- Expansion talks in WA with NRL been put on ice
- Cook’s focus is winning state election in March
- WA Premier does want an NRL team in his state
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook has slammed Peter V’landys, telling the NRL supremo to ‘shut up’ as expansion talks in Perth have been put on hold.
It follows V’Landys rejecting an offer from a private consortium last October, who were pushing to be the 19th NRL franchise in a partnership with the North Sydney Bears.
The NRL went in another direction, outlining their proposal for a Perth-based team which would be owned by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).
That franchise required the WA government to stump up significant money, which hasn’t happened at this stage.
And when the WA team proposal was put on ice, the NRL announced in December a team based out of Papua New Guinea – armed with a staggering $600million pledge from the Albanese government — will be the 18th team, entering the competition in 2028.
It is understood the NRL approached the Cook government about a $120million investment – in addition to $200million to upgrade Perth’s rectangular HBF Stadium into a 27,000-seat venue.
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook has slammed Peter V’landys, telling the NRL supremo to ‘shut up’ as expansion talks in Perth have been put on hold
It follows V’Landys (pictured left, with wife Phillipa) rejecting an offer from a private consortium last October, who were pushing to be the 19th NRL franchise in a partnership with the North Sydney Bears
According to News Corp, talks between the NRL and Cook government have been paused ahead of the state election in March – but it didn’t stop the Premier from publicly questioning the business approach from V’Landys.
‘He’s a tough bugger, Cook told Triple M in Perth.
‘Look if he [V’Landys] could just shut up for a little while….they (NRL) are a funny mob to deal with.’
Cook remains hopeful his state will again see an NRL team, with the Western Reds previously part of the ARL between 1995 and 1996.
In 1997 they featured in the News Limited backed Super League competition, where they were known as the Perth Reds.
A debt of at least $10million saw the club fold the same year.
‘WA is the only state that can put the N in NRL, it’s not a national comp until you get a WA side, but we aren’t talking about this year, next year or even the year after that, this is a long term plan,’ Cook added.
‘We are open to that idea (Bears joining the NRL as a WA-based team.)
‘That gives us a player base, a membership base and resource base. It would start us off well.
‘We are having some conversations with the NRL….[let’s see] if they work out some point in the future.
Meanwhile, NRL CEO Andrew Abdo has confirmed talks will resume if Cook’s Labor government – as widely forecast – remain in power in WA.
‘Once that election is finished, we will re-engage with the government and hopefully put a business case to the (ARL) Commission which will provide certainty for the next couple of years,’ he told AAP.
‘Nothing has been finalised and we need to work on it.
‘It won’t be rushed, it would be something the commission needs to be very clear on.
‘These decisions are really important because they fall decades into the future. We want to make sure we have all the analysis done.’
V’landys remains confident a deal will be reached – and is adamant the Bears ‘will be a part of the new expansion team.’
‘I won’t go into exact details, but talks with the WA government have been very positive, so I have no concerns at all,’ he said.
‘I am very comfortable with where we are at….[and] the Bears will be at the front and centre of this.’
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .