Titans deserve better from NRL over expansion plans

IT has been reported widely that the NRL are determined to have a second Brisbane team in 2023.

The Gold Coast Titans have struggled after entering the competition in 2007, their past has not been something to celebrate.

Most of the challenges have been created by the Titans and once identified they failed miserably in the past to address issues quickly, professionally or in line with community standards.

A second Brisbane team in the NRL will be challenging for the Gold Coast Titans and it will be fascinating to watch how the city responds to the threat of losing our NRL team. If the Titans stay on the Gold Coast how do the next 10 years look versus a potential move to a new location and who will fund the Titans for the next 10 years?

Moving and rebranding would be a huge risk, however is the risk more or less than staying on the Gold Coast with low levels of community support, fan base and a small corporate/business base?

As I have said many times, Rebecca Frizzelle and Darryl

Kelly deserve better from the team and those running the business as they have invested millions into the Titans and, more importantly, they deserve respect from the NRL. Let’s see the NRL sell the idea of a second team in the Brisbane area and address the market saturation. The Broncos in media statements via their departing CEO have endorsed the plan, so now it’s a formality.

The television rights will be contingent upon 17 or 18 NRL teams in 2023 so the NRL won’t care if the Titans fail or succeed as long as they run out every week to meet the obligations to the television broadcaster. The fans care, the NRL don’t!

The player market for 2023 just got a whole lot more interesting and I’d imagine player agents are spending today scanning the databases for players coming off contract and the player window won’t just be open it will be smashed in the rush to find 30 NRL players to make a competitive team in 2023. RICHARD HOLLIDAY, SURFERS PARADISE