If you look at South Sydney and how they've been able to enter their own team into the NSW Cup, it does seem strange that the most successful club in the game won't follow suit. You would have to think the Broncos would want to invest as much money as they could to be the most successful club in the sport and would want all their players from Under 16s on to learn their systems.
From what we know, the players spend the majority of their week at Red Hill. If they fail to make the first grade side, they're dismissed to their affiliate club where they will spend one session. If they're 18th or 19th man they may not even receive that luxury and may only appear during the warm up where they'll have to adjust. While there is some value in having to adapt on the fly, it just seems like an unnecessary distraction.
Plus your dealing with the agendas of four different clubs. With a Broncos QRL side, it would just be one of the assistant coaches working in association with the head coach to try different things and develop talent which is ultimately what the Broncos want to get out of the competition.
From a fan perspective as well, it would provide some added value to their ticket which can be as high as $68 and you could potentially get three grades of football. Broncos fans would be more engaged with the team and it would give the Broncos website more content. They could also give their UQ students some experience writing articles for the website.
I can see how the NRL squad limits could pose a problem since at most you can have 36 which leaves only two extra players. However, Souths, Penrith, Warriors and Newcastle seem to manage so there's some wriggle room there.
Yes, Toowoomba folded but that was 14 years ago. The Broncos should spare no expense trying to be the strongest club it can possibly be and if that means sinking money in a Queensland Cup side so be it.
On the other hand...
I would find it difficult to believe that the QRL would want to expand, especially with an NRL licensed club. It's in their best interest to spread the NRL talent around, getting fans to attend and tune into as many games as possible to see the next Cameron Munster or Jason Taumalolo in action.
It would also damage the Broncos relationship with the Dolphins, Devils, Magpies and Seagulls. They've been the grass roots for the Broncos for well over a decade and without their support the Broncos may never had got a chance to sign Matt Gillett, David Fifita, Anthony Milford etc.
What about cases where you've got plenty of competition for spots? You'd wind up in a situation where players wouldn't receive adequate game time because they're stuck behind experienced players. At least with the current model, there's more opportunities for players.
Further while in-house training may sound good in theory, there's nothing to suggest the current model isn't working. Both Melbourne and North Queensland have enjoyed success despite having different feeders. Sydney have basically left North Sydney to their own devices with their talent, after winning back to back premierships they seem to be fine. While all those clubs like Penrith, Newcastle and the Warriors have been disappointing. The only exception is Souths who only just entered their own NSW Cup side.
While the Broncos can afford a Queensland Cup side, it wouldn't be wise of them in the long term to make bad financial decisions. Toowoomba was a failure and ultimately the Broncos haven't really missed that arrangement. They're still developing quality players through the Queensland Cup at a similar rate to when the Clydesdales were still around.
Finally nobody showed up for the Clydesdales let alone the Broncos Under 20s side, so why would it be any different? If there was any interest in a reserve grade side, the Broncos would have produced more content - clearly their optics showed it wasn't worth their time or energy. $68 is expensive, but relatively speaking it's just above average. Other clubs have it worse and aren't expected to provide more bang for their buck.
I think that canvasses both sides?
With that said, Niu, Dearden and Paix will all start for the Magpies, so it's all moot.
