NRL fans were left fuming on Sunday after the broadcast of the Prime Minister’s XIII clash in Papua New Guinea was plagued by poor picture and audio quality.
The match, played at Port Moresby’s Santos National Football Stadium, marked the official unveiling of PNG’s NRL side - the PNG Chiefs, set to join the competition in 2028.
But while it was a landmark moment for the game, the broadcast left fans questioning whether the country is ready for NRL-standard production.
Even Prime Minister James Marape’s pre-game speech was barely audible, with audio cutting in and out during the historic announcement.
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Fans blast ‘potato’ production quality
Once the game began, complaints exploded across social media as fans noticed pixelated footage, lagging vision, and muffled sound from the commentary and stadium microphones.
One fan wrote: “They’ve got three years to get some decent audio/visual… production quality is horrendous. Can’t hear a word and looks like it’s being shot on a potato.”
Another added: “The next broadcast deal must include every game in 4K. This quality is disgraceful.”
For many viewers, the coverage felt like a step back in time to the 1980s, when VHS tapes and static-laden broadcasts were the norm.
Voss addresses ‘technical issues’ live on air
Fox League commentator Andrew Voss, who was calling the game from Sydney alongside Greg Alexander, tried to remain diplomatic while acknowledging the clear problems.
“Technically, we’ve got some work to do,” Voss said during the broadcast.
“We’ve got years to do it, of course, but I’ve seen a fair bit of football come out of Port Moresby and sometimes we do have some issues there. It needs to be NRL standard… we’ll work on that.”
As if to prove his point, the coverage froze completely with just 11 seconds left in the match - leaving viewers staring at a distorted technicolour screen as players shook hands.
“We’ve got some poorly timed technical issues as well,” Voss added. “I think the rain’s got the better of the equipment.”
$3 billion broadcast question
While the PNG Chiefs’ entry in 2028 remains a historic step for rugby league, the NRL and its broadcast partners now have three years to ensure production meets the league’s commercial and visual standards.
With the NRL currently negotiating a new broadcast rights deal expected to exceed $3 billion, officials will be under pressure to guarantee all matches - including those in PNG - meet full HD or 4K expectations.
For now, the NRL’s newest expansion team has a clear challenge ahead: fixing off-field production before they even step foot into first-grade competition.