Proposed NRL Expansion

[Dragon David]

Well so far the 17th team Dolphins has been chugging along ok with Mr Wayne at the helm and they look likely to be in the top 8 come seasons end. Mr Wayne's career keeps rolling on and he will re-establish himself with the Bunnies from 2025-2027. So at the end of 2027 he would be 77 years of age.

Now it seems that PNG will become the 18th team in the NRL and the Albanese Government is going to help get the PNG a licence to operate in the NRL and provide $600M (being $60M each year for ten years) to help them get established. It is forecast that the new PNG club will be commencing their foray into the NRL in 2028 and guess what, Mr Wayne or should I give him his full title, Mr Wayne Bennett has been already thought of by Peter V'Landys to be the coach as V'Landys likes Bennett as V'Landys says that Bennett is all for expansion to 20 teams.

So in 2028, Bennett turns 78 and the usual tenure of his coaching time is 3 years. He will be 80 at the end of 2028. Guess what? When the 19th team comes in in 2029, Bennett will get the nod again and he will be 81. I'm only surmising of course but you can see what I am getting at. Why in hell does this guy always have to be the one? I know what his credentials are but why always him? There are other coaches aren't there?

As a taxpayer are you happy for us to help pay that $600M towards an 18th Team? Do we need 20 teams? Where will all the new players come from? I know that the PNG team will consist mainly of their locals and maybe a couple of marquees from established clubs who will be offered really good money to play for PNG.

Good luck I say. But I don't like it.

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

www.foxsports.com.au

 

[JohnnoMcJohnno]

Well so far the 17th team Dolphins has been chugging along ok with Mr Wayne at the helm and they look likely to be in the top 8 come seasons end. Mr Wayne's career keeps rolling on and he will re-establish himself with the Bunnies from 2025-2027. So at the end of 2027 he would be 77 years of age.

Now it seems that PNG will become the 18th team in the NRL and the Albanese Government is going to help get the PNG a licence to operate in the NRL and provide $600M (being $60M each year for ten years) to help them get established. It is forecast that the new PNG club will be commencing their foray into the NRL in 2028 and guess what, Mr Wayne or should I give him his full title, Mr Wayne Bennett has been already thought of by Peter V'Landys to be the coach as V'Landys likes Bennett as V'Landys says that Bennett is all for expansion to 20 teams.

So in 2028, Bennett turns 78 and the usual tenure of his coaching time is 3 years. He will be 80 at the end of 2028. Guess what? When the 19th team comes in in 2029, Bennett will get the nod again and he will be 81. I'm only surmising of course but you can see what I am getting at. Why in hell does this guy always have to be the one? I know what his credentials are but why always him? There are other coaches aren't there?

As a taxpayer are you happy for us to help pay that $600M towards an 18th Team? Do we need 20 teams? Where will all the new players come from? I know that the PNG team will consist mainly of their locals and maybe a couple of marquees from established clubs who will be offered really good money to play for PNG.

Good luck I say. But I don't like it.

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

www.foxsports.com.au

Not thrilled with the expansion because I think a PNG team will struggle to attract players and sponsorship, and will therefore be an on-going financial drain for many many years to come. I assume the money comes out of the Australian foreign aid bucket, and would probably go to PNG in some way shape or form anyway, but I would have thought there were far better ways to spend $600M in PNG than by setting up a footy side.

I continue to be astounded as to how much influence Peter V'Landys appears to have over Federal Government decision making. Wayne Bennett however is very much his own man, and I would be very surprised if he was interested in coaching a PNG side despite what V'Landys may think.

 

[sammymills]

Cost of living crisis and we are spending 600mil on this. I’d rather they give us a 600 mil tax cut

 

[FlickFlano]

60Mil per year ... i mean that is a tax cut of $2 to $3 per aussie
The curious thing is non footy related benefits if any ...

To me an NRL comp needs to be a National comp before international so markets in Perth/Adelaide in my opinion would have been better options. They failed previously due to things like superleage war etc without really getting a good run with the support we see teams getting through pay tv deals.


A perth team with thought into timezones is not a hard thing to schedule to the benefit of both pay TV and live ...

NRL could do a lot of things to help if more thought went into the schedule ...

I mean all Warriors home games should be in the 6pm Friday TV time slot. Prime time over there with good crowds

Similarly a Perth team could play games locally at 3pm saturday or 4pm sunday and hit decent viewing times for pay audiences on the east coast.

 

[Coffs dragon]

Effin Stupid…..
The games been totally trashed with idiotic rule changes, bunkers & teams predominantly filled with Pacific Island decent giants.
It’s long gone past the great game I once loved & I couldn’t give a rats arse about Origin.
I just want the Dragons to resurrect & rise from the depths of despair. That is all!

 

[Draginzaaar]

Well so far the 17th team Dolphins has been chugging along ok with Mr Wayne at the helm and they look likely to be in the top 8 come seasons end. Mr Wayne's career keeps rolling on and he will re-establish himself with the Bunnies from 2025-2027. So at the end of 2027 he would be 77 years of age.

Now it seems that PNG will become the 18th team in the NRL and the Albanese Government is going to help get the PNG a licence to operate in the NRL and provide $600M (being $60M each year for ten years) to help them get established. It is forecast that the new PNG club will be commencing their foray into the NRL in 2028 and guess what, Mr Wayne or should I give him his full title, Mr Wayne Bennett has been already thought of by Peter V'Landys to be the coach as V'Landys likes Bennett as V'Landys says that Bennett is all for expansion to 20 teams.

So in 2028, Bennett turns 78 and the usual tenure of his coaching time is 3 years. He will be 80 at the end of 2028. Guess what? When the 19th team comes in in 2029, Bennett will get the nod again and he will be 81. I'm only surmising of course but you can see what I am getting at. Why in hell does this guy always have to be the one? I know what his credentials are but why always him? There are other coaches aren't there?

As a taxpayer are you happy for us to help pay that $600M towards an 18th Team? Do we need 20 teams? Where will all the new players come from? I know that the PNG team will consist mainly of their locals and maybe a couple of marquees from established clubs who will be offered really good money to play for PNG.

Good luck I say. But I don't like it.

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

www.foxsports.com.au

Because most coaches want to be at a club for more than 3 years.

 

[KogarahWarrior]

f**k me this PNG idea is the dumbest thing ever. Realistically who is going to live in PNG? Also W sponsorships etc... only thing that wouldn't struggle is the crowd. So I think this is just a money grab by the NRL

 

[shiloh dc]

Are Aust taxpayers paying for this license? I suspect we are not.

 

[TheRev]

It seems more of a national defence policy than a decision for league, I do agree its going to be difficult to make it work, but itll be something different.

Was thinking this team might make it easier to avoid the spoon, but I think 2025 is our danger year, Luai/Galvin running the tigers, and we still culling the bad eggs (but good players) without anyone to replace.

 

[TheRev]

I did love Roy & HG last weekend though, their concept is 'Bunnings Island', Bunnings (or whoever) buy one of the islands off PNG and put the stadium and centre of excellence there... love it lol.

 

[muzby]

National* Rugby League


*Only representing 4 of the 8 states & territories of the Nation itself.

 

[Dragon David]

Are Aust taxpayers paying for this license? I suspect we are not.

Ben Fordham of 2GB reckons we are -

“The deal is done,” Fordham said.

“Australian taxpayers are about to spend $600m on a rugby league team in Papua New Guinea.

“We’ve got some exclusive information about when all of this is going to be announced. It’s $60m a year over 10 years.”

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys reportedly held discussions with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in early May regarding the PNG venture.

The NRL and the Federal Government have reportedly agreed on a funding package with almost half of the $600 million to go towards pathways and programs in the Pacific region.

 

[Gareth67]

I can only repeat what the late Sea Eagle Rex Mossop would say - “ I am absolutely flabbergasted ! “ .

I agree with the remarks about Perth , in fact any where in Australia for that matter , but P.N.G. quite simply does not have the means to support itself , nor the finances required to lure players of true quality to the club .

Surprising decision by the big-wigs of our game and even more surprising by our P.M. to outlay the money required to support the team .

 

[Coffs dragon]

I can see it now, the PNG NRL CEO & Owner discuss the opening of the best High Performance Centre in the Southern Hemisphere funded by the CCP.

Meanwhile the Dragons are looking for a recruitment officer & the COE is still waiting approval .LOL

 

[justadragon]

This move is as much political as it is to the RL world. China have funded a so called PNG Defence base not very far from our coastline, and are obviously looking for more ways into PNG. I suppose China could have funded PNG with way more than $600 Mil, oh well we shall see. From a Dragons perspective its just another team we have to contend with, it will be embarrassing losing to them

 

[Dragon David]

This move is as much political as it is to the RL world. China have funded a so called PNG Defence base not very far from our coastline, and are obviously looking for more ways into PNG. I suppose China could have funded PNG with way more than $600 Mil, oh well we shall see. From a Dragons perspective its just another team we have to contend with, it will be embarrassing losing to them

I tell you what justa, once the 18th franchise is up and running, I can see that there will be helping hands involved to make sure that they will have quite a few things go their way and win more than half of their games so that people like V'Landys and Albanese (if they are still plying their trade in ARL and Politics) don't get embarrassed with this decision.

 

[Trifili13]

What are the odds the Dragon's play PNG in their first game in PNG and we get flogged?

 

[Hound of Dracula]

What are the odds the Dragon's play PNG in their first game in PNG and we get flogged?

Yeah - by the crowd before kick-off!

 

[Dragon Blood]

What are the odds the Dragon's play PNG in their first game in PNG and we get flogged?

That is if we are still around by then with how things have been going at the Dragons lately and over the last 14-15 years.

I wouldn't be surprised if STGI is relocated as the Perth (Western Red and Whites)

I agree with a couple of earlier posts re: PNG team. The first thing that came to mind with Albo involved is the politics with China trying to elbow their way into the South Pacific.

 

[shiloh dc]

Ben Fordham of 2GB reckons we are -

“The deal is done,” Fordham said.

“Australian taxpayers are about to spend $600m on a rugby league team in Papua New Guinea.

“We’ve got some exclusive information about when all of this is going to be announced. It’s $60m a year over 10 years.”

ARLC chairman Peter V’landys reportedly held discussions with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in early May regarding the PNG venture.

The NRL and the Federal Government have reportedly agreed on a funding package with almost half of the $600 million to go towards pathways and programs in the Pacific region.

Yes the money will be coming from the Aust Government but I suspect & would hope we would receive a couple of Billion from the US Gov't to promote cultural integration and harmony with our friendly pacific neighbours.