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The Queensland government has backed a push for the 20th NRL licence to be awarded to Central Queensland, as the first stage of a stadium redevelopment approaches completion in Rockhampton.
Inspecting the nearly completed 3253-seat grandstand on Tuesday, Sports Minister Tim Mander said Browne Park would be an obvious candidate for international teams looking for pre-Olympic training venues.
“Of course it is the home of rugby league, but when you have stadiums like this, you’re going to attract other events in other football codes,” he said. “As well as that, concerts and other entertainment.”
The upgrade, initiated by the former Labor government, was initially expected to be completed by the start of last year’s local rugby league season.
While Browne Park would continue to host the Central Queensland Capras in the Queensland Cup, Mander said the redevelopment was a signal to the NRL that Rockhampton was an “ideal” candidate for future expansion of the national competition.
A Central Queensland NRL side was mooted more than 15 years ago, with Capras chief executive Peter White behind a renewed bid for a Rockhampton-based licence.
“I know I speak on behalf of the rugby league community, to say how grateful we are to be part of this brand new stadium,” White said.
“The quality of the stadium is unbelievable.”
Mander said there was “no better place” for NRL expansion than Central Queensland.
“We’ve seen the success of the new teams in Queensland – up in North Queensland, the Titans, the Dolphins – there is a missing gap, and I think Central Queensland would fit it well,” he said.
“They’re rugby league-mad. Just look at some of the products, with Cameron Munster and Harry Grant – and they’re just contemporary players. Rocket Reddy from Rocky as well, of course.
“They’ve got that record, but it’s a hard slog – you’ve got to get out there and really sell the vision.”
But Mander drew a line in the sand when it came to Magic Round. The AFL Gather Round’s use of regional venues – albeit much closer to Adelaide than Rockhampton is to Brisbane – had local journalists asking whether Rockhampton could get a slice of the action.
“One of the reasons Magic Round works is because of the wonderful facility we have at Suncorp Stadium and the precinct around it, with Caxton Street,” he said.
“We’re looking at ways of activating that more effectively so Magic Round goes to another level. We’re in active conversation with the NRL to make sure we reach that objective.”
Rowers have suggested Browne Park as an alternative venue for Rockhampton Olympic events, as they continue their campaign against the Crisafulli government’s left-field call to host rowing on the Fitzroy River in the Central Queensland city.
Despite a push by Moreton Bay to have a new rowing facility at Lawnton – widely supported by the rowing community – Mander said the government had no plan B if World Rowing and/or the International Canoe Federation did not sign off on the Fitzroy River course’s suitability for Olympic competition.
“You’re sort of thinking what might happen – I want to focus on what is happening,” Mander said when asked what would happen if the course was not certified.
“They are intricately involved, World Rowing and the World Canoeing Federation [sic] as well.
“They’re very happy. We don’t want to speculate with what might or might not happen. We are determined for the rowing to be here, and everything is going according to plan and according to schedules.”
In a written statement to this masthead, a World Rowing spokesperson said: “Fairness and integrity of competition are World Rowing and ICF’s utmost priority, and we will continue to work with all stakeholders to undertake further technical assessments of the Fitzroy River and reach a final position in a timely manner.”
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