PNG NRL Team

[Brycey]

PNG want NRL team by 2014

April 07, 2008 PAPUA New Guinean rugby league officials have launched a campaign to have a team in Australia's National Rugby League competition by 2014.

The PNG Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) will start lobbying NRL officials in Sydney while attending the International Rugby League Board meeting.

PNG chairman Albert Veratau said they are talking with the Penrith Panthers to develop a serious proposal for the NRL.

Along with the NRL aspirations, PNGRFL will adopt NSW's junior rugby league development program.

"It's time for PNG in the NRL," he said.

"We want to make the numbers right and will be speaking to the NRL about the PNG club by 2014," he said.

Former Newcastle Knights winger (1989/90) and PNG chairman of selectors Arnold Kerwanty said a PNG club should first enter the Queensland Cup to prepare for the NRL challenge.

"We will need players who have the week-in week-out NRL game experience, or Queensland Cup experience, so they can become the backbone of a future competitive NRL club," he said.

Kerwanty added PNG rugby league was hurt by Australia's immigration laws.

"Laws need to be relaxed so PNG players don't require huge contracts to play for Aussie footy clubs," he said.

"If there are more players in NRL feeder clubs or just playing amateur footy at Australia's higher standard it will lift our game too, but immigration laws are preventing this," he said.

NRL spokesman John Brady said PNG's push was encouraging news but there was no immediate plan to expand.

"It's a case of watch this space.

"If they aim high, work hard and make a compelling case then it doesn't mean it's out of the question.

"The passion exists, everybody is aware how fanatical PNG is for rugby league and they are on our doorstep, so of course we want to support that,' he said.

Rugby league is considered PNG's national game with a strong following of the NRL and local SP Cup.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, during his State visit to PNG last month, gave $250,000 to develop sport, in particular rugby league.

Marcus Bei and current national coach, Adrian Lam, are PNG's most famous players while Paul Aiton and Keith Peters, playing for Penrith club, are other notable PNG footy heroes.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23499444-23214,00.html

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Port Moresby Rabbitohs

 

[Callan Pk]

Needs to be done right first time, the fans are already there, they are league psychos.
Ive no doubt this can be succesful, if they agree to it being basically run by ARL oreven better ARL/NZRL...they cant do it themselves, no offence.

 

[Brycey]

PNG Bai's

Interesting mascot imo

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

If they get a stadium, then yes please.

 

[***MH***]

Booyah,

I know that people will debate finance to death and what a pipedream it is, but PNG in the NRL would be such a great thing to happen. Not just in our sport, but in any sport.

Go PNG all the way!

 

[Sood]

Could work. Their biggest city only has 250k though, but if they are as fanatical as they are made out to be, it shouldnt be a problem.

 

[greenos]

I don't think many non-PNG players would like to play for them and live in PNG.

 

[***MH***]

I don't think many non-PNG players would like to play for them and live in PNG.

there are plenty of Australia ex-pats that work and live in PNG, and with the exchange rate, you would live like kings!

 

[cumberlandsashes81]

I have no doubt the support would be there, it would be fantastic for the PNG economy and I would obviously love to see it happen but... there are so many things about PNG that would need to improve for this to be successful (i.e. infrastructure, crime rate, etc.)...

 

[Chook Norris]

brilliant idea, will definitely work out if they get a decent stadium

 

[Parra]

Will never happen unless the owners (news ltd) can sell more pay TV subscriptions in PNG - and that is not going to happen.

This is the same reason that the pacific islands will never field a rugby side in the Super14 comp. It is not about sport - it is about selling pay TV.

It sucks - but that is the long term cost of superleague/superrugby/ selling out.

 

[Titanic]

Face facts - the population base in Port Moresby can't hold K5 per game now how can you expect K50 or more per fortnight. The Qld Cup/Vipers effort te years ago just highlighted that if you want to put a team in PNG then somebody else better fund it.

having said that then why not. Go the Kumuls.

 

[dallymessenger]

yes they should have an nrl team.

png is the only nation on earth where RL is the national sport.

the population is 6 million.

even though parts of it are poor, there would be enough interest in port moresby to get a team up.

if they had the proper stadium, they would get 50,000 no problems at all each week.

a first step is a team in the Queensland Cup then build up from there, like perth are doing in the JBC.

2014 is too soon though, in that time frame perth, central coast, wellington and maybe another queensland team would all come before a png team.

but together with a team in adelaide they would make up teams 21 and 22 in the nrl

 

[nqcowboy87]

i dont kniow wheter any you have been to port moresby lately but it is not a pretty town until there government gets in order and they get proper structures in place i dont think a professional nrl team can be based there dont get me wrong i love the place imy dad was born there but until they get their sh@# in order which they are moving towards this will be a pipedream

 

[Brycey]

How can they get such huge crowds when the majority of the population is unemployed. Sure Id love to go to 5 NRL games a week but cant afford it, its not a matter of peoples will, its a matter of feasability.

 

[Chook Norris]

i've seen glimpses of them playing against our PM's XIII

i recall the 'stadium' being packed

or was that free?

 

[Brownie.Kougari]

Please, please, please let this happen!!!!!

They'd be the most fanatically supported team in the comp.

finance is the biggest issue & they could easily compete with an all-PNG side so getting aussie players there won't be a prob.

I just wonder whether the economy could support a team, though if it could get going it could in fact add significantly to the city's wealth.

Good luck to them!

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Put them in the QLD cup for 10 years first and see how they go.

 

[greenhat]

I'm all for expansion and PNG should definitely be involved more, but I don't think an NRL team is the way to go.

This article mentions that PNG was just given $250,000 in aid to help develop rugby league.
The NRL has a $4m a year salary cap. I don't know what the other running costs are but I'd guess they're a fair bit more.

The Kumuls should be playing a lot more internationals and maybe, who knows, have a team in the QLD cup.
But I just can't see how they'd run an NRL team. How would they attract non-PNG players to live there? Wasn't it ranked one of the least liveable places on earth by some UN agency a few years back?