PNG raised players starting to spread throughout the professional ranks

[Manfred Mann]

Canberra Raiders have announced the signing of PNG Hunters centre or winger Kato Ottio for two years.

 

http://www.raiders.com.au/content/raiders/club/news/2016/02/26/raiders_sign_kato_ot.html

 

This is the first signing of a PNG Hunters player by an NRL club.

 

PNG players who have succeeded in the NRL have generally been PNG born children of immigrants, who learned their rugby league in Australia (e.g. James Segyaro, Nene Macdonald).

 

But PNG players who were raised and learned rugby league in PNG have been signed by British Championship clubs Sheffield Eagles (e.g. Mark Mexico, Garry Lo) and London Broncos (Israel Eliab).

 

The PNG Hunters is providing a great opportunity for PNG raised players to get a professional contract in England or Australia.

 

Kato Ottio is the most highly placed former PNG Hunters player so far. However he faces a formidable task in trying to make his way into the top 17 at Canberra.

 

 

This development can only be good for PNG rugby league, and hence the international game.

[Viking Ste]

He will end up playing for Australia in 2 years no doubt.

[Manfred Mann]

He will end up playing for Australia in 2 years no doubt.

 

If the NRL cares at all about the international game, then they will not let that happen.

[deluded pom?]

He will end up playing for Australia in 2 years no doubt.

Stop being silly. He'll have to wait three years at least

[RabbitRhinoovOZ]

A bit of stretch to say a Ricky Stuart coached side is professional.

[Guest]

There's also the Albert brothers who last time I heard were at the panthers and an explosive impact bench forward called minoga or something that signed for a top Queensland cup side. Throw in the likes of Australian born players like Luke page, Ray Thompson, David mead, rhyse and Tyson Martin and PNG look like a strong decent team. Just need James segayaro to change his mind and represent the nation of his birth and the 2017 RLWC is looking good for the kumuls.

[deluded pom?]

There's also the Albert brothers who last time I heard were at the panthers and an explosive impact bench forward called minoga or something that signed for a top Queensland cup side. Throw in the likes of Australian born players like Luke page, Ray Thompson, David mead, rhyse and Tyson Martin and PNG look like a strong decent team. Just need James segayaro to change his mind and represent the nation of his birth and the 2017 RLWC is looking good for the kumuls.

I wish I had a £ for every time I've heard/read that.

[Guest]

I wish I had a £ for every time I've heard/read that.

True and the same could be said about France as well but if PNG can somehow get all of their best players on the pitch and playing on home soil in the 2017 RLWC on paper they look strong.

[Futtocks]

True and the same could be said about France as well but if PNG can somehow get all of their best players on the pitch and playing on home soil in the 2017 RLWC on paper they look strong.

They also need some stability behind the scenes, as there always seems to be some conflict going on there.

[nadera78]

What is interesting is that some of the younger guys now coming through are much bigger than we've seen in the past. PNG has always produced exciting runners and guys who throw a big hit or two, but they've consistently been outmuscled across the pitch by other teams. That might just be changing.

[Guest]

They also need some stability behind the scenes, as there always seems to be some conflict going on there.

lol. I'm trying to think of a football nation equivalence. Maybe Columbia ;-)

Didn't they just announce that the coach of the SP hunters will take over from mal meninga?

[Guest]

What is interesting is that some of the younger guys now coming through are much bigger than we've seen in the past. PNG has always produced exciting runners and guys who throw a big hit or two, but they've consistently been outmuscled across the pitch by other teams. That might just be changing.

Yeah the PNG players that I can remember where always quite short and stocky but I think ottio, Albert bros, McDonald are 6'2 and over.

[Guest]

If the NRL cares at all about the international game, then they will not let that happen.

Totally agree but it takes 2 to tango and all players from PNG, Fiji, Samoa etc have to do is say no to nsw, Queensland, oz and NZ. It doesn't help when the developing nations named hardly play any games in between world cups and can make big money playing soo and for oz and NZ.

[Guest]

Makes you want to pull your hair out when you see what can be achieved with a little bit of development and foresight in allowing the sp hunters into the Queensland cup and NRL clubs scouting PNG for players in that what position would PNG be in right now if this had happened 10-15 years ago. Not to mention if the same development was put in place for nations like Fiji and maybe even South Africa.

[Farmduck]

If the NRL cares at all about the international game, then they will not let that happen.

 

Do you understand that, under RLIF rules, players nominate their own country and, where relevant, a heritage country (or residence or birth country, if they rate that secondary)

[Farmduck]

Makes you want to pull your hair out when you see what can be achieved with a little bit of development and foresight in allowing the sp hunters into the Queensland cup and NRL clubs scouting PNG for players in that what position would PNG be in right now if this had happened 10-15 years ago. Not to mention if the same development was put in place for nations like Fiji and maybe even South Africa.

 

Yes let's ignore that this has all been happening for decades and that the AUS Govt has been funding RL in PNG for eons. If development of the game occurs in some far-flung corner of the World and some English forumers don't know about it, does it really exist?

 

NRL = BAD.  Everything else = GOOD.

[Guest]

Yes let's ignore that this has all been happening for decades and that the AUS Govt has been funding RL in PNG for eons. If development of the game occurs in some far-flung corner of the World and some English forumers don't know about it, does it really exist?

NRL = BAD. Everything else = GOOD.

Chill out ducky the work that the ARL and Aussie government has done not only for RL but health&education in PNG is not lost on me but the port moresby vipers competed in the Queensland cup 20 years ago and from what I've read were cut due to travelling costs and all my point was that just think where the PNG national side would be today if the vipers hadn't been cut. Also there could have been an extra 20-30 PNG players knocking about which could have eased any worries of player shortage regarding expansion in the NRL. Add Fiji to that and 2 team expansion in the NRL could have easily been absorbed.

[Farmduck]

Sorry Walter.

[Guest]

Sorry Walter.

No worries ducky. The point I'm trying to make is that the Aussies when they put their minds into it get things done and are our best hope IMO for successful RL expansion because they have the profile, money and structure(coaches etc). SP hunters being a prime example and the future Fijian nsw cup side which I can see being a huge success in unearthing exciting Fijian talent for the NRL. I can also remember in the early 90's some winfield cup games were taken to cities and towns in NZ like Auckland, Palmerston North and I think the South Island prior to the warriors entering the comp in 95' which were a big success and you only have to look at the huge numbers of kiwis playing in all the grades of RL in oz. Plus several NRL sides run clinics looking for young kiwi talent and have links with various NZ club sides.

[Yakstorm]

Mark Mexico who went to Cronulla last year was one of the first players signed from an NRL club from the Hunters.

Still regardless it is clear the Hunters is helping grow PNG's talent pool. This year in addition to Ottio, other players moving to other clubs includ Willie Minoga (Townsville) and Israel Eliab (London).

More or less it has meant in the two years of the Hunters the number of professional players the Kumuls have to pick from has increased from around 8 to over 30.

A large portion of that 30 is Hunter contracted players, but already we've seen another 5-6 PNG born and bred players move onto other clubs.

Expect another 3-5 to migrate again next year and the year after as the Kumuls pro player pool approaches 50 around 2017/18.

Two strengths the Hunters have over the Catalans is that one they can't be relegated and secondly they aren't really in a position to attract foreign players. As such their squad is 100% Papua New Guineans.

[Farmduck]

and Israel Eliab at London Broncos.

[USRLFAN]

He will end up playing for Australia in 2 years no doubt.

 

If the NRL cares at all about the international game, then they will not let that happen.

 

I think this really speaks to the difference between elite athletes and fans.  For the elite athlete making the Kangaroo, Kiwi or England side is another goal.  They view the national teams as aspirational squads like an all star team.  The Kangaroo's are theoretically the best team in the world and elite athletes want to be on that team.  They don't view it as a betrayal of their country of birth or a weakening of the international game.  They want to be in the biggest games in the world and these are Origin, Grand Finals, and World Cup finals.  Not to mention the financial incentive in both salary and endorsements.  I think this is the thinking of Radradra and Segeyaro.

 

Fans on the other hand view it in much more tribal terms. And as in all cases with sports, the fans will decide with their feet and their remotes.  If 2nd tier teams cannot be competitive with the big 3 and if Australia starts to suck all the talent away from the Pacific and becomes a super team, than international RL will die.  We saw what happened after 2000.  I have never heard of a major sport delaying a world cup in the modern era due to lack of competiveness. Steps were taken after 2000 and now there is competitive balance between the big three. If we are to have an international game than we have to tighten up eligibility rules to protect tier 2 nations.

[deluded pom?]

I don't have a problem with Segayaro snubbing PNG, that's his prerogative. He's never played for PNG and is eligible for Australia. When did RL delay a WC because of a lack of competitiveness? Lack of money, yes. Lack of competitiveness, no.

[Yakstorm]

James Segeyaro did actually play for the PNG PMXIII side in 2011 and was set to play for PNG in the 2013 RLWC but injury saw him pull out.

It was only after the death of his father, former Kumul Ifiso Segeyaro, that James turned his back on PNG. Naturally that is completely his decision and considering he has lived in Australia since he was 7 he has more than enough right to swear his allegiance to Australia.