Second Brisbane team ready to join NRL

Correspondent

A second Brisbane-based team is likely to be ready to enter the NRL in 2013.

The Brisbane NRL Expansion Bid has been preparing its documentation to provide to an Independent Commission, which had initially been scheduled to launch on April 1, but has since been delayed.

And Brisbane NRL director Craig Davison says that the team are ready to take the opportunity and double Brisbane’s presence in the NRL.

He said: “The strength of our bid is our Brisbane location. The financial modelling has been completed and our corporate partners and investors are all keen to get started.”

The team have met with a number of key NRL delegates over the last few months, including NRL chief executive David Gallop and communications director John Brady.

Once they get the go ahead to join the NRL, the new Brisbane team hope to confirm their brand and home ground in July 2011, before launching merchandise and a membership campaign in the autumn.

Brisbane would become the 17th team in the NRL, and the first new team to join the competition since Gold Coast Titans, who competed in their inaugural season in 2007.