Get Rid of The Donkeys
Coach
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It won't be cheap. Infrastructure building projects like this are incredibly expensive, but necessary for the country to advance beyond its current state.
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It won't be cheap. Infrastructure building projects like this are incredibly expensive, but necessary for the country to advance beyond its current state.
www.espn.com.au
Well said JustinOlam urges caution over NRL's PNG expansion plan
Justin Olam has cast doubt over plans to base a potential Papua New Guinea side in Queensland, urging NRL bosses that a team will only survive if it has boots on the ground in the Pacific nation.
Expansion to Australia's closest neighbours is a hot topic after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted PNG counterpart James Marape in Canberra earlier this week.
ARL commission chairman Peter V'landys said last year that placing a side in PNG was "top of the list" for expansion.
Logistical plans discussed thus far on PNG's introduction as the NRL's 18th team have centred on the side basing themselves in Cairns and flying into Port Moresby for matches.
But Wests Tigers centre Olam has urged caution, warning its legitimacy as a team for the league-mad nation will be called into question.
"Unless they're based in Port Moresby then it's an Aussie team that's going to have the label of PNG," Olam told AAP.
"I don't think it's good, I want a PNG team based in PNG for PNG players.
"For us to have that, we need to invest in our junior competition and build our pathways first because (NRL) is a big jump."
The 30-year-old is likely to be the first target if and when the NRL expansion side gets up which, according to speculation, could be as soon as 2027.
Olam remains the only player to have come through the PNG Hunters pathway and go on to play in the NRL.
The Hunters were introduced to the second-tier Queensland Cup but have struggled to make an impact in recent seasons.
"The Hunters are in the Q Cup but they're not dominating every year or winning premierships," Olam said.
"I think we need to invest in the grassroots, that's what my decision would be but I'm not in power.
"My opinion is, if they're based in PNG they'll spend money, do clinics and develop the game, people would come and watch and that would generate the economy."
Olam said he was a prime example of why a PNG team needed to work from the bottom up, citing the fact that he only got recognised because he left his village for the city of Lae to study for his degree in applied physics.
Olam's caution over NRL's PNG expansion plan
Justin Olam has cast doubt over plans to base a potential Papua New Guinea side in Queensland, urging NRL bosses that a team will only survive if it has boots on the ground in the Pacific nation.
At what point will the people who run our game realize that the hunters need to enter junior teams into the various Queensland youth competitions at u16&u18 levels and the Hastings derring colts u21.Olam urges caution over NRL's PNG expansion plan
Justin Olam has cast doubt over plans to base a potential Papua New Guinea side in Queensland, urging NRL bosses that a team will only survive if it has boots on the ground in the Pacific nation.
Expansion to Australia's closest neighbours is a hot topic after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted PNG counterpart James Marape in Canberra earlier this week.
ARL commission chairman Peter V'landys said last year that placing a side in PNG was "top of the list" for expansion.
Logistical plans discussed thus far on PNG's introduction as the NRL's 18th team have centred on the side basing themselves in Cairns and flying into Port Moresby for matches.
But Wests Tigers centre Olam has urged caution, warning its legitimacy as a team for the league-mad nation will be called into question.
"Unless they're based in Port Moresby then it's an Aussie team that's going to have the label of PNG," Olam told AAP.
"I don't think it's good, I want a PNG team based in PNG for PNG players.
"For us to have that, we need to invest in our junior competition and build our pathways first because (NRL) is a big jump."
The 30-year-old is likely to be the first target if and when the NRL expansion side gets up which, according to speculation, could be as soon as 2027.
Olam remains the only player to have come through the PNG Hunters pathway and go on to play in the NRL.
The Hunters were introduced to the second-tier Queensland Cup but have struggled to make an impact in recent seasons.
"The Hunters are in the Q Cup but they're not dominating every year or winning premierships," Olam said.
"I think we need to invest in the grassroots, that's what my decision would be but I'm not in power.
"My opinion is, if they're based in PNG they'll spend money, do clinics and develop the game, people would come and watch and that would generate the economy."
Olam said he was a prime example of why a PNG team needed to work from the bottom up, citing the fact that he only got recognised because he left his village for the city of Lae to study for his degree in applied physics.
Olam's caution over NRL's PNG expansion plan
Justin Olam has cast doubt over plans to base a potential Papua New Guinea side in Queensland, urging NRL bosses that a team will only survive if it has boots on the ground in the Pacific nation.
The biggest point Justin made was that the Hunters aren't dominating! The Q cup is the feeder comp to NRL, if you're not dominating that.. then?
This.
www.2gb.com
Ideally our government would pay for something we could all agree with.
The negative press commences."Fanciful" - Concerns mount over NRL's $600M Papua New Guinea venture
Chris O’Keefe raises doubts over the viability of an NRL team in Papua New Guinea due to concerns about safety, corruption, and inadequate infrastructure, despite the country’s love for rugby league. On the 26th of October 2023, St. George Dragons star Jack De Belin told Wide World of Sports...
I like the idea of pumping money into PNG’s domestic digicel cup competition so that every kumul sees the benefit of investment rather than just those in Port Moresby.
The reality though, is that PNG has far greater funding needs then Rugby League.
www.foxsports.com.au
It’s called having an opinion in an internet forum.
Ask it’s a bunch of negative Nellie’s circle jerking
What you call negative others would call realistic criticism.
Go you. I’d suggest criticising a proposal you haven’t actually seen is being negative. You can call it whatever you like.
