{"url":"https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/peter-vlandys-reveals-nrl-is-exploring-expansion-options-for-third-brisbane-nrl-team/news-story/24caae3873456b0dafef8554efe27924?amp","title":"V'landys eyes third Brisbane NRL team amid QLD boom","domain":"couriermail.com.au","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/35102703/pexels-photo-35102703.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"Brisbane rugby league match","category":"Sports","language":"en","slug":"881ca7df","id":"881ca7df-c301-4128-854e-43abf4e3dce7","description":"NRL chief Peter V'landys says the league is looking at a third Brisbane team amid booming Queensland registrations.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- NRL chief Peter V'landys says the league is looking at a third Brisbane team amid booming Queensland registrations.\n- Registrations up 12 per cent year-on-year, on track to top 70,209 participants in 2025.\n- Move counters AFL push into Brisbane's west and eyes 20-team league by 2032 Olympics.\n\n## The story at a glance\nARL Commission boss **Peter V'landys** revealed the NRL is exploring a third Brisbane franchise, possibly in Ipswich, to tap into surging player numbers in Queensland. The league will meet Queensland Rugby League leaders to assess options, shifting focus from a second New Zealand team. This comes as the NRL prioritises new entries in Perth and Papua New Guinea before expanding further, with Brisbane's 2032 Olympics on the horizon.\n\n## Key points\n- ARL Commission plans talks with QRL chairman **Brian Canavan** and CEO **Ben Ikin** for a fifth Queensland NRL licence, second since **Dolphins** joined in 2023.\n- **Ipswich Jets** bid, led by **Steve Johnson**, targets NRL entry by **2030**, backed by **$40 million** North Ipswich Reserve upgrade finishing in **2027**.\n- Queensland registrations surged 12 per cent, driven by strong grassroots growth outpacing NRL capacity.\n- Strategy aims to counter AFL's **$1 billion** investment targeting Brisbane's fast-growing western corridor.\n- New Zealand bids from Christchurch face doubts over economy and past NRL concerns; central Queensland also under review.\n- Broncos' crowds and revenue grew post-Dolphins, showing expansion works without harming existing clubs.\n- NRL eyes 20-team competition by **2032 Brisbane Olympics**, but will settle **Perth Bears** (2027) and **PNG Chiefs** (2028) first.\n\n## Details and context\nV'landys highlighted Queensland's player boom, with the QRL unable to keep up, as a key driver. Brisbane's west has produced stars like **Wayne Bennett**, **Allan Langer** and **Kevin Walters**, making it a talent hotbed akin to Sydney's Penrith.\n\nThe Ipswich Jets lost to the Dolphins in 2021 but persist, with Toowoomba's Western Clydesdales as a ready feeder team in the Queensland Cup. A western Brisbane team would challenge Broncos support but build on proven expansion success.\n\nThis pivot responds to AFL's grassroots push, protecting NRL's dominance in the Sunshine State ahead of Olympics-driven growth.\n\n## Key quotes\n- “**New Zealand has a strong case, absolutely, but we’ve never discounted the fact we want another Queensland team**,” said V’landys.\n- “**Their efforts have got to be rewarded at some point**,” V’landys said of Brisbane’s western corridor bid.\n\n## Why it matters\nA fifth Queensland team strengthens NRL's hold on the Sunshine State against AFL expansion, securing talent and fans in a booming region. It signals more NRL jobs, games and economic boosts for areas like Ipswich, while testing if growth sustains without diluting Broncos support. Watch ARL-QRL meetings and bids from New Zealand or central Queensland, though no firm timeline beyond settling Perth and PNG teams.\n\n\n**LANG:** en**","hashtags":["#nrl","#rugby-league","#brisbane","#expansion","#queensland"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/peter-vlandys-reveals-nrl-is-exploring-expansion-options-for-third-brisbane-nrl-team/news-story/24caae3873456b0dafef8554efe27924?amp","title":"Original article"}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-07T09:22:10.426Z"}