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PNG 2025...

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
That could work. Sell the Balmain share to Cumins and rebrand to West Coast Magpies or something else, like Reds or Quokkas.

balmain don’t have a share anymore do they? And yeh I could see the rich west’s leagues club owners being happy to move their club to the other side of the country and give up ownership lol. Oh look it’s a flying unicorn.
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,807
what about it? As a never happening hypothetical you mean?
It was a joke, as the forum user was called "Perth Tiger" i thought to see if they were keen on the idea.
No relocation, all perth needs is pathway like the Hunters have had in the QLD cup, maybe an oceania competition that mimics the BRL had once, where the likes of White Bay Bulls, vs Perth Pirates, vs CQ capras vs Adelaide Rams, vs Fiji silktails, vs Png Hunters
Screenshot_20191015-051039_Word.jpg
 
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Hartwood

Juniors
Messages
217
a Darwin based PNG team could work. being based in Cairns would be a bad idea given the cowboys are meant to represent the whole North Queensland region. Darwin is obviously an AFL city, but as someone who lives in the NT, I think all it would take is their own team for them to switch codes. I don't think AFL fans up here are deadset on only following one code and I know lots of people who want to know more about NRL. High indigenous population also helps because indigenous people seem to love sport in general and I see a ton of them wearing Broncos and cowboys merch.
Playing half the games in PNG would obviously cover the issue of not enough depth, they would almost instantly become the biggest team in the comp with 10 million new guinians behind them
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,411
a Darwin based PNG team could work. being based in Cairns would be a bad idea given the cowboys are meant to represent the whole North Queensland region. Darwin is obviously an AFL city, but as someone who lives in the NT, I think all it would take is their own team for them to switch codes. I don't think AFL fans up here are deadset on only following one code and I know lots of people who want to know more about NRL. High indigenous population also helps because indigenous people seem to love sport in general and I see a ton of them wearing Broncos and cowboys merch.
Playing half the games in PNG would obviously cover the issue of not enough depth, they would almost instantly become the biggest team in the comp with 10 million new guinians behind them

The four big issues:

1. Will they generate any revenue for NRLHQ?
2. Will they be able to annually generate the $12-18million a year an NRL club needs to survive
3. Will it be safe to have NRL clubs travelling and playing in the NRL
4. Can they attract decent players to sign for them when based and playing in those locations?

Given how risk adverse the NRL is there is a cat in hells chance of a PNG or PNG/NT club any time soon.
 
Messages
8,480
a Darwin based PNG team could work. being based in Cairns would be a bad idea given the cowboys are meant to represent the whole North Queensland region. Darwin is obviously an AFL city, but as someone who lives in the NT, I think all it would take is their own team for them to switch codes. I don't think AFL fans up here are deadset on only following one code and I know lots of people who want to know more about NRL. High indigenous population also helps because indigenous people seem to love sport in general and I see a ton of them wearing Broncos and cowboys merch.
Playing half the games in PNG would obviously cover the issue of not enough depth, they would almost instantly become the biggest team in the comp with 10 million new guinians behind them

I've just come back from a trip to Alice Springs and the red centre, and saw exactly what you have - loads of folk getting around in NRL merchandise. Yet they don't play NRL games there, not even trials if I'm correct - and if so, would be a while ago (the AFL play trials there each year I've been told).

There's a bunch of cricket/AFL grounds in Alice and guys were training for their season there - but of the literally hundreds of people (collectively over my time there) I saw getting around in NRL gear, primarily from the indigenous community, on the flipside I saw only 4 folk in AFL gear - and 3 of those were at my hotel in Yulara - tourists no doubt. It may sound like I'm exaggerating but I'm dead serious.

I'm not for a minute claiming a team in Alice or Darwin should be high on the list of expansion but..... in many ways like Adelaide - there is a large proportion of people getting around in NRL gear - which are the "visible" fans.... there could be 10 times as many or more who are true fans you that aren't obvious.

There's definitely more the NRL can and should be doing to foster growth in SA & the NT... there is a definite appetite for it.
 
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Messages
12,413
I've just come back from a trip to Alice Springs and the red centre, and saw exactly what you have - loads of folk getting around in NRL merchandise. Yet they don't play NRL games there, not even trials if I'm correct - and if so, would be a while ago (the AFL play trials there each year I've been told).

There's a bunch of cricket/AFL grounds in Alice and guys were training for their season there - but of the literally hundreds of people (collectively over my time there) I saw getting around in NRL gear, primarily from the indigenous community. On the flipside I saw only 4 folk in AFL gear - and 3 of those were at my hotel in Yulara - tourists no doubt. It may sound like I'm exaggerating but I'm dead serious.

I'm not for a minute claiming a team in Alice or Darwin should be high on the list of expansion but..... in many ways like Adelaide - there is a large proportion of people getting around in NRL gear - which are the "visible" fans.... there could be 10 times as many or more who are true fans you that aren't obvious.

There's definitely more the NRL can and should be doing to foster growth in SA & the NT... there is a definite appetite for it.
When I met Paul Vautin in the elevator at Lang Park in 2010 after a Cowboys vs Broncos game there was a Broncos fan there who made the trip from Darwin just to see the match.
Yes, Adelaide should have a team in the NRL. Darwin and Alice Springs should have teams in the Queensland Cup.
 

Hartwood

Juniors
Messages
217
I've just come back from a trip to Alice Springs and the red centre, and saw exactly what you have - loads of folk getting around in NRL merchandise. Yet they don't play NRL games there, not even trials if I'm correct - and if so, would be a while ago (the AFL play trials there each year I've been told).

There's a bunch of cricket/AFL grounds in Alice and guys were training for their season there - but of the literally hundreds of people (collectively over my time there) I saw getting around in NRL gear, primarily from the indigenous community. On the flipside I saw only 4 folk in AFL gear - and 3 of those were at my hotel in Yulara - tourists no doubt. It may sound like I'm exaggerating but I'm dead serious.

I'm not for a minute claiming a team in Alice or Darwin should be high on the list of expansion but..... in many ways like Adelaide - there is a large proportion of people getting around in NRL gear - which are the "visible" fans.... there could be 10 times as many or more who are true fans you that aren't obvious.

There's definitely more the NRL can and should be doing to foster growth in SA & the NT... there is a definite appetite for it.
They used to bring trials until around 2017ish, but Anzac oval is our only rectangular "stadium" and is really shit to watch games from, so I can't blame them for not taking any over here. AFL takes one regular season game here every year and they do so much more to promote the game, flags up all around town, ads everywhere, players coming to schools and free tickets being thrown out the door. When NRL trials were played hardly anyone knew the game was on until the day
 

MugaB

Coach
Messages
11,807
They used to bring trials until around 2017ish, but Anzac oval is our only rectangular "stadium" and is really shit to watch games from, so I can't blame them for not taking any over here. AFL takes one regular season game here every year and they do so much more to promote the game, flags up all around town, ads everywhere, players coming to schools and free tickets being thrown out the door. When NRL trials were played hardly anyone knew the game was on until the day
Thats where the NRL got it wrong, dumbshíts at head office dropping the ball to promote the game in the towns they aren't generally in, look at the difference in the past two years with abdo, in comparison to the past few decades of ceos, every "away" game has been promoted properly, and by "away" i mean the bathurst, bega, cairns, sunshine coast, etc
Im hearing all this week, oh did you kniw about the darwin game, but thats only coz im watching tv or shows about nrl. So ill know without looking it up.
Historically Nrl has been really shíte for promotion, but that's been a trend, and im seeing that trend lessened lately.
As for a joint PNG/NT team, not sure that would work, due to the distance really, but i see the merits of the current PNG/Cairns bid, both qld cup clubs, Both with great junior depth, gives a local derby for the cowboys, the distance is a lot closer than darwin would be, there's plenty of upside, plus 6 games in Port Moresby should be enough, 6 in Cairns. anymore it will become an issue with the points PR mentioned, but they do it for trials and international matches, so im not sure that his reasons matter in that context, Cairns would be carrying the load really in terms of the actual base of the bid
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,146
They used to bring trials until around 2017ish, but Anzac oval is our only rectangular "stadium" and is really shit to watch games from, so I can't blame them for not taking any over here. AFL takes one regular season game here every year and they do so much more to promote the game, flags up all around town, ads everywhere, players coming to schools and free tickets being thrown out the door. When NRL trials were played hardly anyone knew the game was on until the day

Thats the NRL and the clubs for you.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,146
Thats where the NRL got it wrong, dumbshíts at head office dropping the ball to promote the game in the towns they aren't generally in, look at the difference in the past two years with abdo, in comparison to the past few decades of ceos, every "away" game has been promoted properly, and by "away" i mean the bathurst, bega, cairns, sunshine coast, etc
Im hearing all this week, oh did you kniw about the darwin game, but thats only coz im watching tv or shows about nrl. So ill know without looking it up.
Historically Nrl has been really shíte for promotion, but that's been a trend, and im seeing that trend lessened lately.

Sorry - but it is more the cheapness and lazyness of the clubs than the NRL.
 
Messages
12,413
PNG should have 3 teams in the QLD cup. 1 is not enough.
If the money was there to support it then I agree, it would make the competition much more interesting. When PNG becomes more industrialised it would make sense for the PNGRFL, QRL, NTRL, WARL, SARL, VRL and NZRL to create a strong competiton that can provide opportunities to all regions that the Sydney-centric NRL never will. To do that we will need to recreate the WARL, VRL and SARL. We could always invite clubs like the Western Suburbs Magpies, as Western Sydney Magpies, and North Sydney Bears to compete in it to give it a national footprint. Burleigh Bears and Southern Suburbs Magpies would have to rebrand or be thrown out. Central Coast should also be added.
 
Messages
4,544
PNG is an extremely poor, violent and corrupt country with one of the most dangerous cities in the world as its capital. An estimated 70% of women there are raped. I’ve been there before it’s not a place you would like to walk alone in. And nobody would want to move there and play for them
Yes the Travel warnings say's it all and not just for COVID

  • Risk of violent crime and sexual assault in PNG is high. Criminals often use 'bush knives' (machetes) and guns. Always be alert to your surroundings. Avoid going out after dark.

 
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