Central Queensland bid boss Denis Keeffe says he has received an assurance by NRL CEO Dave Smith that they will one day be granted a franchise.
But Keeffe warned if they were not in the competition in five to 10 years’ time the AFL would “dominate” their region.
Keeffe has been encouraged by renewed expansion talk that emerged from the recent NRL competition committee meeting in Sydney.
While still considered to be several years away, the NRL is believed to be keen to expand to an 18-strong competition to ensure a fairer draw for teams and stand alone weekends for State of Origin.
Keeffe believed Smith would put expansion on the agenda again by mid-2015.
Reports claimed Wellington, Perth, Gosford or a second Brisbane franchise were contenders for two new spots.
But Keeffe was unconcerned, saying Smith told him the NRL knew the importance of a franchise in the “league heartland” of Rockhampton when he visited the region in October.
“He said in the fullness of time we will have our own NRL club – he just didn’t know when or how,” Keeffe told AAP.
“It doesn’t matter what some journalist says in Sydney. It matters what the decision-makers say.
“If they expand I am sure we will get a team so it’s nice to hear them talking about it again.”
But Keeffe hoped Rockhampton’s already five-year-old bid would receive the green light sooner rather than later due to the AFL threat.
He believed the AFL had pumped millions into the area and was committed to establishing a franchise in the region by 2020.
“I have said to senior NRL officials who think `we have that area locked up, let’s look at some sexy market’ that if they come back in five to 10 years’ time you will find a different market altogether – it’s as simple as that,” Keeffe said.
According to Keeffe the AFL has spent more money on its Gold Coast Suns academy in nearby Mackay than the QRL has for all of its development programs this year.
The Suns have academies from Rockhampton to Cape York in the north.
“People might say `oh, he’s throwing up the AFL bogeyman again’ – I am not saying this to scare anyone,” Keeffe said.
“(But) if you read their statements and their policies which I have, they say there will be an AFL side in regional Queensland by 2020 and they are well down the road.
“They use words like `dominate’. I don’t like using those sorts of words – I think we should co-exist.
“But I don’t think they want to co-exist with anyone.”
The Central Queensland bid is backed by one of the state’s richest men Geoff Murphy, they have a business plan already audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers, junior development programs in place for the region and plans to build a 20,000-stadium.
“We have made a compelling argument,” he said.
