Foordy
International Captain
Contributor
- Mar 4, 2008
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The ARLC are reportedly pushing the QRL to add teams from the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans into the Hostplus Cup from next year.
The QRL are reportedly "extremely concerned" by this plan
The Cowboys are believed to be the only Queensland club supporting the new hybrid league. The Broncos have no complaints with the current arrangements (with our affiliate model with feeder clubs Norths, Souths Logan and Wynnum Manly)
the Hostplus clubs have a salary cap of $400k, with their top players earning around $30k. so there are fears among the existing clubs that their talent pools could be stripped bare by players leaving to join the NRL aligned teams.
Queensland Rugby League chairman Bruce Hatcher says:
“I think it’s very ordinary,’’ Hatcher said. “We are happy with what we have got and the way it is going.
“I don’t think any of the commissioners have been to the country and seen the glue that really holds our competition together.
“I have rung half of the commissioners to tell them about our opposition to this sort of stuff and I plan to ring the other half.
“When you start going down a path like this you don’t understand tribalism and what it means in rugby league.
“I know what this is about – creating a national brand run out of Sydney – but we have built a geographical competition which runs from Cairns to Tweed Heads and includes Papua New Guinea and we will have a Toowoomba team next year. We are also looking at getting Pacific Islands involved.
“I know what they want. There is a view that everything has to be badged NRL but Queensland and NSW have looked after their competitions for 100-odd years.
“I sense they want the power to control our competition but the greater good of the game is more important.’’
“We try and keep talent in the regions,’’ Hatcher said.
“Our participation numbers are up five per cent. We won the State of Origin with a team that included a large number of players who were country raised.’’
The QRL are reportedly "extremely concerned" by this plan
The Cowboys are believed to be the only Queensland club supporting the new hybrid league. The Broncos have no complaints with the current arrangements (with our affiliate model with feeder clubs Norths, Souths Logan and Wynnum Manly)
the Hostplus clubs have a salary cap of $400k, with their top players earning around $30k. so there are fears among the existing clubs that their talent pools could be stripped bare by players leaving to join the NRL aligned teams.
Queensland Rugby League chairman Bruce Hatcher says:
“I think it’s very ordinary,’’ Hatcher said. “We are happy with what we have got and the way it is going.
“I don’t think any of the commissioners have been to the country and seen the glue that really holds our competition together.
“I have rung half of the commissioners to tell them about our opposition to this sort of stuff and I plan to ring the other half.
“When you start going down a path like this you don’t understand tribalism and what it means in rugby league.
“I know what this is about – creating a national brand run out of Sydney – but we have built a geographical competition which runs from Cairns to Tweed Heads and includes Papua New Guinea and we will have a Toowoomba team next year. We are also looking at getting Pacific Islands involved.
“I know what they want. There is a view that everything has to be badged NRL but Queensland and NSW have looked after their competitions for 100-odd years.
“I sense they want the power to control our competition but the greater good of the game is more important.’’
“We try and keep talent in the regions,’’ Hatcher said.
“Our participation numbers are up five per cent. We won the State of Origin with a team that included a large number of players who were country raised.’’
