Oz Govt support for PNG NRL bid

[Jim from Oz]

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/how-rugby-league-could-stop-china-s-march-in-the-pacific-20230729-p5ds7l.html

[Henson Park Old Firm]

If the NRL, Australian and US Government had a brain they would create a 8 team (from PNG, Fiji, NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii and even New Caledonia) professional competition to consolidate the region. With TV And sponsorship help funding the comp and Governments investing in the rest (for example staduims, junior development and training facilities). They could call it NRL Pacific.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Henson Park Old Firm

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Jim from Oz said:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/how-rugby-league-could-stop-china-s-march-in-the-pacific-20230729-p5ds7l.html

My favourite part (and what this is and really should be all about at the moment):

To that end, Joe Grima has been appointed as the head of elite player development in PNG. Grima – a former Sharks, Dragons and Eels assistant coach whose last NRL role was as Parramatta’s elite pathways coaching director – is upskilling the best young juniors in Port Moresby. The best players from 65 schools in the catchment area have been identified and placed in under-14s and under-16s academies, where they will get the same tuition as juniors in NRL systems.

The program, based on the pathways model of the Eels nursery, will eventually be rolled out nationally.

Heartening to read this as well since we so often hear criticisms about the physicality of the players in P.N.G.

“From a testing background – in terms of physicality, fitness and speed – they are on par athletically [with elite Australian players],” Grima said. “Some even exceed some of the players I’ve tested previously. We can now compare the data against historic data that we have of 14- and 15-year-olds in Australia.'

 

[Eddie]

3 hours ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

If the NRL, Australian and US Government had a brain they would create a 8 team (from PNG, Fiji, NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii and even New Caledonia) professional competition to consolidate the region. With TV And sponsorship help funding the comp and Governments investing in the rest (for example staduims, junior development and training facilities). They could call it NRL Pacific.

That would cost an absolute fortune. 

[westlondonfan]

On 29/07/2023 at 10:56, Henson Park Old Firm said:

If the NRL, Australian and US Government had a brain they would create a 8 team (from PNG, Fiji, NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii and even New Caledonia) professional competition to consolidate the region. With TV And sponsorship help funding the comp and Governments investing in the rest (for example staduims, junior development and training facilities). They could call it NRL Pacific.

No. I don’t think that would work. I think a PNG team in the  NRL though would after 15 years,  create another very competitive international team.

[Madgicsh]

I can't see it happening when even the PNG Prime Minister says they are not ready? Port Moresby is one of the most dangerous cities in the world so NOBODY supporting the visitors will attend games.

[JonNgog]

And PNG are currently 12th in the Queensland Cup… I would expect them to be dominating that competition before even considering them as a prospect for the NRL. I can’t see any overseas players wanting to live in Port Moresby.

Edited July 31, 2023 by JonNgog

[frank]

Don't think the NRL will venture out of   NSW or Queensland.  They don't have appetite for opening the game up and that goes for Internationals too.  Disappointing really.

[Dirkgee]

2 hours ago, frank said:

Don't think the NRL will venture out of   NSW or Queensland.  They don't have appetite for opening the game up and that goes for Internationals too.  Disappointing really.

Perth should 100% be the next team. Expand it to a new market, and the Western Australian government has been in support of a team.

[DACS]

Its easy for the Government to say this is a good idea. Its not them that would need to take the risk or put serious cash in for years. I can't see it happening because there's no money in PNG.

[Havenlad80]

This is a financial disaster waiting to happen which is also fully dependent on the government’s of today in both Canberra and Port Moresby.

plus there’s better options with either Perth, NZ2 or another Queensland side.

[The Future is League]

9 hours ago, Dirkgee said:

Perth should 100% be the next team. Expand it to a new market, and the Western Australian government has been in support of a team.

It should be, but it won't be. It will be another Queensland club in about 5 years. Fish where the fish are is the philosophy of ARLC at the moment

[Havenlad80]

7 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

It should be, but it won't be. It will be another Queensland club in about 5 years. Fish where the fish are is the philosophy of ARLC at the moment

Im not so sure that they’d go back to Queensland so soon after the entrance of the dolphins.

if Perth don’t get the next licence then I’m not sure what else they can and need to do in order to get a NRL team and the opportunity could be lost for good.

[The Future is League]

Just now, Havenlad80 said:

Im not so sure that they’d go back to Queensland so soon after the entrance of the dolphins.

if Perth don’t get the next licence then I’m not sure what else they can and need to do in order to get a NRL team and the opportunity could be lost for good.

If they didn't go for another Queensland club i think they would go for New Zealand 2

[Havenlad80]

On 29/07/2023 at 10:56, Henson Park Old Firm said:

If the NRL, Australian and US Government had a brain they would create a 8 team (from PNG, Fiji, NZ, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii and even New Caledonia) professional competition to consolidate the region. With TV And sponsorship help funding the comp and Governments investing in the rest (for example staduims, junior development and training facilities). They could call it NRL Pacific.

This competition would lose so much money that it doesn’t bear thinking about.

better to stick with the hunters and a possible 2nd png based Queensland cup team from Lae alongside junior teams at u19&u21 level competing in the junior Queensland cup competitions.

[Havenlad80]

5 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

If they didn't go for another Queensland club i think they would go for New Zealand 2

The Western Australia government has thrown their support behind a potential Perth NRL franchise while there’s been nothing heard coming out of NZ for a 2nd NRL franchise as of yet.

 

I think it’s between Perth and amazingly a PNG team

[The Future is League]

Just now, Havenlad80 said:

The Western Australia government has thrown their support behind a potential Perth NRL franchise while there’s been nothing heard coming out of NZ for a 2nd NRL franchise as of yet.

 

I think it’s between Perth and amazingly a PNG team

We know the PNG team is about politics and stopping Chinese influence in the area. I would love to see a NRL club in Perth, but in my opinion it's a way off yet

[Havenlad80]

1 minute ago, The Future is League said:

We know the PNG team is about politics and stopping Chinese influence in the area. I would love to see a NRL club in Perth, but in my opinion it's a way off yet

 

The lazy option for the NRL would be to take the free government money on offer for ever how long it will last whilst the smart long-term option would be for to give the 18th franchise to Perth.

[The Future is League]

13 hours ago, JonNgog said:

And PNG are currently 12th in the Queensland Cup… I would expect them to be dominating that competition before even considering them as a prospect for the NRL. I can’t see any overseas players wanting to live in Port Moresby.

I think it would take a bit more than $5.5 million than the Australia government has offered to make a success of a NRL club in PNG

[The Future is League]

2 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

The lazy option for the NRL would be to take the free government money on offer for ever how long it will last whilst the smart long-term option would be for to give the 18th franchise to Perth.

It will take a bit more than $5.5 million to make a success of a NRL club in PNG. i'm not saying i agree with the next NRL being in Queensland, but i think it will.

I would be easy to sign players from outside Queensland to go and live in Queensland, and even players from overseas. A PNG doesn't offer than option in my opinion

[Havenlad80]

4 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

I think it would take a bit more than $5.5 million than the Australia government has offered to make a success of a NRL club in PNG

I think the NRL grant is $17 million per year for each team plus the PNG government might weigh in with some cash alongside the many mining and oil&gas multinational corporations currently r@ping the country.

[Havenlad80]

4 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

It will take a bit more than $5.5 million to make a success of a NRL club in PNG. i'm not saying i agree with the next NRL being in Queensland, but i think it will.

I would be easy to sign players from outside Queensland to go and live in Queensland, and even players from overseas. A PNG doesn't offer than option in my opinion

The talk is to base a potential PNG franchise in cairns and fly to Port Moresby for the “home” games .

[The Future is League]

2 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

The talk is to base a potential PNG franchise in cairns and fly to Port Moresby for the “home” games .

That would be feasible in my opinion

[EggFace]

43 minutes ago, Havenlad80 said:

The talk is to base a potential PNG franchise in cairns and fly to Port Moresby for the “home” games .

Would it not be easier just to take a number of NRL games on the road to Port Moresby ?

[Havenlad80]

1 minute ago, EggFace said:

Would it not be easier just to take a number of NRL games on the road to Port Moresby ?

Short answer is yes.

focus on the hunters and youth teams competing in the Queensland competitions for now.