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 Guinea team's wishlist from Day 1 of their initial recruitment run.
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.
Walker is almost the key target for this team when it comes to players who will be able to make a long-term difference to their point-scoring and ability to be competitive.
Arguably the best young halfback in the NRL, he has just re-signed with the Roosters through to the end of the 2027 NRL season.
That, in the eyes of the new franchise, is perfect timing.
Will Walker want to move to Port Moresby? It's probably the question that will hang over the heads of almost every player who is approached by the new team.
If he does, though, there are major financial incentives, and, to essentially live in a high-performance environment, could well turn him into one of the best halfbacks the game has ever seen.
The Dolphins have turned Max Plath into an excellent middle forward, and there is little doubt he will continue to develop his game with each passing season.
Able to play lock, hooker, or in the second row, the versatile forward may not line up at lock for the Dolphins this year as Tom Gilbert returns from an ACL injury, but will still play an important part of the side with Kristian Woolf taking over coaching duties.
Plath, like Walker, is off-contract at the end of the 2027 campaign at the Dolphins, and is the exact sort of player the new side will want to be chasing.
Big Red.
It has been a slightly wild last year or so for Corey Horsburgh at the Canberra Raiders.
In 2023, he had turned into one of the best middle forwards in the competition. In 2024, that went out the window as injuries and suspensions hampered his progress.
At one point, he had requested a release from the Raiders and had been believed to have met with a number of rival clubs, only for that to be shut down by a dramatic about-face as he elected to stay in Canberra.
He is on contract with the Raiders until the end of 2027, and when the PNG side goes looking for some aggression to start their life in the NRL, Horsburgh should be one of the players on the list to chase.
We will finish this list with another Papua New Guinea-eligible (even if not born there) player Lachlan Lam.
He is currently plying his trade in the English Super League with Leigh, where he has been based since the start of 2022.
Before that, the now 26-year-old played 31 games with the Sydney Roosters to commence his career between 2019 and 2021.
Where this gets exceptionally intriguing is around his father. Adrian Lam is coaching Leigh, and could well be on the list of candidates to take the inaugural role when this team joins the competition.
You could almost bet if they want Adrian, they will have to sign Lachlan as well.