Peter V’landys reveals Australian government has a get-out clause if Papua New Guinea reneges on a security arrangement
Peter V’landys has revealed the Australian government has a $600 million get-out clause if Papua New Guinea reneges on a security arrangement involving the NRL’s 19th team.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys has revealed the Australian government has a $600 million get-out clause if Papua New Guinea reneges on a security arrangement involving the NRL’s 19th team.
The Federal government has agreed to tip in $60 million a year over the next decade to help bankroll PNG’s NRL team as part of a ‘soft diplomacy’ strategy.
Australia is wary of the geographic threat posed by China and is financially supporting the NRL team to help strengthen their political alliance with Papua New Guinea in the Pacific region.
V’landys confirmed the Australian government can withdraw hundreds of millions of dollars in funding if PNG jumped into bed with China, but is confident the get-out clause will never be activated.
“There is a clause that does say that in our agreement, that it can be terminated if there’s a termination of the security agreement,” V’landys said.
“But our friends (Papua New Guinea) are the best neighbours in the world.
“They would never ever do anything that would require us to terminate the agreement.”
PNG Prime Minister James Marape said: “It is in our interests that we have security that is sacrosanct. We will not compromise security.”
Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy, is adamant the PNG team will not be under threat. The $600m funding deal is due to expire in 2037.
“We are heavily reassured by the statements from Mr Marape that PNG is a security partner for Australia,” he said.
“We fought side-by-side in World War II, we signed a bilateral security agreement through the leadership of Mr Marape and Mr (Anthony) Albanese (Australian PM), we are negotiating a defence treaty right now at this very moment.
“The security future of both countries is tied together very closely.”
PNG has the second worst crime rate in the world, but V’landys assured Australian NRL stars they would be safe if they moved to the Pacific nation.
“Absolutely,” said V’landys, who flew to PNG on Tuesday to begin reconnaissance for the NRL’s 19th team.
“We looked at some sites (on Tuesday) for accommodation and a Centre of Excellence.
“We are very impressed with what’s available.
“We are going to make this a resort-style area for our players and wives.
“They are going to be on a permanent holiday when they are over here, except when they play and train, otherwise they are going to take in the natural beauty of PNG and enjoy it.
“It’s a beautiful country and they will enjoy it in resort-style living.
“We were very impressed with the restaurants and hospitality areas, they were modern.
“The fuzzy wuzzy coffee was probably the best coffee I have ever had.”
BRONCOS STARS, KEVVIE WALTERS RALLY BEHIND DUMPED ENFORCER
Broncos stars have rallied in support of punted prop Martin Taupau – just weeks after he was sensationally axed by Brisbane over a social media scandal.
Taupau has delivered a silent swipe at the Broncos after a host of Brisbane figures publicly showed support to him.
Taupau was controversially shown the door at Red Hill last month after liking a social media post that was critical of Broncos coach Michael Maguire.
The Broncos moved swiftly to part ways with Taupau following the scathing assessment of Maguire’s coaching methods by former Wests Tigers player Elijah Taylor.
The decision essentially ended Taupau’s 256-game NRL career and he has not been picked up by another club.
Taupau may be on the nose with Brisbane’s front office but he still has plenty of fans at Red Hill.
Despite his departure, Taupau hasn’t lost the support of some of his Broncos teammates and coaches.
Taupau and wife Michelle launched their motivational stationary brand Not Stationary at ritzy The Calile Hotel in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley on Wednesday night.
And there was a host of current Broncos figures in attendance.
Captain Adam Reynolds and hooker Billy Walters were among the attendees along with Maguire’s assistant coach Matt Ballin.
Former Broncos coach Kevin Walters, who recruited Taupau to Brisbane, and wife Narelle were also spotted.
There was no sign of Maguire or Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy, who pulled the trigger on Taupau and released him from the club.
Taupau, 35, has remained relatively quiet about his Broncos departure apart from making a social media post in the aftermath of the controversy.
“Setbacks don’t define you, your response does,” he wrote.
“They’ll never see the battles you’ve fought behind closed doors. But your result will speak loud enough.
“You’ve been built in silence, sharpened through setbacks. Now it’s time to move, intentionally.”
While Taupau was pushed out the door at the Broncos it’s clear he is still a popular figure among some players and staff.
BRONCOS LOSE LATRELL 2.0
Wayne Bennett’s Bunnies have signed another Latrell.
Broncos young gun Latrell Siegwalt will depart Red Hill at season’s end in a move that will see him link with Souths superstar Latrell Mitchell for 2026-27.
Sport Confidential can reveal Souths super coach Wayne Bennett is in the advanced stages of talks to lure Siegwalt from Red Hill to Redfern.
The parties are in negotiations on a two-year deal which is expected to be formalised within the week.
The Wagga Wagga whiz was hoping to break into the Broncos top 17 this season after being invited to train with their full-time squad over summer, but Siegwalt has been plying his trade in the Queensland Cup.
The Koori Knockout sensation has been a revelation with Broncos feeder club Souths Logan, posting two tries, five try assists, five line breaks and 14 tackle busts in a sizzling past month of football for the Magpies.
Siegwalt’s classy touches have caught the eye of Rabbitohs scouts, who are discussing either a full-time contract or development deal for the 24-year-old.
At 183cm and 86kg, Siegwalt can play fullback or five-eighth and was instrumental in the Dolphins’ charge to the Queensland Cup grand final last year under coach Ben Te’o, now an assistant at the Broncos.
The Broncos were hopeful of retaining Siegwalt but he will chase an NRL baptism alongside Mitchell at South Sydney.
CAM THE KUMUL
Queensland Origin legend and future Immortal Cameron Smith has been identified as a rugby league legend to help Papua New Guinea become an NRL force.
Sport Confidential can reveal Smith is one of several league greats being lined up to assist PNG ahead of the 19th club’s historic NRL entry in 2028.
ARL Commission boss Peter V’landys flew to PNG on Tuesday where the new Pacific franchise unveiled a seven-person board chaired by former Bulldogs supremo Ray Dib.
One of the next key steps is putting together a 30-man roster and there is a push for Smith to play a key role in signing PNG’s foundation players.
The most-capped player in NRL history with 430 games, Smith is notoriously private and enjoys relaxing on his Gold Coast property with his family when he isn’t performing a commentary role for Channel 9.
Smith resigned from his Queensland Origin assistant coaching role last year due to the demands of spending six weeks in Camp Maroon.
But there is a view he can play an ambassadorial role for PNG, helping attract players to the Pacific, in a move that would have the support of the Australian government.
The Federal government is investing $600 million over 10 years to the NRL’s Pacific expansion project and would relish someone of Smith’s stature being involved with a PNG franchise.
Smith would not be expected to live in Papua New Guinea but could be enlisted to attract players and spruik the Pacific vision to current and aspiring NRL stars.
Smith, who celebrated his 42nd birthday last week, has a busy workload. The former Maroons skipper is contracted to Channel 9, has ambassadorial ties to his former club side the Storm and is regularly sought-after for speaking engagements and corporate guest appearances.
He has also been linked with the Australian coaching job following Mal Meninga’s decision to head-up the Perth Bears.
There are concerns the new PNG outfit could struggle to attract experienced Australia-based stars and Smith’s gravitas and clout could be a potent recruitment tool for the 19th franchise.
V’landys scoffed at suggestions PNG risks being the whipping boys that one-time expansion outfits the Gold Coast Suns and Greater Western Sydney were in the AFL.
“We are confident we are going to attract marquee players,” he said.
“Having the tax exemption is very important because that will motivate the players to bring their families over to PNG to play.
“We want to get some of the best players because I have assured the PM (PNG’s leader James Marape) that PNG will be in the top eight in the very first year so we are going to make sure we get some good players to come over here.”
V’landys pointed to the performance of the PNG Junior Kumuls, who drew 22-all with the Australian Schoolboys last year, as evidence of the Pacific team’s potential.
The ARLC boss is adamant Papua New Guinea can one day trump Penrith as a premiership juggernaut.
“Who can forget that the marvellous PNG schoolboys side drew with Australia,” he said.
“The Australian Schoolboys side has always been very powerful, most of the NRL players come from the schoolboys system.
“For the PNG team to draw with them is an extraordinary event.
“If that’s an example of the future, PNG will dominate. We aren’t worried about them competing, we are worried about them dominating because they could be the next Penrith easily.
“PNG have 12 million juniors they can draw upon.”
FOZ FLOORED
Titans veteran Kieran Foran is battling a nasty infection in the lead-up to Sunday’s crucial clash with the Cowboys.
Foran wasn’t able to train on Wednesday after undergoing treatment for a potential staph infection in his knee.
He carried the problem into last Sunday’s loss to Parramatta in Sydney, but is determined to take the field against North Queensland given the last-placed Titans desperately need a win.
Despite being floored by the bug, Foran told Titans staff he would drive into the club on Wednesday to complete scheduled media commitments. He was told to stay home and rest.
That type of selfless attitude and his community work around mental health is why Foran is Gold Coast’s nomination for the Ken Stephen Medal this year.
WOOLF’S KNOCKOUT BLOW
It was a Queensland bush institution. But the iconic Fred Brophy’s Boxing Troupe has copped a knockout blow.
The famous boxing tent will make its final appearance at the Birdsville Races this year. At 73, Brophy is now starting to wind down.
For the past 43 years, the Brophy’s boxing event travelled to all parts of outback Queensland, giving locals a chance to jump in the ring and test their pugilistic skills.
The boxing carnival was so popular that one current NRL coach, Dolphins mentor Kristian Woolf, even starred in it well before his coaching days.
Born in Mt Isa, Woolf took part in Brophy’s boxing nights and fought under the stage name of ‘Afro Savage’, a tribute to a time when the Dolphins coach had a thicker mane of curly hair.
Ever humble, Woolf would rather visit the dentist than talk about his boxing prowess, but he lamented the demise of Brophy’s boxing.
“I’m not going to talk about myself, but there were some amazing fighters,” Woolf recalled ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Souths and his former mentor Wayne Bennett.
“There was a guy called ‘Cowboy Wilson’. He lived in Emerald, he was a Kiwi who had won New Zealand and Australian titles.
“In my town of Mt Isa, there was another good fighter Glenn Johnson and they called him the ‘Friendly Mauler’.
“Those guys fought with Brophy’s for about 20 years and there’d be great shows at places like the Mount Isa rodeo, Birdsville races and the Winton country music festival.
“They would set up at the back of the pub and you would fight all comers.
“The fans loved it.”
DES’ DOJO RETURNS
Des Hasler’s dojo has come back to life.
The infamous circus tent at the Gold Coast Titans has been rebuilt after being Destroyed by flooding during Cyclone Alfred.
‘Des’ Dojo’ was wrecked in March when the Titans’ Parkwood headquarters went underwater.
With the Titans due to vacate Parkwood at the end of next year, and the dojo showing little evidence of producing improved performances on the field, it was feared the dojo was dead forever.
But the Titans have rebuilt it on a new parcel of elevated land on the other side of their training field, away from prying eyes.
At least Hasler will have somewhere to display the 2025 NRL wooden spoon if the last-placed Titans continue their shocking season.
PNG LANDS TITAN
The PNG NRL team may have its first player signing after a Test forward declared he’d have no issues playing for the 19th club.
Titans fringe player Jacob Alick-Wiencke has put his hand up to become a foundation signing for the PNG expansion franchise in 2028.
Alick-Wiencke, 25, has PNG heritage through his grandmother and would have no hesitations joining the club for more opportunity in the NRL.
“It’s really exciting for the country,” he said.
“I’ve played 10 odd games for the Kumuls and when we play there it’s a massive occasion. An NRL team playing there every week will be huge for the nation and the juniors will have a pathway to live a better life.
“Absolutely (I’d play for them). It depends on contracts and where I’m at, but everything is an option.
“It’s an exciting prospect to play in front of that crowd every week. You get goosebumps when you play for the country. If you’re doing that every week in the NRL you’d get up for it.
“If you have a family vibe and get a younger crew that’s willing to buy-in then you shouldn’t have too many problems.
“The people there are lovely. It’ll be awesome.
“It depends how they build the compound and what’s inside, but I don’t see there being any problems.”
MUNSTER CONFRO
Cameron Munster has become the second graduate of rugby league’s famous Confraternity Carnival to be named Queensland captain.
Munster’s promotion comes as “Confro” and FOGS – Queensland’s Former Origin Greats – announce a new partnership ahead of the 2025 schools carnival in Rockhampton this weekend.
It’s a fitting partnership given the rich history of State of Origin and Confraternity Carnival, which both began in 1980.
Confro involves teams from more than 50 Catholic and independent schools across Queensland playing across five days of intense football.
Munster, a former student of Emmaus College, Rockhampton, had plenty of Confro graduates around him as he led the Maroons to Origin II victory in Perth last week.
Xavier Coates (Marymount College, Burleigh Waters), Valentine Holmes (Ignatius Park College, Townsville), Harry Grant and Kurt Mann (St Brendan’s College, Yeppoon) and Lindsay Collins (Padua College) all played in the tournament.
Daly Cherry-Evans (St Patrick’s College, Mackay) is the other Confro graduate to captain Queensland.
Plenty of FOGS will be among the NRL scouts and others at this year’s Confraternity Carnival. Wally Lewis, Mal Meninga and Matt Sing will make guest appearances in Rockhampton.
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