Crucially, a club name, logo and colours will also be determined by locals, with the national team name of the PNG Kumls already off the table.

On a historic day for rugby league, Dib was unveiled as PNG’s first chair on Tuesday and will head-up a seven-person board for the NRL’s 19th team that includes Melbourne Storm legend Marcus Bai.

The ARL Commission has struck a landmark expansion tax deal that will see the NRL’s biggest stars pocket millions in extra income by playing for a 19th team in Papua New Guinea.

The PNG NRL bid team will need to work with local talent across the country once the pilot program is taken out of the major centres, so there will be a need to include local trainers, ...