New Zealand NRL franchise bids delivered brutal blow

Nick Politis has discussed where the 20th NRL team must come from, and given his influence, it’s a massive blow for the New Zealand bids.

The NRL will see PNG Chiefs and Perth Bears join the competition in the coming years. When the pair join the league, there will be 19 sides in the division.

Only one of the 19 clubs is based in New Zealand, being the New Zealand Warriors. A new team is to be announced for 2029, with a new TV deal set to take effect.

Sydney Roosters chairman Politis has discussed where the 20th club must be based, with plenty of fans wanting the side to be based in New Zealand.

“The 20th team has to go to Brisbane’s west,” he said to News Corp.

“I’ve spoken to Peter (V’landys), and if you look at Christchurch, it’s got around 400,000 people. Brisbane has three or four million, and if you look at the population and economy, we need to strengthen Queensland.”

He added: “We need to turn Brisbane into the capital of rugby league. We need to shore up that south-west corridor right from Northern Brisbane out to Ipswich and Toowoomba.”

The addition of a side in Brisbane would be a blow to New Zealand, considering how much league is booming in the country at the moment.

The Warriors are enjoying great success on and off the field in 2026, and another club in NZ would help further grow the game.