‘PNG has a positive impact on Cairns’: Prime Minister doesn’t rule out Cairns NRL base for PNG side

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has not ruled out Cairns as a potential NRL base for a PNG side.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has not ruled out Cairns as a potential NRL base for a PNG side.

The NRL, along with the Australian and Papua New Guinea governments, are working out how PNG would become the 18th licence.

Albanese said the talks were still ongoing among the three parties.

“We’re working with PNG as well as working with the NRL,” Mr Albanese said.

“There is no doubt that if PNG is successful in putting a team in the NRL, that will be good news for Papua New Guinea for its economic development.

The Northern Pride will pay homage to the indigenous people and culture of Cairns when they wear specially designed indigenous jerseys in their Intrust Super Cup Queensland Rugby League Indigenous Round match against the Central Queensland Capras, held at Barlow Park on Saturday. Bancho Salam, James Frazer, Nat McGavin, Dantoray Lui, Denzel King, Seamus King-Smith, Terrence Casey-Douglas, Travis Cornthwaite and Harry Freebairn are some of the proud indigenous Pride players that will pull on the jersey this weekend. Picture: Brendan Radke.

“But it will also be good news for Cairns given the location, given the interrelationships.”

Mr Albanese said the relationship between PNG and Cairns was very strong, “and therefore a strong PNG has a positive impact on Cairns and Far North Queensland”.

“We are in negotiations about a range of issues when it comes to PNG entering a team into the National Rugby League, we will continue those discussions,” he said.

Earlier suggestions of basing the PNG NRL team in Cairns were smacked down by NRL boss Peter V’landys in May this year.

“The team will definitely be based full-time in Papua New Guinea,” Mr V’landys said.

“If you want it to work, you don’t base it in Australia.”

Mr V’Landys queried how the people of PNG would engage with their team if it was based in Cairns.

“You have to have the team full-time in PNG and we’re also not going to affect the ecosystem in North Queensland where the Cowboys have been so successful and that’s their heartland,” Mr V’landys said.

Mr Albanese said there would be economic benefits for PNG stemming from having a team in the NRL.

“This isn’t just about 13 players and four on then bench, running on the field for PNG, this is about the economic development for Papua New Guinea,” Mr Albanese said.

“It’s about increasing the economic activity that occurs there, it is about a team that will be based in Port Moresby.

“But a team that will go through junior rugby league, economic development, creating those pathways.

“We know that rugby league can be very important as other sports, particularly team sports as well in lifting up communities and we know for PNG we know that it is very important indeed.”

Originally published as ‘PNG has a positive impact on Cairns’: Prime Minister doesn’t rule out Cairns NRL base for PNG side