United in NRL

| Nick Dalton THE involvement of Cairns in a successful PNG-Pasifika 18th rugby league club franchise would be multi-faceted and not just about sport, says regional council Mayor Bob Manning.

that the PNG proposal was gathering strength with the Australian Rugby League Commission boss Peter V’landys revealing that an expanded NRL competition had PNG at the top of the list.

The commission had started negotiations with the Australian Government for PNG to enter and ARLC commission- er Kate Jones joined a federal trade mission and held talks with local league officials. As well Cairns-based Senator Nita Green has been in talks with the PNG Government.

Cr Manning said he and the council had held talks over many years about the city’s involvement in a PNG-Pasifika team, the latest about two months ago. “We’ve indicated that we have an interest, we’ve had discussions as recent as the Pride-PNG Hunters game eight weeks ago,” he said.

Cr Manning said the council was being careful to be seen as a partner with the consortium which was also backed by the Albanese government.

“It is their team, not ours,” he said. Cr Manning said games could be played in Cairns as well as in PNG and other Pacific countries.

He said the city’s one hour flight from PNG could make it logistically easier and convenient for Australian-based clubs and the NZ Warriors to play some games in Cairns.

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