Wayne Bennett, a veteran coach, has expressed his enthusiastic support for the Ipswich Jets as they vie to become the NRL's 20th franchise.
He emphasized the necessity for the league to seize the opportunity presented by the rapid growth in Queensland's western corridor.
The Ipswich-Toowoomba area now stands out as a potential candidate for becoming the state's fifth NRL team, with expansion on the agenda.
Though there are discussions about adding a second team from New Zealand, many believe establishing a national development pathway should take precedence over introducing another franchise from across the Tasman.
Given his strong connections to the region, Bennett finds the case for a Western-based team to be highly convincing.
"Ipswich and the surrounding areas would all buy into a team out there," he stated.
"The amount of housing and population growth in that area is huge. Toowoomba is growing, and there's a massive area there for the NRL to tap into, so I think it's only a matter of time before we have an NRL team there.
"I love the idea."
The 76-year-old coach, who hails from Allora, located between Warwick and Toowoomba, still owns a family farm in the area, which he frequently visits during coaching breaks.
The western corridor of Brisbane was previously overlooked during the NRL's last expansion, when the Dolphins received the 17th licence and joined the league in 2023 under Bennett's leadership.