appointments then to be made ahead of the team beginning to be able to negotiate with players from November 1.

News Corp are reporting that the NRL and Australian Rugby League Commission have abandoned plans to make the competition a 20-team endeavour as soon as possible, instead kicking it back until at least 2032 - the same year the Olympic Games will be held in Brisbane.

The report suggests all NRL clubs were told at a recent meeting that the timeline for a 20th team entering the competition will be pushed back until at least the end of the next broadcast cycle.

While the contract is yet to be signed with negotiations currently ongoing across a number of major networks and streaming outlets, the deal is expected to run between 2028 and 2032.

It means the earliest time frame for a 20th team will now be likely 2033.

That ultimately means the chance of another Queensland team, which has been pushed for by prominent figures in the game, or a second team in New Zealand potentially based out of Christchurch, won't be happening anytime soon.

It's understood there are three separate bids who have made it known to the NRL they'd like to be considered, while Queensland bids are also in the mix.

NRL CEO Andrew Abdo told the publication that there was simply no business case for the competition to explore a 20th team at this time.

The 19-team competition will mean the return of byes after a single year without them, but a ninth game per weekend during regular rounds will add value to the TV deal, which is likely to be split across a number of networks, and could see both the State of Origin series, and the finals series, sold separately to the remainder of the competition.

The NRL are hoping to reach an agreement on the next TV deal sooner rather than later, with it to also incorporate the addition of the Bears and Papua New Guinea team.