The CEO of PNG NRL Bid, Andrew Hill, flanked by the Head of Elite Development Pathway, Joe Grima, held a press conference on Monday, December 16th, 2024, at Stanley Hotel to reveal the plans of the new franchise following the successful bidding of PNG to become the 18th team in the NRL by 2028.
CEO Hill and Grima gave updates on the positive outcome of the bidding process, which was held in Sydney last Thursday (December 12th) and outlined the workload that is in front of them to prepare the team before 2028.
“Thursday (December 12) was a wonderful day for rugby league in PNG. It was a wonderful occasion to have both Prime Ministers of the two countries, including ARLC Chair Peter V’landys, announcing what was an incredible and special day for everyone in PNG,” Hill expressed.
“I think what’s important is that we take time to acknowledge the work that’s going in. It’s been a journey that has gone on for many years, whilst some of us have been on the journey for two or three years. People have been working towards this (NRL license) for decades.
“As the Prime Minister said, ‘this isn’t a new concept’. So, the first thing is to enjoy and acknowledge what has just occurred - PNG getting an NRL team, which will be based here in Port Moresby. I have to repeat that so it sinks in.”
Hill revealed that the first order of business in 2025 was to focus on the state-of-the-art facilities and residential compounds for the athletes, coaching staff, and management of the new PNG NRL team.
“When we come back in the new year, the big ticket items that we have to plan are obviously the high-performance center, and also the village where the players and staff will live. They are the two big ones,” he said.
“We’ve been remarkably surprised with the amount of people who’ve come forward to offer assistance and want to partner with us.
“So, there’s a couple of sites; the Santos Stadium and the sporting precinct, which is something that Port Moresby should be proud of.
“That whole precinct is a site identified for the high-performance center but the village itself, we have a couple of options that we will work through in the coming months.
“There’s some people who’ve been asking about coaches and players - that will all come - we just have to keep focusing on what’s been successful for us.”
The former Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs supremo further highlighted the K100m budget allocation earmarked for building the planned sporting facilities and accommodations, thanking both the PNG and Australian Governments for their financial assistance.
“I’m very appreciative of Prime Minister Marape and his Government for making such a substantial commitment towards the bid, equally well-documented and supported by the Australian Government,” Hill remarked.
“Running professional sporting teams is not cheap. Most of that funding will go towards building the infrastructure in the coming two years.”
In terms of the contentious $600m funding made by the Australian Government to the new PNG team, Hill emphasized and made clarification, underscoring the misconception and setting the record straight.
“The funding that the Australian Government has committed is for a ten-year period and that funding is across the whole Pacific, working with the NRL on the Pacific programs,” Hill clarified.
“PNG is obviously an element of that funding. About half of that funding will come to the PNG NRL team and the other half will be used towards promoting rugby league across the Pacific, helping the Pacific continue to grow and host test matches, including world cup games.”
The name of the PNG franchise hasn’t been decided yet, but a nationwide consultation will be conducted to determine the final name of the team, which will capture the diverse and unique traditions or cultures of the country.
“What we have to focus on is what's working well for us, and what’s given the NRL the confidence in awarding the franchise to PNG. All of that is about being a sustainable franchise that can produce players,” Hill stated.
“Our immediate focus is not about names and colors, including coaches and players, but it’s a continuing down the path of providing opportunities to any boy or girl who wants to be in the NRL or NRLW. And that’s what we’ll continue to focus on.
“In the new year, we will definitely start engaging with community groups and schools to help us come up with a name. That’s the exciting bit, we’re starting from scratch.
“We haven’t started with a name, colors, logo, mascot, or team song yet - when you stop and think about it - we have all of that in front of us. And that’s incredibly exciting for us as a franchise.
“But most importantly, we have to continue our pathways, giving opportunities for the boys and girls to excel in their rugby league careers.”
Head of Elite Development Pathway, Joe Grima, gave a rundown on the six academies being run by six provinces that are driving the pathway programs to produce the next stars to join the new PNG franchise.
“Obviously with our academy programs, they are based in five areas. We’ve got two in a similar area, which is Central and NCD, one in Rabaul (Kokopo), Lae, Goroka, and Mount Hagen,” Grima explained.
“Each of those groups or areas have up to 120 young men and women over four age groups. We're looking to grow the player pool, including the staff and provide them the best and safest environment that they can be successful in.
“The academy program at the moment is basically only through the school program - the compliance and organized school modeling programs - and that’s the best way that we can identify what we feel is the right start to capture and grow these young men and women.
“You will notice that once they come from the U15s to the U17s, their natural progression will just snowball. So, that’s the academy program in the current model in six locations.
“And it captures over 700 young men and women, arguably the largest one-club rugby league academy program of its kind. So, that’s the enormity of what we are capturing and working through.”
Among many concerns highlighted, one pertinent issue raised was the safety and security of the players, especially overseas-based athletes who are thinking of joining the new franchise.
However, CEO Hill brushed aside that concern, mentioning that PNG has hosted international games in the past, so luring elite players to the nation’s capital shouldn’t be a problem.
“Bringing NRL players and rugby league players to Port Moresby is not new. We’ve been bringing teams to PNG for nearly 15 years,” Hill stressed.
“We’ve had rugby league world cup games, we’ve had some of the highest profile players who ever played rugby league anywhere in the world come to Port Moresby.
“So, I’m very confident because we’ve already demonstrated that we can bring the very best (players) to Port Moresby. Clearly, as we continue to grow, we start to bring more players and they start to live here, we need to take into account how best to accommodate them.
“I have no issues that Port Moresby will wrap its arms around an NRL team and the community will make sure that we are united, and we will support each other to help promote Port Moresby and PNG on the global stage.”
As PNG already secured the license to become the 18th franchise in the NRL by 2028, the PNG NRL Bid team will ramp up preparations in 2025 and for the next two years by executing a couple of programs they have lined up as they anticipate to enter the top-flight competition.
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