Expansion clubs are taking different routes, with funding, leadership, talent pathways and fan engagement as important as marquee player signings
The path to top-level Australian rugby league can take myriad forms. Clubs may win promotion from a second division (Cronulla and Penrith in 1967), command franchises with huge heartland support (Brisbane and Newcastle in 1988), get shoe-horned into an ill-fated rebel competition (Adelaide Rams and Hunter Mariners in 1997) or arrive fully formed to satiate a growing local demand (the Dolphins in 2023).
The NRL’s 18th and 19th teams…
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