New South Wales Blues State of Origin coach Brad Fittler has revealed he wants Perth to become the NRL's 18th team when the game opts to expand again.
The NRL is set to add a new team for the first time in over 15 years once the 2023 season gets underway, with the Dolphins - based in Redcliffe - to join the competition.
It will take the competition from 16 to 17 teams, and while it would have proven impossible to add two teams in the one swoop, the NRL will not be willing to sit on their hands with a bye and potential for extra revenue from an extra game per week for too long.
Many have suggested Perth is the next most feasible option to join the competition, while others have called for a Central Queensland or second New Zealand team.
Perth already has a consortium to organise their bid when the NRL next calls for expansion, while the Western Australian capital has an enormous advantage when it comes to time zones, in particular in a late night Saturday game or Sunday evening fixture when crowds on the east coast have traditionally struggled.
It could also allow the 6pm Friday slot to be scrapped in certain weeks, with a second game to be played in a late night time slot on the east coast, but prime time in Perth.
Fittler told the media at a State of Origin launch event that Perth should be the way to go, also highlighting the success of State of Origin in the west.
"We've got the Dolphins coming in next year to the NRL and there's talk of another team to make it an 18-team competition in the near future so, Perth's always been one of those areas that we've spoke about," Fittler said.
"Obviously the time difference, it's a popular sport over here - the competition with the AFL is tough but it's something off this (Origin) game that will create a lot of interest and get rugby league rolling again."
While Orgin will be played at the much larger Perth Stadium, it's thought any Perth team joining the competition would play out of the rectangular Perth Oval - currently branded as HBF Park, which has a capacity of 20,500.
Perth's last venture into the NRL came between 1995 and 1997, when they hosted games at the WACA ground, before they were turfed out after playing in the 1997 Super League.
The Reds have returned in various NSWRL competitions since then, playing in the Jim Beam Cup (now Sydney Shield) during 2008 and 2009, before entering a team in the SG Ball Cup competition for under-18 players.
They then relaunched in 2012 as the West Coast Pirates, who continued to play in the SG Ball Cup and made a bid for inclusion in the NRL, however, it has, as yet, come to nothing.
