PNG launches bid to become 18th NRL team

[The Rocket]

6 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

I’d love to see an NRL team in PNG but can’t see it happening unfortunately.

Given PNG`s resource wealth and proximity to Asia it could well reach 1st to 2nd world economic status in the next 20 - 30 years, the prospect of it then being able to support its` own NRL team will be a completely different proposition.

In the meantime keep developing the domestic comp and the junior pathways into the NRL and Super League. 

8 million people, national sport has the makings of a hell of a team. 

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Yeah the Indian Pacific,takes 3 days to Sydney & costs $2k.

Sounds quicker and less costly than getting to Keighley to Cornwall then, apparently. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Eddie

[The Rocket]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Why would they all need to be domestic products? They could have Aussies, kiwis etc playing for them too. 

Eddie, Canberra can`t even attract top drawer players from within Oz, what hope Port Moresby.

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Given PNG`s resource wealth and proximity to Asia it could well reach 1st to 2nd world economic status in the next 20 - 30 years, the prospect of it then being able to support its` own NRL team will be a completely different proposition.

In the meantime keep developing the domestic comp and the junior pathways into the NRL and Super League. 

8 million people, national sport has the makings of a hell of a team. 

PNG is one of the poorest countries in the world with a GNI per capita of $2,660 in 2020. It would be a turnaround of miracle proportions for them to reach 1st world status in 20 - 30 years. 

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Eddie, Canberra can`t even attract top drawer players from within Oz, what hope Port Moresby.

Fair enough mate, I didn’t realise even Canberra found it hard! 

[The Rocket]

1 minute ago, Eddie said:

Fair enough mate, I didn’t realise even Canberra found it hard! 

Adam Elliot, Corey Harawira-Naera Canberra, got them both for unders because of the strife they`d been in and they`ve been knocked back by a few of big names in recent times. They`re not dissimilar to Cowboys and Warriors really in their inability to attract big names.

They`ve publicly stated that they try to bring their own youngsters through now because of this and it was another reason why they went to England looking for blokes who wanted a crack at NRL. The latter a policy you`d have to say they`ve had a bit of success with and is being mimicked by Newcastle and reportedly Bennett was saying today that the Dolphins have their eye on some players from your part of the world as well ( and I don`t think he just meant stealing Herbie from the Broncos  ).

[The Great Dane]

It shouldn't happen under any circumstances, but considering the current political climate there will almost certainly be a lot of political pressure for PNG to win a license. So there's a chance that they could get one, it's a slim chance, but a chance none the less.

Considering the circumstances it's very hard to justify it though, especially when considering big markets like Perth and Adelaide still haven't got representation.

[Waghi Tumbe]

Most Papua New Guineans think it's an absurd idea, and not trying to get political here but the timing seems a little suspicious, since they've launched this bid at the eve of the national elections.

Most of us want a PNG team in all the lower divisions of the Queensland cup, a proper domestic school boys and juniors program, and restructuring and modernization of the Digicel cup. We need to have a salary cap in place, a data base to keep track of players and teams should have at least more than one major sponsor. It's frustrating when big franchises like the Agmark Gurias, Lae Snax Tigers and Port Moresby Vipers buy and poach all of the talent. I mean my Waghi Tumbe has lost most of its key players to the Gurias, including the famous Joe Frank 'The Tank'.

 

 

[The Great Dane]

3 hours ago, The Rocket said:

Adam Elliot, Corey Harawira-Naera Canberra, got them both for unders because of the strife they`d been in and they`ve been knocked back by a few of big names in recent times. They`re not dissimilar to Cowboys and Warriors really in their inability to attract big names.

On average all the regional clubs struggle to sign upper echelon and star players unless they luck into them. The Titans are the possible exception, but even they only sweep up the Queenslanders that want to stay in SEQ but can't get a good deal at the Broncos because there's been no other competition.

It's a by-product of having 9 clubs in Sydney and the poor structure of the salary cap and associated rules that highly advantage clubs in larger metropolitan markets, and has little to nothing to do with where the clubs are based outside of their market size and access to corporates and third parties.

Besides, you're one to talk. I mean when was the last time the Dragons signed a genuine star player in his prime without extenuating circumstances contributing to it? It's got to have been at least 20 years.

Edited May 4, 2022 by The Great Dane

[The Future is League]

Abdo backs another Kiwi team

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/an-enormous-market-abdo-backs-new-zealand-for-18th-nrl-team-20220505-p5aira.html

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

On 07/05/2022 at 09:11, The Future is League said:

Abdo backs another Kiwi team

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/an-enormous-market-abdo-backs-new-zealand-for-18th-nrl-team-20220505-p5aira.html

With the massive number of Kiwis playing in the NRL and the new tv deal in New Zealand with only 1 Kiwi side, it would be madness not to include a 2nd New Zealand NRL team.

the recent broadcasting deal with Sky NZ saw TV rights income increase 70 per cent to over $30m a year 

(This is the New Zealand Warriors 27th season in the NRL, this is what we can achieve in France if we keep Catalans and Toulouse in Super League)

Edited May 8, 2022 by Sir Kevin Sinfield

[The Great Dane]

1 hour ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

With the massive number of Kiwis playing in the NRL and the new tv deal in New Zealand with only 1 Kiwi side, it would be madness not to include a 2nd New Zealand NRL team.

the recent broadcasting deal with Sky NZ saw TV rights income increase 70 per cent to over $30m a year 

(This is the New Zealand Warriors 27th season in the NRL, this is what we can achieve in France if we keep Catalans and Toulouse in Super League)

The NZ broadcast rights only saw a large jump because Spark Sport (streaming service in NZ) put in a competitive bid for the rights, which caused a small bidding war for the rights which has basically never happened before in NZ.

The problem is that Spark Sport has struggled since then and are unlikely to be able to put in such a bid again. In other words Sky NZ will probably be the sole serious bidder again meaning there'll be no competition for the rights again.

In such circumstances it's unlikely that you'll see another significant jump in the rights value, Sky may even try to low ball the NRL. I imagine that they would be open to negotiations to pay for the extra local content that a second NZ club would bring, but you'd have to ask them that question to be sure, and even so realistically there's significant more opportunity for growth in WA, SA, Qld, and Vic, than in NZ.

In saying all that broadcast rights value isn't/shouldn't be the only factor when considering expansion.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

47 minutes ago, The Great Dane said:

The NZ broadcast rights only saw a large jump because Spark Sport (streaming service in NZ) put in a competitive bid for the rights, which caused a small bidding war for the rights which has basically never happened before in NZ.

The problem is that Spark Sport has struggled since then and are unlikely to be able to put in such a bid again. In other words Sky NZ will probably be the sole serious bidder again meaning there'll be no competition for the rights again.

In such circumstances it's unlikely that you'll see another significant jump in the rights value, Sky may even try to low ball the NRL. I imagine that they would be open to negotiations to pay for the extra local content that a second NZ club would bring, but you'd have to ask them that question to be sure, and even so realistically there's significant more opportunity for growth in WA, SA, Qld, and Vic, than in NZ.

In saying all that broadcast rights value isn't/shouldn't be the only factor when considering expansion.

If that does happen the NRL should go with a free to air broadcaster in New Zealand and take the revenue hit 

[The Great Dane]

20 minutes ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

If that does happen the NRL should go with a free to air broadcaster in New Zealand and take the revenue hit 

Moving exclusively, or even mainly, to a FTA broadcaster in NZ would almost certainly mean taking a revenue hit of tens of millions of dollars, which simply isn't going to happen.

Pushing for Sky to allow for more content on FTA would be a good move, but realistically it's unlikely to be successful considering that they begrudgingly allowed a larger FTA component in the current deal as a sweetener and if anything will probably try to reel that back in.

That assumes that there's no serious rival bidder for the rights of course, which again, is most likely going to be the case.

Edited May 8, 2022 by The Great Dane

[MidlandsJohn]

On 04/05/2022 at 14:50, The Rocket said:

Given PNG`s resource wealth and proximity to Asia it could well reach 1st to 2nd world economic status in the next 20 - 30 years,

Given the corruption, crime and the fact that a good chunk of the country is tribal people living in the back of beyond, it could also be that nothing will change at all in the next 20-30 years.

 

Previous poster mentioned "but there's 9 million people", trouble is 9 million people living in an urbanised environment with decent transport links and an average standard of living (i.e. not PNG) is very different from 9 million people of whom at least half are scraping a living in farming and/or village economy and located in areas that are extremely rural and tough to access.

 

Plus, can you imagine PNG players on NRL wages? They will all have to live together in a gated community because every criminal in Port Moresby will be desperately trying to find out their home addresses!

[Anita Bath]

On 04/05/2022 at 23:52, The Rocket said:

Eddie, Canberra can`t even attract top drawer players from within Oz, what hope Port Moresby.

Port Moresby is nearer the beach  - could be attractive for George Williams maybe!

[RL Sonja]

On 07/05/2022 at 18:11, The Future is League said:

Abdo backs another Kiwi team

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/an-enormous-market-abdo-backs-new-zealand-for-18th-nrl-team-20220505-p5aira.html

Probably his mates from South African union asked him to put it somewhere besides Perth, where they now all live.

[Davo5]

9 hours ago, Anita Bath said:

Port Moresby is nearer the beach  - could be attractive for George Williams maybe!

Yeah but Warrington’s beach is far superior.

[The Future is League]

Pasifika to become the 18th NRL team?

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/bold-bid-for-pasifika-team-to-become-nrl-s-18th-franchise-20220716-p5b23t.html

[Guest]

21 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Pasifika to become the 18th NRL team?

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/bold-bid-for-pasifika-team-to-become-nrl-s-18th-franchise-20220716-p5b23t.html

Not a chance. It will be one of Perth, Queensland 5, or NZ 2.

[The Future is League]

18 minutes ago, NW10LDN said:

Not a chance. It will be one of Perth, Queensland 5, or NZ 2.

This is all about politics

[Copa]

The Australian government is extremely keen to massively increase links with the pacific nations over the long term to counter the never ending and increasingly influential Chinese actions in the region.

It’s not an exaggeration to think that something like this could even be considered a long term plan to assist with Australian national security.

[Copa]

The Australian prime minister talking about bringing more rugby league to to Pacific nations. He also hosted an event to watch Origin and 8 pacific leaders attended.

I love the dig at AFL at the end from the journalist about Nauru being the only country in the world with AFL as its national sport.

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by Copa

[Anita Bath]

5 hours ago, The Future is League said:

Pasifika to become the 18th NRL team?

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/bold-bid-for-pasifika-team-to-become-nrl-s-18th-franchise-20220716-p5b23t.html

Whats the coach parking like?  And does it have a railway station?

[Wascally_Wabbit]

Lot of people putting this idea down, there’s a surprising amount of money up there to inject into a team, lots of big mining companies etc

It would be a difficult proposition, no doubt but at some stage I see it happening