Pirates hoist NRL expansion flag

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Western Australia's official NRL expansion bid team is confident a move away from the traditional Western Reds brand will boost their chances of a successful proposal.

Western Australian Rugby League (WARL) announced on Wednesday that the name for their proposed team is the West Coast Pirates, a surprise shift away from the Reds brand that has been retained by the governing body since the top-flight club folded in 1997.

But WARL CEO John Sackson, who also took a swipe at the architect of the rival Perth bid, Tony Sage, said the rebranding would help the proposed side connect with the state.

"We did a lot of the research into the Reds and just over 50 percent of the marketplace provided a negative response to the Reds and associated them with failure," he said.

"We felt it was appropriate to draw a line in the sand and start afresh.

"We're very confident we'll put in a very strong and compelling bid."

Despite the name change the Pirates would compete with similar colours to the Reds, with red, black, silver and gold all to be included in the yet to be completed jersey designs.

While Sackson said the branding was a big step in the right direction, he said it was comments from key rugby league figures and the foundation of a sound bid that gave him optimism.

But no expansion will be confirmed until the new NRL television deal is finalised, possibly in September.

Despite that delay, Sackson said he was still extremely confident the NRL would be an 18-team competition in 2015.

"We don't think (expansion in 2015 has been jeopardised) but it is the great unknown," he said.

"We would hope if they do choose to expand in 2015 that they will make those vital decisions (on the winning bid) by late this year or early next year before the 2013 season starts."

The WARL bid received unexpected competition from Sage when the Perth Glory owner announced his desire to form an NRL team early in 2012 and Sackson said he respected the mining magnate's desire to get involved.

But Sackson said he doubted Sage's motives.

"We're connected to the game here and we have empathy and a passion for it. I question the other consortium about their genuine passion and their intentions," he said.

"You can talk about vast sums of money being spent, but if it's without the right, passionate people who are committed to rugby league, good luck to them."

In addition to the rival Perth bid, the WARL proposal faces competition from the Central Coast, Central Queensland, Ipswich, Brisbane, Wellington and Papua New Guinea.

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