In 2028, Papua New Guinea will officially enter the NRL and now they have their team name: Papua New Guinea Chiefs.
The team name was announced prior to the Prime Minister’s XIII game in Port Moresby, with the PNG NRL franchise board and PNG government putting together a competition to come to the decision.
The expansion marks a historic moment for rugby league, as PNG becomes the second overseas franchise to join the NRL after the Warriors were added in 1995.
The PNG Chiefs are backed by a $600 million sports diplomacy initiative between Australia and PNG, designed to strengthen regional ties and infrastructure.
The team will be based in Port Moresby, with Santos National Football Stadium set to host the club's home games.
The Chiefs will have an entire nation to derive their local talent, building pathways for PNG's young athletes to rise through the lower-grades and eventually into first-grade.
Rugby league is already a national obsession in PNG, with packed grounds and a fanbase that lives and breathes the sport.
MORE: ARLC boss backs Wayne Bennett for PNG expansion role
Who will coach the PNG Chiefs?
Wayne Bennett has been headhunted by the ARL Commission, but the legendary coach will be 78-years-of-age by the time the Chiefs play their first NRL game. It's unclear at this stage whether he will have the appetite to take on a project of this scale at this stage in his career.
Adrian Lam, who is the current head coach of the Leigh Leopards in the Super League and a legendary PNG athlete, would be an excellent consolation prize if the Chiefs don't land Bennett.
Former Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou will also be in the running for the job. He's the current head coach of the PNG men's national team and has a strong relationship with many of the players in the PNG Hunters' Queensland Cup side.
He recently accepted the role as the next head coach of the London Broncos, but given that PNG won't feature in the NRL until 2028, his name will remain in the conversation for now.