Papua New Guinea confirmed as new NRL expansion franchise – but ANOTHER team is set to be introduced first

Papua New Guinea’s historic entry into the NRL is finally set to be announced next week in Sydney – but powerbrokers also want to see a Perth franchise operating in the 2027 premiership season.

The team based out of rugby league obsessed PNG is tipped to then follow ahead of the 2028 campaign. 

The highly anticipated announcement will involve the Prime Ministers from Australia and PNG – and it is understood the NRL and federal government have finalised their $600million deal that will be allocated towards the expansion venture and development of the code.

It comes as discussions remain ongoing with the NRL and WA government for a team, with funding the chief stumbling block.

In October, the Western Bears’ NRL expansion bid was rejected by ARLC boss Peter V’landys, with the consortium’s bid coming up ‘too short.’

‘We will still deal with the Western Australian government to try and resuscitate the bid,’ he said at the time.

‘The bid that they put in was significantly short.

‘I have made this clear from day one….we will only expand if there is a firm business case and at the moment Perth’s business case doesn’t stack up.

Papua New Guinea’s entry into the NRL is set to be announced next week in Sydney – but powerbrokers want to also see a Perth franchise operating in the 2027 premiership season (pictured, ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys)

Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea (pictured, fans watching the Kumuls in action at Port Moresby) – an NRL team is tipped to be up and running in 2028

‘If we can’t stack it up I can’t take it to the members for consideration.

‘All I will say their bid is extremely short. I will have more talks with the WA government, but not necessarily the current consortium.’

Meanwhile, despite speculation the $600million pledge between the Albanese government and PNG was going to be introduced to stave off the growing influence of China in the Pacific region, PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko insisted that was not the case.

‘China has nothing to do with this at all. I’m very clear on that,’ he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

‘It [NRL franchise] will really boost our economy and also put us on the map. ‘This is all about Australia and PNG’s relationship with nothing else in between.’

Tkatchenko also stated: ‘PNG had gone into this [arrangement] purely for the sport and purely to get an NRL team.’