New Queensland coach Paul Green says the merging of two rival bids for NRL expansion in Brisbane is a healthy development that will lead to a greater pool of Maroon talent to choose from.
The Ipswich Jets and Brisbane Bombers have this week aligned to become the Brisbane Jets in the race to be Queensland's fourth NRL team in 2023.
Competing with Redcliffe Dolphins and Easts Firehawks to become the NRL's 17th team, Brisbane junior and former Wynnum Manly coach Paul Green can see the big-picture spin-offs.
"It (the merger) makes sense for different reasons ... they're all pretty solid bids from what I've read and it makes sense to join your resources because it's a big job to start an NRL club from scratch," former North Queensland coach Paul Green said.
"The Firehawks have a strong bid too; it's healthy (competition) and it's another pathway for young guys to achieve their dreams in footy."
The Jets would play their games out of Suncorp Stadium but target the state's western corridor, which is currently untapped by the NRL despite being rugby league heartland.
The well-established Dolphins would split games between Suncorp Stadium and Redcliffe, which is currently home to the A-League's Brisbane Roar and equipped with administration, training and business facilities.
Billed as a team able to create an inner-city Brisbane NRL rivalry, the Firehawks are the brainchild of the Easts Tigers, a club that currently acts as a feeder team to the Melbourne Storm.
A decision on the new team could be made by the ARL commission as early as June, with Wayne Bennett and Craig Bellamy both reportedly in the mix to coach the foundation club.
"The area west of Brisbane is one of the fastest growing areas in Australia," Brisbane Bombers bid chief Nick Livermore told 4BC when confirming the Ipswich merger.
"(Ipswich bid chief) Steve Johnson and I found some common ground as leaders of our respective bids. We both want to play out of Suncorp Stadium with potentially a training base in Springfield or Ipswich.
"We need to represent as much geographical area as we can to ensure that those fans that don't support the Broncos or the Titans in south-east Queensland have a team."
