Oz government wants PNG to be 18th NRL club with cash pledge

[The Future is League]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/government-cash-splash-ramps-up-pressure-on-nrl-to-grant-png-18th-licence-20230722-p5dqfq.html

[Damien]

It's going to take far more than $5.5 million going towards growing the game in PNG to interest the NRL and it will want money on an ongoing basis too.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

3 hours ago, The Future is League said:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/government-cash-splash-ramps-up-pressure-on-nrl-to-grant-png-18th-licence-20230722-p5dqfq.html

If they can it to work then it would be brilliant 

Assume the same model as the Warriors in the sense it would likely have a lot of PNG players but not necessarily all of them 

[GeordieSaint]

Geopolitically, Australia is under some significant pressure from China in PNG and the wider area. If I was the Aus govt, I’d be seriously thinking about investing in an NRL team. Small change to a State. But good benefits geopolitical and of course for our sport.

[Snowys Backside]

NRL would be far better with this in Place and RL in PNG is huge. 
 

Would be brilliant for the game globally if this happens. 

[Dirkgee]

Should be Perth. PNG is already Rugby league, should be looking to expand the sport.

[Copa]

It’s a creative and very affordable way to combat Chinese influence in the region. Managing the politics within the Australian electorate of heavily subsidising an NRL team is a separate issue that’d be difficult to resolve.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Copa

[GeordieSaint]

2 minutes ago, Copa said:

It’s a creative and very affordable way to combat Chinese influence in the region. Managing the politics within the Australian electorate of heavily subsidising an NRL team is a separate issue that’d be difficult to resolve.

Always the case anywhere. See the debate over Ukraine within the US electorate in particular for example. Long term national reqts vs short term individual need. 

[Hemel Rugby League]

A PNG NRL team makes a low cost option for the Australian Govt in its attempt to counter China's huge financial offers to South Pacific nations.

While the whole of PNG may be committed to RL its a very different  thing to get them to attend matches in Port Moresby.  The NG side of PNG is where the majority of participation is but there are no land links from NG to Papua and  Port Moresby ( think Kokoda Trail). Hence the only option is air travel so virtually all the spectators will have to be drawn from the Port Moresby region.

The Australian Government has always made a big investment in PNG (it's how I came to be there in the late 60's and playing RL there) and the same investment needs to be made to give the NRL a very special ingredient that no other sport can offer.