The race for the NRL’s 20th franchise is heating up, but should it stay in Queensland? Former Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin believes the answer is an emphatic yes—and he’s made his case directly to ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys.
Ikin believes Queensland is better placed than any other market to support another NRL club, arguing the state’s rugby league infrastructure is already proven following the successful introduction of the Dolphins in 2023.
Speaking to the daily telegraph, Ikin said Queensland is “absolutely” ready for a fifth franchise if the NRL decides to introduce a 20th team by 2029 or 2030. Rather than building a club from scratch, he believes another Queensland side could hit the ground running with established pathways, facilities and community support.
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The comments come as the NRL continues assessing where its next expansion team should be based.
Papua New Guinea will join the competition in 2028, while Perth enters the league in 2027. That leaves one remaining licence, with Queensland and New Zealand widely viewed as the two leading contenders.
A second South Island team based in Christchurch has gathered significant momentum in recent weeks, with multiple consortiums preparing bids and NRL officials recently travelling to New Zealand to assess the market.
Queensland, however, has no shortage of interested parties.
Ipswich, the Brisbane Jets, Central Queensland and other regional bids have all expressed interest, while Central Queensland has also received public backing from Queensland stars including Cameron Munster, who believes the region has long deserved its own NRL team.
Ikin’s argument is simple.
Rather than taking the game into another developing market, he believes the NRL should further strengthen its heartland by adding another Queensland club capable of producing players, attracting fans and delivering immediate commercial success.
Whether the ARL Commission agrees remains to be seen.
With Perth and Papua New Guinea already locked in, the battle for the 20th licence is shaping as one of the biggest off-field decisions in the game’s history—and Queensland isn’t giving up without a fight.
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