With plenty of conjecture surrounding the issue of the NRL's 18th franchise, it's been reported that the Western Australian government is looking for a bid to support with the expectation of making a competitive offer when the league next expands.
A government working group chaired by WA Labour MP Peter Tinley has been established to support the development of a bid and assist it wherever possible.
The government has already begun preliminary work to gauge interest and determine the structure of a bid moving forward, confirming the move on Sunday.
โA WA-based NRL team would bring long-term community, tourism and economic benefits to the state and grow local participation in grassroots sport โ particularly female participation,โ said WA Sport and Recreation Minister David Templeman.
Templeman claimed that two recent sellout State of Origin matches demonstrated the appetite for rugby league on the west coast.
โAlthough the state government won't be leading the bid or responsible for any potential franchise, we're confident that there will be a strong and compelling case for a WA-based team.โ
There hasn't been an NRL team based in Western Australia since the famous Western Reds, who disbanded 25 years ago in 1997.
The possibility of a Western Australian team resurfaced as recently as May this year, with reports the state government was considering a merger with the North Sydney Bears in hopes of getting both halves of the campaign back into the NRL.
The move has been met with criticism from fans of the North Sydney franchise, with the proposed deal initially meaning the club would share home games between Western Australia and North Sydney Oval โ a move that appealed to few supporters.
“The move has been met with criticism from fans of the North Sydney franchise, with the proposed deal initially meaning the club would share home games between Western Australia and North Sydney Oval โ a move that appealed to few supporters.”
Like the women’s netball team, Bears supporters (and I used to be one, twenty years ago) need to understand that beggars cannot be choosers. “Some games” would be better than “no games”.