- Papua New Guinea would get an NRL license
- He is not expected to compete in the competition until 2028
- Offer from Western Australia is being considered for 2027
Papua New Guinea’s historic entry into the NRL will finally be announced in Sydney next week – but powerbrokers also want a Perth franchise to become operational in the 2027 premiership season.
The team from rugby league-obsessed PNG are tipped to follow up in the 2028 campaign.
The highly anticipated announcement will involve the Prime Ministers of Australia and PNG – and it is understood the NRL and Federal Government have completed their $600 million deal that will be allocated to the expansion and development of the code.
It comes as talks continue with the NRL and WA governments for a team, with funding the biggest stumbling block.
In October, Western Bears’ NRL expansion bid was rejected by ARLC boss Peter V’landys, saying the consortium’s bid fell ‘short’.
“We will continue to negotiate with the Western Australian government to try to revive the bid,” he said at the time.
‘The offer they made was significantly short.
“I have made this clear from day one: we will only expand if there is a strong business case and at the moment Perth’s business case is flawed.
Papua New Guinea’s entry into the NRL will be announced in Sydney next week – but powerbrokers also want a Perth franchise operating in the 2027 premiership season (pictured, ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys)
Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea (pictured, fans watch the Kumuls in action in Port Moresby) – an NRL team expected to be operational in 2028
“If we can’t stack it up, I can’t put it before the members for consideration.
“I can only say that their offer is extremely short. I will have more discussions with the WA Government, but not necessarily with the current consortium.”
Despite speculation that the $600 million pledge between the Albanian government and PNG would be introduced to stave off China’s growing influence in the Pacific, PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko insisted this was not the case .
‘China has nothing to do with this at all. I am very clear about that,” he told the newspaper Sydney Morning Herald.
‘It [NRL franchise] will really stimulate our economy and also put us on the map. “This is all about the relationship between Australia and PNG, with nothing else in between.”
Tkatchenko also stated: “PNG had responded to this [arrangement] purely for the sport and purely to get an NRL team.’