PNG NRL Bid CEO Andrew Hill acknowledged the recent announcement that PNG now has an NRL team that will be based in Port Moresby. He said after the announcement, the first bid is to enjoy and acknowledge what has just occurred and let it sink in that PNG is getting an NRL team, and afterwards, the real work will commence come next year. “When we come back in the new year, the big-ticket items that we got to start to plan is the High-Performance Centre and the village where the players and staff will live.” He said running professional teams is not cheap and the K100 million allocation from the PNG government will partially go towards funding the infrastructure in the coming two years, such as the High-Performance centre and the village were the players and staff will live. “The Santos Stadium and the Sporting Precinct site has been identified for the High-Performance Centre." "But the village itself, we have a number of different options that will work through in the coming months.” Mr. Hill clarified that the funding of $600 million that the Australian Government committed is for a 10-year period for the whole pacific through the “Pacific Rugby League Partnership” and not PNG alone. The Pacific Rugby League Partnership will support investment into grassroots, pathways and elite rugby league across Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa and Fiji. It will also support the introduction of a PNG-based NRL side as part of a future expanded NRL Telstra Premiership. “PNG is obviously an element of that funding and in a very high-level, about half of that amount will come to PNG for the NRL team and the other half will be used to promoting rugby league across the pacific." "Helping the pacific to grow through tests matches, hosting world cup games and its over a 10-year period.” He further stated that, the naming of the team and selections will be done after New Year, but for now, they are excited that PNG is the 18th NRL team.