Western Australia's push to join the NRL with the 18th franchise has ramped up, with the state government laying out plans to put together a bid team.
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Expansion is likely to be back on the table for the NRL in coming seasons, with officials keen to move to 18 teams before the end of the current TV rights deal in 2027.
Perth are likely be one of the front-runners, having long expressed an interest in returning after the Western Reds exit during the Super League war.
Papua New Guinea, a second New Zealand team, and a fifth side in Queensland feature as the likely other options.
Western Australia does however offer appeal.
The state has 4100 registered players with a heavy ex-pat community from the east coast, while the time-zone advantage would offer more options for broadcasters.
They were also able to sell out State of Origin matches played at Optus Stadium in 2019 and 2022.
As such, the government has announced it will establish a working group under politician and former soldier Peter Tinley to help facilitate a third-party bid team and assist them through the process.
Early talks have already begun with VenuesWest around the possible bid structure, with NRL matches played out of the 20,000-seat HBF Park in recent years.
The move comes after the Western Australia government met with North Sydney Bears officials in June to discuss the possibility of relocating the foundation club through Perth's bid.
"There are so many West Australian rugby league fans who are looking forward to the day when they can support a WA-based team," Tinley said.
"WA has strong foundations to support an NRL franchise with participation in the sport behind only NSW and Queensland, and encouragingly, nearly a quarter of all registered players are female.
"I look forward to seeing the development of a strong third-party bid and working with them in securing an NRL franchise for Western Australia."
Australian Associated Press
