Papua New Guinea NRL side...

[NRLandSL]

1 hour ago, Copa said:

Looks like it’s happening.

PNG in the NRL

Incredible news

[NRLandSL]

1 hour ago, Copa said:

Looks like it’s happening.

PNG in the NRL

Edited May 29 by NRLandSL

[Gomersall]

The PNG players won’t compete on their own as a team and how many Aussie players are going to put their hand up to move there?

[Damien]

16 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

The PNG players won’t compete on their own as a team and how many Aussie players are going to put their hand up to move there?

Money talks, I'm sure it would be more appealing for many than moving across the world to SL for starters. There are also over 10,000 Australians in PNG, it's not like people don't go there to work as is.

[gingerjon]

34 minutes ago, Damien said:

Money talks, I'm sure it would be more appealing for many than moving across the world to SL for starters. There are also over 10,000 Australians in PNG, it's not like people don't go there to work as is.

If you can get sports people into Afghanistan - and you can - then you can do the same with PNG. It won’t appeal to all, or even many, but if it appeals to enough then it’s do-able.

[JonM]

30 minutes ago, Damien said:

Money talks, I'm sure it would be more appealing for many than moving across the world to SL for starters. There are also over 10,000 Australians in PNG, it's not like people don't go there to work as is.

One of my friends from Devon worked in PNG for quite a few years, installing mobile phone infrastructure. Plenty of expats work there in Mining and Oil/Gas industries. RL players could easily fly-in, fly-out in any case.

[John bird]

2 hours ago, Gomersall said:

The PNG players won’t compete on their own as a team and how many Aussie players are going to put their hand up to move there?

PNG hunters are a mid-table outfit in the 2nd tier Queensland cup so I’d say more than half of their 1st grade squad would have to be overseas players.

[John bird]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

Money talks, I'm sure it would be more appealing for many than moving across the world to SL for starters. There are also over 10,000 Australians in PNG, it's not like people don't go there to work as is.

How many of those 10,000 live in cities and towns in PNG though?

id hazard a guess that a large portion of the 10k are working in the mining and energy sectors are based in compounds in isolated areas of the country.

[Sports Prophet]

2 hours ago, Damien said:

Money talks, I'm sure it would be more appealing for many than moving across the world to SL for starters. There are also over 10,000 Australians in PNG, it's not like people don't go there to work as is.

That is many more than I expected. Is there chance many are FIFO? Many are single rather than family men.

Personally I can’t see it as a destination many top players will consider. For the club’s sake, I hope you’re right.

[Sports Prophet]

On 28/04/2023 at 18:10, Sports Prophet said:

Well time will tell if I am wrong, but I think coverage of this idea is nothing more than fanciful for another 30 years.

My prophecy didn’t age well here  

[Damien]

19 minutes ago, John bird said:

How many of those 10,000 live in cities and towns in PNG though?

id hazard a guess that a large portion of the 10k are working in the mining and energy sectors are based in compounds in isolated areas of the country.

And you don't think NRL players won't live in some sort of gated complex with armed security?

[Damien]

16 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

That is many more than I expected. Is there chance many are FIFO? Many are single rather than family men.

Personally I can’t see it as a destination many top players will consider. For the club’s sake, I hope you’re right.

No idea, I got it from here. Funnily enough I watched a documentary a couple of weeks ago on PNG and there was an Australian couple who lived in the middle of nowhere running a hotel/bar type place, which I found surprising considering the stories:

Reflecting the close historical association between Australia and Papua New Guinea, there are over 10,000 Australians in PNG at any time, and approximately the same number of PNG nationals in Australia.

https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/papua-new-guinea/australia-papua-new-guinea-engagement#:~:text=Reflecting the close historical association,of PNG nationals in Australia.

[NRLandSL]

30 minutes ago, John bird said:

PNG hunters are a mid-table outfit in the 2nd tier Queensland cup so I’d say more than half of their 1st grade squad would have to be overseas players.

Guys like Morea, Rimbu, Kapinias are all very ready to play first grade. Also Finley Glare has insane potential, and a few other guys like Richard, Wane, Max and Wabo are pretty decent players.

I think they would have to sign all the best PNG born and raised players in the world i.e. Ipape, Olam, Namo, Tai, Putt and I would also hope guys like Lam, Martin and MacDonald would be keen on joining.

I would also wonder if it would be easier to entice Fijian players to join than Aussies and kiwis. Guys Like Sivo, Kamikamica, Kikau and Ravalawa would all be great targets. Also I reckon there would be a lot of English blokes keen on moving to the NRL and making a lot of money. There are a few options, though they may struggle for a few years until the PNG talent really starts flooding through the pathways.

Edited May 29 by NRLandSL

[Damien]

I think with any PNG team they could pay PNG players relatively cheaply, even NRL minimum wages are extraordinarily high in PNG, which would leave plenty of money to then pay overs on any imports. That is before the talked about tax breaks. Obviously it is the spine positions they will really need to focus on but it certainly seems doable to me.

[John bird]

20 minutes ago, Damien said:

And you don't think NRL players won't live in some sort of gated complex with armed security?

Absolutely. 100% they would have to be housed in a armed guarded gated complex.

[Sports Prophet]

29 minutes ago, Damien said:

And you don't think NRL players won't live in some sort of gated complex with armed security?

7 minutes ago, John bird said:

Absolutely. 100% they would have to be housed in an armed guarded gated complex.

Yeah, it’s one thing taking a family to be living in an international compound in a country like Indonesia or India but I suspect another thing for doing so in a country like Pakistan or PNG.

It’s gonna have to be one very well protected and pretty complex. Achievable I guess. Especially with a portion of $600m to use.

[Sports Prophet]

I’m gonna throw a curve ball into this recent announcement.

Will the NRL “commit” to PNG being team 18 or “commit” to PNG being a future expansion ie anyone from teams 18-20.

Let’s appreciate PNG is a political selection, as without gov’t financial support, PNG doesn’t get a look in. The Prime Minister of PNG is under extreme scrutiny right now in a country which is very susceptible to a coup… and he is an “ally” of Australia.

A conspiracist might suggest this soon to be delivered decision to give PNG a license (without stipulating whether it is team 18, 19 or 20) is a political necessity to boost the popularity of a struggling leader.

[John bird]

7 hours ago, NRLandSL said:

Incredible news

Not my preferred option but I hope the NRL milks the Australian government for all it can while it lasts.

just a shame that Perth or NZ2 has to miss out and hopefully they’ll still be around to pick up the pieces when it all goes t#ts up.

[graveyard johnny]

cant see the fuss about Aussie players moving to another part of the world where its far more lawless dangerous , un cultured and unruly - just look how many have played for Castleford over the years 

[Balmainboy]

3 hours ago, John bird said:

Absolutely. 100% they would have to be housed in a armed guarded gated complex.

Yeah Id say so. Sometime ago but visited friends in the Aus military based in Port Moresby back in 2009 and it was in a gated community. Pretty nice but lots of security. 

[Hello]

6 hours ago, Gomersall said:

The PNG players won’t compete on their own as a team and how many Aussie players are going to put their hand up to move there?

I seem to recall PNG beating us the last time we played them in an international, so yes, they will compete against domestic level teams

[John bird]

16 minutes ago, Hello said:

I seem to recall PNG beating us the last time we played them in an international, so yes, they will compete against domestic level teams

We were awful back then and the PNG NRL team won’t be playing that weak standard GB side week in week out.

Take a look at the best of the best kumuls playing for the hunters in a 2nd tier competition mostly getting pumped every other game and currently sitting mid-table. A PNG NRL team will make the west tigers look like the Brisbane Broncos.

[John bird]

4 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

That is many more than I expected. Is there chance many are FIFO? Many are single rather than family men.

Personally I can’t see it as a destination many top players will consider. For the club’s sake, I hope you’re right.

Look how badly the dolphins struggled trying to put together and recruit players for a squad for their maiden NRL season.

[John bird]

3 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Yeah, it’s one thing taking a family to be living in an international compound in a country like Indonesia or India but I suspect another thing for doing so in a country like Pakistan or PNG.

It’s gonna have to be one very well protected and pretty complex. Achievable I guess. Especially with a portion of $600m to use.

Just Think about it for a moment. Would an established NRL player maybe in his late 20’s to early 30’s with a young family seriously want to move to one of the most dangerous cities on the planet to live in a gated community surrounded by high barbed wire walls and security guards with guns?

or maybe you think a young single player in his early 20’s who likes to party and have a few beers and chase young women would seriously fancy living as a prisoner bored out of his skull in the same gated compound?

Edited May 29 by John bird

[gingerjon]

9 minutes ago, John bird said:

Look how badly the dolphins struggled trying to put together and recruit players for a squad for their maiden NRL season.

Did they have several hundred million dollars of federal government money to sweeten any deal?