Strong rumours NRL #18 team will be PNG

[Bamboozle]

Absolutely bonkers idea and decision for me especially when Perth/WA has everything in place for an NRL franchise.

 

https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league/nrl-18th-team-expansion-nears-announcement-as-png-hunters-lead-one-horse-race-c-12251303

 

 

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/outrage-over-massive-rumour-nrls-18th-team-now-a-one-horse-race/news-story/cd1f95ceaaf2bea5e5df2d9a9817188e

[NRLandSL]

47 minutes ago, Bamboozle said:

Absolutely bonkers idea and decision for me especially when Perth/WA has everything in place for an NRL franchise.

 

https://7news.com.au/sport/rugby-league/nrl-18th-team-expansion-nears-announcement-as-png-hunters-lead-one-horse-race-c-12251303

 

 

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/outrage-over-massive-rumour-nrls-18th-team-now-a-one-horse-race/news-story/cd1f95ceaaf2bea5e5df2d9a9817188e

It is very deserved, PNG have the biggest player base and amount of fans out of any country on earth (more than australia). The country lives and breaths rugby league like no else and has started to produce some top quality players Edwin Ipape and Justin Olam specifically who are some of the best in the world. 

The Australian Government has pledged 25 million to help grow the sport over there which will help massively. PNG have all the potential in the world, They could become similar to Brazil in Football if they reach it. 

 

[The Rocket]

Madness. WTF are they thinking.

[UTK]

Looks like the monstrous government backing has effectively forced the NRL's hand, word is 2025 is when they would start.

They're nowhere near ready for 2025 and going early could have strong negative consequences.

 

Devil will be in the detail, they can't be based in PNG anytime soon unless you want 80+ drubbings every week which will not be appreciated by the PNG public. IF we somehow manage to cling on and make this work it could accelerate the inevitable PNG RL behemoth significantly, however I'm a touch apprehensive at this stage. 

[Copa]

Good stuff although I’ll only believe it once it happens.

Local matches will be pumping!

[NRLandSL]

33 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Madness. WTF are they thinking.

their thinking of adding the country that plays and watches the most rugby league in the world to a professional comp. Not sure it's much of a "madness".

Edited October 19, 2023 by NRLandSL

[AB90]

8 minutes ago, NRLandSL said:

their thinking of adding the country that plays and watches the most rugby league in the world to a professional comp. Not sure it's much of a "madness".

They may play the most but ‘watching’ rugby league is still a challenge for the majority of locals as it’s estimated only 9% of households in PNG have a TV with circa 1% of the population having fixed broadband/internet. 

Im still a fan however I feel PNG should be the 20th team added to the comp in 5 to 10 years time with Perth, NZ2 or Brisbane 3 considered before them.

But hey, some expansion is better than nothing so can’t complain!

 

 

[Copa]

45 minutes ago, UTK said:

Devil will be in the detail, they can't be based in PNG anytime soon unless you want 80+ drubbings every week which will not be appreciated by the PNG public. 

Are you suggesting they be based outside of PNG and fly in for home matches?

That’d cost a lot to fly to both home and away matches.

With appropriate arrangements in place it could be based in PNG. There’d also be large numbers of good players around the RL world who’d absolutely love to play NRL regardless of what team they were in. Even some established players would love the adventure.

[Copa]

China would be annoyed. It’s a very affordable way to counter their increasing influence just to the north. It locks PNG very securely into Australian cultural influence.

Any support from the Australian federal government would also be a small fraction of the total foreign aid we already give to PNG.

Once PNG gets pathways and development to an elite level, they’ll be pumping in large numbers of players into the NRL annually.

[gingerjon]

57 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Madness. WTF are they thinking.

Presumably, something along the lines of, "You want all this government money, this is what you'll do ..."

[StandOffHalf]

As long as they have the resources and backing, this is something that would be massively exciting.

[UTK]

7 minutes ago, Copa said:

Are you suggesting they be based outside of PNG and fly in for home matches?

That’d cost a lot to fly to both home and away matches.

With appropriate arrangements in place it could be based in PNG. There’d also be large numbers of good players around the RL world who’d absolutely love to play NRL regardless of what team they were in. Even some established players would love the adventure.

I think it's a near guarantee that they will be based in Australia initially, unless they aren't concerned with on-field results which would be a poor approach in itself.

While it may be true that players are just happy to play in the NRL regardless of being based in PNG that's not necessarily the full equation. To create a competitive side you're competing for players with 17 other NRL clubs who can offer the same amount of money AND the added benefit of not having to live in a 3rd world country with some of the highest rates of violent crime in the entire world.

It becomes a difficult sell to say the least.

For being based in PNG to work properly they realistically need an NRL-quality PNG player pool of something like 50 players and cap dispensation to entice domestic products to continue playing for the club. The upside is that proper development pathways in PNG could go from what is currently a player pool of 1 (Many of the SL Kumuls could do it but they haven't yet) to 50 in an relatively short period of time, still several years but the base that exists is undoubtedly a future tier 1 level.

[AB90]

11 minutes ago, UTK said:

I think it's a near guarantee that they will be based in Australia initially, unless they aren't concerned with on-field results which would be a poor approach in itself.

While it may be true that players are just happy to play in the NRL regardless of being based in PNG that's not necessarily the full equation. To create a competitive side you're competing for players with 17 other NRL clubs who can offer the same amount of money AND the added benefit of not having to live in a 3rd world country with some of the highest rates of violent crime in the entire world.

It becomes a difficult sell to say the least.

For being based in PNG to work properly they realistically need an NRL-quality PNG player pool of something like 50 players and cap dispensation to entice domestic products to continue playing for the club. The upside is that proper development pathways in PNG could go from what is currently a player pool of 1 (Many of the SL Kumuls could do it but they haven't yet) to 50 in an relatively short period of time, still several years but the base that exists is undoubtedly a future tier 1 level.

I actually think they wouldn’t be to bad right now with a solely PNG based side with the addition of Justin Olam, Edwin Mpape and all the top line native PNG players scattered throughout the NRL, Super League, Queensland Cup etc. 

They beat the British Lions in 2019. If they can do that they will be able to beat some NRL teams playing at home in PNG. The PNG home field advantage will be much better for them than Carins.

[UTK]

1 minute ago, AB90 said:

I actually think they wouldn’t be to bad right now with a solely PNG based side with the addition of Justin Olam, Edwin Mpape and all the top line native PNG players scattered throughout the NRL, Super League, Queensland Cup etc. 

They beat the British Lions in 2019. If they can do that they will be able to beat some NRL teams playing at home in PNG. The PNG home field advantage will be much better for them than Carins.

Even in the Cairns-based scenario they would be playing the vast majority of home games in PNG I'd say because otherwise there's not much point. 

You would have to convince the likes of Olam, Ipape, Putt, Tai, Namo, etc. to give up their current gigs and go back to PNG, that in itself is far from guaranteed but plausible especially if the right money is on offer. But even if you do, you've still got less than 10 players currently signed to NRL/SL clubs, the Hunters have languished in the bottom third of QCup for several years now and as observed every year in the State Championship the QCup is a some way off NSW Cup let alone the NRL.

Across 25+ rounds of an NRL season those numbers don't currently stack up, I wouldn't rule out the odd upset in front of those notorious PNG crowds but the 50+ beltings every other week would do more harm than good overall.

[GeordieSaint]

48 minutes ago, Copa said:

China would be annoyed. It’s a very affordable way to counter their increasing influence just to the north. It locks PNG very securely into Australian cultural influence.

Any support from the Australian federal government would also be a small fraction of the total foreign aid we already give to PNG.

Once PNG gets pathways and development to an elite level, they’ll be pumping in large numbers of players into the NRL annually.

Great post. If true, this is a geopolitical decision. There are things simply bigger than sport.

[Damien]

If the Australian government are funding it and that funding is locked in and guaranteed for a good number of years, say 10, then it's a no brainer.

It expands the competition, will solidify and grow the game even more in PNG and can only help the game internationally. 

[Damien]

Obviously this is a geopolitical move by the Australian government but if it benefits the game, and facilitates expansion of the competition at no cost, then the NRL would be crazy not to roll with it.

[The 4 of Us]

2 hours ago, Copa said:

China would be annoyed. It’s a very affordable way to counter their increasing influence just to the north. It locks PNG very securely into Australian cultural influence.

Any support from the Australian federal government would also be a small fraction of the total foreign aid we already give to PNG.

Once PNG gets pathways and development to an elite level, they’ll be pumping in large numbers of players into the NRL annually.

Absolutely this.

Who knows, they may even announce a timescale for Perth and NZ2 to get to a 2 conference comp.

Can’t imagine they’ll do nothing on the back of the Warriors season. No time like the present to build on the good will. 

[Copa]

1 hour ago, GeordieSaint said:

Great post. If true, this is a geopolitical decision. There are things simply bigger than sport.

If it goes ahead, you’d be hard pressed to find a soft power move with the same return on investment anywhere else.

[nadera78]

1 hour ago, Damien said:

If the Australian government are funding it and that funding is locked in and guaranteed for a good number of years, say 10, then it's a no brainer.

It expands the competition, will solidify and grow the game even more in PNG and can only help the game internationally. 

I understand all the reasons for accepting a team in Port Moresby (and I would buy a replica shirt tomorrow!) but it's not without huge risk. How long will the Australian government fund this team? Is that funding set in stone? Are we expecting the PNG economy to grow enough that it will be able to support an NRL team once government funding stop (IIRC something like 80% of PNGers are subsistence farmers)? What about the inevitable backlash from other politicians (and sports) with vested interests and the resulting pressure to cease funding it? How many Australian/NZ players are going to want to base themselves out of POM (we're always told players don't want to move to Canberra)? Or are we expecting this team to solely consist of locals, in which case the first few years are going to be painful on the field (it's likely to be painful anyway tbh)?

And then, looking at the alternative options, is there a plan in place to get Perth and NZ2 into the NRL? Because both of those place would be tremendous additions - footprint, player development, TV and commercial revenue . Or are we just going to ignore them again? 

If it was me, I'd saying: Perth or NZ2 in 2025, the other of those in 2027 and POM in 2030. And working with the Australian gov't to put in the funding now so that the player pathways in PNG (which are still pretty ad hoc) are developed so that by the time POM enters the NRL there are enough PNGers capable of playing in the NRL so that at least the question over players is removed from the equation. 

[jim_57]

If it turns out to be true it screams of the NRL trying to get it done while Albanese is still in charge. I would love to see a successful PNG team in the NRL but if they rush this, especially as quick as 2025 it could be a disaster.

Personally I would have preferred them to announce PNG as team 19 or 20 providing they meet certain criteria by x year. Then open up the other 2 spots to bidding. It would give PNG a bit of time to build pathways & infrastructure, also gives the NRL an out if the government funding stops or PNG can’t get their side of things up to scratch.

[jim_57]

38 minutes ago, nadera78 said:

I understand all the reasons for accepting a team in Port Moresby (and I would buy a replica shirt tomorrow!) but it's not without huge risk. How long will the Australian government fund this team? Is that funding set in stone? Are we expecting the PNG economy to grow enough that it will be able to support an NRL team once government funding stop (IIRC something like 80% of PNGers are subsistence farmers)? What about the inevitable backlash from other politicians (and sports) with vested interests and the resulting pressure to cease funding it? How many Australian/NZ players are going to want to base themselves out of POM (we're always told players don't want to move to Canberra)? Or are we expecting this team to solely consist of locals, in which case the first few years are going to be painful on the field (it's likely to be painful anyway tbh)?

And then, looking at the alternative options, is there a plan in place to get Perth and NZ2 into the NRL? Because both of those place would be tremendous additions - footprint, player development, TV and commercial revenue . Or are we just going to ignore them again? 

If it was me, I'd saying: Perth or NZ2 in 2025, the other of those in 2027 and POM in 2030. And working with the Australian gov't to put in the funding now so that the player pathways in PNG (which are still pretty ad hoc) are developed so that by the time POM enters the NRL there are enough PNGers capable of playing in the NRL so that at least the question over players is removed from the equation. 

 

Even when this hypothetical conveyer belt of NRL standard PNG talent starts to get rolling you would have to imagine a hell of a lot would be picked off by the other NRL clubs or even Super League clubs. 
 

Great for Kumuls but it’d be hard to see the NRL side ever having consistent success.

[Henson Park Old Firm]

I smell a Toronto Wolfpack club

[Copa]

Interesting Australia/PNG fact that even most Australians don’t know.

The closest populated Australian island to PNG is just 3.7km (2.3 miles) from the PNG mainland. Saibai Island.

Edited October 19, 2023 by Copa

[Barley Mow]

43 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

Personally I would have preferred them to announce PNG as team 19 or 20 providing they meet certain criteria by x year. Then open up the other 2 spots to bidding. It would give PNG a bit of time to build pathways & infrastructure, also gives the NRL an out if the government funding stops or PNG can’t get their side of things up to scratch.

This is what it should be.

NZ2 next, with a statement of intent and timetable for PNG.