PNG stokes NRL dream
By HENRY MORABANG
CONSTRUCTION of a world class rugby league stadium is part of the prerequisites if Papua New Guinea intends to field a team in the toughest rugby league competition in the world – the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australia.
PNGRFL chairman Albert Veratau announced this on the eve of his departure to the International Rugby League Board IRLB meeting in Sydney, Australia on May 8.
Veratau will be accompanied by Eric Kuman and the PNG Schoolboys Rugby Football league chairman Ifisoe Segeyaro.
Veratau said the Australia Rugby League (ARL) and the NRL are both supportive of PNGRFL’s bid to field a team in the Australia national competition.
However, in order to achieve that dream, the PNGRFL and its supporters and stakeholders have to fulfill a number of requirement, among them the construction of a world class rugby league stadium.
Veratau appealed to all stakeholders of the game including the National Government, corporate companies and government statutory bodies to support its bid.
In a meeting two weeks ago, Veratau said NRL informed him that the latter has no plan to expand the competition, however, PNGRFL had expressed its interest to field a team when they (NRL) plan to expand the competition.
The chairman said PNGRFL must be ready anytime to join the competition, whether it is in 2014 or much earlier.
“We need the support of all stakeholders especially the National Government, to realise our goal.”
Veratau said NRL chairman Colin Love and his chief executive officer Geoff Carr were very supportive of the idea.
“They said it is a huge challenge. It is good to have a dream. It needs a lot of experienced people to set up the PNG franchise for NRL,” he said
Gallop said the project needs a lot of preparation, giving the Gold Coast Titans as an example. “They had done their preparations well and within two or three years, they were admitted.
He suggested that PNGRFL look at the Gold Coast Titans structure and organisation, and how they put together a team to enter the NRL competition last year.
Veratau said after the two meetings, basically ARL and NRL wants PNGRFL to be part of their plans.
“PNGRFL have not had much better relationships than now,” the excited PNGRFL chairman said, adding they have to keep the momentum going and the flame burning to put a team in NRL competition.
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