Papua New Guinea's NRL deal can have seismic effect as Hull KR look to unearth gems

Hull Kingston Rovers will hope that the seismic deal to admit a Papua New Guinea team into Australia's NRL can help their own pathway in the region.

An NRL team will be based in Port Moresby and will compete from 2028, as part of a deal that has ramifications beyond sport, with the game being developed in that region at grassroots level.

Hull KR entered a development partnership with local club Port Moresby Vipers, providing a pathway for players to link up with Rovers' academy set-up with a view to aiming for the first team. It was a ground-breaking pathway between a Super League club and domestic Papua New Guinean side.

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The news about the deal between the Australian Rugby League Commission and the Australian Government to fund a 10-year project is a game-changer, potentially bringing in much more interest from overseas in the already-popular NRL. Rugby league is already the national sport in Papua New Guinea and they can now look forward to more development of local players with the help of new funding.

Of course, in the long-term, beyond that grassroots funding of new players in the region, the establishment of an NRL team there has the potential to present challenges for Super League clubs as a whole. Ahead of 2028, the PNG-based set-up will be looking at building a competitive team - and Super League is not short of able players.

Catalans Dragons took time to develop as a club to what they are today, needing overseas talent to sustain themselves before drip-feeding in local talent. Even though rugby league is more popular in PNG than it was there, it is a lot to ask for the region to quickly regularly produce NRL-level players. But the region will still have more focus on developing youngsters now - and that is where a club like Rovers, with their pathway, could benefit.

Rovers and Papua New Guinea have had a special connection for a long time. From the signings of Stanley Gene and John Okul - who had played for PNG in the 1995 World Cup - to the arrival of Makali Aizue, who helped the club towards promotion into Super League, it is a history to be celebrated. And the story has a new chapter in 2025 with Rhyse Martin on board. Perhaps the new funding can help another player from similar background to eventually wear Rovers colours.

Announcing the deal, ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys said: "This is an historic step for Rugby League, Australia, PNG and the entire Pacific,” Mr V’landys said.

"Roughly half the funding in this historic agreement with the Federal Government will go to grassroots football and community programs in PNG. It will also flow across the Pacific, including to Fiji, Tonga and Samoa.

"The Pacific Rugby League Partnership will help improve school retention, foster national cohesion, and provide opportunities for young people to be their best selves. We know when rugby league is on the curriculum, kids go to school – and that changes lives."

Hull KR head of academy Jason Netherton has spoken on a similar theme recently, saying of Rovers' deal, "what this project is as about for them as well is to keep kids in school - if they don't reach certain threshold for attendance then they won't be considered for selection to come over to England and play with us".

The resources being put into Papua New Guinea are set to change both their rugby league and societal landscapes - and it will be intriguing to see how it all develops in the coming years.

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