NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo says he’s “pretty optimistic” that the next NRL franchise will be based in Western Australia, with the Bears remaining a strong chance of being linked with the club.
There was speculation that the WA bid would be approved shortly after the Papua New Guinea deal was struck, but that’s hit a few hurdles and has slowed down with a state election called for next month.
Perth will host a State of Origin match on June 18 at Optus Stadium, with Abdo confident that there’s a strong desire for locals to have a team following the downfall of the Western Reds nearly 30 years ago.
Money will be a major sticking point, with Perth presenting an exciting opportunity for TV networks ahead of the new broadcast deal.
“I’m pretty optimistic,” he told Breakfast with Vossy and Brandy on SEN.
“Western Australia presents a good opportunity for the game. When we had the Western Reds, we had participation numbers of 15,000-20,000 players over there.
“When we’ve played matches over there, the response that we get from the community has been overwhelming.
“Western Australia presents a great opportunity for the game, not only with fans, but also for player development.
“The signs are good. The business case has to stack up, so we need to strike an agreement with the government around infrastructure and grassroots.
“The commission is absolutely having a close look at this to make sure we get a business case that’s viable and then we can take it to our stakeholders and members.”
The push for a WA team has been strongly linked with the Bears, with North Sydney fans peppering the game’s boss every day with questions on when the famous logo will be back in the NRL.
“I live in the northern suburbs so I get this question on average three or four times a day,” Abdo said.
“It’s phenomenal. The Bears are a terrific brand, and the North Sydney Bears is a brand that means a lot to a lot of people.
“The opportunity to somehow find a way to include that in the competition is definitely at the forefront of the commission’s thinking.
“Whether it’s in partnership with WA or whether it’s part of other expansion opportunities, we definitely haven’t forgotten about the Bears.
“We’re looking at ways in which they can be included in the NRL rugby league community beyond as the club stands today as a very important club in the NSW state competition.”
While expansion remains a key topic going forward, the NRL’s eyes are firmly on Las Vegas where the 2025 season will open next month.
Last year’s historic event was a major success, and it should be even bigger this time around with almost 40,000 tickets sold for the festival of footy that includes a women’s Test and a Super League clash.
There will be plenty of heavy hitters at Allegiant Stadium, with Abdo hoping to see President Donald Trump there.
Trump will become the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl next week and could add rugby league to his schedule if he’s got room in his itinerary.
“He’s certainly been invited, and if anyone was going to be able to pull off getting Donald Trump to the stadium, it’s our chairman Peter V’landys,” Abdo said.
“I know that he’s reached out.
“We’ll make sure that he knows that he’s welcome. If the stars align, we’ll get him in there and it’ll be terrific.
“There’ll be plenty of other dignitaries and celebrities there attending because it’s a week (event). It’s not only about rugby league matches – it’s a week of festivities.”
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