Matty Johns Urges NRL Hierarchy To Consider Pacific Island Team For NRL

Triple M Grill Team's Matty Johns has urged the NRL to seriously think about bringing a pacific island team into the NRL after the success of the World Cup. 

"We must at the end of this World Cup, the powers at be must sit around a table and must work out a pathway to bring a pacific island team into the NRL competition." Matty told The Grill Team. 

"It is an absolute must. 

"When it happens, I'll tell you something ... the support that they would get would be absolutely phenomenal.

"They won't have success overnight but I guarantee that within 10 years time - in that 10 year period - which will come and go pretty quickly, they will be a real powerhouse of the NRL and one of the flagships of the game."

The former Newcastle Knights Premiership winning player truly believes the heartland of rugby league will shift to the pacific. 

"The heartland of rugby league continually shifts around," Matty said. 

"There was a time when I was at Newcastle we used to look at the Hunter Valley and say that's the heartland of rugby league.

"Sydney was the heartland. We look at Queensland now, South East Queensland or is it North Queensland? 

"I honestly believe into the future there will be a time where we say the heartland of rugby league is in the pacific islands."