BRISBANE Roar will remain the state's focal point until Football Federation Australia has enough confidence in the inconsistent A-League model to consider another attempt at Queensland expansion.

Season eight of the A-League kicks off on Friday night and in terms of Queensland participation it has gone full circle, with the Roar again flying the state's flag.

It is a drastic change from only two seasons ago, when North Queensland Fury and Gold Coast United were part of a three-pronged Sunshine State assault.

First the Fury and then Gold Coast have since been dumped by an impatient FFA, which paid a hefty penalty for rushing expansion.

Once Australia's bid to host the 2022 World Cup spectacularly failed, the financially stricken Fury were quickly dumped, with FFA no longer interested in bank-rolling the Townsville-based outfit.

Dollars were not an issue for Gold Coast, who were funded by billionaire Clive Palmer. But FFA's constant clashes with Palmer resulted in the mining magnate being stripped of his A-League licence and eventually, the axing of the Robina-based club.

Of the two departed clubs, it's more likely that North Queensland will one day return to the A-League.

This week, former Fury chief executive Rabieh Krayem outlined plans to be back in the competition by 2017, with likely admission into next season's second-tier Australian Premier League under the Northern Fury guise the first step.

But even five years may be too short a timeframe for FFA officials desperate to ensure the success of new FFA-funded franchise Western Sydney and the 10-team model.

"Our first job is to make sure all of those teams are strong, successful and sustainable," recently appointed A-League boss Damien de Bohun told The Sunday Mail.

"Once there's a strong and sustainable model there's no doubt the A-League should be looking at other opportunities and there's no reason why that shouldn't be in Queensland. But the fact that there is one team in Queensland right now gives the whole of the state's population a strong focal point."

Having only one A-League club in Queensland also means some of the state's best talent will be lost interstate. Of last season's Gold Coast United squad, only Brisbane-born excitement machine Ben Halloran has joined the Roar.

Several other Queenslanders who were part of the Gold Coast set-up under foundation coach Miron Bleiberg and his replacement Mike Mulvey are now plying their trade for other A-League clubs.

"The truth of the matter is that with just one team here, you limit the number of players that can be selected from Queensland," said Mulvey, himself currently searching for a job in football.

"For example, (ex-Gold Coast pair) Mitch Cooper and Josh Brillante were available to the Roar but they chose not to sign them.

"What do those kids do? ...

I'm just hoping that they all get an opportunity at their new clubs and have not just been taken aboard to make up the numbers."