NRL closes submissions for competition's 18th team

Looking to expand the NRL competition, the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has, as of yesterday, closed the submissions process for its 18th team.

Amid considerable media speculation, the ARLC is understood to have received bids for the new licence for new teams from Perth and New Zealand's South Island to enter the competition in 2027.

In addition, an Australian Government backed team from Papua New Guinea is expected to join the NRL in 2028.

Following the Dolphins' successful entry to the competition in 2022, the bid for the Perth-based Western Bears appears to be the frontrunner to secure the new licence, linking with the former North Sydney Bears.

Set to be Perth's first professional rugby league team since the 1990s when the Western Perth Reds competed in the Australian Rugby League competition and rival Super League, rugby league games taken to Perth since then indicate that the city is ready for its own team. State of Origin clashes in 2019 and 2022 both drew just under 60,000 fans while double-headers at Optus Stadium attracted crowds of 38,824 and 45,814.

Only one of the 17 games at HBF Park, the new team's likely home, since 2005 has attracted fewer than 11,000 people.

In addition to home games, North Sydney Oval is expected to host a pre-season game, while a heritage match against the Bears’ rivals, Manly Sea Eagles, will also be played in Sydney.

As reported in the Guardian Australia, the demographics of Perth suggest a team will have a strong chance of survival.

Western Australia is the second fastest growing state in terms of population, while Perth has been named the 12th most livable city on the planet.