NRL: What will PNG franchise addition mean for NRL?

With the news a team from Papua New Guinea are set to enter the NRL from 2028, it’s an exciting time in the expansion of this historic competition.

While a deal continues to be brokered in PNG, another team in Western Australia in Perth is hoping to be created for NRL entry in 2027.

Here we focus on what it has taken to get to this stage of a PNG side being entering the NRL and what it means for the competition going forward.

How did we get here?

Well, it has taken two years of talks to get to this stage, with back-and-forth discussions between the nations’ governing bodies, while the deal has also been propped up by a reported $600million package by the Australian government.

There are plenty of decisions still to be made but, with confirmation of the team and entry for 2028 in the NRL to be finalised, the process of getting a coach and players on the field can be ramped up.

What we know about the team so far

This new club will play their rugby at PNG’s 15,000-seat national stadium in Port Moresby and tickets look set to be in high demand with big teams from Australia and New Zealand making the journey over.

PNG has a population of 12 million people, so the hope is filling the ground week to week won’t be an issue for this exciting new team.

Former Parramatta assistant Joey Grima is heading up an academy in PNG and the talent coming through is exciting to witness.

The Junior Kumuls side managed to draw with an Australian schoolboys side earlier this year, just showing the potential that is currently in PNG.

While it’s too early for a coach to be named, Jason Demetriou is one of the early favourites for the appointment, while Justin Holbrook and Adrian Lam have previously worked with the Kumuls’ national side and are also being linked with the position.

Players won’t be able to sign for this new team until November 2026 under current NRL rules but dispensation might be made to get new stars confirmed sooner.

The PNG Kumels name is off the table so a club name, colours and a new logo will be determined by locals in rugby league community in PNG.

What this means for the NRL

This is an exciting time for the expansion of the NRL and one that is a major step forward for the competition.

A team in Western Australia has been called for for years, and now a team also in PNG takes the NRL to a new country.

The move to bring in a team based in Fiji has worked well in rugby union, with Fijian Drua in Super Rugby Pacifica.

Competing with the big names, especially on home soil, Drua have made the step up and are improving season on season.

It’s hoped the same will happen in the NRL with this new team from PNG and perhaps its potential success can inspire further expansion down the line to other Pacific Island nations.