Orchids grow to inspire PNG's female players of the future

The PNG Orchids face off against the Kiwi Ferns today with the weight of expectation and the hopes of a nation on their shoulders.

For injured Orchids player Shellie Long, the game presents not only a challenge for her countrywomen, but an opportunity to showcase the rapid pace of progress experienced by the women who play the game of rugby league in the country.

Coming into the match after an 84-0 loss to the Jillaroos in the opening week of the Pacific Championships, there is no denying there is still work to do before they can consistently challenge the likes of top tier nations Australia and New Zealand, but with increased support from governing body PNGRFL and the strengthening of development pathways in the country, the Orchids time to bloom is coming.

“I think when you see the struggles that the women have gone through especially here in PNG and you look at what progress Australia has made – they were like us at one stage – and now you see their competition, the NRLW is growing every year, you see the Women's State of Origin that continues to grow, it's now a three game series and it just gives you so much hope for what PNG can do in the coming years,” Long said.

“That is in our scope that's in our grasp.

“I think it goes to show like, yes, we are at our infancy, but we will get there eventually and that come with time and with progress and we're doing that every step of the way, every year we get better.”

What many people didn’t realise following the result of the first match in Suncorp Stadium was the reason why the Orchids had been grouped in the more difficult Pacific Cup division, with the Orchids having to face the top two ranked teams.

With their historic semi-final berth in their last Rugby League World Cup appearance, PNG have already qualified for the next international tournament in 2026, while the other Pacific women’s teams have not yet qualified for the World Cup.

“We played Australia in the World Cup semi-final, 82 points to nil, that was two years ago. We versed them this year, 86 points to nil,” Long said.

“But in that time, they've added four new teams to the competition of NRLW. They get better every year, they've increased the Origin series, so every year that we play them, they are getting better and it just goes to show that we are getting better as well, the score is not blowing out even more.

“I think that's a very important thing to remember is yes, we're out of infancy, but we're still growing and we're slowly closing that gap.”

Coming into the team staff for the Port Moresby leg of the side’s Pacific Championship campaign as a cultural co-ordinator after suffering an ACL injury in the last game of the NRLW season with North Queensland Cowboys, Long would have been one of the few members of the side with NRLW experience, with many players coming from the newly-established PNG national women’s competition, the Santos Cup, which is another big step forward for the game.

Long – who debuted for the Orchids in 2022 – was thankful for the opportunity to stay connected with the playing group she hopes to re-join next year in the Pacific Championships.

“It’s very different … as staff, you're focusing more on the players and helping them get through the week so that on the weekend, they can perform to the best of their ability, so a very different role,” Long said.

“It's not me thinking about myself and trying to make sure that I'm the best I can be on the weekend, it’s a bigger picture, a very big broad picture now.

“It was very exciting to know that I could come into camp in PNG.