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Brisbane Broncos coach Wayne Bennett believes a NRL team could be based in Papua New Guinea within ten years.
Bennett has got behind a push for two PNG sides, one from the Northern/Highlands area and one based in Port Moresby, playing in the Queensland Cup in a bid to revive interest in the sport in Australia's northern neighbour.
He has spoken to Queensland Rugby League boss Ross Livermore about the PNG proposal and is confident that the country will see more top-class rugby league in the near future.
"In five or six years, if this works, they could be in the NRL and I would support that," Bennett told the League Correspondent.
Bennett's brother Bob has been the PNG national coach for the last ten years.
A report last week by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said a PNG team in the NRL would be a massive lift for the embattled country.
"The involvement of one or more PNG teams in Australia's National Rugby League competition, if broadcast throughout PNG, might do more to build PNG's sense of national identity than anything else we could do," the report said.