hammertime
Well-known member
Let's hope we were smart enough to ask luai to delay till that was done
OFFICIAL Jarome Luai - #295
- Thread starter Frecal
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TurnStyle
Well-known member
Let's just blindly go with yes... 🤣
Rock Hopper Steve
Well-known member
A lot of questions should be answered around the roster after this announcement going forward and hopefully soon, if it isn't, that will be worrying.
jirskyr
Well-known member
Just to put it all in perspective, Australia will spend $5B on foreign aid in 2025-26, so the $60M per annum given to support NRL in PNG would be 1.2% of that budget.
Total PNG spending in the upcoming aid budget is $707M for 2025-26, so the future NRL component would be worth ~8.5% current total annual spend.
Other examples: Australia will spend $120M per year for 3 years for humanitarian aid in Myanmar and Bangladesh. Australia will spend $120M next year in aid to Fiji and $121M to Solomon Islands (including $190M over 4 years to help develop the Solomon Islands police force).
You can argue all you like about the "appropriateness" of the spending, but as a geopolitical move it's rather cheap and a fraction of our Pacific and Asian aid/support budget.
jirskyr
Well-known member
It's also a potential source of new players, imagine if they could actually get PNG pathways properly funded and coached? There's 12 million people over there.
jirskyr
Well-known member
I'll quote it again - annual aid budget to PNG is around $700M per year and the govt tipped in the extra $60M per year for the NRL team.
They aren't funnelling money away from other PNG spending?? It's not as if they cancelled a new hospital to fund the NRL side.
jirskyr
Well-known member
Penrith players.
But also LOTS of players are coming off contract in 2028, it's all purposefully aligned with the new teams and the new TV deal. It's not a Tigers-specific thing.
Tiger-ferret
Well-known member
Fair enough. Luai is fairly close to home though.
Harvey
Well-known member
Let’s see what sort of coach Benji is. Follow the Galvin plan. No commitment, don’t want to be here, you are free to go at the end of the year.
Otherwise enjoy NSW cup. It is a disgrace we are paying him next year, let alone entertaining keeping him as captain.
If he is going to continue to be a spokesperson for the club, can we at least force him to wear a clown outfit? That truly represents the circus this club is.
Otherwise enjoy NSW cup. It is a disgrace we are paying him next year, let alone entertaining keeping him as captain.
If he is going to continue to be a spokesperson for the club, can we at least force him to wear a clown outfit? That truly represents the circus this club is.
Thats still $600 million that could've been better spent. NRL team wont do anything to stop China.
Siberian Kitten
Well-known member
Seems to me that the Chiefs will effectively have a cap that's about 40% higher than everyone else's. No one will be able to compete with the money they'll be able to pay. It looks like the NRL is creating another Storm - giving the new team every advantage to embed its expansion.
Logically, the Chiefs should have a much reduced cap to make up for the massive advantage of being tax-free.
Logically, the Chiefs should have a much reduced cap to make up for the massive advantage of being tax-free.
Odessa
Well-known member
With all the money the Australian government use to give PNG it worked out around 10 billion a year and we use to give Indonesia around 700 million a year
Fraze23
Well-known member
I don't begrudge the guy for taking the money and setting up his family. But the way he has positioned himself as this Wests Tigers saviour to then walk out for cash rubs me the wrong way.
The whole "batman" thing, team first, here for the long haul just leaves a bit of a sour taste. And the potential that this has to be destabilising to our season doesn't feel great.
In saying that, the benefit of Luai's signing seems to be more off field than on it with building culture. But on the field I can't think of a game last year or this year that we won solely due to Luai. Our attack has looked far less clunky when he's out and of the 2 games he has won this year we'd have still won those with Madden or Fainu. And he will be 31 by that time too.
I'm interested to see how Benji responds to this and what the club does next.
Fainu Brothers
Well-known member
I blame HBG. Richo was in negotiations to have the clauses removed and with Terrell May. Now this is happened abs has the potential to blow the season up. I think the playing is strong though and know there is an opportunity this year and next to shock the NRL. This is the best for Latu as well, “Benji i will leave for my family and hand over to Latu”. Club needs to resign extend Samuela, Latu, Terrell, Taylan, Tito and give Tyrone may a top 30 spot asap
tiger05premier
Well-known member
So all Fiji Tonga Samoa etc would have to do if they want a fully funded team in the nrl is to invite China over for talks about a Chinese naval base on the island and they will get a team with all the perks as png did
But that money for there nrl team is OUR money , our tax paying money which could help us there’s many people in Australia who can’t afford to turn on there air con or heater , or feed themselves, SORRY charity should start her 1st
Its the system that that creates the angst about player movements.
If these deals were announced/ took place in a trade window/off season the impact on teams and fans would be far less damaging.I think most people are philosophical about Luai's decision until the game he plays poorly and or the team appears impacted negatively then there will be a whole different narrative/ reaction.
The NRL thrives on off field stuff as much as the on field. The test is how long fans are prepared to support a system that tests their commitment to clubs when it is "loyalty" that keeps the fan engaged and the need to feel at some point you will reap the benefits of that.
If these deals were announced/ took place in a trade window/off season the impact on teams and fans would be far less damaging.I think most people are philosophical about Luai's decision until the game he plays poorly and or the team appears impacted negatively then there will be a whole different narrative/ reaction.
The NRL thrives on off field stuff as much as the on field. The test is how long fans are prepared to support a system that tests their commitment to clubs when it is "loyalty" that keeps the fan engaged and the need to feel at some point you will reap the benefits of that.
Tom Shines
Well-known member
I’m interested in how you acquired this information ,.. are you running a polling company doing work in PNG? Actually …Have you ever spoken to anyone from PNG?
I reckon the majority of them would much prefer the NRL team …but fortunately it’s not an either/or situation
Tom Shines
Well-known member
Looking at the increase in crowds and ratings since Covid ..I would suggest things won’t be changing anytime soon …
My own perceptions now of the Sydney media …the NRL dominates the Sporting landscape more than ever( and I’ve been around for a while) … the other sports don’t get much of a look in trying to compete with this never ending media focus on these NRL “drama’ stories ..I mean the AFL have now spent hundreds of million trying to establish the Giants in Western Sydney, and you would barely know they exist , let alone be able to name a player
Problem for us WT fans ..these stories concern us much more than our one eighteenth share should dictate … when the story concerns another team or player ..I lap it up and want every detail..
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Tiger_Yoshi
Well-known member
Yep, the trash media LOVE the Wests Tigers.....
