- Papua New Guinea expected to get NRL license
- He is not expected to participate in the competition until 2028.
- Western Australia offer considered for 2027
Papua New Guinea’s historic entry into the NRL will finally be announced next week in Sydney, but the powers that be also want to see a Perth franchise operating in the 2027 premiership season.
The rugby league-obsessed PNG-based team is expected to push ahead of the 2028 campaign.
The long-awaited announcement will involve the prime ministers of Australia and PNG, and the NRL and federal government are understood to have finalized their $600 million deal to be allocated to the code development and expansion venture.
It comes as discussions continue with the NRL and WA government to form a team, with funding the main obstacle.
In October, Western Bears’ NRL expansion bid was rejected by ARLC boss Peter V’landys, with the consortium’s bid proving “too short”.
“We will continue to engage with the Western Australian government to try to resurrect the offer,” he said at the time.
‘The offer they submitted was significantly short.
‘I’ve made this clear from day one…we will only expand if there is a strong business case and at the moment Perth’s business case doesn’t add up.
Papua New Guinea’s entry into the NRL will be announced next week in Sydney, but the powers that be also want to see a Perth franchise operating in the 2027 premiership season (pictured ARLC president Peter V’Landys ).
Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea (pictured, fans watch the Kumuls in action in Port Moresby) – an NRL team is expected to be operational in 2028.
‘If we can’t accumulate it, I can’t bring it to the members for consideration.
‘All I can say is that your offer is extremely short. I will have further discussions with the WA Government, but not necessarily with the current consortium.’
Meanwhile, despite speculation that a $600 million pledge was to be tabled between the Albanese government and PNG to prevent China’s growing influence in the Pacific region, PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko insisted that was not the case.
‘China has nothing to do with this at all. I have it very clear,” he said. Sydney Morning Herald.
‘(The NRL franchise) will really boost our economy and put us on the map as well. “It’s about the relationship between Australia and PNG, with nothing else in between.”
Tkatchenko also stated: “PNG had entered into this (deal) solely for sport and solely to get an NRL team.”