Papua New Guinea will become Team 18 in the NRL at the start of the 2028 season, and while they can't sign anyone for the next 24 months unless there are rule changes, attention will quickly turn to the off-contract market.
There has already been talk that rule changes - allowing the PNG players to sign players before November 1, 2026 - could be enacted.
They weren't for the Dolphins when they joined the competition in 2023, and the NRL came under plenty of criticism as the 17th outfit attempted to build a competitive team for their first season in existence.
Already, financial incentives have been confirmed for players, coaches and administration staff who sign on with the team, allowing them to pay no tax on their income.
Zero Tackle will have a full squad builder article on site in the coming days based on the current situation of contracts and local players.
In the meantime, here are the top five options, in no specific order, that should be on the Papua New Guineaย team's wishlist from Day 1 of their initial recruitment run.
5. Xavier Coates (Melbourne Storm)
Coates is currently off-contract at the end of the 2026 season. That is, granted, a season early for the PNG NRL 2028 team to make a play for him, but if the winger knows there is an offer on the table from the team in his home country, he may well only commit to a single year contract elsewhere before making the shift to Port Moresby.
A Queensland State of Origin player who will still be in his prime by the time this team begins its NRL existence, Coates should be the first major target.
Papua New Guinea needs to sign players who are locals, who can connect with the local fan base, and who can become a cornerstone of the outfit long-term.
Coates has star power, is universally liked and will be the kind of player who can tick all of the boxes.
His brother, Phillip Coates, is currently working his way through the Brisbane Broncos' system and could be another on the list for the PNG team, making this a potentially two-for-one deal.
The trouble with signing a player 12 months out is that in those 12 months he may lose form, succumb to a long-term injury, or just grow old.
Signing two years out will exacerbate those uncertainties. Increasing that further, and it will just be a crap-shoot what the players are going to be like when they eventually rock up at the new club.