Call to support rugby league

Firstly I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the family of the late Kato Ottio on his untimely death.
On a more positive note it’s good to see the Albert brothers flying out to join their new club in England.
There will be a total of six Kumul players playing in the Super League and there is now lots of interest in PNG already.
Thanks to PNG Rugby Football League CEO for the assurance to explore the possibility of bringing Super League games to PNG in consultation with TV companies.
It would be good to watch our top players in action in England.
Unlike in the past, where players themselves made their own way and negotiated with potential clubs in the NRL or the Super League for contracts, the current players have some sort of help from the PNGRFL.
The PNGRFL has now taken ownership of it and is exposing our players.
It has created a pathway for our elite players to join professional clubs in Austalia and England through the Hunters’ programme.
The PNGRFL CEO and the president have stated that it is costing between K8-K12 million kina to have the Hunters participate in the Queensland Cup competition every year.
It’s a lot of money the country and sponsors are spending so that our best players can be exposed at a higher so that they have a better chance of being signed up by professional clubs.
I salute the current PPNGRFL management, former sports ministers and sponsors for having the foresight and vision to take rugby league to the next level.
How can PNGRFL sustain this noble initiative?
Will PNGRFL continue to seek sponsorship year after year?
Will the current sponsors continue to sponsor the Hunters in the coming years?
Anybody can guess what will happen to the Hunters’ programme if the sponsors pull out.
Does PNGRFL have a business arm?
If there is none, then the
PNGRFL needs to think seriously.
Unlike other sports, rugby league is the most-supported sport in terms of sponsorship.
At the end of the day, what does PNGRFL or the country gain from the millions spent on the Hunters’ programme?
One can argue that the Hunters and the Kumuls are making the country proud by representing PNG in the World Cup and other elite competions.
Rugby league also plays a part in uniting the country of a thousand tribes and ethnic groups.
The players must take ownership and give back to the country and its people for bringing them up to that level.
Giving back doesn’t mean only by representing the country, but paying a percentage of your salary to the PNGRFL.
The PNGRFL should explore the possibility of having a mechanism in place so that all current and future players have to pay a certain percentage of their salary to the PNGRFL for spending so much to bring them up and securing contracts for them.
The money collected may not be much, but in the long run, if many of our players play in the NRL
or the Super League it will build up.
Fiji has such a system in place.
All professional players playing overseas pay a certain percentage back to their mother organisation in the country.
The salary that you get is for your family’s bread and butter but you have an obligation to
help sustain the Hunters’ programmes so future players can also benefit.

Iki Peter
Downtown Port Moresby