The Australian Rugby League Commission has unveiled a bold new policy aimed at accelerating rugby league's growth in Papua New Guinea, with NRL clubs now permitted to sign up to two PNG Pathway Players outside the salary cap.
It's a move designed to fast-track development ahead of the planned introduction of a Port Moresby-based team in 2028.
Under the change, players who have participated in junior rugby league in PNG will be eligible for full salary cap exemption, regardless of whether they fall within a club's Top 30 or Supplementary squads.
The rule is the clearest indication yet of the ARLC's intent to turn long-standing Pacific ambitions into reality but also a recognition that structural change must go hand in hand with grassroots investment.
โThis is not about ticking boxes or creating token opportunities,โ said ARLC Chairman Peter V'landys.
โThe recent performance of the PNG schoolboys team, which drew 22-all with the strong Australian side, is a clear indicator of the talent emerging from the region. These young players will gain invaluable experience through increased exposure to the NRL system.โ
The move will allow clubs to actively recruit from a previously under-utilised pool of talent without being penalised under the salary cap and potentially build a pipeline of future stars ahead of the 2028 expansion.
While top-tier clubs have long kept tabs on Pacific talent, the financial incentives have often limited meaningful investment in long-term development.
By decoupling eligible PNG juniors from the cap entirely, the ARLC hopes to remove that barrier and in doing so, give young players the chance to grow within elite systems without being relegated to depth chart footnotes.
The policy forms part of a broader strategic push to strengthen participation pathways across the Pacific, particularly in PNG, a nation where rugby league is a cultural institution and the appetite for elite competition has outpaced infrastructure for decades.
The decision also follows the growing visibility of PNG talent on the international stage, with performances at junior and senior levels increasingly catching the eye of scouts and clubs alike.
The hope is that by giving these players direct access to NRL environments, the pathway from schoolboys to the big league becomes clearer and more achievable, not just for a handful, but for a generation.
With the 2028 PNG franchise now more than a speculative headline, this policy lays early groundwork for a locally connected, development-first model that could redefine how the league engages with the Pacific.
