PNG survives on aid and some Mining Royalties.
If the PNG Government which is virtually insolvent was to spend aid money sponsoring an NRL team I suspect the Kiwi and Oz taxpayer may be slightly upset, its for education and basic needs.

Advertising revenue in a country that has no money and few TV's does not make a commercial viability. Who is going to buy the advertised products even if they had distribution in PNG?

Ticket sales at home would have to be lower than $5.00 for the locals to afford it. The locals average about $50 a week income.

The distances involved in the NRL are tough enough already without adding PNG.

PNG is virtually the toughest place on earth to visit unless you are connected with some local residents, the Anglos all carry conceal side-arms and the Hotels are behind armed compounds.

The "National sport" item keeps getting thrown up, so what? what are the competing sports? answer not many.
Not that long ago Headhunting was the number one hobby.

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?