PNG's road to rugby league's top tier starts in Queensland

Look at the PNG Hunters results now?? Not bad for debutants!....and they have not lost in away games yet!

Look:Png Local Talents are so agressive and strong so look out for this Rugby League freaks!QLD cup is definitely coming to PnG!Go Png!

Great article Martin. The future for International Rugby League will definitely improve when Tier 2 Nations are able to play annually and pay NRL/ Superleague players. I think a full strength mid season Pacific Cup played during Origin period with the winner joining the Big Three and the winner of the European Cup in an expanded 5 Nations at the end of the year is the answer. If World Cups can fund Pacific and Euro nations at grassroots schoolboy to a open age comp the equivalent standard of NSW/QLD Cup then we will have something really special!

I have a feeling Segayaro is just being offered the opportunity for QLD so in future he can be one of PNGs marquee players who's experienced playing at the highest level at origin. I would be surprised if he was the Australian hooker at the next World Cup. Maybe this strategy will fast track a few outstanding players for the pacific nations like Uate, T Rex, Teo, formerly Costigan. So when the NRL raise the profile of the Pacific Cup as an annual qualifier to an expanded 5 or 6 Nations each October. Australian audiences would be more likely to tune into mid season Pacific Cup games during a standalone Origin weekend. What do you think?

Which sponsors? Have I missed sight of the truck here in Port Moresby? Strategy to manage? We heard exactly that from exactly the same visionless people last year when they promised us entry into the NRL competition. When the so-called NRL bid flopped, ever lips were saying "Didn't I tell you so?", And yes Johnno, you have more realistic strategies. Forget the commercials the media and the political hypes. Its a mini-super league franchise here in PNG and only fools do not realise that. And finally depending on basis one categorises a "national sport", soccer and basket ball are played in every provinces and every schools of PNG.

+1

Very well said Martin. The Cowboys already have a fair PNG contingent of players. I wouldn't mind if the Kumuls team became a feeder for Cowboys but we already have two, soon to be three with the upcoming introduction of the Townsville based QCup team. This will work wonders for PNG Rugby League, I hope the Kumuls do well at the World Cup. I'll be backing them along with Australia.

But, but, but,rugby league is only played in 2 states and in Wigan,no countries actually play the game. PNG with 8 million people, is just not counted or so we are told. Qld Cup is a must. NRL a very very long way off. More Pacific Island tests between the likes of Tonga,Samoa and Fiji finnacillay underpinned by RLWC profits. Include PNG youth in the u20 na dbuild an academy in Port Moresby.

Now imagine if the second tier leagues (NSW, QLD, PNG, NZ etc) have their end of season finals against each other and a PNG team makes it through to the second tier grand final. The whole country would be watching. An NRL team is 20 years away at best but in the mean time * Get the QLD cup team happening * Finish building the secure stadium * Get the Visa issues relaxed * Get PNG league winner to play off against NSW, QLD, NZ and others in the NRL 2nd Tier challenge cup * Create a quota system and salary cap concessions so the NRL has about 10-20 PNG players to create a formidable test side

I can assure you that homegrown PNG players are very patriotic and would choose the kumul jumper over qld anyday. as for the financial side they are more than capable and are well backed.

should be a PNG side in the nrl.

Absolutely, but i have to disagree with you about them coming a feeder club. Nothing wrong with feeder clubs. If and when Queensland get another team in the NRL, having the PNG side as a feeder club will again raise the profile of that team, as in players coming back to play for the PNG club. Anyhow, no matter how you look at this, finally PNG can start to shine and be supported by 100% of PNG through this comp that also will allow for bigger and better games over time at Suncorp as in the final if they make it, and in Sydney at Queensland cup verse NSW cup before the Grand final which has just been introduced. So more incentive for PNG to play well, grow the game and excel. The big picture, future picture looks fantastic. Rugby leagues time is now. PNG looks now likely to enjoy this time and ride. Well done all round and good post Martin.

The fear seems to be that players from PNG will be poached by Queensland. If PNG played NZ residents and the Cook Islands at the same time as SOO, in PNG then this problem might not arise. Pacific Country of Origin is a must for the future of Pacific RL

Yes. Great news indeed. At the media conference to make official announcement in Port Moresby were the PNG Rugby Football League, the Minister for Sports, the chairman of the PNG Rugby League Foundation and a leading sports sponsor. It was a show of solidarity that all stakeholders of the game are all committed to work together. The last few years has been rather turbulent as everybody seemed to be doing their own thing - the NRL Bid trying to get a NRL licence without now real input from PNG Rugby Football League and the wrestle over control of the PNG Rugby Football League by certain sections of the game - rugby league was facing a real challenge. The only thing that sort of remained positive about the game was the National Rugby League competition - the Digicel Cup - which severed any ties from PNGRFL and operated as a separate entity with franchise owners providing the administration framework to run the competition. But when the current Government was installed it decided to exert some control and as a result things seemed to be movng towards restoring some order and entry into the Intrust Super Cup (Q-Cup) is an example of this. The Government is now expected to move aside and allow the independence of the PNGRFL to be exercised in line with the constitution that guides PNGRFL. It should be an interesting few years as the Government is saying it will still be involved in some way by providing financial assistance as it believes that it if everybody is calling it the national sport - the Government is expected to keep the game afloat financially. But the corporate sector is expected to take ownership of the funding with the country's leading brewery SP Brewery already lined up as the major sponsor and providing some kind of a guarantee that Queensland Rugby League insisted on as part of the requirements of a PNG team participating. More corporate sponsorship should be announced in the coming weeks before the PNG franchise is ready to take on the best in the Q-Cup. The PNG franchise will be run like a professional entity with players, personnel engaged to be on healthy packages. Rugby League is bound to become a thriving business in PNG, and you don't have to look far for good examples with Queensland legend Mal Meninga engaged as a coaching director for Team Kumuls and coach Adrian Lam for the next five years. Big Mal is currently in England with the Kumuls for the World Cup. And Big Mal wouldn't be doing it on "humanitarian grounds" or as a charity service to maintain his reputation as one of the greats of the game. Lam hopes that the Kumuls would do well at the World Cup and attract significant interest from overseas clubs particularly in England - a similar trend from the 1995 World Cup where Stanley Gene was spotted and later went on to become a legend with the Hull Kingston Rovers. That's where Kumul captain Neville Costigan is heading on a two-year contract. Two players in the current squad Francis Paniu and Enock Maki have already been signed on one-year contracts by Hull KR. Paul Aiton of Wakefield and Huddersfield's Jason Chan are part of the Kumuls squad including centre Menzie Yere who plies his trade with Sheffield Eagles and helped them win the Championship League premiership this year with 46 tries to his name a new club record. If overseas clubs are not interested in the PNG players following the World Cup, those in the squad will be drafted into the Q-Cup now that PNG is officially in the second tier competition. After the 2008 World Cup there wasn't much interest shown in PNG players with just Anton Kui and Jessie Joe Parker- now Nandye (you'll have to ask him why he keeps changing his name) having some trials with St George but nothing really came out of it. So now with a PNG franchise in the Intrust Super Cup, PNG can can provide its own pathway for its players to strive to new heights. I just hope they don't enter into any feeder club arrangement with any of the NRL clubs and be on the open market for any NRL club that is interested to sign up any of the players. Generally NRL clubs have showed any real interest in PNG players so why shift the goal posts now. And that dream to get a NRL licence hasn't been completely aborted either so participation in the Q-Cup could just be pathway to what many regard as the toughest competition in the world. Certainly exciting times ahead ahead for PNG Rugby League.

Great news! Cost is an issue, but I hear top managment and sponsors have a strategy to manage it to a win-win situation. Truckloads of sponsors and the PNG govt are ready to back the PNG team in ISC. Long overdue, next step NRL, bang......

PNG last entered a team in the Queensland Cup in 1996. Folded after a year. It was a Port Moresby based team called Port Moresby Vipers. The team won all its home matches and lost all its away matches, if I can remember correctly.

At first I was happy, but now in hindsight i'm a little sceptical now, and by the way as far as I'm aware this is not a certain deal yet. Hasn't been signed off officially. But what may work better is this -Have the youth teams under 16's,18's, and even under 20's, but senior team not so sure. What about affiliate teams, all NSW/QLD cup sides make an agreement to take on 2 PNG players in there squads, at the expense of locals, aussy players. Yes that excludes locals, but it would help the national team the kangaroos. As a better PNG brings in revenue from Test footy and helps with world cups being more competitive. JUst this is gonna be very financially expensive all the travel costs. Maybe with the junior teams to not have in QLD cup, instead the NRL should spend big on developing local comps in PNG and building infrastructure. Just I worry this new team is gonna be an expensive operation costs. And there are better ways to help PNG, eg spend less money but more productive haveing a strong local 3rd-Tier comp in PNG, and junior comps, that way you develop more talent with more oppurtunities as more teams. Or have a quota system, make it compulsory for every NSW/QLD cup team to take on 2 PNG players in a scholarship system, at the expense of aussies. Like in South Africa with there rugby and cricket haveing quota systems for rugby, and cricket. Picking black players ahead of white players, to build the base and encourage local black participation. A non discriminatory system like that could work for NSW/QLD cup. And make it compulsory and mandatory for NSW/QLD cup sides to have 2 PNG players each in there 1st grade squads. Could be cheaper way than haveing a 3rd-Tier franchise form PNG in QLD Cup.

Terrific first step for the game in PNG.

Good News!! Step by step approach for the journey into NRL (hopefully). Proud to be a Papua New Guinean and always will be. Can't wait to see them try out the Intrust Cup.

I'm a queenslander but we should stay well away from PNG players. It's hard enough for PNG and the other Pacific nations to compete without Australia poaching there players because of the lure of origin.