http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/12056 building a stadium like the GCs at Robina and a village to house away teams when they visit not a chance for 2013 but the fact gallop is visising shows 2018 could be on the radar with a population over 6 million will take the nrl to a whole new level

http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/12056 building a stadium like the GCs at Robina and a village to house away teams when they visit not a chance for 2013 but the fact gallop is visising shows 2018 could be on the radar with a population over 6 million will take the nrl to a whole new level

lol, typical Aussie, anything for a free holiday!

and worth $0 to the NRL.

we arent talking about perth mate, this is a place where RL is actually popular.

and the country is on the bones of its ar5e! How exactly will they find $15-20million a year to run a team and where exactly are they going to get a NRL standard squad of players from? as much as I would dearly love the NRL to have $10mill a year surplus to throw at PNG to have any sort of fighting chance at making it a success they haven't.

85% of the population live in regional and remote areas on less than $500 a YEAR!

The income from the one game in Perth in June would require 40 thousand PNG's paying a full weeks salary to see a game just to equal it!

<sigh>

1. the TV deal with PNG would be worth something. maybe only $5 million pa but it would help cover costs

2. there are many large australian companies in PNG who would sponsor the team. indeed many have already expressed support

3. the government is building a new 20,000 + stadium

4. they have a massive pool of players to add to ours

5. they would strengthen international RL. tests with PNG would raise good revenues. also helping make the RLWC stronger

6. irrespective of how many live in regional areas, its 6 - 8 million people, almost doubling the size of the nrl. further putting us ahead of AFL.

a PNG team would add more to the nrl than Perth imo. but well go perth for now cause its safer.

PNG would be the best expansion to RL in australia since the broncos joined the ARL in 88

Sent you a pm JB, but you mustn't have seen it.

Is it true that Western Reds aren't running an open age team anymore?
Someone told me they folded due to money problems and only have under 18s and juniors operating.

yes cats, not so much folded but a strategic decision to concentrate on jnr development. The original plan was two years at that level then a move up to NSW or Q'land cup. I think the reality of difficulty in funding a team at this level unless you have a room full of pokies to back you plus the ARL's preference to give the funding to develop an SG Ball side was the determining factors. I was initially disappointed as I enjoyed watching them play in the Bundy cup but can see that it was the right choice. We now have an elite academy for the best jnr players in the WARL to further develop and an SG Ball side for them to test themselves against the best in NSW. It is already starting to pay out with one of our SG Ball players being signed by the Roosters this year.

I would hope that when we get a NRL team in 2013 we will continue with the SG Ball team and also run a team in either Q'land or NSw cup like Storm are doing this year. I would also expect the WARL 1st grade to become much stronger with a higher profile for the game and a career pathway for players.

not in all criteria, they would in fact be a major financial drain (probably) struggle to be competitive (for quite some time) and contribute little (if anything) to the financial strength of the comp

I'd love to see them in, I really would and the prospect of a succesful PNG team is 10 times more exciting than a rehash of some failed NSW team relocating into an already overcrowded market, but there is a shed load of work to do and the NRL are hardly the most proactive sports organisation in doing the groundwork!

if the stadium was ready now they could well come in now

a PNG NRL will add massively to our player pool, and strengthen international RL. thats more than enough to get them in

even the AFL has suggested they might consider expanding to PNG so if a sport with no real support there thinks its a good idea, then the one that is actually the national sport would be a belter

NZ and PNG are the most exciting expansion places weve got

well go for the safe CC bears and perth Reds but then next time we should shoot for the stars

PNG will put us forever ahead of any domestic football code