Former NRL premiership winner Scott Sattler has stated that Papua New Guinea should not be granted the 18th NRL licence.

The words from Sattler come after news has continued to grow that another team will likely be introduced into the league within the next four seasons.

A team from PNG has been considered, but stronger bids from the North Sydney Bears and a Perth team have since been considerably more preferred.

โ€œI don't think we need to give (PNG) an 18th licence,โ€ Sattler toldย SENQ Breakfast.

โ€œWe definitely don't need Anthony Albanese sticking his nose in the trough.

โ€œIf he's a one-term Prime Minister and the next Prime Minister comes in and doesn't want to give money to a bid of that nature, what happens then?

โ€œYou're left carrying the bag, I think it's fraught with danger.โ€

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 19: The Papua New Guinea Kumuls stnad behing their line after England scored a try during the 2017 Rugby League World Cup Quarter Final match between England and Papua New Guinea Kumuls at AAMI Park on November 19, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Despite not wanting to give PNG an 18th licence to become the newest club in the NRL, Sattler admitted that he still wants to see the game of rugby league grow in the country.

โ€œWe can still keep taking games to PNG, what we need to do is inject millions of dollars into their pathway projects,โ€ Sattler added.

โ€œTo be able to get not just (male) rugby league players but (to) build the female game up there, getting athletes out of there and turning them into NRL players.

โ€œNot just rugby league players but athletes in all sports and canvassing them, then putting them into some sort of pathway to develop them into rugby league, the AFL has been doing it for years.

โ€œWe need to be doing it as (a sport) up in PNG and just keep taking NRL games up there.โ€