The Toowoomba-based NRL bid has identified South Sydney Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett as the man they want to lead their club if they are to secure the NRL's 20th license.
The NRL wants to finalise another expansion project by around Christmas time as Toowoomba is beginning to pick up steam, with the Courier Mail reporting they are ready to make a move on Bennett.
Bennett has coached seven first-grade premierships during his illustrious career and is widely considered as one of the best coaches of all time.
What makes the deal even sweeter is Bennett was born in Allora in the Southern Downs region, closing in on the Toowoomba area.
It would see Bennett take charge with son-in-law Ben Ikin, who is one of the leading figures in trying to bring the bid to life.
Ikin, who has wisdom as the QRL chief executive and head of football for the Brisbane Broncos, is backing the bid to get off the ground to expand the NRL's footprint in the regional Queensland area.
“Wayne Bennett is absolutely on our radar,” Toowoomba bid spokesperson Mark Mason told News Corp.
“If we were successful, we'd be foolish not to talk to Wayne.
“We know that this is an NRL franchise that will be driven solely by the football department. We will be throwing significant resources at getting the best of the best into our footy department from day one.
“Wayne Bennett is from this region, this is his heartland, so if successful, we will be having conversations with Wayne to discuss what role he wants and how we can draw on his experience in our establishment years.”
Bennett is currently under contract at the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but following the expiration of his current contract, he has nothing set in stone.
“I'm contracted to Souths and beyond that, I have no firm plans,” he said to the publication.
“I've got ties to that area (Brisbane's greater western corridor).
“I played football in that region, too, and it's got a massive population that deserves an NRL team.
“As a game, we missed our chance there a while ago when we had the opportunity to go to Springfield and Ipswich and we didn't go.
“You've got the Titans at the bottom end of south-east Queensland. You have the Broncos and then there's Redcliffe at the northern end, but I still think another team would survive out west because the population growth there is huge.
“That's where the AFL are heading and we need to be mindful of that because Ipswich and Toowoomba are great rugby league nurseries.
“It's a massive corridor there ... I've got no doubt they could be the 20th team.”
Queensland's biggest threat comes in the form of a South Island New Zealand bid, with the Southern Orcas also developing a powerful push into the NRL for 2029.
Although Toowoomba has the funds ready to show the ARLC that they mean business for a launch into the competition.
“In terms of capability, we absolutely have the capability to put that money (the NRL's $100 million licence fee) on the table today,” Mason said.
“We're absolutely working towards a 2029 entry timeline.
“All of our plans and structures that we're building are based on entry to the NRL in 2029.”
