Origin star Xavier Coates has been earmarked as the face of the franchise if Papua New Guinea’s bid for an NRL club is approved.
Papua New Guinea is in a battle to become one of the newest teams, with Perth also rumoured to be a strong chance.
As the NRL assesses which teams will be part of their next expansion, PNG’s Security minister Peter Tsiamalili and managing director Wapu Sonk, who chairs the NRL bid, were guests of the league at Magic Round in Brisbane at the weekend.
READ MORE: Gal swings axe, makes 12 changes in NSW shake-up
READ MORE: ‘Much-loved’ cricket star suffers stroke in Hawaii
READ MORE: Halfback carried 20m in viral schoolboys video
They expressed a desire be the first team picked for 2028 and have their eyes on Storm flyer Xavier Coates to become the face of the new franchise.
Coates, 23, who was born in Port Moresby, is signed to the Storm until the end of 2026.
He’s played eight times for the Kumuls and is viewed as a prime candidate. Fellow PNG star Justin Olam has also expressed optimism about playing for the team, even though he will be 33 if the team gets the green light in four years.
Officials from Papua New Guinea said having an NRL team in the nation will have a huge social impact on the youth, and reassured league powerbrokers that safety of travelling players and their families is paramount.
There’s some concern from players about security in the island nation, following some historically tense moments when the Prime Minister’s XIII played the Kumuls in Port Moresby.
The Australian federal government has offered $600 million over 10 years to make the bid a reality.
On January 10, an estimated 22 people were killed during rioting and looting in the capital following protests from security officers about pay.
PNG’s security minister told The Sydney Morning Herald having a local team will mitigate the security risks in the nation and provide a path forward for disenchanted youth.
Watch the 2024 NRL premiership live and free on Nine and 9Now.
“It will unify the country and have a positive mindset on our young men and women,” Tsiamalili said. “That will have a correlation to law and order, in my view.
“As the minister responsible for policing, it will really help us. Young men and women in PNG get inspired by the code. It will bring a different dynamic in the way we perceive ourselves.
“Every country and city in the world have their challenges. That’s no different to PNG. My personal view, and the way we see the game itself, is it will change the country.”
Former NRL referees boss Tony Archer is working out a pathways structure for both clubs and schools for the PNG bid, which has led to more than 700 registered junior players after nine months.