So Few PNG Players in the NRL?

[chrisc101]

I've often wondered why there are so few PNG players in the NRL. I believe there are some visa issues with Australia which makes it hard. Does anyone have any hard evidence of this?

Do the NRL talent scouts even go up there?

 

[East Coast Tiger]

There are visa issues, but they can be overcome in most cases.

The main reason there are so few PNG players is because the NRL clubs are too cheap and lazy to make the effort to identify and develop talent from anywhere other than Australia and NZ. It's far too easy to just sign up every half decent 16 year old kid in NSW and Qld, and then throw 95% of the on the scrap heap by the time they're 20, rather than go to PNG, Fiji, or anywhere else. When the Roosters signed a couple of South African union players it was seen as a major innovation. Even AFL goes looking for overseas talent more than we do, and their game is not even played overseas at any significant level. Yet we have Test rugby league nations like PNG who are ignored completely.

Ideally they'll get their own club in the NRL. Hopefully by 2020. That is probably the only way their players will get a chance. Alternatively, it would be good to see salary cap concessions for players signed from smaller nations and developed into first graders. But this idea has been floated in the past and Gallop and his mates haven't shown even the slightest interest in it. So I guess we can expect more of the same.

 

[Big Mick]

Its because the NRL are racist.

 

[Ray Parlour]

Dragons had one of the PNG players on trial after the world cup but im pretty sure the deal fell through to visa issues.

 

[TheDalek079]

Maybe they aren't good enough to play first grade footy

 

[Loudstrat]

Why trawl for players only for them to play for Queensland?

 

[PARRA_FAN]

A few running around atm, David Mead, Neville Costigan, Paul Aiton, Keith Peters (Newtown Jets), Jay Aston (used to play lower grades for Storm), there's a bloke who played NYC for the Cowboys last year cant think of his name.

The Kumuls arent a bad side to watch they gave the Poms a fright in the last WC and did alright against the Aussies. Hopefully if they do well in the Four Nations a numbers players might be looked at for first grade.

 

[Thomas]

I think it's put in the 'too hard basket'.

As mentioned above, clubs would rather get some talented local kid than go up to PNG and trawl for talent. It's easier for them.

 

[Loudstrat]

Then again, remember the days when Canberra were active overseas - their signing of Noa Nadruku almost single handedly sparked League in the pacific Islands. Remember they tried to sign that sprinter from Sierra Leone? Great days - sadly long gone.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

The Nadruku example shows why we need the World Sevens back. That's where he was spotted. That way we can bring the best players from the smaller nations and put them in front of the lazy NRL clubs, take some of the work out of it. But these very same clubs ensured the World Sevens died in the arse last time it was tried by putting in reserve grade sides.

 

[dimitri]

Some great news from PNG

BID SPONSORS MAKING IT HAPPEN

http://pngnrlbid.com/index.php?page_id=68

http://pngnrlbid.com/index.php?page_id=69

 

[The Observer]

There are visa issues, but they can be overcome in most cases.

This story explains in more detail why PNGRFL-raised Kumuls find it hard to come to Australia Federal Government Visa laws stopping PNG players NRL dream. After the Kumuls' efforts in RLWC 20008, NRL clubs targeted a few PNG players. Wayne Bennett wanted to sign Jesse Joe Parker. However, if NRL or lower division clubs want to spend a small amount to trial them, the Government won't grant the players a visa (see article) as they'll need to earn at least $40,000 p.a. and the club will need to put up a bond. The Government probably fear it becoming a backdoor method for Pacific Islanders to immigrate to Australia. As a result, PNG raised players like Jesse Joe Parker instead signed to Featherstone Roversin English RL's Co-Operative Championship, the level below Super League). Parker has just moved to Wakefield in the Super League though. Others PNG products like Charlie Wabo signed for Hunslet Hawks, Menzie Yere went from Rabaul to Sheffield Eagles. As ECT said, we need the World Sevens back, and salary cap concessions for products of emerging nations would help. In the NRL system (NRL, NYC, NSW/QLD Cup), we have a very small number of players that are actually products of emerging nations' leagues.

David Mead, Neville Costigan, Paul Aiton, Keith Peters (Newtown Jets), Jay Aston (used to play lower grades for Storm)

All those guys played their junior RL in Australia, they did not play their junior football in PNG. There are only four players in the NRL system this year that are genuinely products of an emerging RL nation:
* JP Du Plessis (Sydney Roosters NYC) - came from a prominent Rugby Union high school, Paul Roos Gym in Western Cape, South Africa. Somewhere on this forum, it was mentioned that he is going home. Not surprising, it would be a huge and risky move around the world for a young guy, when he can achieve a lot back home.
* Jarrod Saffy (Dragons) could be argued as a SARU product.
* Richard Kambo (Newtown Jets) - he came from Defence RLFC, Port Moresby, the only genuine product of PNG RL. The only genuine PNG product, and the only product of an emerging RL.
* Lopeti Timani (Bulldogs NYC) - product of Atele College in Tonga and Tongan Schoolboys Rugby Union.

Of course, there are 83 products of NZRL, 4 of English RL (Burgess, Ellis, Flanagan, Widdop), and one of French RL (Jason Baitieri).

 

[chrisc101]

A few running around atm, David Mead, Neville Costigan, Paul Aiton, Keith Peters (Newtown Jets), Jay Aston (used to play lower grades for Storm), there's a bloke who played NYC for the Cowboys last year cant think of his name.

The Kumuls arent a bad side to watch they gave the Poms a fright in the last WC and did alright against the Aussies. Hopefully if they do well in the Four Nations a numbers players might be looked at for first grade.

Exactly, and if you could get their best players into the NRL ,instantly you have a forth proper international team which can mix it with the big boys. I can't see France stepping up to the plate so it has to be PNG.

I just find it so hard to believe that it doesn't happen!!

 

[chrisc101]

This story explains in more detail why PNGRFL-raised Kumuls find it hard to come to Australia Federal Government Visa laws stopping PNG players NRL dream. After the Kumuls' efforts in RLWC 20008, NRL clubs targeted a few PNG players. Wayne Bennett wanted to sign Jesse Joe Parker. However, if NRL or lower division clubs want to spend a small amount to trial them, the Government won't grant the players a visa (see article) as they'll need to earn at least $40,000 p.a. and the club will need to put up a bond. The Government probably fear it becoming a backdoor method for Pacific Islanders to immigrate to Australia. As a result, PNG raised players like Jesse Joe Parker instead signed to Featherstone Roversin English RL's Co-Operative Championship, the level below Super League). Parker has just moved to Wakefield in the Super League though. Others PNG products like Charlie Wabo signed for Hunslet Hawks, Menzie Yere went from Rabaul to Sheffield Eagles. As ECT said, we need the World Sevens back, and salary cap concessions for products of emerging nations would help. In the NRL system (NRL, NYC, NSW/QLD Cup), we have a very small number of players that are actually products of emerging nations' leagues.



All those guys played their junior RL in Australia, they did not play their junior football in PNG. There are only four players in the NRL system this year that are genuinely products of an emerging RL nation:
* JP Du Plessis (Sydney Roosters NYC) - came from a prominent Rugby Union high school, Paul Roos Gym in Western Cape, South Africa. Somewhere on this forum, it was mentioned that he is going home. Not surprising, it would be a huge and risky move around the world for a young guy, when he can achieve a lot back home.
* Jarrod Saffy (Dragons) could be argued as a SARU product.
* Richard Kambo (Newtown Jets) - he came from Defence RLFC, Port Moresby, the only genuine product of PNG RL. The only genuine PNG product, and the only product of an emerging RL.
* Lopeti Timani (Bulldogs NYC) - product of Atele College in Tonga and Tongan Schoolboys Rugby Union.

Of course, there are 83 products of NZRL, 4 of English RL (Burgess, Ellis, Flanagan, Widdop), and one of French RL (Jason Baitieri).

Great summary, yes I remember the news articles after the WC2008.

 

[PARRA_FAN]

Ahh yes bring back the World Sevens.

Go to Youtube and look for 1993 RL World Sevens, that brings back some good memories.

Why did they even get rid of it is beyond me?

 

[Eels Dude]

There's players with PNG heritage in the game. Overall I can see why clubs wouldn't do it... it'd be a very expensive effort for little reward. I doubt there'd be a stream of players from PNG who'd be able to crack it in the NRL. Hence why it's not realistic suggesting they have their own NRL side.

 

[Rockin Ronny]

Some great news from PNG

BID SPONSORS MAKING IT HAPPEN

Why does PNG bother with all this effort.

To win an NRL bid, the Titans proved you don't need a ground, name, sponsors or funding. You just need to find:

• Ex-ARL dinosaur to help you (Paul Broughton);
• CEO whose father was an ex-ARL dinosaur - Searle;
• get Gallop to be your best mate and do the work for you;
• Get Gallop to decide which bid wins.

Now, Broughton is also involved with PNG. The rest should be easy.

What the CC Bears need to do is burn the Gosford stadium down, sack all the sponsors and get John Raper to front the bid. Then - they're a chance.

 

[chrisc101]

There's players with PNG heritage in the game. Overall I can see why clubs wouldn't do it... it'd be a very expensive effort for little reward. I doubt there'd be a stream of players from PNG who'd be able to crack it in the NRL. Hence why it's not realistic suggesting they have their own NRL side.

Sorry Eels Dude definitely don't agree regarding talent, there is massive amounts of talent up there (especially backs). It just a case of a restrictive visa system and NRL clubs lazy & cheap.

 

[Perth Red]

We can't cross the Nullarbor, what hope the Torres Straight?

would love to see a PNG team back in the Q'land cup to give their players a shop window. We are concerned there isn't enought talent to go around yet here with a whole country that is untapped.

 

[mikail-eagle]

Also just read in The Local PNG Media esp The National Newspaper that Gus Gould has been up there in PNG since Monday checking out the progress of their bid.