Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Waldegrave
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be hello, Stephen Price, very well and I'm always
good to check to you. Interesting news today a Papa
and New Guinea's finally been confirmed as being yet another
in RL side. I suppose your initial reaction to the
Steve what we all knew it was going to happen,
But now it's signed, sealed and delivered.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Yeah, I think like there's been so much talk about
it happening, but now it's actually been an ounce so
I think that's a good thing. We can move on,
you know, how it all sort of happens, that's going
to be the next big part of the puzzle. But yeah,
saying Port Moore's in Papua New Guinea, having played them itself,
I know how passionate. You know, every pup in New
(00:54):
Guinea is of our Rugua league, so they're not going
to have any problems from a support scenario. It's just
going to be how it all works, you know, in
regards to where players even all that sort of stuff.
So I'm sure that you know the ultimate goal is
for them to be based in and that it makes sense.
(01:16):
But yeah, logistically, if that happens, that's that's a good
thing for I supposed pup in New Guinea and for
the game, and yeah, that's going to be I suppose
everything that comes up from now is you know, they
start to put everything together. So yeah, it's going to
be really interesting to see how that goes.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Steve logistics. And this is the key thing, isn't it
For Port Moresby, things like the club, things like the grounds,
all of that has to be worked through. So I
suppose when you look at what they actually have over there,
the facilities that they've got, what work do you believe
has to be done there?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
The actual grounds outstanding. The one that I played on
when we would do the Prime Ministers thirteen when I
was sort of playing back in you know, sort of
two thousand and eight and nine. It was the old ground.
But the new stadium, I think it's into a stadium,
I think they call it. It's it's outstanding. The surface
is amazing. The dressing rooms, you know, you won't get
(02:13):
much better at any ground, you know, in in Queensland.
So you know, from that perspective, I suppose I just
have to do a little bit more. Infrastructure was probably
add some more grand stands and that might that might
be part of it. I'm not sure where there's a
you know, a capacity minimum that you've got to have,
but yeah, the actual ground itself is pretty good, and
(02:37):
you know, all that sort of part of it's just
going to be I suppose the team's traveling in. You know,
it's going to be great for the locals, no doubt
about that. Obviously, security and everything like that. I never
felt unsafe in Pang because they love rugby league so much,
but it is very different to you know, where we live.
So just you know how all that works and that
(03:01):
type of thing is just going to be the next
part of it. But yeah, I mean when you're looking
at the whole picture, they've been working so hard, to
say long, to even get it to this stage. That's
probably going to be the easiest part of the whole
of the whole venture.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Great to hear that they've got the facilities playing you
that's key because you play a safety When it comes
to playing on the field, you need it to be schmicking.
For the NRL, they've got these standards that they need
to adhere to. But buy and large, you believe a
lot of that's sorted out.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Yeah, mate, there was some international's there at the end
of the year this year, and you wouldn't you know, Yeah,
it wouldn't have been any different to anywhere else, you know,
whether it's the Islands or in Australia or New Zealand. Say, yeah,
it's a really good surface. The girls played there as well,
you know, the Ausny girls and the Pang girls, and
(03:48):
you know there's a few other teams that played in
it in that Pacific nation sort of and the ball
so yeah, it was it was really good for that.
And then a couple of NRL teams have gone over
there for pre seasons as well, and you know they
have the the the team obviously and the Q Cup
that play there every second week. So yeah, it's already happening.
(04:12):
I suppose it's just going to be up to that
next level in professionalism and the expectations of the NRL
as well as all the clubs and obviously their own
expectations and being able to support that and actually deliver that.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
You talked about your own personal safety over there, and
we know it can be a little on the sketchy side,
can be a little wild wild west. You felt perfectly
safe over there. The security has to be in place, though,
still does it Do you think that will detract the
want of players to go over there and nextly plays,
I'm presuming it's not going to be entirely just made
(04:49):
up of the locals. They'll try and rain in some
NRL players to get them up to standard.
Speaker 3 (04:54):
Steve. Yeah, so that's just going to be the thing.
I suppose, with families and all that sort of stuff,
how that works. Yeah, And there's going to be managers
and players and all that's sort of that are going
to be wanting to understand the whole dynamic and how
it's going to work. And I'm sure they'd be doing
a whole lot of work behind the scenes too, you know,
(05:16):
and that would have been part of their obviously entry
into the end of the NRL. Say, I'm sure all
those things are ticked off. It's just how that's actually
going to look and feel and actually be at the
time when the players do arrive for their pre season
for their first season, and then you know, during the
season and end of season, say, I know there's some
(05:39):
talk at one stage that players might be sort of
you know, based in cans or somewhere like that. But
if it's a B n G team and it's Paul Moresby,
that's the hosting city, like you'd want to actually do
well be there, I reckon. Otherwise it's not a fair
INK and BG team, is it. So yeah, whoever goes
(06:00):
to play there, I'd assume, just like when I played
for the Warriors, you'd have to live in the in
the in the town that it's base, you know. In
my situation was Auckland, but Port Moresby is the town
for the new team, so I'd assume, you know, there's
going to be some sort of set up there that
the players and families will live there. And yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks.
It'd be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio