Cronulla, Manly and the Gold Coast are all at risk of being axed from the NRL to make way for a new Brisbane team, according to a report by The Daily Telegraph.
Nine Network is pushing for the change, with the broadcaster's director of sport Tom Malone keen to bring the new Brisbane side in by 2023.
Malone's preference is to axe an existing club instead of adding a 17th team because an expansion would introduce a bye every week and increase costs without generating any "incremental revenue".
"That could come from another team being relocated there, or better still another club being discontinued and a new club established in Brisbane," Malone said.
"In a perfect world you'd probably have one or two less teams.
"What clubs should go? I'm not going to get into that one. It's a hard decision but probably one that needs to be made in the longer term interests of the game."
It is understood that NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg met with Queensland Premier Annastasia Palaszczuk on Friday to discuss a new team in the River City.
Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany was advocating for a new Brisbane team but does not want the league to axe an existing club.
"They love their rugby league in Brisbane and it seems a natural fit," Mr Delany told News Corp.
"You get that inter-city rivalry which enhances tribalism and that's ultimately what we want.
"It's all about generating more fans and bigger TV audiences. I don't know if you'd get that real tribal traction with rugby league in Perth that you'd get in Brisbane."