‘I’d bet my life on this’: Player safety guaranteed in PNG as major hint dropped about next NRL franchise

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has guaranteed the safety of NRL players who decide to move to Port Moresby in 2028, with confirmation from Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys that the Bears could be announced as the newest team in the coming weeks.

After plenty of false starts, PNG’s admission into the NRL was finally confirmed at a major press conference in Sydney attended by the prime ministers of both countries as well as leading NRL officials.

Money, improved safety and the geopolitical benefits to both nations have driven the partnership, with the federal government set to tip in $600m to make it work.

The biggest concern is how PNG will be able to attract players given it is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world, but a proposed bubble facility will help, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spruiking last year’s bilateral security agreement as another major advantage.

“It’s a total lifestyle transformation for us,” Marape said, with PNG locals worshipping NRL stars when they visit for the annual Prime Minister’s XIII clash.

“I’d bet my life on this, it is in my own national interest to make PNG safer. I have daughters and children who live in PNG forever and the catalyst to make it urgent for me right now is the three-year window I have until 2028.

“We want safety for our players and we want to recruit the best players available.”

Money looms as the major incentive for Australian players to make the bold move there in 2028, with tax-free concessions set to be a huge carrot that the PNG team can dangle.

Rival clubs will argue that it’s a major advantage in a competitive market, but V’landys is adamant that’s not the case.

“Self-interest is always king in any sport, so the other clubs are certainly looking at it in a negative way,” he said, stressing how the money will be used to improve pathways and will help fund former NRL stars to travel to the region to interact with students at local schools.

“When the Dolphins came in, we were actually criticised that we didn’t have a higher salary cap for them to be competitive, so you can’t win.

“However, the salary cap is the same for the PNG team as it is for any team, but they’ll just have a tax advantage to encourage players to go to Papua New Guinea.”

V’landys revealed that PNG wouldn’t have an NRLW team enter the competition in 2028, but he did confirm that Perth’s bid for an NRL franchise was ramping up despite a few setbacks.

“The Western Australian situation is still progressing,” he said.

“We’re having some very positive discussions with the West Australian government, and we’re hopeful that in the next two to three weeks that we could announce a further side.

“At the moment, we’re just waiting on the response from the West Australian government.”

There will be plenty of scepticism over the next few years over whether it’s safe to have a team in PNG and if it’s purely a political move to stave off China, but this is a country that loves rugby league more than anything, with Albanese excited about how they’ll respond having local and international heroes in Port Moresby.

“Rugby league is PNG’s national sport, and PNG deserves a national team,” he said.

“The new team will belong to the people of Papua New Guinea and it will call Port Moresby home.

“What this is about isn’t just the elite level. This is about the grassroots level, it’s about economic development, it’s about our relationship between our peoples.

“It provides, as sport often does, an opportunity for people to succeed not just in sport but in life.

“That is why this partnership isn’t just about Papua New Guinea, but it’s also about our relationship with the Pacific.”