Bangalore isn't remotely comparable with PNG, though. I've never felt at all threatened walking around Bangalore at night, in spite of the poverty & begging. The IPL is second only to the NBA in terms of player wages and there's several Indian Billionaires (which I guess is your point.)

In Port Moresby, you literally have armed guards at the hotel perimeter. That said, if the security & travel issues can be resolved, I think the bid is a goer. You only have to look at the money Asian car & mobile phone companies are investing in PNG to realise that it can be a commercial success.

Any investment is nickel and dime compared to modern countries.
PNG is like Africa was 100 years ago.

Why do I say this?
My company has PNG as part of our Territory, we have never sent anyone there and can see no commercial viability in the Country when comparing the risks involved.
We are in the Transport game.
The fact there are hardly any real roads is a factor.

Lol

Really all that post deserves

yes well wait till AFL puts a team there for some of the silly people on this thread to realize how important PNG is

yeh lets ignore a nation of 7 - 8 mill whose national sport is rugby league when we expand

Once upon a time I thought you were informed but a bit silly and carried on with rubbish.
Now I realize I was wrong.
You are a Mong with no idea.
If PNG get a team in the NRL in the next 20 years it will be a miracle.

Have you ever been there, I have.

They can barely hold the Prime Ministers selection team there each year due to Crowd violence.

It is the worst place you would want to be, but you think its all good?

i would have to agree. in principle im all for it, im sure many of us get a bit trearful thinking about the glories of sport uniting a poor and troubled nation under one banner. i think we could all agree that in financial terms PNG could support a full time Pro team, the crowd potential and sponsorship potential is definately there, as others have pointed out. however, as dalto says, no first worlder from Aus, Nz or Europe is going to move there. PNG could well be ready very soon to sustain some form of pro team, with big crowds, in RL terms at least the infrastructure and desire is or soon will be there. so in this sense PNG is/soon will be ready for something. but ready for an NRL team? i doubt it. the people may want it, but sadly the country as a whole just isnt up to it, it will be a long time after the 2020 round of franchises before Living standards in PNG are of a standard to attract any halfway decent players, coaches or fitness/conditioning staff from around the world, which is expertise and skill they will need.
as much as i would love for it to happen, i just cant see it.

Many ex-pat Australians and others from western countries live there. Including the bid boss who is former Brisbane Bronco Brad Tassell.

of that i have no doubt. but how many of them actually leave there houses at night? their houses that im willing to bet have high walls, razor wire and armed guards.

I don't think the 'distance thing' should be held against them, it's much closer to NRL teams than Perth...

Your comment about ticket prices is quite a good point. I think their new stadium would have to be quite 'segrigated'. Here's an over-simplified example:

In the stadium, have 15,000 general admission type seats, $5
Another 5000, middle range, $10
Then 2-5000 "prime seats, including hospitality, seats on the halfway line, and away supporters sections (and hopefully there are some travelling fans). These seats could cost upwards of $25...

So, even if they are only selling the 15,000 x 5 each week, then they won't be too far behind some NRL clubs in terms of gate revenue...


Basically, PNG is a very different place to Aus, so we should not go there expecting to find/create a mini-Aus. It is what it is and we have to adjust to their way of life. If that involves a fence to separate the supporters from the field of play for example, then so be it. This is normal in many football stadiums in many countries.

One other thing I want to say, is that there has been talk of riots and crowd violence on here. The difference in PNG though is that these incidents are often caused by their passion for the game. If there is a pitch invasion for example, it's because they are trying to get up close to their idols, whereas in some countries you have fans trying to attack opposition players. We are lucky this is not the case in PNG. We just need to find a way to channel all this energy they have for RL into something long-term, like an NRL team. Otherwise the game there will forever stand still...

Correct.






We stand more chance of seeing a sell out Superleague grand final at Wembley between Crusaders and Harlequins than seeing a PNG side playing in the NRL out of Port Moresby.

Will Stanley play for them?

You said "no first worlder from Aus, Nz or Europe is going to move there" - well they already do. So your point is nonsense. Apart from the fact, as I stated, they don't even want to sign players from overseas in any great number, so it's irrelevant.

Have u been to cronulla?

PNG can easily support an NRL team

u are just dead wrong sorry

1. 6 - 8 million people
2. RL is the national sport
3. New stadium
4. sponsors guaranteed
5. Government to support bid including cost of team
6. Development of new sources of playing juniors
7. Enhance international RL


yeh lol it wont work

pedantry aside, that doesnt address the substance of anything i have said.
i actually said 'as dalto has already stated' refering to daltos statement that no First grader from Aus, NZ or Europe will up sticks to PNG. the obvious inferrence being that anyone from those 'first world' nations will be a 'first worlder'.
and i wasnt just talking about players. where will the large, expertly qualified backroom staff come from? the kind of backroom staff a professional outfit needs? they are no more likley to attract any decent conditioning/fitness/coaching staff than they are established players with relatively spoilt lives in Aus or Europe.
they dont want to sign players from overseas? saying it doenst make it practical. a team of locals would get completely owned every game of every season, especially without the best backroom staff you would need to craft the locals into anything halfway competative in the NRL. so either way they are doomed by circumstance. its a noble dream this NRL franchise, but i just cant see it happening when one actually thinks about the reality of the situation.

The bid already has Australians involved, including Brad Tassell. He was Australian based. They appointed him to the job. He moved to Port Moresby. He does the job. That's how it will work. This idea that no one outside of PNG would ever consider moving there is ridiculous. People do all the time, whether it be to work in the mining industry, the sugar industry or any other business. As for players, they don't need imported players. They are already beginning a development process that PNG has never ever had to turn their countless thousands of players (somewhere between 200,000 and 300,000 regulars) into Toyota Cup and NRL players. With an NRL structure they can do that. PNG might not be able to put together a competitive NRL side this year or even next, but in six or eight or 10 years they can. That's what they're aiming for.

its ok

the guy you replied to hasnt a clue what hes on about

you are spot on here

if we listen to these saddos we wont go to perth, anotehr brisbane club or tried melbourne

we have the money to make it work

plus with their government support and fans its a sure fire success

unlike AFL which is really a game played in 3 states, well be a game played in 3 nations

The game is already played in more than three nations.

Do you mean the NRL would be a competition which spans three nations?

im talking about the NRL dear

The NRL is not "the game", dear.

"The game" is rather larger than that.

lol

the NRL is the game in australia

even funnier is you trying to remind me RL is played in england

you know this is an ENGLISH rl forum right?

There's more to the game in Australia than the NRL, dear.



You obviously [ineed[/i reminding.

WHilst your argument about 1st worlders not wanting to go there seem valid, I've heard of people going there to work (an architecht, in my case). The PNG would have to look after the players, possibley with a secure living zone, which doesn't sound too appealing.. .. ..

But,

People want to play in the NRL - Maybe they would be able to atract some decent british talent who may struggle for a chance at one of the other australian clubs? There must be guys at NRL clubs that find themselves disgarded at 20 who want a second chance?

It may not be a recepie for a premiership winning team, but certainly they could get a side that could play [ia bit[/i, whilst the local talent is groomed.

(ok I admit, I've never been, but) I don't think it should be THAT tough of a sell. Put it this way, players who do move there are earning the same money but cost of living is only a fraction of what it is in Aus. To me it's not that different to guys in there 20's who go out in the middle of nowhere in WA to work in the mines for a few years, make big money and barely spend any. And there must be a little expat bubble there in port moresby too. AND, they're back in Aus minimum every second weekend. ^ offside monkey makes a good point too, fringe first grade players would make much bigger sacrifices to play NRL than move to PNG. PS, one last reminder, they almost have 1000 fans, those in favour join so we can boost them up a bit!.... www.facebook.com/pages/PNG-NRL-Bid/387309931064

(ok I admit, I've never been, but) I don't think it should be THAT tough of a sell. Put it this way, players who do move there are earning the same money but cost of living is only a fraction of what it is in Aus. To me it's not that different to guys in there 20's who go out in the middle of nowhere in WA to work in the mines for a few years, make big money and barely spend any. And there must be a little expat bubble there in port moresby too. AND, they're back in Aus minimum every second weekend. ^ offside monkey makes a good point too, fringe first grade players would make much bigger sacrifices to play NRL than move to PNG. PS, one last reminder, they almost have 1000 fans, those in favour join so we can boost them up a bit!.... www.facebook.com/pages/PNG-NRL-Bid/387309931064