Australian Rugby League Commissioner Kate Jones has reportedly held discussions in Port Moresby, stirring speculation of a combined Pasifika team entering the NRL composed of players from several Pacific nations, notably Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Tonga.

According to The Advertiser, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is known to have voiced his support for this proposition. It is rumored that he’s privately pushing for the use of the foreign budget to sponsor the prospective Pacifika team, viewing it as a smart regional investment that could also counterbalance China’s financial influence in PNG.

While the details of this arrangement are yet to be confirmed, the concept is viewed favorably considering PNG’s love for the NRL, but they have a lot of groundwork ahead of them before they will be considered for a license.