The Brisbane Firehawks have a great business model and are well-positioned to expand their franchise to other cities. They plan to appeal to a broad audience by creating a website and social media pages. They also hope to attract more young fans. Some of the players they hope to sign are Latrell Mitchell, Kalyn Ponga, Reece Walsh, Joseph Manu, Sam Walker, and Tino Fa’asu’amaleaui.
The team is backed by the Coorparoo Rugby Club and Easts Tigers, and is aiming to become the 17th franchise in the NRL from 2023. The club unveiled its name and colours at a press conference today. CEO Brian Torpy said the name and colours of the club reflect its identity as an outlaw and an original Australian brand.
The Firehawks’ bid for the NRL franchise has many advantages, but there are many challenges. For one, a new team would have to compete with the existing Brisbane franchise and its north-south rivalry. Also, they would face a fierce competition with the Broncos for players and sponsorship dollars. Besides, it would be detrimental to the Broncos’ long-term success.
With a strong balance sheet and $80 million in assets, the Brisbane Firehawks are a strong contender to win the NRL franchise in 2023. Their goal is to develop a new breed of Queensland players and coaches and attract a younger, diverse audience. It is estimated that there are 4.4 million casual sports fans in Queensland, and the club plans to take advantage of these young people.
A strong digital presence and marketing strategy will be crucial to the Firehawks’ success. Besides creating a brand new audience, the Firehawks also need to make a competitive offering for its sponsors. Their digital blueprint will focus on wooing the new legion of rugby league fans. Its commercial power will help them pitch to financially cautious NRL powerbrokers. They also have a great balance sheet and no debt.
The Firehawks are one of three bid teams for the 17th NRL licence. The decision will be made by the ARLC in 2023. Firehawks head coach Shane Richardson has been a head coach at the Easts Tigers and has worked with teams such as Penrith, Cronulla, and South Sydney. He believes the NRL has enough talent for 17 teams.
Another bid, the Jets, hopes to be an expansion team in 2023. They hope to be affiliated with Ipswich Jets, which play in the Queensland Cup. Their aim is to build a 20,000-capacity stadium in the Ipswich CBD. Its rival, the Dolphins, play their games at the Redcliffe Peninsula Stadium, which is 35km north of Brisbane.
In the old Brisbane competition, the Tigers won eight premierships. The club has also survived existential threats, but they have proven that they can reinvent themselves to stay competitive. In the 1930s, they were close to bankruptcy due to financial problems, but by the 1940s, they fought back and contested six consecutive Grand Finals. In the 1970s, the Tigers had their best years and ended a 15-year premiership drought.
The expansion of the NRL is a hot topic. Three new teams are in the running to join the competition in 2023 or 2024. The expansion assessment committee will meet this week to determine which team should get the new franchise. The winner of the franchise will be announced by the ARL Commission later this week. Rival bids say they have not been given an official indication of what the EAC will recommend.
The Dolphins have made a strong bid to be the 17th team in the NRL. They have strong financial backing and will be based at Suncorp Stadium. The Raiders have a long history, dating back to 1947, and have a strong fanbase. The franchise has a strong fan base and is well-supported by the community.
If the Jets do join the NRL, the franchise would be relocated to the North Ipswich Reserve. The proposed stadium will hold 20,000 fans. The stadium would be developed with a new logo, similar to that of the current Ipswich Jets.