NRL NRL Expansion

[Defence]

Have a couple of mates that have both lived/ visited family. Fair amount of money needed to Aay for protection and Baying officials. Players would need to live in gated communities at minimum

I’d imagine they would all live in cairns and just fly in to png for home games.
Cairns is nice.

 

[Fonzie]

I don't mean exclusive. There are heaps of good NZ players and there are good local clubs. Do PNG have this? If they don't and have to get a lot of below par players or pay overs for players then it seems to defeat the purpose.

They almost certainly have a larger rugby league participation base than any other country in the world including Australia

They just need a high performance pathway as the funnel from that base

Work on that has started:

Support for Papua New Guinea’s NRL pathway

During my visit to Papua New Guinea this week, I was proud to announce $5.5 million to support Papua New Guinea's pathway to having a team in Australia's Nat

ministers.dfat.gov.au

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

They almost certainly have a larger rugby league participation base than any other country in the world including Australia

They just need a high performance pathway as the funnel from that base

Work on that has started:

Support for Papua New Guinea’s NRL pathway

During my visit to Papua New Guinea this week, I was proud to announce $5.5 million to support Papua New Guinea's pathway to having a team in Australia's Nat

ministers.dfat.gov.au

PNG males average height is 163cm vs 175cm for an Australian male and 178cm NZ male.

While they may have the numbers they will struggle with the physical size to compete at the elite NRL level.

 

[Matiunz]

PNG males average height is 163cm vs 175cm for an Australian male and 178cm NZ male.

While they may have the numbers they will struggle with the physical size to compete at the elite NRL level.

They are ethnically Melanesian though which is the same as Fijians so I’m sure they will be fine

 

[Fonzie]

PNG males average height is 163cm vs 175cm for an Australian male and 178cm NZ male.

While they may have the numbers they will struggle with the physical size to compete at the elite NRL level.

Englands average height is 178cm and PNG beat them in a test not long ago (or at least Great Britain)

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Englands average height is 178cm and PNG beat them in a test not long ago (or at least Great Britain)

I accept that…. But NZ only occasionally produces an elite half and when we do it’s against the odds and not the norm due to our union dominated junior pathways.

I don’t think it’s a killer for the bid or being them competitive but it’s a factor that they will always have to battle against.

 

[RiceOwl]

PNG males average height is 163cm vs 175cm for an Australian male and 178cm NZ male.

While they may have the numbers they will struggle with the physical size to compete at the elite NRL level.

What about circumference of Thighs or Calves? Think they might have it over them in that department to even it out

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Don’t know where to put this but anyone heard of flag football?

It’s similar to gridiron but without the tackling
and will be included in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 program.

Is this the long term future of NRL with the head injuries situation? Will be interesting to follow.

The Australian organisers are targeting union and league players for the Olympics in 2028 asking: ‘How would you like to win an Olympic Gold medal?’

Reece Walsh and Josh Addo-Carr flagged as the type of targets…

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

The guy bidding for the PNG NRL team is denying they are about to get a NRL licence. Usually that means it is nearly confirmed lol.

PNG boss shuts down reports of successful bid

'I'm not sure why'

wwos.nine.com.au

 

[Fonzie]

Here is my pod on the PNG NRL bid:

https://spotify.link/oojzfTZD7Db

 

[Teets]

PNG males average height is 163cm vs 175cm for an Australian male and 178cm NZ male.

While they may have the numbers they will struggle with the physical size to compete at the elite NRL level.

The irony is "I'm too small to play league" is normally the first answer you get from your average NZ male when you ask them if they're keen to give league a go.

 

[Falcon]

Here is my pod on the PNG NRL bid:

https://spotify.link/oojzfTZD7Db

I enjoyed this episode Fonzie and you put together some excellent points for a PNG team, but should they be the 18th team or the 20th?
It feels like the opportunity to lay the foundations for a 2nd NZ team are now with Rugby in a slump and interest in league beginning to grow again in NZ along with continued increase in numbers of NZ born players across all NRL Clubs.
Christchurch with its new covered stadium currently in build and the growth in the city population could be a
great fit for a 2028 timeline.
Creating a pathways programme now by entering a team in NSW Cup or partnering with The Bears could be that starting point.

 

[Playdaball]

A thought ….

What if the Chinese Govt funded a PNG team into the NRL and gave double the money that Aust were giving?
Would the NRL accept this?
A real social dilemma here plus they may never get local funding again???
LOL

 

[Shogun]

Get set for the cries to have a team based in Ch Ch, Wgtn or Hamilton .
Don’t let it happen , it won’t work

Welly should enter a women's team as the Stingrays

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

PNG is hoping to become the 18th team in the NRL. But they're at the centre of a much bigger game in the Pacific

Rugby league is widely loved in Papua New Guinea — it's even the national sport. And if their bid to become the 18th team in the NRL is successful, there could be benefits for Australia beyond the field.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Wellington Taniwha]

PNG is hoping to become the 18th team in the NRL. But they're at the centre of a much bigger game in the Pacific

Rugby league is widely loved in Papua New Guinea — it's even the national sport. And if their bid to become the 18th team in the NRL is successful, there could be benefits for Australia beyond the field.

www.abc.net.au

Good article, but does read like a presser fed to the ABC by the Australian ministry for foreign affairs. Tying it in to the 50th anniversary of independence is smart. I’m not sure this is the strongest bid - but for the NRL it’s gauranteed money from oz gov. Very important geopolitical move in the Australian colony to keep those mining tax reciepts coming in.

No team in the nrl is going to look forward to visiting Port Moresby. It’ll be like lang park in the 80s on steroids, or whatever home brewed intoxicant the locals are into.

Would be quite a trip for travelling fans!

 

[PNG Kiwi]

View: https://youtu.be/8RbHbtww92Q?si=PrdqOO2ag1AzTbeM

 

[sup42]

View: https://youtu.be/QjU8R8oj328?si=YjqXSOPF-SZAFrjP

I can see where the people of PNG may not take the beads and blankets offer from Australia when weighted against a $39 Billion dollar deal with China.

PNG need to think long and hard about which direction serves their countries best interests.

PNG are probably best to play 4 D chess here and tell the Australian Govt that they are willing to talk provided that talk includes an NRL side and multi Billion dollar settlement for having their Island chopped in half and their resources raped.
They also demand Australia hand over the share in the West Papua mine to PNG or fk off.

Otherwise walk away, get into bed with China, and stay 'friends' with Australia while having the might of China behind them.

 

[Playdaball]

Bring them and get a Chinese jersey sponsor!

 

[Matiunz]

PNG prime minister spoke in Australian parliament today, Albanese again spoke of a PNG team in the NRL on 9 news tonight