The numbers in favour of a Papua New Guinea NRL bid are so strong that they are frightening. The game was introduced to the country by World War II servicemen from Australia and New Zealand. Fast-forward to 2014 and 15,000 active top grade players in over 280 clubs play it every week. The appetite for the game is unmatched anywhere in the world, with over 50,000 turning up to Port Moresby airport to welcome the team back after their World Cup campaign. Oh, and it’s the national sport. That means 7.1 million Papuans would be behind any club that bore their national colours. Games between clubs and villages have State of Origin like tribalism, and it is the only game that is played in schools. Kids aspire to play in the NRL and the country grinds to a halt when big games are played. This grassroots support is already on show in the crowds for the Papua New Guinea Hunters team, who gained admission to the Queensland Cup this year. The team is performing well above expectations, sitting third out of thirteen clubs. This apprenticeship is another attractive feature in favour of the bid. Of any of the bid teams, Papua New Guinea is the only one that is competing regularly in a high-quality senior competition. By the time expansion rolls around, they will have gained valuable experience, both on the field, and off it in learning the back office skills needed to run a professional football club. Throw in high-level government support from the national government and the ducks really begin to line-up. The negatives are easy to spot. Infrastructure is a problem. Security has also been a concern, as demonstrated in past Prime Ministers XIII games. The financial cost of a team based in Papua New Guinea, playing as far and wide as Melbourne and Auckland, would also be high. There would also me less corporate support for the club. However, if the NRL is serious about growing the game, it would sit down at the table with the bid team and Papua New Guinea and Australian government to work out these issues. The numbers that matter in favour of the bid are just too compelling to ignore. Ultimately, whether you go favour the Papua New Guinea Hunters or the West Coast Pirates bid is a matter of how much you like to gamble. The West Coast Pirates have less upside, but are more likely to succeed in the short term. However, the Papua New Guinea Hunters bid gives a much higher ultimate reward in 10 years time, but with higher risks attached. Over to you Roarers. Time to hear your thoughts. Source: The Roar ................................... Follow the link to Australian comments against the Idea of having PNG in NRL..
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 03:51:45 +0000
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