PNG Still Pushing For NRL Club

[Major JW Hochstetter]

Many consider an NRL team based in PNG near impossible given the social and economical problems the country is dealing with as well as countless other factors, but they still seem determined to push ahead with a bid.

PNG Govt commits $20m to NRL team
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/s ... 23,00.html

And a Roy Masters article from a couple of weeks back to refresh the situation:

Resourceful PNG has big backing for entry into the NRL
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/news/re ... ntentSwap1

 

[Hamm.0]

My concern, amidst security fears, etc. who is going to want to play for them? Which big name marquee players are going to move their missus to a house with a safe room?

 

[Je$ter]

Exactly Hammo. No one in their right mind would want to move from Bondi or Townsville or Gold Coast and pack up and move to Port Moresby.

I think a more realistic option is playing NRL games up there, like 5 games a year or something like that?

Whilst there is stil security problems no way the NRL would allow them to have a franchise imo.

 

[gUt]

Do they have a stadium?

 

[mrslong]

Exactly Hammo. No one in their right mind would want to move from Bondi or Townsville or Gold Coast and pack up and move to Port Moresby.

i'm sure it wouldn't be hard to convince the players that live in Penrith or Parramatta to move... [icon_lol1.

 

[mick]

Do they have a stadium?

They sure do, but it would surely need upgrading (particularly with the lighting) to get it up to scratch.

I'm all for taking more NRL games there, that place is as rabid as they come about their RL. But there are so many major issues which would really mean it's not right for them to have a team atm. Particularly the fact that not many would actually choose to live there, aside from locals or people from that area.

Possible a shared FNQ/PNG team based somewhere in North Qld playing 6 matches out of Port Moresby? Could be worth a shot - the Northern Kumuls icon_thumbs_u

 

[| * kelsey * |]

Exactly Hammo. No one in their right mind would want to move from Bondi or Townsville or Gold Coast and pack up and move to Port Moresby.

i'm sure it wouldn't be hard to convince the players that live in Penrith or Parramatta to move... [icon_lol1.

Oi! [icon_non

I agree with Hammo etc, I doubt anyone would want to move over there.

 

[Coxy]

Yeah, more realistically they can get a team back in the QLD Cup, and have an affiliation with an NRL team (probably the Broncos, we seem to get everybody) to provide local players with a direct pathway to the NRL.

Combine that with an annual international series involving PNG, and including regular tests against Australia and NZ, and touring GB sides, then there's a good chance the game can improve there.

They'll never fit the NRL though.

 

[Nashy]

Perhaps instead of opening another club with "big name players" like the Gold Coast, leave it local. The team that played this worldcup could get over a few of the NRL sides running around.

I'm sure they have more than enough juniors, and with some decent coaching, and funds, they would be fine.

 

[Je$ter]

Perhaps instead of opening another club with "big name players" like the Gold Coast, leave it local. The team that played this worldcup could get over a few of the NRL sides running around.

I'm sure they have more than enough juniors, and with some decent coaching, and funds, they would be fine.

No way, if you took Costigan, Wilshere and other top line players and left that side local, they would get beaten by 40 points even against the most ordinary of NRL teams.

 

[Coxy]

Yep, and the funds just wouldn't be there in PNG. I reckon an NRL club probably costs as much to run annually as most of the PNG health service.

 

[Black Philip]

A team in PNG just wouldn't work at the moment. However IMO at least 2 NRL games should be played in PNG per season and at the end of every season the Kumuls should be included in a Pacific Islands comp with Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. It would be great for the game I reckon.

 

[Dave]

Yep, and the funds just wouldn't be there in PNG. I reckon an NRL club probably costs as much to run annually as most of the PNG health service.

I think it would depend where you went looking for the cash - maybe not enough in the public sector but there is a truckload of money in PNG - huge gold mining operations in parts of PNG that could easily fund a rugby league team. I reckon a PNG team would be more financially viable than some current NRL clubs but I agree that the facilities just aren't there at the moment to have a team in the NRL - QCup sounds like the perfect starting point to me.

 

[mick]

Yep, and the funds just wouldn't be there in PNG. I reckon an NRL club probably costs as much to run annually as most of the PNG health service.

The money actually won't be a problem. Plenty of backers would want to get behind it and could easily keep it afloat.

 

[Coxy]

Yep, and the funds just wouldn't be there in PNG. I reckon an NRL club probably costs as much to run annually as most of the PNG health service.

The money actually won't be a problem. Plenty of backers would want to get behind it and could easily keep it afloat.

I assume again you're referring to the mining operations as Dave did.

Question: what would be in it for them? Yes, a bit of feel good "hey, we're helping the locals", but ultimately why would they throw millions (and it would cost millions) per year into it? That'd just damage their profit margins.

It wouldn't happen. Benefit wouldn't come close to the cost.

 

[mick]

Yep, and the funds just wouldn't be there in PNG. I reckon an NRL club probably costs as much to run annually as most of the PNG health service.

The money actually won't be a problem. Plenty of backers would want to get behind it and could easily keep it afloat.

I assume again you're referring to the mining operations as Dave did.

Question: what would be in it for them? Yes, a bit of feel good "hey, we're helping the locals", but ultimately why would they throw millions (and it would cost millions) per year into it? That'd just damage their profit margins.

It wouldn't happen. Benefit wouldn't come close to the cost.

Nah. Can't remember where I read it, but apparently there are already backers who have stated comprehensively that they would fund the exercise of any PNG team entering the competition. Will try and dig it up.

 

[Dave]

I assume again you're referring to the mining operations as Dave did.

Question: what would be in it for them? Yes, a bit of feel good "hey, we're helping the locals", but ultimately why would they throw millions (and it would cost millions) per year into it? That'd just damage their profit margins.

It wouldn't happen. Benefit wouldn't come close to the cost.

What's in it for NRMA as a major sponsor of the Broncos? I am a season member but I don't use NRMA. I have mates who support Manly and Parra but have no interest at all in Delmege or Pirtek. Sponsorship is a marketing tool at best, a CEO justifying his love for a particular sporting team at worst. It's all about business and promoting your brand (and maybe some sly deductions at tax time)

Lihir Gold will produce about 1,000,000 ounces of gold this year - It costs them about $400 to produce an ounce but the current price of gold is about $730.

On pure multiplication alone and not getting involved in costs etc 1,000,000 ounces of gold is about $330,000,000.00 in gross profit this year alone and this is one gold mine in PNG - If a couple of the mines got together and wanted to support the NRL side (and I'm not saying they would) I doubt cost would be an issue, nor would eating into their profits - 2 or 3 million is probably about a tenth of their travel budget or 2% of their machinery budget for the year.

Probably discussing something that will never happen though - even if PNG had a red hot consortium willing and ready to spend the money required to get a competitive organisation into the NRL I doubt our current administrators would pull their heads out of the sand for long enough to even consider the idea - it's way too far from Sydney - It's bad enough going to Townsville!!!!

 

[Flutterby]

Perhaps instead of opening another club with "big name players" like the Gold Coast, leave it local. The team that played this worldcup could get over a few of the NRL sides running around.

I'm sure they have more than enough juniors, and with some decent coaching, and funds, they would be fine.

Majority of their players don't actually live/play in PNG. There's a couple in NRL, a few in ESL and a lot in either Jim Beam Cup or Q-Cup.