NRL: Watch Cowboys fans in Townsville react to their Grand Final win over the Broncos.

THE Broncos want to host the Cowboys in a grand final rematch in Round 2 next season.

The NRL will soon start work on next year’s draw, which is expected to have about five Thursday night matches, including one in the first round again.

“We are as good a custodian of a big event as there is in the competition,” Broncos CEO Paul White said.

“It has worked better in the past if we play our first home game in Round 2, and our best opponents have always been North Queensland.’’

White said the appeal of Broncos-Cowboys derbys had been enhanced by last week’s extra-time grand final thriller.

“The two clubs have a rich derby history now and that’s exactly what the game wants, those real rivalries,” he said. “Three of the four games between the two clubs were among the best of the year.

“It’s a marquee event because people come to it from all over Queensland.”

The two Broncos-Cowboys matches at Suncorp Stadium this year drew a total of 90,535 spectators.

White said the two biggest off-season issues for NRL clubs were the completion of a new pay TV broadcast deal, and answers from the league over the amount of the increased annual grants, currently $7 million per year.

The game’s competitions structures, to be recommended by NRL head of strategy Shane Richardson later this year, will also show some guidance on the expansion issue.

NRL chief executive David Smith said last week he foresaw an additional team in Queensland but only after some existing clubs were stabilised financially.

“Pay television is yet to be done and there’s a priority around that,” White said.

“Equally important is having all the clubs on board. No one can operate a business and make investment decisions based on a 12-month horizon. Clubs need funding certainty over the medium term.”

The ARL Commission is expected to scrap the national under-20 competition from 2017 with those players placed in state-based competitions.

“If we’re making changes, let’s make changes that are going to improve the assets we have,” White said.