SS - I think there is plenty of scope there to debate the pros and cons of that suggestion.
I definitely think it's time to expand. Brisbane needs a local derby. Perth is begging for a team. Wellington / NZ2 are making all the right noises and moves, and a NZ derby would be great IMHO.
I also think Sydney is saturated, and it's a case of 'anyone but my team' when it's discussed. I think there's definite scope to trim Sydney by one team and encourage them to move to Brisbane, although personally, I like the Brisbane Bombers colours and logo they put up. St George-Illawarra should really be playing 2/3 of their games in the 'Gong and shoring up the South Coast all the way to the Vic border along with Canberra (who also have the Riverina) and Penrith should be aligned with Western Division NSW too (I believe they are making moves to shore that up themselves).
Wests Tigers really needs to be renamed West Sydney Tigers and made to play in the Campbelltown/Narellan region. The next 20-50 years will be massive growth out there, and they need a week in, week out team there.
Manly-Warringah should have been looking at shoring up the Central Coast/North Sydney region too by expanding its membership and promotion reaches in to these areas instead of the pig-headed Insular Peninsula attitude. Yet, a team in constant chaos for a decade has been one of the most successful on it, go figure! The Chooks have moved in to the CC, so I wonder if that will lead to a softly-softly partial or full relocation in the future. Interesting times there. Central Coast needs a team, but I only see a relocation working. If it's the Chooks, so be it, but the carrot should be dangled.
For mine, the Sharks own their own ground...the only club to do so in the NRL. It would be madness to let them go. In fact, if I was the NRL, I would encourage the Sharks to utilise their facility in summer by having an A-League team. Crazy? Maybe. But the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and soccer plays in summer, many of its fans are RL fans and the money the Sharks would make with a summer/winter arrangement would be perfect IMHO.
That really leaves Para, Souths - here we go...'anyone but my team', and the Bulldogs. Personally, I think the Eels are needed in Western Sydney and their army of fans/members is pretty big considering how crap they have been since 2009. But as Souths have shown, it's all cyclical and teams go up and down, so if they can win, they may well cement their base too. The Bulldogs tested the waters in Brisbane by moving games. They have done lots of work with memberships there too. Perhaps another softly-softly relocation? So who moves to Brisbane and why? Not suggesting either, or anyone else, but would be interesting arguing. Who knows? Not me. Just like to debate and daydream.
I also think 18 teams is suffice. But 20 is a possibility down the track, especially if we shore up PNG, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa and improve the international side of our game.
In regards to the cocaine, it is interesting both the Suns and the Titans coaches left/were relieved of duty in 2014. It would be interesting to hear what they know, if anything. I don't think the NRL is the only team on the Gold Coast partying.