Gold Coast Consortium up the ante

The Gold Coast bid team will meet with NRL chief executive David Gallop on Friday armed with another $2.5 million in the bank and what it claims is an indisputable case for entry to the premiership.

Gold Coast official Michael Searle revealed the consortium had hitched its wagon to another investor and made offers to a chief executive and coach.

The consortium now has four shareholders, including the bid team, willing to plough $10 million into the club if it gets the green light from the NRL.

Searle believes a knockback would be a major mistake on the NRL's behalf.

"No defies logic," Searle said.

"When you put all the logical arguments down, if that's what occurs, it would be the biggest mistake this organisation could ever make.

"At the moment the AFL is ripping rugby league apart in south east Queensland."

Searle confirmed the club had made an offer to a chief executive, believed to be former international John Brass, and coach, understood to be Sydney Roosters assistant John Cartwright.

And the Coast has spared no expense in its attempts to impress Gallop.

The NRL boss and projects manager Shane Mattiske will be flown into Gold Coast Stadium by helicopter before being taken on an aerial tour of the tourist strip.

The visit follows last week's decision by the NRL partnership executive to carry out further analysis on the three rival bids - the Gold Coast, the Central Coast and Wellington.

The analysis - to be prepared by NRL management - will involve further review of the bid teams, their areas and the impact an extra team would have on the premiership.

Searle said the Gold Coast had made significant progress since its last meeting with NRL officials.

"We have scored another investor which takes our equity up to $10 million," he said.

"We're ready to go. If Gallop said to us tomorrow `go', in a pinch we could be ready in 2005."

Searle also rejected ongoing suggestions by Parramatta chief executive Denis Fitzgerald that Melbourne should relocate to the Gold Coast.

"Relocation wouldn't work on the Gold Coast," Searle said.

"We're in a city of cynics. They won't accept a transplant."

Meanwhile, Melbourne chief executive Frank Stanton had his own message for Fitzgerald - if you want to move a team to the Gold Coast, make it your own.

"If he seriously thinks there needs to be a team on the Gold Coast then perhaps he should consider re-locating Parramatta up there," Stanton said.

"The NRL and News Limited have both stated categorically Melbourne is here to stay.

"This type of comment doesn't help. It's undermining. Denis really should take a more responsible approach."