PNG Joins the NRL as the Latest Expansion Franchise
PNG has been unveiled as the latest franchise to join the NRL, with the diehard rugby league nation to join the competition by 2028.
Papua New Guinea, the only nation in the world where rugby league is the national sport, is on track to join the NRL following a $750 million funding boost.
By 2028, the NRL salary cap will reach $12.5 million, and the PNG parliament has recently passed a law exempting players at the new club from income tax. This could see some players earning up to an additional $1 million—a tempting prospect for many stars. The team, set to debut in 2028, will be based in Port Moresby, marking 14 years since the PNG Hunters entered the Queensland Cup.
WHO IS PAYING???
PNG Prime Minister James Marape called on Australia to commit funding for an NRL team by 2025 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered on that request.
The Australian government is committing $600 million over 10 years and the PNG government will provide about another $150 million.
WHY?
Why? China, that’s why.
Australia is keen to counter China’s expanding influence in the Pacific, with Papua New Guinea holding significant geopolitical importance in the region.
The funding for PNG’s NRL team is seen as a move to strengthen ties and secure PNG’s loyalty in dealings with China, reportedly accompanied by a security clause.
Australia has long been concerned about China’s ambitions in the Pacific, particularly after its contentious security pact with the Solomon Islands last year. Meanwhile, nations like Tonga, Vanuatu, and Samoa carry substantial debt to China, and Australia is determined to prevent PNG from becoming similarly reliant.
HOW WILL THEY CONVINCE PLAYERS?
Cold. Hard. Cash.
In a rare display of bipartisan support, the PNG parliament passed a new law last week granting income tax exemptions for those involved with the club.
This team could become rugby league’s equivalent of working in the mines—a lucrative stint to pad your bank account.
For marquee players, who are expected to earn close to $2 million by 2028, the tax break alone could save them up to $1 million per season.
With incentives like that—more than ten times the average annual Australian salary—it’s safe to say there won’t be a shortage of players eager to sign up.
WHAT WILL THEY BE CALLED?
With the team still over three years from its debut, no official announcement on a name or logo has been made yet.
However, early signs suggest the expansion club will align with the established Queensland Cup side, the PNG Hunters, and likely adopt the same name.
While the PNG national team is known as the Kumuls, it’s unlikely the NRL side will follow suit, as the two teams will need clear distinction.
WHO WILL COACH?
Former Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou, now the PNG national coach, is well-placed to lead the new NRL team.
Unless Wayne Bennett decides to take on another challenge, Demetriou is the frontrunner to return to the NRL, four years after his departure from South Sydney. That said, other contenders are sure to emerge.
Meanwhile, former Canterbury CEO Andrew Hill, who has spearheaded PNG’s NRL bid, is set to become the club’s inaugural chief executive.
WILL THEY BE READY?
Papua New Guinea boasts plenty of rugby league talent, but only a handful of born-and-bred PNG players have made it to the NRL.
The PNG Hunters joined the Queensland Cup in 2014 and even claimed the title in 2017, yet the club has yet to produce an NRL player. However, the future looks bright following an impressive performance by the PNG Schoolboys against the Australian Schoolboys in October.
The Kumuls controlled much of the game before a late comeback saw Australia force a 22-22 draw. The schoolboy side was formed as part of an expansive academy program launched in PNG to support NRL expansion efforts.
The program already involves 720 players, aged 15 to 19, across both men’s and women’s competitions. Beyond rugby league, the initiative has also driven improvements in school attendance—a crucial step in addressing a significant challenge in PNG.
WHAT ABOUT THE DRAW?
NRL boss Peter V’Landys has been vocal about his ambition for a 20-team competition to maximise broadcast revenue.
With the next broadcast deal set for 2027, PNG may not even be the immediate choice for expansion. Perth is gearing up for a return to the NRL, while New Zealand is also positioning itself for inclusion.
The Pacific Islands and Hawaii have also emerged as talent hotspots. A Christchurch-based group bidding for an NRL franchise plans to establish 22 regional academies across New Zealand by 2025, accommodating up to 2,200 student athletes.
Former Wigan Warriors player Sir Graeme Lowe is spearheading the Christchurch bid, with powerbrokers reportedly tabling bids of around $325 million earlier this September to secure a place in the competition.
Former Kiwis coach Sir Graham Lowe is leading the Southern Orcas bid for an NRL expansion license in Christchurch, backed by a $60 million capital funding base and a total valuation of $325 million.
Central to the bid is a proposed $100 million, 20-hectare “centre of excellence” at Rolleston, a rapidly growing subdivision about 20 minutes south of Christchurch. Rolleston became a hub for new residents following the devastating 2010 earthquakes, which claimed many lives and left inner-city and beachside suburbs in ruins.
The state-of-the-art facility is part of a bold vision to establish Christchurch as a key player in the NRL’s expansion plans.
Sir Graham Lowe, who previously coached the Manly Sea Eagles, Wigan, and Queensland, is spearheading the Southern Orcas bid alongside long-time associate Andrew Chalmers, the former New Zealand Rugby League chairman and Orcas managing director. The duo also share a history as former owners of the Bradford Bulls club in England.
The bid team features an impressive lineup of rugby league heavyweights, including former NRL chief financial officer Ed Farish, ex-Gold Coast Titans CEO Michael Searle, former New Zealand representative player Phil Bergman, and former Canterbury Rugby League chairman Simon Doig.
Together, this experienced team is driving a compelling case for Christchurch’s inclusion in the NRL’s expansion plans.
The Southern Orcas bid team is championing Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Te Kaha Stadium, currently under construction in the city center, as the team’s future home base.
The region boasts a “huge untapped player base” with 18,000 registered rugby league players across the South Island and lower North Island, and the Orcas aim to boost this number to 35,000 by 2028.
In addition to the rugby league community, the zone also includes 75,000 registered rugby union players and three professional rugby franchises, signaling a growing competitive landscape for rugby. Union, take note—you’ll need to step up your game fast.
For those who remember, Lancaster Park, once Christchurch’s premier sports venue, was also destroyed in the 2010 earthquakes, leaving a void now being filled by Te Kaha.
The Southern Orcas are planning to scout talent from countries across the Pacific, including Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia, with future expansion to Hawaii and the Caribbean.
The Orcas aim to join the NRL as the 20th team, following the Western Bears as the 19th.
Their development program promises to create a “production line of talent” for both the new club and the NRL, with up to 100 students in each regional centre.
Managing director Andrew Chalmers confirmed that the Orcas are also in talks to expand their network across the Pacific, including potential ventures in Hawaii and Jamaica.
The first regional centres are set to open in the first half of 2025, with Christchurch leading the charge. The proposal also includes academies in Otago, Southland, the West Coast, and the Tasman districts on the South Island, as well as in Wellington and Auckland on the North Island.
NRL CONSIDERS CONFERENCE SPLIT WITH 20-TEAM FORMAT
A 20-team competition could enable the NRL to adopt a conference-style format, similar to those used in the US, allowing for more frequent rivalry matchups. This could be implemented either formally or informally.
Another option would be to shorten the season, with each team playing every other side once in a 19-game home-and-away system. This could create room for a mid-season Origin or international break, a strategy previously used by rival codes like Super Rugby.
However, it’s unlikely the NRL would opt for fewer games, as more matches typically translate into greater revenue.
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