Albo brings PMs from Tonga, Samoa, PNG to Origin decider

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Rugby league kingpin Peter V’landys will no doubt have been riding high heading into Wednesday evening, after getting Nine Entertainment, owner of this masthead, and Foxtel, to beat the $5 billion valuation he’d set for the fresh NRL broadcast rights deal inked this week.

It wasn’t all cash, of course. But we doubt that detail will take away from V’landys’ victory lap. With the NRL broadcast rights now settled, the chatter in sporting and media circles was focused elsewhere. Namely, the looming prospect of V’landys’ ascension to the all-powerful role of rugby league executive chairman, following the departure of NRL chief Andrew Abdo.

Only fitting, then, that the $5.3 billion man of the moment could look forward to keeping the company of multiple prime ministers while basking in the afterglow at the State of Origin decider at Suncorp.

V’landys held court with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese heading into Wednesday evening, just weeks after the pair were seen hobnobbing at game two in Melbourne. But Albanese wasn’t the only prime minister on the guestlist.

Also rubbing shoulders with V’landys in Brisbane were Lord Fakafanua, the Prime Minister of Tonga, and Laʻauli Leuatea Schmidt, the Prime Minister of Samoa, along with James Marape, the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli got pride and place with a seat bearing his name next to V’landys in the stadium, with Albanese seated to his other side. Nine chairman Peter Tonagh, meanwhile, was........

© The Sydney Morning Herald