Footy tragic Anthony Albanese tells NRL to base a Pacific Islander team in Papua New Guinea

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly acknowledged Papua New Guinea’s passion for the NRL during his visit to the Southwest Pacific nation, calling on the country to have a team based on its territory.

Mr Albanese used his historic speech to PNG’s parliament on Thursday to reaffirm his support for a Pacific Islander team to one day compete full-time in the NRL, stating that Australia and PNG have a “shared passion for rugby league”.

“Today I reaffirm my opinion that I want to see a PNG-based Pacific Islander team compete in National Rugby League competition,” he said.

“Sport is such a genuine and powerful way to build strong and lasting ties between our peoples, at the code and club, community and family level.”

It comes as Mr Albanese told reporters in Australia on Wednesday that he was “very interested” in seeing a PNG-based team one day play in the NRL, revealing that he raised the proposal with league administrators.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with his PNG counterpart James Marape (right)

The PNG Hunters began playing in the Queensland Cup just under a decade ago, winning a premiership in 2017 (players pictured watching Brisbane Broncos training in 2021)

He later told ABC Radio that he would discuss the idea with his PNG counterpart, James Marape, during his visit to the Pacific island nation.

“Of course, those links are so important, that we have those cultural links and our common interests,” Mr. Albanese said.

“And one of our common interests is of course our passion for rugby league.”

Mr Albanese first supported the idea of ​​a Pasifika NRL team after meeting Marape at the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji in July last year.

It is understood that PNG would likely join forces with Tonga, Samoa, the Cook Islands and Fiji to form a full-time Pasifika team.

The PNG Hunters have played in the second-tier Queensland Cup for just under a decade, winning a premiership in 2017, and the nation has been pushing to join Australia’s domestic competition as its 18th team.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Australian Women’s WP 13th players

Rugby league is the most popular national sport in Papua New Guinea, with the PNG Hunters winning the Queensland Intrust Super Cup title in 2017.

There has also been talk of Perth or possibly another New Zealand-based team eventually nabbing the 18th franchise spot in the NRL, which is believed to be in 2025.

The Redcliffe-based Dolphins in Brisbane, who will be coached by Wayne Bennett, will be the NRL’s No. 17 this season.

Mr Albanese and Mr Marape also gathered to watch their countries’ teams compete in the Prime Minister’s XIII rugby league clashes at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane last September.

In addition, the leaders looked at the state of origin in Fiji last year, which Mr Albanese referred to in his speech to the PNG parliament on Thursday.

“When Prime Minister Marape and I watched State of Origin together in Suva last year, he said there are only three days for his country to stop: Game 1, Game 2 and Game 3,” Albanese said.

“That’s something I think a lot of Australians can relate to.”