Lessons for the NRL in shaky AFL expansion strategy

Patrick Smith opines in the Australian that the NRL should proceed with expansion, with caution, saying that there are lessons to be learnt from the AFLs expansion strategy of marching straight in guns blazing.

A word of caution from the AFL experience. Don’t march forward. Shuffle. Obviously expansion — it would mean exploration for any team in Western Australia — is based in tiny part on growing the empire but mostly giving the Nine Network or any other broadcaster more product for broader, more flexible coverage. Or simply put — ratings.