Fears new PNG franchise may need to delay its entry to NRL competition

Rugby league stakeholders are increasingly worried that the scheduled start date for PNG’s new NRL team will need to be pushed back by a year.

There are growing fears the incoming Papua New Guinea franchise won’t be ready for the 2028 season as planned.

According to the Off the Record podcast, hosted by The Australian’s Andrew Webster and Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield, clubs and other stakeholders across rugby league are concerned time is running out for the game’s ambitious Pacific project — so much so that PNG’s entry could be pushed back a year.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and PNG counterpart James Marape announced the new franchise at a joint media conference in December with the Australian taxpayer tipping in a whopping $600m over a decade to fund the project.

Yet, as it stands, no board has been put in place, meaning the PNG Bid team can’t move on appointing a coach, employing staff, or even coming up with a name.

The location of the much-hyped $150 million “NRL Village” compound, which will keep players and their families safe while living in Port Moresby, also remains a mystery.

While several sites have been identified, there is still no clarity about when construction will start. If it doesn’t commence soon, players, coaches, and officials will need to stay in hotel accommodation — something that will hinder its ability to attract players.

There is less concerns about whether a high-performance centre will be ready in time.

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo denied there was any chance the PNG team’s entry will be delayed, saying a board would be installed soon and that timelines were being met.

But rival club bosses aren’t so confident following a recent meeting with Abdo and ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys.

“I keep hearing from clubs and other stakeholders that the PNG franchise is going to be up against it to be ready for 2028,” Webster said. “When it was announced last December, it was all warm and fuzzy, which is fair enough. It’s the game’s most ambitious project ever, but not one without many, many challenges. I know there’s been $600m of taxpayer money thrown at it, but to set up a professional sporting side in Port Moresby is a big ask.

“So far, there’s been no board installed, so there’s no franchise as such.

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“The main concern is the compound, which they will need in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. They are nowhere near starting that compound.

“Andrew Abdo says there’s nothing to see here, and that’s fair enough, but club bosses came off a recent phone call with Abdo and V’landys about the Perth Bears and they were left with fears that it might have to be pushed back.”

Rothfield said: “If delaying it a season is the best thing, so we get it right, I’m all for it … We’re all anxious to get things going before 2028 because that’s when the next TV deal kicks in, and they need to go to the networks now, but there’s no use doing it unless we’re on a solid foundation as the Dolphins were. I’m concerned about the pathways structure for both new franchises. There’s not a strong rugby league base in Perth. They’ll be relying on North Sydney, but the size of their juniors is the same as the Roosters; they have a handful of clubs and a handful of players.”

# Listen to Off The Record with Buzz and Webby on Spotify, Apple podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts

Originally published as Fears new PNG franchise may need to delay its entry to NRL competition