If it's done right we won't have to wait till 2017 to see things happening. Before the 2008 WC there were some great qualifying tournaments. Before 2013 they were scaled down because of the lack of money, but there is really an opportunity before 2017 to use some funds to put on qualifying games for everyone but the top 3 sides.
There should be 13 places up for grabs, and teams should have to earn there spot from 4th down to 16th in qualifying tournaments.
That should happen in 2015 and 2016.

In what? That Perth won't have a NRL side for 2017 would be the shortest wait, unless you wanted to bet that Vic/SA would have one before Perth? Which could see the bet need paying from 5 years to never.

But Perth have caps and bumper stickers and everything

And, jnr development, and a fanbase, and a stadium, and corporate support, and govt support, and player support, and coaches support and.........

In fact all we are missing is the NRL review starting in Sept that a SHOULD lead to an announcement that the Pirates will be kicking off in 2017.

Let's face it PNG are in front of you.

........In fact all we are missing is a decent size TV audience.

100k and building for big games. That's more people in little old afl Perth tuning in to watch RL than the English union premiership gets from a population of 20million and more than most S15 games get in Australia lol.

If London had a qtr of the support and interest the game has got in Perth they wouldn't be the laughing stock of the professional game and about to disappear.

Are Perth up against Rugby union or London Broncos for a NRL licence?

Interest dear boy, do keep up.

Aside from CC bears, and the NRL is never putting another nsw side in the comp, the Perth bid is by far the strongest. The question isn't IF Perth will be admitted but when. The World Cup will be a great vehicle to continue to grow the game here and in other parts of Australia the game needs to grow in.

Perth won't even get a world cup game, you can repost an article from the Western Australian if you like to give yourself a bit of hope.

I hope Perth do get in but until you've had a team playing in the NSW/QLD cup for a few years I can't see it. Just be thankful Souths and Canterbury have given you a chance to see the NRL live.

Local(ish) rivalry works, Brisbane and New Zealand will profit.

Yeh why would you want 20k crowds in Perth when you can get sub 10k crowds on the east coast? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Rugby ... Cup#Venues

Yeh why would you want 20k crowds in Perth when you can get sub 10k crowds on the east coast? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_Rugby ... Cup#Venues

You don't have to convince me, get in touch with Dave Smith. He's on twitter.

I hope you've bought your tickets for Canterbury v Melbourne and Souths v New Zealand, Isn't it both clubs last year of the agreement to bring a game to WA?