Another milestone achieved for rugby league development in Papua New Guinea (PNG) with the soon to be opened first- ever Academy for Elite Junior Players. The most talented 14 to 16 year-old players in the country will now receive the best possible coaching, mentoring and off-field support as part of PNG’s bid to become the next NRL club. The program will be launched in Port Moresby on Monday 17 July, with a view towards becoming a national program in the coming years, with 74 players initially identified from over 60 schools in Port Moresby. All players will receive specialist coaching, with the focus being on enhancing players’ technical skills and decision-making abilities. In addition, all players will be physically tested and given programs that will align them with those of the same age group that are currently in the NRL Club system. With coaching and guidance crucial at this stage of a player’s development, the Academy will provide a vital step towards an elite player pathway model that will educate young PNG players about all aspects required to become an NRL player, both on and off the field. It will also provide another important building block in the overall structure of rugby league in the country. Andrew Hill, PNG NRL Bid CEO, saw the Academy as another major step in the development of rugby league in PNG: “Launching an Academy for our best 14 to 16 year-old’s, is a major step forward when it comes to creating an elite player pathway for the game in PNG,” he said. “Having visited a number of NRL clubs over the past few months, I’m confident that the program we have created will provide talented young players the opportunity to be successful and on par with NRL Clubs in Australia. “Having witnessed the success in recent seasons at the Parramatta Eels with Joey Grima leading the academy programs, I know our players in PNG will be given the right environment for success. The Parramatta Eels won the U/19 competition this year and many players had been in that system for several years.” “We are looking to create a structure that can identify and develop the next Justin Orlam, Edwin Ipape or Elsie Albert, and take them on a journey to playing in the NRL.” “I would like to thank the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Sport, Don Polye, for assisting this project and helping us take our elite player pathway model to another level. The NRL Bid is looking forward to helping with the Government’s Go Rural Go Global strategy over the next few years.”