'Pump the brakes': Cam Smith warns NRL against adding 20th team too soon
Maroons great Cam Smith says the NRL should "pump the brakes" on Ipswich being the league's 20th team, saying the game's talent pool may not be able to sustain a competitive team.
The Jets are said to be front-runners for the league's next expansion franchise, having been granted $42.5 million in funding to renovate North Ipswich Reserve to NRL standard.
The bid receieved backing from leading voices in the game this week, with Ben Ikin and Peter V'landys supprting a fifth Queensland team.
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The region has developed a production line of NRL stars for decades and many in the area claim the team can maintain a level of success on the field with financial backing off it.
Speaking on Nine's coverage of the Cowboys 35-31 victory over the Broncos, Smith agreed the area was rich in football talent but warned decision-makers of moving too quickly on a 20th team.
"It's a great location to put another team, the growth out in that western corridor of Brisbane, it's enormous," he said.
"The big question I guess you gotta look for in the NRL is, does that spread our talent a little bit too thin?
"Do we have the amount of quality players to field a 20th team?
"We've got 18 and 19 coming in over the next two years.
"We may just have to pump the brakes a little bit and wait for that extra Brisbane team."
The CQ bid was on the agenda in 2010 when David Gallop was CEO but he left his post just two years later. The side was putting plans in place to be called The Miners.
However, expansion was put off until the Dolphins were admitted as the 17th team in 2023, a move facilitated by ARLC chairman Peter V'landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.
"We absolutely back another team in Queensland because the truth of it is there is an NRL bid emerging out of central Queensland," Ikin told AAP.
"Senior people in rugby league have told me it is happening, including people from government.
"There are a whole lot of people up there rusted onto the game the same way they are in the western corridor (of Brisbane) who would love to see an NRL team out of Rockhampton. That competitive tension is great for the game.
"Who knows? We might end up with six teams in Queensland. Just after COVID would you have expected we would be in Perth and PNG? No one would have.
"Under the game's current leadership, growth is on the agenda because there are more participants, viewers and investments than ever."
