After two failed bids, Ipswich remains hopeful of becoming an NRL side

Rugby league has a storied history in Ipswich, and local clubs are pushing for it to become home to the next NRL side. The Ipswich Jets first made a bid to join the league 16 years ago. The city's bid is facing strong competition from the Christchurch-based Southern Orcas. After almost two decades and two failed bids, rugby league diehards in Ipswich are once again dreaming of a place in the NRL. The league's 20th team is expected to be announced by the end of the year, with the Queensland city's bid facing strong competition from the Christchurch-based Southern Orcas. "We don't underestimate the fight on our hands," Rugby League Ipswich Chairman David Nugent said. "[But] don't underestimate an Ipswich person in a fight, we'll give it our all." Rugby league has been inseparable from the cultural identity of the former coal-mining city since the early 20th century. It takes hold of people early, often passed down through generations. David Haug is a perfect example. At the North Ipswich Tigers clubhouse, it's easier to name what he hasn't done at the club. "I've played since I was under nines … coached everything from under sevens through to A-grade, been on the committee and done everything from committee member to president," he said. That tends to be how it goes in the former industrial city west of Brisbane. Here the game takes hold early, often carried through generations. Ipswich's community sports fields have been a consistent breeding ground of rugby league players. From Dud Beattie in the 1950s, to Allan "Alfie" Langer in the 1990s, and Broncos NRLW captain Ali Brigginshaw today. But none have been able to represent their home city at the top level. "[Ipswich players] get to a certain age … and then get picked up by other Sydney clubs and they don't get a chance to actually come back and play for their city," Mr Haug said. Player factory It was this exodus of talent that sparked the first Western Corridor bid in 2010, which also included the Darling Downs city of Toowoomba. "Our young kids were leaving home at 16 to live their rugby league dreams … and for every 10 that went down the Pacific Highway, nine came back with broken hearts," Ipswich Jets chair Steve Johnson said. But Mr Johnson, who is spearheading the bid, believes the benefits of the Jets becoming the league's 20th team would spread far beyond Ipswich. "With the expansion at the moment with PNG and Western Australia, [the NRL] needs more players and we will surely generate more players than we need." "We'll become a player factory for the entire NRL." University of Technology Sydney Sports Economics Professor Tim Harcourt said new clubs generally had to bring two things to the NRL: spectators and TV viewers. "It's definitely rugby league heartland," Mr Harcourt said. "And secondly, it's attractive economically to have more Brisbane derbies in a sense, because you'll have the Dolphins and Broncos, and then I guess the Jets." But he believed the Ipswich bid's biggest competitor, the Christchurch-based Southern Orcas, was in a better position to become the NRL's 20th team. He said Christchurch would be a more attractive destination for travelling fans, which the NRL would likely take into consideration. "There's a lot of tourism to the South Island of New Zealand already, with Lord of the Rings and all the beautiful landscape." "They've also got this brand new stadium which is fantastic for all sorts of sports and events, so they're kind of ready to go," Mr Harcourt said. With no suitable stadium in Ipswich, the Jets would have to play at Brisbane's Lang Park. The Jets are hoping to turn North Ipswich Reserve into a 12,000-seat rectangular stadium, but are yet to secure all necessary funding. Eyes turn to next generation Far removed from the boardroom machinations at Rugby League Central in Sydney, those who have spent decades working at the grassroots level consider an Ipswich NRL team through the eyes of local under-18s players. "For me, the driving force is every kid involved in sport is one less kid on the street," Redbank Plains Bears President Jodie Elder said. "For some kids it just means everything. It could be the highlight of their week to come to training." Rory Morley-Davies plays for the North Ipswich Tigers under-15s side and started playing football at a young age. "I don't think any other sport fulfils me like rugby does," he said. "When [people in Ipswich] think of a sport, they don't think of anything other than rugby league." "Everyone wouldn't want anything else, except for Ipswich to have a rugby league team, and I think it's a long time coming."