Ok so the inevitable regarding the Great Wall of PNG has been confirmed and the debate will really heat up now. Here are ten considerations:
1. Can they recruit quality players/staff or only beaten-up hacks?
2. Can they develop local players in sufficient numbers and of competitive quality?
3. How will any local players in the squad feel about living outside the "foreigners'" compound?
4. What will the other clubs say about "levelling the playing field" if this franchise starts to win games?
5. Surely the draw will allow for the squad to play 3 consecutive "away" games at a time to reduce travel wear and tear, although it won't reduce costs.
6. What will they be called? It can't be the Kumuls, I'm not sold on the Hunters and already the Papuan bloc are traipsing out Motuan (the predominant language group of the Papuan region) names but my preference is the Port Moresby Vipers.
7. What should their colours be? Certainly not blue nor red, black & gold. For those who don't know, the colours of the National Capital District, which is the official name for Port Moresby and covers 240 km², are black and gold.
8. How will they beat the incestuous "wantok" system?
9. How long before other regional centres (Lae, Goroka, Mt. Hagen, Rabaul) demand a fixture to be played locally, with all the complications that would bring?
10. What if at the end of the initial contract the franchise is deemed unsustainable?
1. Realistically they are looking at a 20-25% salary increase on what another club could offer a player (no player here is paying full tax amounts if they have a decent accountant). Is that enough to attract top players to move to PNG? That will depend on the quality of what they set up for them and the experiences the pioneers have. If its a sht show then good luck recruiting, if its a good experience then it could be enough.
2. Eventually probably to furnish 50-60% of the team. Warriors have a whole nation to develop from but that hasn't gone so swimmingly. Though ONg has teh advantage of pure numbers on $'s being spend in pathways.
3. No confirmation if that will be the case, probably not I'd suggest for team harmony.
4. They'll moan, already started, but Vlandys will remind them of the $3.5mill bribe they got.
5. Maybe, though Warriors havent had any help and I doubt WA will either.
6. TBC
7. I'm hoping predominantly bright yellow.
8. Good luck with that, being run by Australians might help.
9. They dont have the facilities so its a non argument
10. Easts are waiting in the wings