A Fed Gov funded NRL team in PNG vs an AFL team in NT

[Makeshift Park]

It seems almost a fait accompli that Albanese will fund $600m for a PNG NRL team.

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

‘Deal is done’: Decision on $600m NRL expansion set to be confirmed

www.foxsports.com.au

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/nrl-expansion-png-bid-promise-lavish-compound-for-recruits-to-new-team/news-story/d72baa0f1d30b8e1ebfff13a585bfd89

Federal government close to securing $600m deal for new Papua New Guinea NRL side

The federal government and the NRL are closing in on a deal worth up to $600 million to secure a new NRL side based in Papua New Guinea.

www.abc.net.au

I don't follow rugby closely, though its clear many Papuans love the game, its their national sport, and they've produced great players to the NRL over many decades.

I do think I know a little bit about Australian politics and international relations though. I can see the merits of the investment within the lens of a broader geopolitical strategy that's concerned with matching Chinese govt companies expansion in the Pacific. I appreciate that its a novel use of AusGov's substantial aid budget for our closest neighbour. Also, there's probably a bit of an electoral benefit for the ALP in the traditionally conservative states of NSW and QLD.

But there's a lot about this proposal I don't understand. People around here talk about the difficulty Tassie would have attracting mainland talent for a footy team. It'd be significantly harder for PNG to attract any Australian or NZ talent and club staff. How viable can a PNG team be from a competitive perspective?

Also I wonder about the commercial viability. The current suggestion is $600m over 10 years, but I wonder how much more we'll be paying thereafter. How many Australians and Kiwis are likely to travel to Port Moresby for games? Last I checked we still needed visas to get to get there. Given the security concerns, how viable is it for there to be a permanent media presence during the season? After a decade, is there any realistic chance a team will be self-sufficient?

There's obviously a bit of bias in this post because like all of you I'm very invested in AFL. I do think the absence of an NT team is a great shame. A 20th team should be regarded as a priority for Canberra. It makes sense both from the perspective of socio-economic investment and as a recognition of the incredible contribution this heartland AFL community has made in our sport. I would have no problems backing an NT team as my second favourite after North, and would happily provide a bit of financial support too. But I can see that many of the competitive and commercial challenges would be similar.

In sum, I don't have any strong conclusions one way or the other just yet and I am genuinely curious how many people feel about either as a government priority.

 

[Colonial]

Both are stupid.

NRL should be putting teams in NZ2 (NZ is going League crazy) and Perth(3rd biggest juniors for league in the country)

AFL should be putting Canberra as team 20 (Nations capital for the national game) which allows Giants to concentrate on growing the sport in Sydney instead of growing in two regions.

 

[Chief]

Aren't they doing a Perth NRL team again? Bears?

 

[Colonial]

Aren't they doing a Perth NRL team again? Bears?

Ish, maybe, it would be “part time” with games being played in North Sydney which is my main bugbear of my beloved Giants. Part time doesn’t work.

 

[Chaisa]

NRL should be putting teams in NZ2 (NZ is going League crazy) and Perth(3rd biggest juniors for league in the country)

FWIW I think they're coming in as well. Perth in particular I'm pretty sure is before PNG.

They're both dumb ideas, but at least the NT while small and isolated isn't the sort of place where murders is just a way of life....

 

[Colonial]

FWIW I think they're coming in as well. Perth in particular I'm pretty sure is before PNG.

You don’t know the NRL like I do. I grew up with the sport, only reason it still exists is the fans, the leadership has always been inept.

They're both dumb ideas, but at least the NT while small and isolated isn't the sort of place where murders is just a way of life....

NT may not be a failure but when there is Canberra full time and WA3 ahead of it, it’s silly.

 

[Colonial]

Aren't they doing a Perth NRL team again? Bears?

Possibly, Part time, which never works.

 

[Philhawk]

Vlandys is a very good operator. If they nail this, it could be a spectacular success.

 

[Altum Volantes]

Haha wow.

Did the NRL think the AFL was actually going to put a team in the NT and decide they’d double down and put one in the 3rd World instead?

Mind blowing really. PNG!

 

[ioppolo]

It's supposedly a FIFO type thing with the players based in North QLD but playing home games in Port Moresby, a city in the top 10 for highest crime rates in the world.

 

[Consolaçao]

It’s an interesting one.
I visited PNG last year during finals and the place is totally obsessed with league. Far more so than anywhere in Australia I’ve been.
I spent only a day or two in Port Moresby, though was travelling with a relative who’s spent a lot of time there and knows it well.
The places I spent time in were beautiful (and safe), but Port Moresby is ugly, dangerous, and shockingly expensive if you want to live in the heavily securitised ‘safe’ part.
If i were a young kid from Sydney, i’d be doing whatever it took to play elsewhere. That said, did i read the team would pretty much be based in Cairns?

 

[Cmarsh]

The Albo's money to it is based on the nonsense that China will invade.

 

[Colonial]

Vlandys is a very good operator. If they nail this, it could be a spectacular success.

The government literally has an advise to travellers not to go to Port Moresby.

I bet you think the Giants is a bad and costly move at 200 million for 20 years.

Yet you think this is a good idea at 650 million?

 

[Hoops]

Vlandys is a very good operator. If they nail this, it could be a spectacular success.

I keep hearing this, but am yet to see any evidence.

 

[Philhawk]

I keep hearing this, but am yet to see any evidence.

Which part? That he’s a good operator, or the execution?

 

[Philhawk]

The government literally has an advise to travellers not to go to Port Moresby.

I bet you think the Giants is a bad and costly move at 200 million for 20 years.

Yet you think this is a good idea at 650 million?

It’s sporting diplomacy. There’s strong geo-political reasons for Australia to sure up their relationship with their pacific neighbors. We always invest ~$600m a year in aid to PNG. This is a 10% rise year on year for 10 years, with the potential for an outsized result based on its success.

Details are being finalized, but if I had to guess it’d be a sliding scale sick 90% games in Cairns, slowly ramping down to more in PNG over 5 years.

In its first year, PNG will be more commercially successful than GWS - and will have more people attending on a weekly.

FWIW I don’t think the Giants are bad. I do have issues with their take up in the Sydney market and how they’re being funded/marketed.

 

[Teen Wolf]

In its first year, PNG will be more commercially successful than GWS - and will have more people attending on a weekly.

FWIW I don’t think the Giants are bad. I do have issues with their take up in the Sydney market and how they’re being funded/marketed.

If that's the case, the NRL shouldn't need funding from the government for it.

 

[Philhawk]

If that's the case, the NRL shouldn't need funding from the government for it.

They don’t. But for an extra $60m a year(for 10 years) on top of the aid thats already provided, the Federal government gets to reap an extraordinary diplomatic coup by “helping” it come to light.

 

[Teen Wolf]

They don’t.

They clearly do, otherwise the team would already exist.

 

[Hoops]

Which part? That he’s a good operator, or the execution?

Anything! Taking potshots at the AFL does not make you a good operator, though it does play well to his Neanderthal base. He comes across as Trump like.

 

[Colonial]

It’s sporting diplomacy. There’s strong geo-political reasons for Australia to sure up their relationship with their pacific neighbors. We always invest ~$600m a year in aid to PNG. This is a 10% rise year on year for 10 years, with the potential for an outsized result based on its success.

Details are being finalized, but if I had to guess it’d be a sliding scale sick 90% games in Cairns, slowly ramping down to more in PNG over 5 years.

In its first year, PNG will be more commercially successful than GWS - and will have more people attending on a weekly.

FWIW I don’t think the Giants are bad. I do have issues with their take up in the Sydney market and how they’re being funded/marketed.

If it will be so successful then they wouldn’t need 650 million in public funding.

 

[Colonial]

They don’t. But for an extra $60m a year(for 10 years) on top of the aid thats already provided, the Federal government gets to reap an extraordinary diplomatic coup by “helping” it come to light.

They do, otherwise the government wouldn’t take the public hit that saying “we are providing 650million in public funds to get a NRL team in PNG” is causing.

 

[Philhawk]

Anything! Taking potshots at the AFL does not make you a good operator, though it does play well to his Neanderthal base. He comes across as Trump like.

I’m a long time afl fan who’s newer to league and have watched them spectacularly score their fair share of own goals since I’ve moved to NSW, but just off top of my head he’s accomplished the following

• His Covid management of getting games back on was the best of all codes
• Did a good job renegotiating their tv deal
• Their PnL has been significantly improved under his tenure (and more well managed)
• Ventures like the Vegas launch I personally think is a great growth opportunity
• He’s used political clout to get a lot of big league specific stadium deals off the ground

 

[Philhawk]

They do, otherwise the government wouldn’t take the public hit that saying “we are providing 650million in public funds to get a NRL team in PNG” is causing.

Isn’t this a moot argument though? If you can access gov funds, why wouldn’t you use it to launch?

 

[Colonial]

Isn’t this a moot argument though? If you can access gov funds, why wouldn’t you use it to launch?

Of course the NRL would say yes, I would too, but the government wouldn’t offer it up if they didn’t need to.