The Brains Behind The PNG Chiefs: Michael Chammas & Lorna McPherson

This podcast is brought to you by a good friend at Love Broke's Charlie Friday night, two of the NRL's biggest rivalry,

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Hello and welcome everybody to another edition of the buy round podcast. Today we are joined by

a couple of representatives from Papua New Guinea. It's like the start of a joke this isn't it.

An Englishman, a Scotchwoman and a Nozzie walk into a hotel room in Las Vegas Nevada to talk

to Papua New Guinea. There's the punchline. No we are joined today by Lorna McPherson the CEO

of the new Papua New Guinea in franchise and the general manager of football Michael Chambers.

Welcome to the show both of you. Thank you. Oh thank you for having us.

Welcome to the show. Welcome back. Welcome back. I thought you got rid of me. I was glad that I saw

the back of you but now we're back here in Vegas and we're excited. It's obviously a big

opportunity for the Chiefs but we're excited for what lies ahead. Lorna you're here in Las Vegas

but you've spent a lot of time over in Papua New Guinea. Can you just outline what it is like over

there and you've been there for such a long time and obviously you speak with what some people

call a foreign accent but how did you actually find yourself over there? Yeah so I've been in

Papua New Guinea for about 16 years and basically I got off a plane. I was working in Saudi Arabia

before and I got offered a job out there and my boss, a guy, it's an Irish guy, Dennis O'Brien

who said to me, oh we'll send you over to Papua New Guinea and I was like okay great and I thought

it was New Guinea in Africa. I didn't realise I was Papua New Guinea in South Pacific so I got

in the plane with my son and off I went on the biggest adventure of my life, got to airport,

sat at the airport for four hours. There wasn't any roaming or anything for phones at that point in

time. I thanked myself, well what did I do here? Because nobody turned up for me and I was like oh my

goodness you know where did I go? So yeah I went over there for telecommunications and that's what I

did, I worked for a company called Digital Cell for 16 years in my life as well and then I got

involved in rugby league in the local competition. And here we are now CEO of the Chiefs, just obviously

you've boots on the ground, you've lived experience. What sort of impact can a professional

NRL side have over there for the greater Papua New Guinea community? So I mean for me the NRL

team is ice in the cake but it really is about the development of the kids and you know what they

have in the sort of the pathways we'll do and have in the kids programs in the school programs

that we'll do as well. But also I think too is hope and giving people hope and letting young kids

see whether it's girls or boys that if you really put a lot of work in what you can actually achieve

as well. So the team as well is hope too but I think one of the probably you know some of the things

that you maybe don't know as well as the lack of education for instance in Papua New Guinea,

I am about 65% the population can't read or write. So one of the things about when we've got the kids

and the going to school, they've got to before they can play rugby, they've got to come show us the

books to see that there's been the school as well. So you know when you see the impact that that

has and they're running up showing you the past book, showing you the beaten school every single day,

it's just amazing you know and I've been right around the Holy Papua New Guinea and to see it's

just phenomenal so unless you've actually been there sometimes you don't can't appreciate what it

does. Yeah it it seems to me I've been there before on a with a touring party and it's obviously a

they're so enthusiastic about the great game of rugby league, you drive on the couch to training

and there's just games breaking out left right and center and you can't help but wonder with

some improvements in structure in that pathway system what what it could lead to but also

the impact of sport on a community at educational level and the trickle on effect of that will be

amazing. Chami you've turned this dream job that you know we've spoken about with this general

manager of football it's been lingering there it's been at the back front middle of your mind

you've turned away from one of the being one of the leading journalists you've left you like one

of the cartel members gone like this all this violence erupting in the NRL journalism world and

it's all because of you because you've left. Yeah well did you know what Jimmy messaged me actually

after he'd heard I'd taken on the job or heard rumors about it and in typical Jimmy fashion he

took credit for it because he says that some of the work that we did here in in these mock drafts

discussion around building your bears he claimed credit for for being able to move into a GM role

but you know Jimmy like I've been there's been a curiosity and saw me about this for a long time

and yeah I love I have absolutely loved covering the game I could could have done

of the rest of my life and been happy every single day but when this opportunity came up

I knew I would have regretted the rest of my life I didn't do it and a lot of people saying

that a lot of challenges yeah there are a lot of challenges but there's also a great reward in

this and I genuinely believe in the change that we can we can make and I genuinely believe that

this team has the potential to be a powerhouse okay you talk about nurseries it should be the

biggest nursery in rugby league and the only reason that it's not is because as you said the

the development and pathways the infrastructure is not there the kids that play they everyone plays

rugby league but they're playing on the side of the road they're playing on roundabouts they

don't have simple things like footballs or boots things like that once we bridge the gap

and the development hours change and the resources are there this will be the biggest nursery in

the world for rugby league they just every expansion club we've had in the last few decades

like you get a Melbourne no maybe not every but like there's a lot of those ones where you go to

different areas like obviously dolphins and the Gold Coast their rugby league heartland but when

you talk about you know going over New Zealand going to Melbourne these sort of ventures well they

don't have what we have Perth which is a rugby league heartland and people who love

live and breathe rugby league and that's going to be a huge advantage over time yeah well I know

what it's like I come from Liverpool where rugby league doesn't really exist yourself on from

from Scotland most people don't know what rugby league is it is an amazing sport that can do so

much for so many people but in this place where it seemed ready made to take off it seems like

a great choice for the next franchise to come in Chami on you you know the dream is now a reality

but how did it all come about was this a role that you went after or the initial discussion

came from the commission to come to you um look it's been the pipeline for a little while um there

was conversations around Perth so we maybe have some sort of role in Perth and I had conversations

with Perth of Landis and Andrew Abdo about that but just wasn't the right fit for me or at the time

and you know there it was well documented there was the NRL and spoken me about a role at head office

but for me that wasn't what I wanted to do I wanted to be part of building something being part of

a team environment and when I had the chance actually in the lead up to Vegas a few years ago

Nick Politis and Trent Robinson invited myself and Bordog Richie into the inner sanctum at the Sydney

roosters and being inside that like just watching Trent Robinson work being around the players in

video sessions on the bus team dinners I just started to be like this would be cool like to be part

of being part of a team chasing a dream of winning a premiership I wanted that and it felt like

it was you know it's far fetched to even think that but I'm really grateful for Andrew and Peter

having the faith in me to do it but like I I love rugby league I played it for 20 years everyone

says I will he've never played the game I've never played at a high level but I played from when

I was four years old till I was 23 the reason I got into journalism because I wasn't good enough

to play at a high level so my passion for rugby league has always been there and I see that in those

kids like when I went to PNG in October and you drive around the streets and you see these kids

they're just playing footy all day every day wherever they can it resonated with me it's just

like reminding me of why I do what I do which is falling in love with the game at a young age

well we are all somewhat we'll be pleased for you we are disappointed though because you know Charlie

our ring lead had big plans as you both know we caught up last night got introduced and you both

said oh come on on the podcast tomorrow at one o'clock I was like are we Charlie runs the show he

was telling me we were set for some big things but on a serious note so the foundations are set with

with what you've got in Papua New Guinea and you two have been appointed but let's talk about the

work in front of you um what 18 months two years two years till kick off okay so in this two

time period and we've got a coach to a point and you've got some players to recruit can you

talk to us about the the process involved in first making a coach I believe you had a chat with

with Ivan Cleary and then some of the infrastructure in around building the

the almost that the village that the complex that the players and the families will live in and

also bringing the players over yeah I'll talk to around the coaching situation as Lorna can touch

on what we're doing with the the village that we're going to build there from a coaching point of

you it's clear that in the constitution the NR real aerial commission will decide on the coach

they decided on Lorna they decided on myself they decided on the chair and the and members of

some members of the board sorry just to interject you now as general manager football is that not

your job yeah will you have the final say no the final say with the commission right okay and I

understood that when I took on the role and that and part of me yet in the role was because the

commission appointed my role same as Lorna she was originally on the board but now she's

CEO so we are completely comfortable with a situation we took on the job knowing that the

aerial commission would decide the coach but there's also an element of respect with part of the

process we have in conversations but it is the aerial commission score so you know I've been doing

my homework in the background spoke to Ivan Cleary about the potential of of coming to PNG and

being our inaugural coach he's off contract at the end of 27 so it would have been negligent on us

not to not to at least have the conversation now Ivan was actually really supportive of PNG

and he made it quite clear that even if he doesn't take on the role he wants to be an advocate for

what we're doing in PNG and he genuinely believes in it so that was great to hear but for him at

this point of his career unfortunately that PNG wasn't in his plan so we accepted that we move on

and hopefully over the next month or two we'll have a coach in place and we can start to move

plenty of people applying already well a lot of people it's a sort after job well a lot of people

have come out publicly and I know they've been asked about it in the media Jason Dmitri is the

national coach of PNG and doing a great job there so he's come out and said he wants to be the

coach will he Peters has come out and spoke about that he'd like to coach PNG he's doing great

things at Hulk AR Adrian Lamb is a national hero in PNG and he's obviously someone with that

would be in the mix so he's doing a great job with Lee as well and I think Brett Arthur said he'd

be interested as well so therefore quality candidates already that have come out publicly and put

their hand up so we'll work with the commission over the next couple of months to make sure that

the best person for this job is a point because it's not just coaching Jimmy like there's a whole

element of of this that is unique to this role which is managing that village lifestyle that we're

going to have you can have wives partners children all living together it is a unique environment it's

all like a lot of people compare it to that period in the bubble I'll do a lot of work on what made

those six teams successful what they did in that situation that helped families feel like they

were part of it they kept the relationships strong yeah some clubs didn't deal with it well some

clubs didn't handle it well players didn't get along or partners didn't get along we come make

those mistakes because reality is if we haven't got a village that is happy the wives the children

who are happy it doesn't matter what players we sign if they go back to partners and children

who aren't unhappy it's going to be very difficult to run a very successful football program

this podcast is bought to you by our good friends at Labrokes Charlie it seems strange to say this

but there's a lot riding on this game between the manly seagulls at home against the last

years wooden spooners the Newcastle Knights yeah a lot of pressure already on the manly seagulls

and Anthony Seabob the seagulls paying a dollar 57 the Newcastle Knights $2.45 of course without

fletcher sharp and the line is four and a half points yeah Charlie like you say a lot riding on

this one I'm going to stay away from the match betting and just go focus purely on the

tri scores for my same game multi I'm going to throw in dom young anytime collar anytime and

Tommy Toborovic anytime which is paying $8.55 I like your thinking Jimmy it's going to be a hot

Sunday afternoon 26 degrees at Brookie oval a fast dry track plenty of points yeah probably

should have threw in the overs on the total point but I want to stick with those three tri scores

season C's apply and available on the website odds are subject to change what's gambling really

costing you for free and confidential support visit gambling help online dot org dot are you

um you speak there about this this village or this complex um is this a blank slate at the moment

is this something that you're you're actually going to physically build in the next two years

yeah so we are um we're going to physically build it and create the right environment

for every day as well make sure that people be able to enjoy it families or feel at home

and it's creating the right atmosphere because I think that's what Michael said was the fact that

it's all about making sure that we do the right thing by the players as well so we'll create that

environment so we're working on that we're also working on the centre excellence as well about that

too so big project there um upgrade in the stadium it's another part as well so there's masses

and masses of what to do in the next 24 months um so yeah a lot of what to do a lot of hard work as

well so big challenge ahead for us all I'm glad you didn't use the say word Jimmy because everyone's

been using this say word the compound we're not calling the compound all right it's the village

it's the resort yeah you didn't use it which is good but everyone else is I think it's a disrespectful

issue because I don't like that language at all no because that's not what it's going to be like

and and and people you know and I did the same and my wife you know you google things about

pumping you again and you think okay this is how it's going to be but it's not going to be like

that and learners lived there for 16 years like she drivers around yeah she drove me around the

other days she's never had an issue of course we're going to take every security measure

necessary to make sure the players and their partners and families are safe but you're not going

to be locked up inside in a hotel or a compound as they're saying and never leave just to train

that's not how it's going to be and and it's our job to create an environment that these players

love that their families love it and that that's going to be like the facility we're going to use

as an existing facility we're going to build our own apartment wing in that facility which is

exciting we get to it'll be fully furnished the players will move in and they'll all live together

and I think that's exciting it's exciting me about my kids I've got three kids one on the way

having them living together with other kids the players kids staff kids I'm excited for them

I think they'll enjoy that and you know you know they'll be running around the resort and everyone

playing together every day it's exciting and that's what we want to build but there's no locking

key I mean you can drive around I drive myself I am and have no issues with it at all so there's

nothing locked up so it's not that they're going to be stuck in the one a village they'll be able to

go and about and drive around and see the place and be part of the the communities and you used

to a word there before home and like I use this cheesy line when I'm speaking to a family like

home's not a place it's a feeling and it's about creating that feeling of like I feel at home here

and and and that means different things for different people but it is it's your freedoms it's

yeah your environment you're almost your neighbours you're creating a village lifestyle where

we look after one another we take care of one another you know someone wants to go out you

you look after each other's children you make that village within an area of packing your

guinea there and what will happen I assume will be people speak positively about it which will

then help recruitment in five ten years time ahead down the journey yeah I mean it's an amazing

place to live it's absolutely fantastic the love of rugby league and packing guinea something

that you've never seen so it's like a religion and P&G whether you like it you don't but also the

fact that you know I went there sixteen years ago I've been accepted people treat me as if I'm

popping you guinea and I've got a my partner's popping you guinea and I've got house the village

it's a bit four and a half hours outside port more's be a drive down there I go down there for the

weekends and I never think about being scared or worried or uncomfortable so it's my home and

I am somewhere that I love it is that going to be an important part of the recruitment strategy

because you know we're here talking positively about the village and all the upside that comes with it

but you know you'd be naive to think that there may be some reservations especially from partners

that are going to worry about things like safety it only takes you know one look up on Google

you know you can become you know it just caught up in that in a slew of negative news about crime

or or whatever it may be but for you to it is you know the players will likely want to come but

then bringing the families is that a is that a focus of both of you when you're having those

recruitment meetings it won't just be bringing the player into the room here's what we can give

you it'll be about bringing the families on the journey with you yeah like I think you're a good

example because when you come up to CP&G you brought his wife with him to let her say it so

you had a tour I took you round let you say it but it was all really about making sure your wife

was happy as well which I loved as well when we were doing the recruitment Michael so I mean I think

that's a really good way we want to approach it yeah and we're not going to you won't sign a

single player if they have a partner he's not going to come with their partner like you're not

going to be able to sign a player who doesn't actually visit P&G needs to experience it I wouldn't

be happy signing a player who just wants to sign without coming to see what it's going to be like

so you're going to you actually bring them over you have to do like you did a tour your players

going to sign they all go and see the club center of excellence it's part and parcel of it this

isn't at a whole new level like they need to feel comfortable I need to be comfortable that

they're going to be comfortable being there so you're at the Bulldogs for years Jimmy like that

slogan that the family club like now that gets thrown around a lot but this is genuinely going

to be a real family club like living together everyone needs to and a lot of homework from our

and needs to be done on making sure that not only do we bring the right people in but their partners

are going to feel comfortable they're going to belong the kids are going to work well together

because if that dynamic doesn't work it's really really hard to reset that again so I'm

I'm comfortable with the fact that everyone's going to have a unique situation you know they're

going to have you know if you sign a player on $200,000 whose partner also works in in Australia

and they rely on that income it's going to be hard for them to come over it might not be the case

for someone else you might be able to bring someone at a high end whose partner wants to come with

and I'd love that I'd love that the partners come the children come and they send a message to

everyone if it's good enough you know you get a high profile player if it's good enough for them

then it's good enough for me and a lot of this is around messaging and that's why I said

I'm going to move over there with my family next 12 months a lot of work in Australia but

if I'm going to sell this stream to the players I need to live with myself and I feel it's

super critical if I'm not going to at least bring my family over how am I going to convince these

guys to do the same thing when entering into recruitment or negotiations you'll know that

look to leverage certain positive aspects of coming and playing in Papua New Guinea one of those

being tax-free incentives so doing some maths or Charlie's been doing some maths and so I'm

actually not going to I'm putting on record this is Charlie's maths so yeah I'm going to say

correct coordinate Charlie okay okay well if a player is on let's say 750,000 Australian dollars

that would be tax-free that would be the equivalent of a 1.3 million dollar salary in Australia

yep um which would make you the highest paid player in the game almost yes is that fair

well is that too much of an of an advantage well to be honest with you Jimmy everyone's saying

that we're not going to be when this seems not going to be successful now to to move families over

to Papua New Guinea right there's going to be they need it to be an incentive but I keep saying

that that can't be a sole motivator because he's got to be more to it than that but to your point

everyone's like you double the salary cap but it's not going to work that way do you think there's

going to be a manager who's going to say okay you're going to give it you're he's going to be tax-free

so we'll take half the price that's it's not going to work like that so you're still going to

sign players at their value the NRO won't register it so let's just say there's a million dollar

player and he's getting offered from a club at one million dollars and our offer on the salary cap

is 600 or 700 let's say and which is the equivalent of 1.2 million do you think the NRO is going

to allow us to sign a player for 700 if it offers a million elsewhere it's not going to work with

the NRO so we're still going to be playing the market value is still based on what we're offering

in it before the tax but it's a huge incentive then it is because not both authors don't stack

up equally you know if I'm comparing the offer from Perth Bears Brisbane Club Sydney Club Melbourne

and the chiefs they they might all look the same on the she on initially on the sheet of paper

with the NRO but there's very the very different terms of the club what happens if this team

doesn't get off the ground if in the initial phases that's not like that we need to see your

experienced players we're going to come over and the tax-free incentive let's not be naive that's

why they're going to be attracted to this offer and also cost of living so if you think about

your average salary and Sydney rent or mortgage cars all that jazz you'd be surprised Jimmy you'd

be surprised the cost of rent in P&G law and I'll be able to talk to this there's three times

is that going to be on the players or is part of the village is that not going to be part of the

deal they're going to take care of your accommodation no because that'll be a breach of the salary

capital no clubs they would have paid for a player's accommodation but what will happen is because

it's three times the amount of Sydney or Brisbane the NRO is going to work out the average so

let's say you get a three-bedroom apartment in our village the NRO will work out the cost of a

three-bedroom apartment in Sydney and Brisbane work out the average and that's what the players will

pay to to the result to the village and that's why the government sought them a a better deal

that is a pretty good deal considering it's probably three times the amount no

someone that's got a spare room hate channel but that's but that's but that's it's going to be

fully furnished it will be fully furnished they'll come in there and they'll have everything out

there disposed of tennis court basketball court swimming pools you know there's an international

medical center on on site there there's gyms nails sell on for for Reese Walsh so I actually

know we can't talk about players on and I'm going to get in trouble there but there's a lot

on offer for them so yeah it's part of it this podcast is bought you by Nord VPN and as you

can see I'm here in the hotel room I'm away in Las Vegas Nevada but I am protected all thanks

to Nord VPN the hotel Wi-Fi great thank you so much results well but I want to be safe so I'm

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Graham where you get four three months with a two year plan and a 30 day money back guarantee

click on the link in the show notes the range of deals from our proud partner Hyundai is

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they certainly are Jimmy much like the Penroth Panthers this year they're going to excel in the NRL

where Hyundai is excelling in their deals like the Tucson hybrid from just 44 990 drive away

you drive this car it's in the car park here it is sexy when I saw that car I assumed $100,000

the fact you can get it for 44 990 is incredible will you know I couldn't afford that so you can see

what I got the deal with the Tucson what about this you can hop in the award winning electric

insta from 35 990 drive away an electric car means no petrol stops so so stock up on your Coke

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when you service with Hyundai they look after you that piece of mind that you can go hey I know

this car's looked after absolutely Charlie so visit your participating Hyundai dealer today

season sees apply so you've got the plan in place around how you're going to entice these players

over with 30 plus Ross the spots to fill who's on the hit list that's getting deep we haven't

got a coach yet look at the coach is going to have a massive sage in me like I'm not going to go

out there and start signing seven eight players and say okay you've got a deal with it now but

you know you you look at the players who are off contract end of 27 you look at your contract

players in 26 and you start to work out who would fit like you know you've been around the game

long enough to know which players will fit that criteria which guys wouldn't really fit into what

we're building reality is 2026 players off contract now for really wanted to once we have a coach

in place we could sign players for 28 they they just need to find what they're doing 27 like

similar to Jonah Pesett did yeah you know signed with the Broncos and then did the Eels deal we

could do the same thing is that something you're entertaining the idea of oh you'd have to there's

a whole pool of players that are off contract right now why would you leave yourself why would

you just wipe out a whole pool of players and just leave the 27 guys so definitely have to consider

that you know if someone like a pain house is now signed with south if he was still available like

you wouldn't go for him you know you'd have to to look at each player on its merit but the bulk of

those players are going to come from that 27 off contract list so November one rolls around will

be in the market but you're not willing to name names because you can just look at the list

of say who's off contract but it's going to be like the coach is going to make a decision you know

it's it's my job to make sure the coach gets the players that he wants are you going to look to

to bring in players from Papua New Guinea so people have played for the for the commuls in

the past or and perhaps representing teams in the NRL or the Super League is that going to be

something that you'll you'll or players that you'll look to target that are from Papua New Guinea.

Definitely definitely we want a strong PNG flavour and Launa is really passionate about this

having been part of a lot of the grassroots programs in PNG Launa has been at the forefront

of for the last 10 years 15 years so we need a PNG flavour we need to make sure that we identify who

the kids are that are coming through that are going to be targets for 28 and we need to make sure

that we get the guys who are already established like you know we obviously we've got to be

careful about who we're talking about there are a lot of players with PNG heritage or a

born in PNG both in the NRL and the Super League who we'd love to have now can we get them well

time will tell but they're also a big part of this is recruiting in the initial term to make

sure that we've got senior players who are going to influence that development and play big part

in those kids development but then to make sure over five 10 years that we're not relying on

recruitment you're not relying on tax-free dollars that the kids that we've generated and produced

are making up the bulk of of that team now I'm not going to give you a number of how many we need

all almost like a pen with style system well we've got that nursery but what that would add in

yeah just needs to be developed what Penrath have done well is and this is what we have to do

it's not only like we talk about Penrath juniors yet they've got the great nursery out of Penrath

a lot of the St Mary's boys but they've also recruited from the country regions really well

guys like Joseo Dylan Edwards Liam Martin that's what we need to do because it's not just Port

Mozby it's it's all of Papua New Guinea and it's really difficult for us because I didn't even

know this when I started you can't access Port more you can't access the other places in PNG

from Port Mozby unless you fly so in terms of identifying talent in the Highlands or what we do

we have to have academies all over the country because and it's not cheap to fly domestic either

and then when we work out who the elite kids are working out how we then house them

in Port Mozby when they come in through those programs so there's so much work to be done

but to answer your question the long term vision is to have the majority of players from PNG

but we know what we do in the first two three four years we'll fast track those development

if we get the right players sorry I think it's interesting this year as well if you look at the

likes of when the London Broncos set up and they took six players from the PNG Hunters so

for us normally you would be like disaster because so many players left and went to the Broncos

but this year was the first time we actually had the talent coming from the pathways up

and we're able to fill the places so the panic wasn't there so it was fantastic to actually

let that feeling for the first time ever after all those years where you weren't stressing over

the fact you'd lost so many players and when we talk about sports and you've you've spoken about

that the team or the club being being a family and game day experience having you getting community

like look I'm involved at the Bulldogs we see that they've come on this journey you speak about

you know over in in Pemrith they feel connected to the community what can a game day experience

look like for for the Chiefs come round one in 2028 I mean for me it's all about the community

you know we're taking the whole of PNG on a journey so remember this is not just about one area

of a city this is about a whole country coming in the journey for the next two years while we get

there I mean personally I can't wait to see the team go out in the first day it's something

that really excites me as well but culturally part of it because it's huge I mean 851 languages

and PNG so we weren't so many parts of PNG it'd be part of the day and part of the actual

experience and game day experience as well so yeah you'd comment I was I went over in October for

the PM's game I was in the back of a corporate box surprise surprise and I was talking to Andrew

Abdo and I turned around for a second and there was this like this noise just it was that the game

was on and it was just like deafening right it was like honestly it's like a team who just caught

the try to win the grand final it was that loud and I turned around and I said well what just

happened and one of the guys in the box said I'd Cooperby just took a run and I was like that like

the noise was unbelievable and the passion they have for it like it'll be far and away the best

game they have in the NRL and it'll be also you got to remember they love rugby league and all these

to all these guys who the people in PNG have their team already right they a lot of Brisbane Broncos

fans says it's going to be so much respect to the opposition it's not going to be it'll be hostile

but it won't be what you think that will love the away teams as well but you know we've got to

convert them all over the chiefs fans and honestly the players who come over on a wide trip so I

love it I think that's one of the big challenges as well everybody in Papua New Guinea has a team

so everybody's fan of somebody so we need to convert them from being the Broncos fan to being

a chiefs fan so that's part of the the journey for the next two years as well as we go along

is taking them along that journey too yeah you'll remember of us like look we appreciate

we love the NRL but this is your team exactly and it's PNG and that's why you need to have Papua

New Guinea's in it as well as Papua New Guinea team so I'm really really pro you know developing

local town that's something that's for me ski you speak to any player that's played there and they'll

talk about the scenes post game where fans are just desperate to get any item be it a sock

a mouthguard a bit of strapping tape look that's usually a one-off test match but for the PNG

chiefs is that something that you're looking to harness each and every week and not just be

oh I want a year thing you want the fans to be as passionate and as in your face and as loud as

possible each and every week yeah there will be anyway because the love for our league is phenomenal

so I mean all you need to do if you look at the domestic competition and you look at the games

and the domestic competition so it's absolutely exactly the same way and the passion the screaming

the atmosphere is phenomenal you know and we have full stadiums so it's exciting so you can

imagine what it's going to be like when it's two NRL teams playing each other just be unbelievable

one thing Lord has done well with the PNG rugby league over the last few years and you can

notice the difference is there's a respect for like people worried about the safety of you know

in pitch invaders and whatnot there is a things are changed in the last decade I remember going

in 2017 and the fans invaded the field and I remember Big Dave Clemer running for like he literally

was running for his life thinking saying all they wanted to do was come up and shake their hand

or hug them and Big Dave's running behind me but I think what they've done really well in the last

decade is actually educate the fans that it's their responsibility if they're going to have this

team and if they're going to have rugby league B as prominent as his they need to actually

show respect to the game and that's what you know not just the fans but the players and there's

there is that respect to the game now they know that they are ruining it for everyone else if they

don't show that respect by staying in their seats or to be fair now the players are so engaging

you all you need to do is watch the biggest star in our game at the moment Reese Walsh I watched

him in England three times go round and sign all graphics take pictures with anybody that wanted

on game day I was there at the captain's room room for Australian so engaging like the players are

willing to give back anyway so that's what you that's what I said to you earlier can't just be

that money because they're the kind of I'm not saying Reese Walsh but those characteristics in a

player where they know that they the impact that they can have on people's lives and that is what

they're going to have to do in PNG like there's a greater responsibility than just playing rugby league

and they're the sort of people that are willing to embrace that yes they're going to be well looked

after financially but that also it'll be rewarding for them to be the face of a club that

a face of a club that changed the country like you're not going to get that opportunity anywhere else

I mean I've volunteered in a lot of things and genuinely I mean at the end of the day I've got

my day job which pays me but I do a lot of volunteering and it absolutely warms your heart when

you go out and you see the impact that you can make as a person you know and I can imagine what

it's going to be like I'm in a real player is going out there and just inspiring the communities

you know it's I can't tell you but it's going to do for pop and you're getting by around fans we

are launching our very own studio just for you so if you've been toying around with the idea of

launching your own podcast hosting your own podcast having a bit of a chat with a friend or a

couple of others let us know what we can do for you because we now have a studio that is ready for

to hire we can help with all the social clips or the editing you don't need to look after that

we will take care of the the backroom stuff the editing the distribution all that jazz you focus

on being the star that is you we have a high end studio and the team could obviously help with

all that production so you just focus on looking good we will take care of the rest so if you're

ready to launch or if you do already have a podcast but you want us to take care of all those

little things hit us up at the buyaround at gmail.com to find out more the buyaround studio is open

and ready for you and we've got the playing group sorted out all that aspect of professional sport

is the most important thing but sport now is big business and whether you're the sports governing

body or one of the clubs that play in that's under that banner of a governing body like the NRL

and for things like sponsorship and the economics of the club how is that going to work because

some people would look at it and go well you don't have the big businesses of a Sydney, a Brisbane

or a Perth or Melbourne. Well you see that's the secret we actually do and so if you think about all

the big businesses in PNG you look at some of the extraction industries as an example some of the

banks I mean they're massive and we've got them all trapping down a door want to be sponsors so

we're really excited about the opportunities well but also I think too thinking about the economy

as well what it will do for PNG I mean we're estimating that around 2,500 jobs new jobs

be created by 2028 and probably another 2,500 sort of like informal as well outside of that as well

for like little SMEs it'll get set up too so that impacts massive but as I said you know

there's masses of people asking to see us and want to talk to a bit sponsorship as well

really some big names out there too but you have to look at PNG the economy is actually strong

in power you're getting as well with lots of big businesses out there. Yeah I guess it would be

a surprise to most people and can I ask you quickly on the look I don't really know what this

word means but I hear it used a lot geopolitical and obviously government funding to help

against I don't know something to do with China and how how does all that work and what impact

not just on the economic front but geopolitical whatever that means. Look I mean like I'm

certainly not a geopolitical expert and I'm Scottish. Political and geopolitical if you can answer

that you're a genius but that's just wrong that we sound a lot more geopolitical. Local global apparently

so political political and international politics. Yeah I think they look I mean I definitely

am not a geopolitical specialist in any way shape or form plus I'm also Scottish and so it's

a problem the best person to ask but I think the the fact of what I will say is the fact that PNG

Australia have a fantastic relationship but I just look back over the years they just celebrated

the 50th independence for Papua New Guinea as well and I think the partnership they're still in

government have with PNG's phenomenal so to sort of fund this but really it wasn't just about

it wasn't funding a team as such and I get I'm going to go back to that it's about funding what

the team will do for Papua New Guinea you know so the the icing and the cake was having the NRL

team there but it's the impact it's going to make in all the communities it's the job

creations that are going to come with it and the the environment for PNG that the NRL is going to

make you know so from that side of things too I'm but again you know geopolitics as I said

not my expertise do you know much more than geopolitics Michael? No no you probably

it's totally the wrong plug but that's okay well I think what I will say is that that I have

learned is that this everyone talks about this 600 million dollar figure from the Australian

government there's a large chunk of that that's going to actually the Pacific it's I think it's

around 40% of it is going to actually help out in the Pacific so yes it's PNG focus but we want

to be a team of the of the Pacific as well so that's in terms of recruitment and whatnot so it goes

into that and then there's obviously the Australian government side of things but also the PNG

government and their investment as well so this is a unique challenge now there are many stakeholders

in this football team but as I said great reward for for when we get it right?

and Chami obviously you're on the other side of the fence now so to speak and I read an interview

or saw that the headline is Michael Chames expects us to be challenging for the eight for playing

playoffs in year one and firstly is that the expectation is that where you foresee this going

and also what's it like for you being on the other side and maybe looking at that going I've been

taking out a context I've got taken out a context day one actually because Prime Minister James

Marapa we did a press conference with him in Port Mores beer a couple of weeks ago and he talked

about winning a comp within five years and I just sort of jokingly responded about yeah we'll do it

in three next day premiership within three years you know so that was was that Brent Reed

it was the Brent Reed of PNG so yeah it's the only room for one Brent Reed it's exactly

important for Brent Reed but I don't want to be I'm not going to be boring with answers like this

team is literally making the impossible possible like if you said if I said to you when you came

over here that PNG would have a team in the NRL you would laugh at me so all those people they

want hope like we want to give them hope and we're going to win a comp in a certain amount of years

who knows but I genuinely believe in the conversations that I've had with players and agents

we're going to have a competitive football team they're we're going to have a very competitive

football team you highlight the advantages that we're going to have I'm not worried about how

our football team is put together I'm not worried about the caliber of player we're getting

our focus and my main objective is to make sure that everything around them

families, wives, security measures everything needs to be seamless because that is our biggest

challenge I'm not worried about the football team honestly Jimmy we will put together a competitive

football team do they make the finals in one year two I don't know but you look at it on paper and

think hey that's a pretty good football team I'm not worried about that at all and what about

being on the other side yeah I'm interested in this one as well that like for you on the pace

on a personal level though when you see those quotes you know you well we're in a hotel room

in Las Vegas but no matter where you are everything that you say in regards to rugby it goes everywhere

yeah you can be on a rural station in Papua New Guinea, Queens and rural New South Wales having a

chat with with with somebody and you think you're you're nice and safe in a room yeah everything

you say we'll go everywhere how is that for you are you a bit more guarded or are you changed

have you noticed any change in yourself oh I probably had to yeah like a little bit I feel as though

I hear things I'm like that's a good story oh no I don't care that's a good story yeah and I like

I've got obviously be a lot more secretive of information but like just little things you know I've

come over here and yesterday with the Fox launch and Reedy's around in Karyanas and a lot of the

journals and sort of the night was only just it was only probably halfway through the night and

it was like I think I'd best be going now I can't have Reedy asking me too many questions and

like yeah I just you know otherwise if it was yeah last year I would have been out with Reedy for

a while and Karyanas and hanging out with them all night so just be mindful and be professional

about it but it's weird just not my instinct is always to that's a good story I've been

doing for 20 years like yeah you know one thing I had to do I wanted to know when I first

paint house with it whether or not he'd be a realistic option for a side I spoke to his manager

and I was aware of some things going on at the background now that's how Sydney thing took

a lot bit a lot of people you know it was shocked by it but I was just like being on the other side

knowing that was it was probably likely to leave Brisbane holding that secret you got to build

that trust with people so it is different on the other end I don't miss like not transcribing

yeah do it a press conference going back and transcribing quotes I won't miss that but the

thrill of the chase yeah it's an adrenaline hit it is I've been with you on a number of occasions

and it's like you can see the excitement in your eyes when you've got a lead on something or

you've got something that nobody else has and just on the probably the biggest news since you've

come out of the journalism game was the paint house story and it broke from nowhere like it came

from what appeared to be nowhere yeah like when you see something like that does it spark something

with it yeah well that could have been me or who or or do you go who broke that yeah yeah

now definitely who used to break because I knew that was coming up my first reaction was like oh no

are they going to think that I've spoken out of school and told someone something here but

initially it's like oh yeah I got beaten who broke it and then I was like oh it's okay people

aren't going to judge me for missing this story I'm not going to judge myself for missing this

story your boss isn't going to be like what why are you not but it's not even my boss it's

myself like if I get into a story like I'm pretty like the guys you have seen it like I'm pretty

hard on myself I don't cope well with that I don't like I hate losing more than I like winning

but in that situation when it all sort of unfold and I started to read the stories of what went

down and everyone's writing analysis pieces the Sunday afternoon I was with my family

part of me felt like you know what it's nice not to stress like there is an element of paranoia you

need to be successful in journalism you can't switch off even when you're not doing anything you

on in the back of your mind again when when am I going to get beaten what's happening you're not

in control of your own choir yeah and you're not in control of your own destiny you know you're

reacting to other people's decisions other people's feelings you're constantly in a world where you

revolve rolls you out everyone else whereas I feel in this role your destiny is in your own

hands a bit you're on your your organising the meetings yes there will be players you know an

element of you know you don't make sure players are doing the right thing but I feel like that

sense of paranoia for me and it drove me to the level I did in journalism it it was getting hard

it was getting really hard and probably not healthy for my own state of mind I remember not have

to cut in here I think you're just let that be a chain of recruit people you get excited

I'm sorry I get the point calls I get the point calls is hello Tera Cockett are you sleeping?

hello it's going to be a different thrill it's a different choice isn't it it's going to be

that thrill of are we going to land this we're going to come over the line that's right and just

just back on that that the journalism front you know Paul Kent recently out the game yourself

was who's going to hoops hoops of course yeah who's going to be the next big doc

well there is there is a one big dog at the moment you can't go past any wide line out

boys I worked with him for a lot of years but you know him and Buzz were the kings of our game

in terms of journalism and set the benchmark so you know it goes without saying down he's

sits at the throne but you know I'm a big fan of my carry honest I think he's an exceptional

journal I think he'll you know he brought the paint our story right so he's going to be

become even more present in that media landscape you know my bias towards the herald as well

you know guys like Chris Barrett has come in now he's going to be a very good rugby league

journal he's used to it years ago phenomenal journal just once he developed those contacts again

he'll be exceptional and make you look at the look at the league media landscape like really

rickia whereby nicolousey progenke like all these guys have been doing it for so many years

what what has I have noticed this change there isn't those young guys coming through like I was

probably in terms of news breakers like there's a lot of young guys covering the game but in terms

of guys you want to chase the hard news and write stories that are upset people there hasn't been

really anyone coming through that wants to do that and carry honest and I'll probably the last

guys that came through and that's well you know with on 37 now so yeah genuine news breakers

hopefully we get a lot more younger guys wanting to do that because that's what that's what drives

interest from outside the games on Thursday to Sunday it's the drama of midweek and that's what

I did for for so many years I loved it in the end of covering the ins and outs and all the goss

the media does play an important role and it sets the topic of conversations it's it helps

generate that that 24 seven new cycle around rugby league and you'd know better than everyone

so you'd know better than anyone how to leverage and exploit that for your own benefit

are you saying that I'm intent to manipulate the media I'm no I'm well I think it's

up front and honest it happens every club if you're not doing it you should be doing it like no I

know that's well I'd like to think that's part of you know that's an advantage that when the

NRA were thinking about appointing me that's one skill set that I had was relationships ability

to understand the media how it works the lay of the land because a lot of people who come into the game

don't understand how it works and and spend half their time worrying about why did that get out

if I don't know how it got out I'm not going to bother me like I'm pretty thick skin but also if

you spend your time trying to work out where things are coming from you're going to drive yourself

mad what you got to do is worry about making sure that you're not the one who's being detrimental

to the organization so yeah and I feel like the relationship side of it is something that I'll

definitely lawners lawners well connected in png right you know she's got us covered over there

you know calling her the queen of png to everyone I walked into the airport the other day

important was being there were media that I'm like how this happened anyway we won't go there

but like in terms of Australian media yeah I'd be able to pick up the phone to someone and say

we had to do the other day with someone was would he would he was going on about

oh no it wasn't over he was talking about oh I think he said there was going to be a free

accommodation free accommodation for the players and free schooling for the kids I said so

it just said would you mate that's the way it won't be free it's a salary cap brought

if free accommodation for the players this is what how it's going to work so I'm not afraid I know

these people really well have these conversations educate people on what's happening and a large

part of what we do in the next 12 to 18 months is actually educating people on what this is going

to be like because you have a perception everyone else has a perception of what it's going to be like

and explaining to them what you say on Google is not reality is our job I think as well from

from your background look and we've spoken about all the upside all the positives but there's

going to be at times that every club goes through it's crisis management yeah like you you're

I think naive if you don't think there's going to be a time when a player is in trouble all there's

a story that you need to get the the right angle across and you'd know better than anyone out

how to get get it to advantage the chiefs yeah and the good see yeah exactly when when when

when yeah exactly so you know no complaints yeah hopefully we'll have to use it too often but

yeah that's it's just a reality the good CEOs and the good GM's like if you look around the game

they they all do it they all do it they all do it they they control coaches they control the

messaging and when things aren't going their way they know how to actually make sure that it

doesn't end up in a situation where it's a lot worse for the club so I know definitely

use that skill set to our advantage well Lorna chame we really appreciate you coming in here

on the buy-around I can just foresee in about five years time the buy-around sunday special

who is the leak and we're going to sit down we're going to go through all the candidates who is

leaking who's got a good podcast I like that you two could be like in in the side to it it wouldn't

it wouldn't be them it couldn't be no I'll pick it up for you yeah I look forward to your

podcast when you you did the build of bears and I will set on that with Charlie I look forward to

you building a chaps man your roster can we bring you on for it yeah yeah we don't need to play

hypothetical I might leave that one all out there about who you're actually with names on the board

like and we don't need to yeah we don't need to make it up we can actually just actually do it

I'm not going to hire a recruitment manager because I'm just going to watch the podcast and see

what you're regular and follow through I was just going to say how good would that be for

for content and you know you think about building hang on are you trying to get me to do

not live coverage of who I'm going to recruit on your podcast no but if you think about

the sports documentaries yeah please tell me you're going to do that yeah we've talked about it

were we yeah like you have to you you almost have to yeah yeah like it's such a good story so you

need yeah like and junk Netflix to be interested I reckon any streaming service the the buy-around

we could come over yeah the buy-around is just okay yeah no but I just respect with my aim a little

bit higher okay we're ready I genuinely do just thinking on the spot like you've every sport does

it f1 drive to survive all that sort of stuff sundaland till I die like it's there and ready but

thank you so much thank you Charlie's I'm gonna pop in the background this podcast is bought

by our good friends at Lovebrook's Charlie the pen with Panthers are off to Bathurst to take on

the Cranola sharks we'll get a true read on those Cranola sharks that were dominant in the opening

round no one does it better for country rugby league than the pen with Panthers they take so many

games there every year and this Bathurst fixture is going to be incredible two premiership heavyweights

but the Panthers are huge favorites dollar 33 the Cranola sharks are $3.35 the line is eight and a half

points have you got a same game multi James Graham yeah Charlie I sure do I do think there's a

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is Charlie season C's apply and available on the website odds are subject to change what's

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the rugby league season is back so is the buy round and back with us again to be powered by

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