PNG reaping the benefits

[Tosh]

With what was on the whole a largely improved and highly successful tournament by the kumuls this World Cup it appears that all the hard work and development being put in by the QRL, PNGRL and both Australian&PNG governments in funding and creating pathways for talented PNG RL players is starting to pay off big time with what must be a record number of kumuls securing professional contracts in the NRL, super league, championship and Queensland cup.

This surely is the right approach and model/blueprint for developing RL in 2nd tier and developing nations going forward and must be replicated in other countries in the pacific but also Europe and Jamaica etc.

[Tosh]

Latest kumul to secure a contract with a NRL club. Although it is a trial contract Namo has every chance to impress and secure that fulltime contract.

 

https://postcourier.com.pg/good-opportunity-for-namo-says-kumuls-coach/

Edited November 24, 2022 by Tosh

[Eddie]

34 minutes ago, Tosh said:

With what was on the whole a largely improved and highly successful tournament by the kumuls this World Cup it appears that all the hard work and development being put in by the QRL, PNGRL and both Australian&PNG governments in funding and creating pathways for talented PNG RL players is starting to pay off big time with what must be a record number of kumuls securing professional contracts in the NRL, super league, championship and Queensland cup.

This surely is the right approach and model/blueprint for developing RL in 2nd tier and developing nations going forward and must be replicated in other countries in the pacific but also Europe and Jamaica etc.

While an undoubted success story, the NRL have money do do this in PNG and possibly the pacific islands, while the RFL don’t have any to do it in Europe or Jamaica.  
 

If the RFL did have any money to invest I’d like to see some spent on community clubs outside the Heartlands, who get zero support and spend most of the time clinging on for dear life. 

[Tosh]

7 minutes ago, Eddie said:

While an undoubted success story, the NRL have money do do this in PNG and possibly the pacific islands, while the RFL don’t have any to do it in Europe or Jamaica.  
 

If the RFL did have any money to invest I’d like to see some spent on community clubs outside the Heartlands, who get zero support and spend most of the time clinging on for dear life. 

This is very true and with a very unpredictable and shifting geopolitical landscape in the pacific the NRL are in a good position to secure more funding from the Australian government in order to counteract the rising influences of China in the pacific region.

something similar to the hunters and silktails is an absolute must for Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

As for Europe and Jamaica unfortunately there isn’t the money available which is absolutely frustrating as Jamaica has so much potential imo.

[gingerjon]

Bit insulting for PNG - where league has been established as the national sport for decades, producing great players and teams over generations - to be told they are where they are because of beneficent Australia.

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, Tosh said:

This is very true and with a very unpredictable and shifting geopolitical landscape in the pacific the NRL are in a good position to secure more funding from the Australian government in order to counteract the rising influences of China in the pacific region.

something similar to the hunters and silktails is an absolute must for Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

As for Europe and Jamaica unfortunately there isn’t the money available which is absolutely frustrating as Jamaica has so much potential imo.

Jamaica can make progress without RFL (or NRL) money though, they seem to be doing a decent job domestically so far. 

[Jughead]

Why would The RFL give money to Jamaica? They don’t fall under their umbrella. 

 

[Tosh]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Bit insulting for PNG - where league has been established as the national sport for decades, producing great players and teams over generations - to be told they are where they are because of beneficent Australia.

PNG are the strongest they’ve ever been and that’s largely due to the hunters, QRL and both the governments of Australia&PNG funding.

Not insulting but factual.

[Tosh]

5 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Why would The RFL give money to Jamaica? They don’t fall under their umbrella. 

 

Nobody is asking them to.

plus the RFL don’t have any money so it’s a mute point.

[Jughead]

20 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Nobody is asking them to.

plus the RFL don’t have any money so it’s a mute point.

You literally asked for it to be replicated in Jamaica. 

[Tosh]

2 minutes ago, Jughead said:

You literally asked for it to be replicated in Jamaica. 

Where did I say that the RFL should pay for it?

[Jughead]

1 minute ago, Tosh said:

Where did I say that the RFL should pay for it?

You didn’t. Eddie insinuated it. The RFL wouldn’t do it, because Jamaica don’t fall under their jurisdiction and money isn’t magic and comes from thin air. 

[Tosh]

1 minute ago, Jughead said:

You didn’t. Eddie insinuated it. The RFL wouldn’t do it, because Jamaica don’t fall under their jurisdiction and money isn’t magic and comes from thin air. 

Money could be sourced from any profits from the recent RLWC, Jamaican government and private investment/sponsorship etc.

 

[Jughead]

11 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Money could be sourced from any profits from the recent RLWC, Jamaican government and private investment/sponsorship etc.

 

Did the World Cup make a profit then?

[Tosh]

8 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Did the World Cup make a profit then?

No idea.

[Eddie]

34 minutes ago, Tosh said:

Where did I say that the RFL should pay for it?

You didn’t say that in those words, I just assumed it because you said what’s happened in PNG (funded by the NRL) is the blueprint. So sorry if I misunderstood. 

[Tosh]

Just now, Eddie said:

You didn’t say that in those words, I just assumed it because you said what’s happened in PNG (funded by the NRL) is the blueprint. So sorry if I misunderstood. 

I’m not even sure if the NRL help fund the hunters?

Im guessing the QRL stump up some dollars alongside the Australian&PNG government’s and sponsorship etc.

[Damien]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

You didn’t say that in those words, I just assumed it because you said what’s happened in PNG (funded by the NRL) is the blueprint. So sorry if I misunderstood. 

The support comes from the Australian Government as does schemes like the League Bilong Laif programme. Yes, the QRL and NRL carry out the work on the ground but the sport is beneficiary of the Australian Government who see RL as a way to expand its influence in the Pacific.

[Eddie]

50 minutes ago, Damien said:

The support comes from the Australian Government as does schemes like the League Bilong Laif programme. Yes, the QRL and NRL carry out the work on the ground but the sport is beneficiary of the Australian Government who see RL as a way to expand its influence in the Pacific.

Fair enough, and thanks for the clarification. If anything it’s even more unlikely that a government other than Jamaica’s would pump cash into Jamaican rugby league then. 

[Pie tries]

Wont be too long before England genuinely threatened by PNG…

[Tosh]

12 hours ago, Pie tries said:

Wont be too long before England genuinely threatened by PNG…

If the hunters can ever get all of the junior age grade teams playing in the relevant Queensland competitions from u17’s, u19’s and u21’s then this will be a game changer and within 10-15 years the kumuls could potentially be up there and competing with Australia, NZ and England with their own home grown players.

As for the short-term future I think in 4-5 years time PNG could be pulling off “shock” victories against the likes of England, NZ and Australia.

[MatthewWoody]

I find it hard to compare PNG with any European or American nation, as rl is the most played sport in PNG.

[Damien]

1 hour ago, MatthewWoody said:

I find it hard to compare PNG with any European or American nation, as rl is the most played sport in PNG.

Yeah an excellent and quite obvious point. There are no parallels at all with developing RL from scratch in developing countries. 

[jim_57]

5 hours ago, Tosh said:

If the hunters can ever get all of the junior age grade teams playing in the relevant Queensland competitions from u17’s, u19’s and u21’s then this will be a game changer and within 10-15 years the kumuls could potentially be up there and competing with Australia, NZ and England with their own home grown players.

As for the short-term future I think in 4-5 years time PNG could be pulling off “shock” victories against the likes of England, NZ and Australia.

PNG have already beaten Great Britain fairly convincingly in 2019 so the first shock victory is under their belt in that regard. I’d love to see them get more games against NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Australia, England & Fiji in coming years to really see how they’re improving.

[Keith989]

18 hours ago, Pie tries said:

Wont be too long before England genuinely threatened by PNG…

I kinda scoffed at this at first, but the more I think about it, the more it actually makes sense. Just looking at how they've improved from when I started watching them (2016) to now is actually startling. They could've easily beaten Tonga in that group stage and they already of course have that win against GB/England. I would think they are already pretty formidable at home.