18th club, whose next?

[Gobsmacked]

You think the federal govt putting a minimum of a quarter of a billion dollars into rugby league is something we should pass up ?

Quarter of a billion? Where did they promise 250 million?
If so I'm keen!
Was it 25 million? Can you please share the link to that?

 

[Brian potter]

This Pasifika nonsense has gotten out of control
Albanese talked it up during talks with PNG..( almost uncanny for a politician to give lip service like this )
Then V'Landys said " out of respect to the government, we'll look into it"

Great quote from Anchor man " wow that really escalated fast "

There's no " Pacifika "
Is it even a word? It ain't a place and sure as shit isn't a rugby league team!
Please stop

Just when you thought the idea of entering a team representing the Polynesian islands into the NRL called pasifika was dumb they go and top it by wanting to include PNG and quite possibly Fiji!!!

 

[Bukowski]

Based not played... based means they train and live in cairns as a playing group, the games will be Fifo to the islands

Travelling every week? Sounds enticing.

 

[Gobsmacked]

View attachment 72112
I told you so over a year ago this is happening, all those cowboys fans have been upset about it, coz they expected cairns to be part of the "north qld" crew
Its happening coz its what pvl wants

The only Pride on display is your creativity on that logo
This is not happening.

 

[Vee]

Based not played... based means they train and live in cairns as a playing group, the games will be Fifo to the islands

Sillier and sillier.

 

[MugaB]

The only Pride on display is your creativity on that logo
This is not happening.

Nethier is Perth this time round... but i can tell you they'll want perth and adelaide before going back into nz or seq again... it all depends on how quickly they can push this thru and generate players thru that team, then theyll be able to put dots on any map... players make clubs... no players no new clubs

 

[jim_57]

You think the federal govt putting a minimum of a quarter of a billion dollars into rugby league is something we should pass up ?

Who foots the bill once that stops?

That money will be soaked up pretty quick for a team that will make a loss on every home game and have to travel for every game day, a lot of times 2 or more flights plus set up costs of everything an NRL side needs in Cairns and game day facilities wherever they decide to play.

Pissing money up the wall, that money could be prioritised so much better than just giving “Pacifika” an NRL team. PNG I could live with even if they were FIFO to start, this is trying to please everybody and pleasing nobody.

We should be trying to steer it in a direction to accept the money but use it more productively on development throughout these countries.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Pasifika Bears- from North Sydney- based in Cairns- representing- fiji- Samoa- Tonga and PNG - sponsored by " not Perth "

 

[Wb1234]

A

Quarter of a billion? Where did they promise 250 million?
If so I'm keen!
Was it 25 million? Can you please share the link to that?

article says 20 to 25 million pa

and everyone is assuming it will stop my bet is it won’t

 

[jim_57]

View attachment 72112
I told you so over a year ago this is happening, all those cowboys fans have been upset about it, coz they expected cairns to be part of the "north qld" crew
Its happening coz its what pvl wants, it will create another semi qld derby, and link pathways from all the Pacific islands aswell as showcase the sport to the islands... they want to be bigger in the pacific than union

You’d be lucky if 10 people in Cairns ditched the Cowboys or their current NRL team for a Pacifika side based there, even if they play games in Cairns.

 

[Centy Coast]

Pacifika = no white fellas allowed ?

 

[Wb1234]

Who foots the bill once that stops?

That money will be soaked up pretty quick for a team that will make a loss on every home game and have to travel for every game day, a lot of times 2 or more flights plus set up costs of everything an NRL side needs in Cairns and game day facilities wherever they decide to play.

Pissing money up the wall, that money could be prioritised so much better than just giving “Pacifika” an NRL team. PNG I could live with even if they were FIFO to start, this is trying to please everybody and pleasing nobody.

We should be trying to steer it in a direction to accept the money but use it more productively on development throughout these countries.

Nrl pays travel and hotel costs for all teams

the money albanese is funding they could generate zero in sponsors and gate and still be one of the richest clubs

albanese is basically paying for png to have a strong nrl club

how’s this a bad thing

I suspect he will lean heavily on Australian mining companies in png to sponsor the team as well

once the team is established I doubt the govt money would ever get cut off either

 

[Brian potter]

A

article says 20 to 25 million pa

and everyone is assuming it will stop my bet is it won’t

You’re putting a lot of faith not only in the government of today in Canberra but also Port Moresby.

what happens if China woes the future governments of PNG with billions of dollars worth of investment and infrastructure projects??

 

[Wb1234]

You’re putting a lot of faith not only in the government of today in Canberra but also Port Moresby.

what happens if China woes the government of PNG with billions of dollars worth of investment and infrastructure projects??

Well hopefully China builds the cyclones a new 100k capacity stadium

that would be super

 

[MugaB]

Who foots the bill once that stops?

That money will be soaked up pretty quick for a team that will make a loss on every home game and have to travel for every game day, a lot of times 2 or more flights plus set up costs of everything an NRL side needs in Cairns and game day facilities wherever they decide to play.

Pissing money up the wall, that money could be prioritised so much better than just giving “Pacifika” an NRL team. PNG I could live with even if they were FIFO to start, this is trying to please everybody and pleasing nobody.

We should be trying to steer it in a direction to accept the money but use it more productively on development throughout these countries.

Like how the NRL, steered all that stadium funding away from a homebush roof... into non existent sububian upgrades... you show too much faith in them... this is why i know cairns is the go... it suits their agenda, its not some large city who think they need all their demands met, like a brisbane or perth, its a regional town happy to get whatever, and now it will be the focal point for the pathways of RL for the prospects from those pacific islands.. what t he dolphins were able to put together in 2 years for their nrl team in Moreton bay, can be done and done better in cairns, and theyll have twice the time to do it... I would be surprised if Gus Gould and Shane Flanagan are the guys who'll set up and coach it either, both have been invested in pathways from nz and png the past few years...
Best part about this is Vlandys can use the Northern Pride as the logo, being a "lion" mascot representing rugby league in a QLD town that isnt brisbane roar or AFLs brisbane lions...
I reckon he thought that would really piss them off

 

[Wb1234]

Quarter of a billion? Where did they promise 250 million?
If so I'm keen!
Was it 25 million? Can you please share the link to that?

historic Pasifika team - with tentacles reaching Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea - is now a serious option to be the NRL’s 18th team. The franchise would have a permanent base in Cairns in far north Queensland and be aided by the Australian government, which is prepared to tip in $20-25 million annually in the interests of national security in the Pacific.

 

[Titanic]

Visionary is one thing, practicality is another.

I have an observers preference for Perth in this debate based only on timezones and giving Rugby League a wider footprint. I don't care too much about the other codes, the NRL only needs to focus on improving its product.

However, for the sake of argument surely a Pasifika team should be based in Auckland (or at the very worst Wellington) if for no other reason than having a game each week in Kiwi. The Warrior's resistance to that is understandable but access to the island nations and a strong supporter base also make that a pretty fair option.

Having played and coached in both PNG and Cairns the FNQ model just doesn't work for me plus Port Moresby has no appeal to anyone except the locals (just ask the QCup teams that have to go there).

 

[jim_57]

Nrl pays travel and hotel costs for all teams

the money albanese is funding they could generate zero in sponsors and gate and still be one of the richest clubs

albanese is basically paying for png to have a strong nrl club

how’s this a bad thing

I suspect he will lean heavily on Australian mining companies in png to sponsor the team as well

once the team is established I doubt the govt money would ever get cut off either

It’s not PNG though that’s my point. It’s a bastardised version trying to include every island in the Pacific under some generic label. PNG has f**k all in common with Tonga or Samoa other than them being Islands in the Pacific, might as well include Phillipines and Japan if that’s the main criteria.

Saying PNG mines will sponsor them doesn’t mean they actually will. Don’t see much of a ROI in that for them.

 

[Wb1234]

It’s not PNG though that’s my point. It’s a bastardised version trying to include every island in the Pacific under some generic label. PNG has f**k all in common with Tonga or Samoa other than them being Islands in the Pacific, might as well include Phillipines and Japan if that’s the main criteria.

Saying PNG mines will sponsor them doesn’t mean they actually will. Don’t see much of a ROI in that for them.

Public goodwill after taking away the resources of a poor country

one game each in fiji Tonga and samoa is actually brilliant

 

[MugaB]

Visionary is one thing, practicality is another.

I have an observers preference for Perth in this debate based only on timezones and giving Rugby League a wider footprint. I don't care too much about the other codes, the NRL only needs to focus on improving its product.

However, for the sake of argument surely a Pasifika team should be based in Auckland (or at the very worst Wellington) if for no other reason than having a game each week in Kiwi. The Warrior's resistance to that is understandable but access to the island nations and a strong supporter base also make that a pretty fair option.

Having played and coached in both PNG and Cairns the FNQ model just doesn't work for me plus Port Moresby has no appeal to anyone except the locals (just ask the QCup teams that have to go there).

Are you from china by any chance?
The game is all about tv, whatever monetary reimbursements are not the issue, its all about the 18th/19th/20th teams we cannot and will not be able to sustain a Perth and Adelaide team, without a team like this coming in first, and even if it was based in nz, why would the aus govt fund it? They wont, so base it somewhere closer to PNG.
The bulk of games i see are in Port Moresby, possibly 6-8, with cairns getting a few, and the other islands 1-2 each, more likely 1 each in tonga, fiji, and samoa..