I meant to say 10k. Then again, they probably could fill 100k too.

They are building a 25k stadium for the pacific games. That is not the issue. Value to the NRL TV rights, safety (there is a reason the hunters are not playing in moresby), ability to generate enough funds sustainably and playing strength with no imports are much much bigger issues for them. Would love to see it but it isn't going to happen ianytime soon, or in the the not so soon.

They need 10 k seating -- for the middle class and visiting fans --- and 20 k standing room for the non-middle class locals. That would be a 30 k capacity, which I think could be controllable.

The NRL (and their media partners/corporates/sponsors) will see far more value in placing teams in CQ, Brisbane II, Adelaide, Tasmania, New Zealand II and III....even the wilds of Perth long before PNG gets a look in. The insurance premiums alone for visiting players would be crippling.....the damage that could be done by 1 negative event at a game over there will far outweigh any "supposed" positives.

As for a NRL side form PNG doing "wonders for their game" I give you exhibit A:
Catalan Dragons and the performances of the French national side since they joined SL in 2006......Scotland, Wales and Ireland they can beat, but the Island sides and the big 3 are out of their league.

It was on telly here in Sydney yesterday afternoon. They did alright. Was good to watch.

I saw the PNG national team having a training session at Narrabeen before the World Cup. They all look the same size and build, it was hard to identify who would play where. Anyway what made the RL heart warmer was to see the players' faces when Manly finished training and a couple of the more famous players like Watmough, Brett Stewart, Wolfman and Cherry-Evans just walked over to say hello and welcome them. It was like they just met their gods. Massive smiles and loads of photos on their phones. Wonderful stuff.

Every game the Hunters play will be broadcast on PNG TV with local commentary.
There is already speculation that they will be the top rated shows in PNG.

www.pngfacts.com/5/post/2014/03/ ... s-all.html

www.pngfacts.com/5/post/2014/03/ ... s-all.html

I saw the last ten minutes of the game at the Trinity Hotel in Sydney's Surry Hills, in the company of scores of screaming Sydneysiders, and a handful of sophisticated people from the French consulate. I must say that the PNG Hunters were impressive on the day, and they can still improve!

Fiji are looking into doing this too.
On the face of it you wouldn't think Fiji would have the local talent to compete at this level, but if they drafted in players like Groome, Vunakece, Wes Naiqama and others who play at this level in other sides they could make a very competitive side and introduce players to Australian competition.

Where would Fiji RL find $2million a year?

Quote ="JB Down Under"Where would Fiji RL find $2million a year?'" www.mailife.com.fj/vodafone-rene ... onsorship/ Deals like this with Vodafone will certainly help.

Quote ="JB Down Under"Where would Fiji RL find $2million a year?'" www.mailife.com.fj/vodafone-rene ... onsorship/ Deals like this with Vodafone will certainly help.

Still a big gap that they would find impossible to fill financially at the moment. They would be a good 10 years plus away from coming close to having enough qland cup standard players to form a team. Be good to see eventually though.

Unlike PNG, Fiji has a thriving tourism industry, and it would pay for them to encourage sports tourism. Even if they were just encouraging the 50k Fijians living in Australia to travel home more often.
In short, it would take a government grant to get it happening and that isn't out of the question at all.
As to player strength, the local comp couldn't produce a competitive side right now, but if you could get all the Fijian talent in the lower grades in Australia to commit they could win the qld cup this year - and putting the two sources together - they could get a side together that would do the job and have unlimited potential for improvement.
Players like Marika Koroibete and Etu Nabuli show that there are guys over there who just need some coaching and some competition and they can quickly rise to NRL standard.
It wouldn't be easy to get this happening, but it is far from impossible.

Hunters won their first ever home game today, surprised to see the ground not that full.

Editorial in "The National" newspaper, calling the Hunters a rallying call for the nation. www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/65096 Might seem a bit over the top to us, but for a country that has never had sporting success at anything, if they go on to win the Qld cup this year the whole country will go nuts.

Editorial in "The National" newspaper, calling the Hunters a rallying call for the nation. www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/65096 Might seem a bit over the top to us, but for a country that has never had sporting success at anything, if they go on to win the Qld cup this year the whole country will go nuts.

Can't find any mention of the shop that was selling tickets and ran out, so it was torched by the public. Not in any papers anywhere.

Dion Aiye, the PNG Kumuls 5/8 from the world cup, has joined the Hunters.
I think that takes it up to 9 Kumuls in the squad.

WHAT


Headline news....surely



This is like the FL Conference in soccer accepting Luxemburg to their comp......a worthy gesture but nothing more.

Round 3 result

PNG HUNTERS 46 (George Benson 2, Noel Zemming 2, Adex Wera, Thompson Teteh, Roger Laka, Willie Minoga tries; Noel Zemming 6, Roger Laka goals) def CQ CAPRAS 14 (Rhys Williams 2, Grant Rogers tries; Theeran Pearson goal) at Kalabond Oval, Kokopo.

www.pngfacts.com/5/post/2014/03/ ... dards.html An article talking about the more professional approach of the Hunters compared to the other Qld cup sides. The Hunters basically have players from all over PNG in permanent fulltime training, while other sides have 3 or 4 training sessions a week arranged around their work. The Hunters lost a pre season game to the Capras, and have now improved enough to give them a bit of a towelling up. I think it's clear that the Hunters will get better and better as they continue to train fulltime and to play every week against good sides. It's early days, but I think they are on track to win the Qld cup and play the winners of the NSW cup in the leadup game to the NRL grandfinal in front of 80k people.

www.pngfacts.com/5/post/2014/03/ ... dards.html An article talking about the more professional approach of the Hunters compared to the other Qld cup sides. The Hunters basically have players from all over PNG in permanent fulltime training, while other sides have 3 or 4 training sessions a week arranged around their work. The Hunters lost a pre season game to the Capras, and have now improved enough to give them a bit of a towelling up. I think it's clear that the Hunters will get better and better as they continue to train fulltime and to play every week against good sides. It's early days, but I think they are on track to win the Qld cup and play the winners of the NSW cup in the leadup game to the NRL grandfinal in front of 80k people.

From today, home games will be broadcast live across PNG. www.pngfacts.com/5/post/2014/03/ ... -live.html

From today, home games will be broadcast live across PNG. www.pngfacts.com/5/post/2014/03/ ... -live.html

Unfortunately, PNG lost their first game over the weekend... in PNG.

there is a forum for this by the way.........

There's an 'Other Sports' section on this forum, but that doesn't stop you continually talking about RU on the Virtual Terrace.

Find me a union thread that I started on this VT forum?
PNG belong in either the NRL graveyard or international forum.