NRL boss reveals plan for league's 18th franchise

NRL bosses are already looking beyond a second Brisbane team and plotting expansion to an 18th franchise, likely in New Zealand.

While a second Brisbane team is still planned for 2023, as the 17th franchise it does not create an additional match per round.

An 18th franchise would do so and New Zealand has been earmarked as the ideal location, according to NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo. He flagged the attraction of creating a New Zealand derby rival for the Warriors and said that the bigger competition might prompt the introduction of a conference system.

"If we can make the numbers stack up, it (a second Brisbane team) is pretty exciting and then that leads to us having an 18th team in another key market for us over time," Abdo told the Courier Mail.

"If we were to have an 18th team, we would have to have a good hard look at a second New Zealand team.

"Eighteen teams is a lot more dynamic in terms of how you can configure the draw. It means another rivalry in another key market for us, wherever that might be. It means new fans. It means we could have conferences and pools. These are all good options to explore."

ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys recently said that plans for a second Brisbane team remained on track.

The contenders for the 17th franchise are Redcliffe (potentially as Brisbane Dolphins), Brisbane Jets (a partnership of Brisbane Bombers and Ipswich Jets) and Brisbane Firehawks (backed by Easts Tigers).

"It's very realistic to say that we'll have a second team in Brisbane in 2023," ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys told the Sydney Morning Herald last month.

"From what I've seen and the presentations that have been given to me, they are well advanced.

"The one thing that I am impressed with is how advanced these bids are. They are not mucking around. They are serious. If we came to a decision in June this year, that would give them a year-and-a-half. It's plenty of time. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen mid-this year.

"I'm not going to do it if it's going to hurt the game. It's got to benefit the game."

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