• Education programs included in Australia government funding plan
• Locals estimate 80% of Papua New Guinea population follow NRL

It’s a long-held dream close to becoming a reality, and Papua New Guinea’s residents are still coming to terms with the news: they may soon have a NRL team to call their own.

Robert Laa, a 26-year-old construction worker from Central, believes the country has waited long enough. “Every year, we Papua New Guineans live for NRL, we’ve been supporting teams in Australia and it’s time we have our own team to support,” the Brisbane Broncos fan said.