Jarome Luai has become the first official signing for the PNG Chiefs ahead of joining the NRL in 2028, the club has confirmed.
In a social media post announcing the news, the club said Luai's signing - as player 001 - will attract other quality players.
The Toa Samoa international is contracted to the Chiefs for 2028 and 2029.
The Chiefs will stand for something bigger than a single country - they are also the team of the Pacific, it said.
It comes just days after Luai and his family was feted with red carpet treatment in Port Moresby this week.
The four-time premiership-winning playmaker was officially welcomed by the PNG Prime Minister James Marape, sending the rugby league world into overdrive regarding his imminent move to the Chiefs.
But Marape did not give away the surprise, saying "there is nothing formal or concrete" and that Luai remained contracted to his club, the Wests Tigers.
"I'm here [at Wests Tigers] for another 18 months and it's pretty good to get that out of the way and understading that I've still go a job here to do," Luai said on Wednesday morning at Wests Tigers HQ, confirming that move to the Chiefs.
"It's probably more a vision. Something that I resonated with. Being Polynesian, you know, there's a lot of similarities, to Samoa and things like that. So, yeah what that team's eventually going to do for those people is just grow a nation.
"I think everybody wants me to say tax free and how appealing that is for me from the outside in. But that's not what got the deal signed. Being over there you sort of realise that it's bigger than a game over there.
"And when the time comes, we'll be able to change a lot of lives for the better."
Meanwhile, there are also reports that Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston has signed with the Chiefs.
Johnston, the NRL's all-time leading tryscorer, appeared to confirm the news on Instagram.
Former South Sydney and St George Illawarra halfback Willie Peters has been given the job.
Prime Minister James Marape welcomed the announcement that the visa will come at a significantly reduced cost compared to a regular Australian visa.
The new Papua New Guinea NRL team will be known as the Chiefs.
Papua New Guinea's new NRL franchise has taken another hit with chief executive Andrew Hill leaving the club before a ball has even been kicked.
The NRL said the announcement is a major milestone and sets the franchise on a path to great success both on and off the field.
