PNG's back.

[Wb1234]

As for PNG I think we can take it for a given that the US state department asked our government how can we shore up PNG's support against China and this is what Labor came back with. And obviously it worked because it has full backing of the PNG government. I have no doubt you'll see a US foreign aid boost to PNG.

Yeh america is determined to thwart China in the pacific

As for PNG I think we can take it for a given that the US state department asked our government how can we shore up PNG's support against China and this is what Labor came back with. And obviously it worked because it has full backing of the PNG government. I have no doubt you'll see a US foreign aid boost to PNG.

Sleepy joe is a donkey he’s one of the worst presidents ever

 

[docbrown]

Yeh america is determined to thwart China in the pacific

Sleepy joe is a donkey he’s one of the worst presidents ever

I'd bet my money on China going to invade Taiwan before the decade is out. In the 2030s they'll be fully into a Japan style population and economic life quality decline. Whether America and Australia gets involved is whether the US creates their own high gen microchip facilities in the US. At the moment all the cutting edge stuff is still in Taiwan. An invasion of Taiwan is going to make a D-Day look like a tea party.

As for Biden I lived through Jan 6th. I'll take boring senility over unpredictable narcissism any time.

 

[The Great Dane]

I'd bet my money on China going to invade Taiwan before the decade is out. In the 2030s they'll be fully into a Japan style population and economic life quality decline. Whether America and Australia gets involved is whether the US creates their own high gen microchip facilities in the US. At the moment all the cutting edge stuff is still in Taiwan. An invasion of Taiwan is going to make a D-Day look like a tea party.

As for Biden I lived through Jan 6th. I'll take boring senility over unpredictable narcissism any time.

Easier said than done, and kind of irrelevant in the grand scheme of things anyway. Taiwan is a major link in the First Island Chain and it would completely f**k the entire world's economy and shipping routes if China gained any significant control over the First Island Chain. You're talking an instant realignment of world powers and almost certainly warfare globally if that happens.

China would also be forced to expand their control over the First Island Chain to maintain control over Taiwan and the waters around it. In other words China's expansion wouldn't stop at Taiwan, and at the very least they'd need to take control of the Senkaku Islands to exert control on the Miyako Strait to the north and expand their military power into the Bashi Channel to the south as well.

All the other major powers in the region will have no choice but to oppose China with military force if they attempt to invade Taiwan, and it'd only be a matter of time before the USA was forced to commit boots to the ground if they tried to avoid it. It'd likely throw pretty much all of the Asia-Pacific into open warfare, and the fighting wouldn't be restricted to Taiwan or the South China Sea.

An NRL side in PNG will have precisely zero impact on any of that as well. Even if we assume that bribing PNG with an NRL side would actually work (which is a terrible assumption going by historic precedent), China will just move their attention to strengthening ties with other partners and Australia and rest of the Western powers will be stuck in a perpetual game of catch up. Put simply, PNG isn't a necessity for China to expand it's influence in the region, and an NRL side would do little to stop them even if it was.

 

[Perth Red]

Easier said than done, and kind of irrelevant in the grand scheme of things anyway. Taiwan is a major link in the First Island Chain and it would completely f**k the entire world's economy and shipping routes if China gained any significant control over the First Island Chain. You're talking an instant realignment of world powers and almost certainly warfare globally if that happens.

China would also be forced to expand their control over the First Island Chain to maintain control over Taiwan and the waters around it. In other words China's expansion wouldn't stop at Taiwan, and at the very least they'd need to take control of the Senkaku Islands to exert control on the Miyako Strait to the north and expand their military power into the Bashi Channel to the south as well.

All the other major powers in the region will have no choice but to oppose China with military force if they attempt to invade Taiwan, and it'd only be a matter of time before the USA was forced to commit boots to the ground if they tried to avoid it. It'd likely throw pretty much all of the Asia-Pacific into open warfare, and the fighting wouldn't be restricted to Taiwan or the South China Sea.

An NRL side in PNG will have precisely zero impact on any of that as well. Even if we assume that bribing PNG with an NRL side would actually work (which is a terrible assumption going by historic precedent), China will just move their attention to strengthening ties with other partners and Australia and rest of the Western powers will be stuck in a perpetual game of catch up. Put simply, PNG isn't a necessity for China to expand it's influence in the region, and an NRL side would do little to stop them even if it was.

Case of be seen to be doing something, even if that something is pointless.

 

[The Great Dane]

Case of be seen to be doing something, even if that something is pointless.

The thing is that it'd probably be cheaper, easier, or just undeniably better for the average Australian citizen if the government actually did substantive things to counteract China's growth. Investing heavily in military assets both nationally and across the region, strengthen political ties with the major powers in Asia, and trying to become as energy independent as possible as soon as possible are major examples.

We're going to have to stop pussyfooting around and accept that some level of imperialism is unavoidable in times like these as well. China must have pissed themselves laughing at Australia blindly helping Sogavare cement his power in the Solomon Islands for fear of bloodshed and criticism from biased parties in the international community for example.

Sports teams in the PI's, and similar cultural projects, are nothing more than vanity projects and ribbon cutters for politicians who have become totally disconnected from the challenges the nation faces and the needs of the people they're meant to represent.

 

[Wb1234]

@anthonyalbanese
@petervlanyds

gents look at this excellent advice

 

[TheEroticGamer]

Oooooohhhhh china so scary

(Pay up albo)

 

[Santino Patane]

I think things have gotten to a point that #18 will be PNG, if you agree or not and if it makes sense that it is or not. So the next steps are, what will their branding be?

Thinking about it today, my hope is probably the most boring option- keep the Hunters brand going with the same colours. Refresh it, yes, but continue the brand. I think it’s a great and unique brand with completely relevant colours for another national team. Also, there’s a nice symmetry about the two non Aussie teams being the Warriors and Hunters.

Has anyone out there played with the branding/logos/jerseys??

 

[Perth Red]

Theyd need a new logo for sure! Their current one is pants.

 

[Perth Red]

Could Papua New Guinea play host to the NRL’s newest franchise? $600 million worth of backing could make the Kumuls’ dream a reality.

The ARLC and Australian government are reportedly discussing a bold expansion project to base the NRL’s 18th team out of Port Moresby.

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys has reportedly begun his due diligence regarding introducing a new team into the competition according to The Daily Telegraph.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also backing the move and has reportedly tabled a package which would see $60 million per year injected in to the country over 10 years.

The bid would also see games played in Cairns, as a way to counter China’s growing influence in the region.


The $600 million investment reportedly won’t solely focus on rugby league, with funds being used to strengthen the nation socially and economically.

If successful, the NRL would also likely set a representation quota within the Kumuls’ squad of players eligible to represent their nation.

However, that requirement would likely be no issue with the nation boasting a number of big name stars including Alex Johnston, Justin Olam, Xavier Coates and Jack de Belin.

Like the Dolphins, they would also have a war chest of funds ready to throw at the biggest names in the game without a contract for the coming years.

The Kumuls’ recruitment team would also likely have more time to prepare than Wayne Bennett’s Redcliffe-based team, who had less than two years to build a squad.

While PNG’s bid to become the 18th NRL team is far from a reality, they have the potential to build a team for the long haul, targeting players on the rise like J’maine Hopgood.

It remains to be seen when the Kumuls could enter the NRL, but V’landys is desperate to expansion by 2027 meaning PNG could target players without a contract past 2025.

Here, foxsports.com.au takes a stab at who could feature for the Kumuls in a dream scenario ahead of their potential entry in to the competition!

Three club race emerges for English star; Crichton’s rugby switch collapses: Transfer Whispers

Three club race emerges for English star; Crichton’s rugby switch collapses: Transfer Whispers

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[Wb1234]

So if they have to play a percentage of kumuls then results obviously don’t matter it’s a development team

pretty stupid requirement

the only other team that could satisfy this would be Penrith warriors and the broncos

 

[MugaB]

So if they have to play a percentage of kumuls then results obviously don’t matter it’s a development team

pretty stupid requirement

the only other team that could satisfy this would be Penrith warriors and the broncos

Its an nrl club, it doesn’t have to play a percentage of anything... its really upto the board and recruitment managers, it would make sense that they target everyone, and fill gaps with local PNG players

 

[Wb1234]

Its an nrl club, it doesn’t have to play a percentage of anything... its really upto the board and recruitment managers, it would make sense that they target everyone, and fill gaps with local PNG players

Maybe development players are included in any quota

 

[MugaB]

I think things have gotten to a point that #18 will be PNG, if you agree or not and if it makes sense that it is or not. So the next steps are, what will their branding be?

Thinking about it today, my hope is probably the most boring option- keep the Hunters brand going with the same colours. Refresh it, yes, but continue the brand. I think it’s a great and unique brand with completely relevant colours for another national team. Also, there’s a nice symmetry about the two non Aussie teams being the Warriors and Hunters.

Has anyone out there played with the branding/logos/jerseys??

Made a few over the past year

 

[MugaB]

Maybe development players are included in any quota

There's no quota, none set by the NRL, for any team so why would there be one for this team, warriors don't have some NZ quota

 

[Wb1234]

There's no quota, none set by the NRL, for any team so why would there be one for this team, warriors don't have some NZ quota

It’s in the article above lol

maybe it’s bs but that’s why I responded as I did

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

I think things have gotten to a point that #18 will be PNG, if you agree or not and if it makes sense that it is or not. So the next steps are, what will their branding be?

Thinking about it today, my hope is probably the most boring option- keep the Hunters brand going with the same colours. Refresh it, yes, but continue the brand. I think it’s a great and unique brand with completely relevant colours for another national team. Also, there’s a nice symmetry about the two non Aussie teams being the Warriors and Hunters.

Has anyone out there played with the branding/logos/jerseys??

Definitely use red, black and gold for the colours. It'll give Perth Red another thing to whinge about.

 

[The Great Dane]

I think things have gotten to a point that #18 will be PNG, if you agree or not and if it makes sense that it is or not. So the next steps are, what will their branding be?

I'm not sure that things are as simple as everybody just moving on and pretending like nothing happened.

Blatant cronyism and sportswashing of this sort will result in some sort of fallout in the short term. Who knows how that'll turn out, but I can imagine that there'd be at least a few people in positions of power in places like WA who come to the conclusion that the NRL is an expensive waste of time for example.

The long term impacts have been discussed ad nauseam, so I won't repeat them, but this decision will have all sorts of impacts and unintended consequences for a long time.

BTW, it'd be worth it if they call the team the Cannibals. You know you want to you cowards.

 

[Perth Red]

One of their better ones

 

[Wb1234]

I'm not sure that things are as simple as everybody just moving on and pretending like nothing happened.

Blatant cronyism and sportswashing of this sort will result in some sort of fallout in the short term. Who knows how that'll turn out, but I can imagine that there'd be at least a few people in positions of power in places like WA who come to the conclusion that the NRL is an expensive waste of time for example.

The long term impacts have been discussed ad nauseam, so I won't repeat them, but this decision will have all sorts of impacts and unintended consequences for a long time.

BTW, it'd be worth it if they call the team the Cannibals. You know you want to you cowards.