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'The next Penrith': PNG team tipped for success
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ARLC Chair Peter V’landys has predicted the PNG team entering the NRL in 2028 could rival Penrith after visiting the proposed site for accommodation and a Centre of Excellence in Port Moresby.
V’landys and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo travelled to Port Moresby on Tuesday for the announcement of the new franchise’s inaugural board by PNG Prime Minister James Marape, and Australia’s Minister for the Pacific Islands Affairs, Pat Conroy.
They also looked at the facilities where the team’s players and their families would live and train and believe the NRL’s 19th franchise will be competitive from the outset, particularly with tax exemptions offered by the PNG Government.
“We're very confident we're going to attract some marquee players and having the tax exemption is very important because that will motivate those players to bring their families over to Papua New Guinea to play,” V’landys said.
“We want to get some of the best players because I've assured the Prime Minister that they will be in the Top 8 in the very first year, so we're going to make sure we get some of the good players to come over here.
“We've looked at some sites today for the accommodation, we've looked at the Centre of Excellence, and we're very impressed with what's available.
“We're going to make this a resort style area for our players and their wives, so … except when they play and train, they're going to take in the natural beauty of Papua New Guinea and enjoy it, because it's a beautiful country.”
The NRL is also offering salary cap exemptions for clubs to sign up to two pathways players from Papua New Guinea, while there is also funding to develop the vast untapped talent pipelines in PNG.
V’landys noted that the Junior Kumuls, whose side included two players from the Queensland U19s team which last week beat NSW, Phillip Coates and Cooper Bai, had a 22-22 draw with the Australian Schoolboys last October.
The Junior Kumuls, featuring another Queensland U19s player with PNG heritage in Sam Stephenson, narrowly lost 20-16 to the Australian Schoolboys in 2023.
“From my perspective, the Australian Schoolboys side has always been very powerful and has always brought the elite players,” V’landys said.
“Most of the first grade players in the NRL came through the schoolboys system, and for the Papua New Guinea team to draw with them is an extraordinary event.
“If that's an example of the future, Papua New Guinea will dominate, and that's what we're worried about.
“We're not worried about them being competitive. We're worried about them dominating because they could be the next Penrith, easily.
“You've got 12 million people that you can call upon in juniors, etc. Our job is to produce those players, so we're going to put our former players into the schools, we're going to start local competitions, we're going to entice young kids to go to school and give them an opportunity to play in the NRL."
Marape launched a competition to choose a name for the new franchise and V'landys said the PNG team would eventually belong to members.
“Most of them are residents of Papua New Guinea, they know the business sector here, they know the eco-systems here, so we're very confident in their ability to deliver, and I think they'll be, as I said, very competitive in the very first year.
“This team will be owned by the people of Papua New Guinea. The team will be a member-based team, and so every person in Papua New Guinea can be a member.
"It's their team, and we want them to embrace their team and the best way to embrace their team is to have a membership model."
