- Talks are underway regarding a Papua New Guinea team that would eventually participate in the NRL
- It won’t happen until at least 2028, Anthony Albanese confirmed
- Concerns over high crime rate in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby
The Papua New Guinea government could help football stars willing to relocate and join its NRL team, which is edging closer to entering but, significantly, still has no entry date for the competition.
The NRL is set to add a Port Moresby-based team following lengthy talks between the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments and the sport.
Papua New Guinea’s bid comes just behind that of the Western Bears, a Perth-based club merged with former NRL side North Sydney Bears, which is likely to enter the league in 2027.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is a strong supporter of the PNG proposal and strongly backed it during his participation in the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga.
“The discussions have been really constructive,” he said of talks with his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape.
‘The role that sport can play in helping the people of Papua New Guinea is extraordinary… there is certainly no country in the world that is more obsessed with rugby league than Papua New Guinea.
“I hope that in the next period we can make a constructive announcement.”
However, the ability of the Port Moresby-based NRL to attract and retain talent is in doubt, given the capital’s well-documented crime problems.
The Papua New Guinea government could request the addition of stars to its NRL squad, which has yet to register for the competition (pictured, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese)
The NRL is set to add a Port Moresby-based team following lengthy talks between the Australian and Papua New Guinean governments and the sport (pictured, fans at a game in Port Moresby)
The Australian government’s Smartraveller website says the risk of violent crime and sexual assault is high, particularly in Port Moresby, where machetes are “often used in muggings and robberies”.
Mr Albanese said the discussions included how to approach recruitment.
“PNG has considered it at the highest level, at Cabinet level, on how to create incentives for elite players to go and be part of any inaugural squad,” he said.
If terms can be agreed, the entry point is likely to be 2028 or 2029, but Albanese said it was too early to confirm exactly when.
“It’s about making sure it’s a success… you don’t make an announcement and then act on it immediately,” he said.
‘The Dolphins had a couple of years to prepare.’
Adding to the momentum of Papua New Guinea’s bid, the PNGRFL on Wednesday signed former South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou to coach the national team, the Kumuls.
(tags to translate)dailymail