expansion, 18th team, PNG, Papua New Guinea Kumuls, when?, 2025, where will they be based, Cairns, Port Moresby, Pasifika team\u060c<\/p>\n
The North Sydney Bears, losing $11 million in funding promised by the NSW government, have put Papua New Guinea in the box to be named the 18th NRL team, apparently as early as 2025. <\/p>\n
Public funding promised by Dom Perrottet’s deposed Liberal government in the run-up to this year’s election has been abandoned by new Labor Prime Minister Chris Minns.<\/p>\n
The federal government, on the other hand, has supported PNG becoming the next NRL expansion team, as part of a move by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to improve international relations. <\/p>\n
The PNG Hunters joined the Queensland Cup in 2014 and won the title in 2017 \u2013 the same year the national team reached the quarter-finals of the Rugby<\/a> League World Cup. <\/p>\n PNG hosted Australia’s PM’s XIII in Port Moresby last month and the Kumuls more than held their own against a team full of NRL stars. <\/p>\n They then beat the Cook Islands last weekend in their opening match of the Pacific Championships as PNG’s expansion bid gains serious momentum. <\/p>\n Thanks to the Dolphins’ successful entry into the NRL this year, the Kumuls could join the competition as early as 2025 – according to journalist Michelle Bishop. <\/p>\n \u201cThere’s so much going on behind the scenes and my message is that it’s just a one-horse race,\u201d Bishop told SEN Radio.<\/p>\n \u201cPNG, in 2025, will become the 18th franchise.<\/p>\n “We saw these incredible scenes when the Prime Minister’s team went there, our Australian players were completely mobbed. It’s like a religion.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m happy to release it, I don’t think it’s too far from being announced or made official.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/b> Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles, said last year that “the time is right” for a PNG team in the NRL, with Rugby League World Cup boss Andrew Hill also pushing in this sense.<\/p>\n Hill is the lead consultant for PNG’s bid and said last year that three options were being considered: an outright PNG team, a partnership model and a Pasifika model.<\/p>\n A partnership model would likely see the team based in Cairns and play half of its home matches in Port Moresby. <\/p>\n Super Rugby has provided a Pasifika case study for the NRL with its latest Moana Pasifika expansion.<\/p>\n Moana entered the competition in 2022 and is made up of players from Pacific Island nations as well as Australians from Pacific Island backgrounds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw in Super Rugby they created a Pasifika team,\u201d Hill said.<\/p>\n NRL, AFL and Netball stars on hit list | 01:25<\/p>\n GRIDIRON: Australia’s NRL stars list after flag football<\/a> named Olympic sport<\/b><\/p>\n ‘NO EXCUSES’: Sutton’s warning as Rabbitohs coach names next-gen stars<\/b><\/p>\n <\/b><\/b>Whispers: Panthers on the clock after Luai’s telling move as November 1 frenzy looms<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cWhile we believe Pacific rugby league is much stronger, this gives us the confidence to discuss what a Pacific team could look like.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously PNG would lead these discussions, but it\u2019s clear that the PNG government\u2019s real objective is to get more PNG content and licensing based there.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have seen how committed our NRL players are to representing their Pacific heritage, culture and families.<\/p>\n \u201cThe passion of the players is getting stronger and bigger.\u201d<\/p>\n Samoa and Parramatta captain Junior Paulo previously said he would play for a Pasifika NRL team.<\/p>\n Dragons player Amone found guilty | 00:42<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/b><\/i><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n <\/b>