Mead looking forward to Kumuls (Post Courier 21/08/17)

BY FIDELIS SUKINA

David Mead

David Mead may have missed out on the Pacific Test this year due to Injury but he is looking forward to the rugby league World Cup in October, to dawn the PNG Kumuls jumper

His game against the Hunters was impressive with him in the centers scoring two tries in a close game going down 28-22.

He said the last time he played in PNG was in 2009 in the Pacific test and since then has seen a lot of improvements in his return match on Sunday at the new look Oil Search Football Stadium.

“The field is a lot better than in 2009 when I last played here in the Pacific Cup big difference in the facilities as well, The Hunters they tackle hard and I see the level has also picked up and the Hunters are really good they are a strong team and will help the Kumuls well.

“It was good to be back even though I was in the opposition team to hear the crowd every time I got the ball just made me more excited to wear the Kumuls jumper,” Mead said

Kumuls coach Micheal  Marum

He added that he does not lose hope for the opportunity to represent PNG a feeling that he is always excited about.

“I am very excited it’s a good feeling to represent the country it’s something you dream of as a kid especially in rugby league the country is always excited about rugby league hopefully I make the squad and we get some good wins here,” Mead said

Kumuls Coach Michael Marum said Mead without a doubt was impressive against the Hunters and if in good health before the World Cup was a definite option for the Kumuls team.

“He is a current Kumul player and he really played well can’t question that, he probably earned his spot in the Kumuls team, he just needs to remain healthy and keep fit before the world Cup.

“He was part of the squad in 2016 and his performance was outstanding he missed out this year due to injury he and the other NRL players they are quality players and boost the players it’s up to us to pick our best team,” Marum said

Hunters make history: win first ever minor premiership (Post Courtier 21/08/17)

SP PNG Hunters celebrating their Minor Premiership milestone 

BY FIDELIS SUKINA

The SP PNG Hunters have claimed the 2017 Queensland Intrust Super Cup minor premiership with a 28-22 win over the Wynnum Manly Seagulls at the Oil Search National Football Stadium on Sunday.

Try scoring sensation Stargroth Amean
shaking hands with PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Niell

The Hunters made history winning their first ever minor premiership since entering the competition in 2014.

The round 24 match saw the Hunters beating the seagulls five tries to four, in a game that saw both teams exchanging try’s right through the dying minutes of the match.

The Seagulls scored first in the seventh minute through Paora Kemp for an unconverted try to take the lead 4-0.

The Hunters went on the board in the 13th minute through Stargroth Amean, a conversion by Ase taking them to a 6-4 lead David Mead was too strong bumping off Adex Wera and taking Butler Morris with him into the try line to take the seagulls to a 10-6 lead into half time.

Wellington Albert and Enock Maki made a huge impact in the forwards with solid runs Captain Ase Boas’s inside balls put the forwards through some tiered seagulls defense.

The Hunters came strong in the second half forcing two penalties which led to an individual try to Israel Eliab in the 42nd minute.

An unsuccessful conversion leaving the scores tied at 10-10, the Hunters furthered the score line to 16-10 after a good passage of play found Bland Abavu offloading to Nixon Putt for a try.

The Seagulls had to fight through some Aggressive Hunters defense with Captain Mitch Frei taking the lead scoring a converted try in the 59th minute to level the scores 16-16.

Hunters center Israel Eliab going in for a try against the Seagulls

The Seagulls started to look tiered with the Hunters forwards running through their defense, Ase Boas foot work caught them napping breaking through from the 40 meter line linking up with try scoring sensation Amean for a center try in the 63rd minute the conversion taking them to a 22-16 lead.

Ase Boas continued his good form for the second time finding an opening in the Seagulls defense line slipping past two players to score a try with a successful conversion of his own taking the lead to 28-16 with 12 minutes of play remaining.

The visitors going to Mead for the last try leaving the scores at 28-22.

David Mead had a tough match of his own with the Hunters numbering up on the Kumuls fullback, but he managed to get past them for two tries.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill was on had to celebrate with the players after their milestone yesterday.

SP PNG Hunters to make History (Post Courier 17/08/18)

Hunters Coach Marum

                                                                         

BY FIDELIS SUKINA

SP PNG Hunters will be looking to make history this Sunday at 3pm at the Oil Search National Football Stadium if they beat the Wynnum Manly Seagulls.

A win this weekend in round 24 of the Queensland Intrust Super Cup will see the Hunters cement the Minor Premiership for the first time since the team entered the competition in 2014.

Hunters Coach Marum is confident and has retained the same line up for the past two weekends and sees fit to run the same team to accomplish the milestone.

The Hunters are three points clear ahead of the Redcliff Dolphins and a win this weekend will make things much easier for them when they meet last placed Tweed Head Seagulls next weekend in the final round where they will be out to vent some payback after their loss to them in round 15.

“Minor premiership wasn’t part of our goal this year we wanted to qualify for top six but we did really well.

Inform Fullback Stargroth Amean will be looking to
give a good game on Sunday

“A win for us will see us minor premiers something big for the team in the fourth season we have made it three times into the finals we are only focusing one game at a time so we are focused for this weekend’s game,” Marum said

He added that no one player is guaranteed a spot in the team for the finals with player’s performance on the weekend determining the final spots

“No one is guaranteed a spot in the finals depending on their performance this weekend injury and suspensions depending on how they perform we have players who are coming off injury as well like Adex Wera,” Marum said

PNG Kumuls captain David Mead will be part of the Visiting Seagulls team he plays for the Brisbane Broncos and will in the centers for the feeder club.

He will be looking to impress Kumuls Coach Micheal Marum for a space in the World Cup team this October.

Tickets go on sale for Rugby League World Cup (Post Courier 16/08/17)

RLWC CEO Andrew Hill (Left) PNG LNG Kumuls Coach Micheal Marum, Kumuls Player Stargroth Amean and RLWC2017 General Manger Commercial & Marketing Rohan Sawyer with a life size ticket

BY FIDELIS SUKINA

Tickets will be available starting Thursday 24th August 2017 for the three Rugby League World Cup games that will be hosted at the Oil Search National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.

The PNG LNG Kumuls will be hosting three pool games PNG Kumuls vs Wales, Saturday 28 October 2017 at 3.00pm, PNG Kumuls vs Ireland, Sunday 5 November 2017 at 4.00pm, PNG Kumuls vs USA, Sunday 12 November 2017 at 3.00pm Prices with ticket prices as low as K30.

Papua New Guinea will be co-hosting the Rugby League World Cup with Australia and New Zealand from October 26 to December 2nd.

The Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2017) Organising Committee made the announcement at the Oil Search National Football Stadium yesterday.

Present to make the official announcement was RLWC2017 CEO Andrew Hill and RLWC2017 General Manger Commercial & Marketing Rohan Sawyer who came from Sydney Australia to give the news.

Hill said the three World Cup games to be hosted by PNG will make history and would be affordable for fans to watch.

“We are committed to maintaining a family friendly price structure this will be a world cup that entertains the world and inspires a community and will celebrate rugby league,” Hill said

Sawyer added that only individual tickets will be available and no packages with children 2 years and older free entry given they are on the lap of their parents.

“Tickets will only be Individual tickets and will start from 30 PGK for seats in the North and South Grandstands, 50 PGK for seats in the Eastern Grandstand, 80 PGK for seats in the Wings of the

Western Grandstand; and 120 PGK for seats in the covered Western Grandstand,” Sawyer said

Sawyer added that tickets can be purchased online at the website rlwc2017.com with tickets in local outlets going on sale starting at 10 am on Thursday 24th August 2017.

Four outlets will be selling the tickets, Brian Bell at the Plaza Boroko, Home Centre Gordons and Vision City, The Stop and Shop, Rainbow and North Waigani along Morata road, Big Rooster Erima and Koki and Cool Stuff Water Front.

Womens coach adamant of team (Post Courier 17/0817)

Oil Search PNG Orchids coach Dennis Miall 

BY FIDELIS SUKINA

Oil Search PNG Orchids coach Dennis Miall says he was impressed with the level of skill and confidence of the selected players.

Miall added he was happy with the team and one of his first tasks as coach will be to get the woman into a team that can set the bench mark for woman’s rugby into the future.

“My first task would be to take the team up to a standard performance, after watching the championships in Lae the ladies have the guts and the confidence to play and everything builds around that,” Miall said

PNGRFL has clarified in a statement yesterday to Post Courier that there will be additions and subtractions to the current squad, after the curtain raiser to PM XIII.


Overseas players will also be considered before the final 24 woman team is finalized in mid October.

When asked about the training schedule Miall added that the team would be expected to assemble before their September 23 match against the Jillaroos in Port Moresby.

“Depend on what the PNGRFL approves in our training program we anticipate them to be a week or two before the Jillaroos game. We should be together before the game,” Miall said

He added that as a team their World Cup campaign would be centered on setting a bench mark for Women’s Rugby League in PNG.

“We would like to set a standard that PNGRFL can bank on and move on from that standard that we set.

“We are aiming ourselves high and going there confident,” Miall said

Miall is the Deputy Principal Academic at Lae Secondary school and has been a teacher for 20 years; he coaches the Tigers Womens team in the Lae competition and has been involved with them for two years.

He has been involved with PNGRFL since the School Boys competition in 2005 and his biggest achievement was winning Gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow Scotland as coach with the U19 PNG men’s team.

Womans World Cup to host triple headers in each game

BY FIDELIS SUKINA

Andrew Hill CEO of  RLWC2017

Andrew Hill CEO of Rugby League World Cup 2017 announced that all games for the Women teams will be held at the Southern Cross Group Stadium in Cronulla in Sydney.

Hill made this announcement at the launching of the Oil Search PNG Orchids team on Tuesday.

“This World Cup will be the fifth edition and the first ever fully funded Women’s World Cup with all 11 games to be played at the Southern Cross Group Stadium in Cronulla in Sydney.

“With less than 100 days remaining we will see Papua New Guinea, Canada, Cook Islands, New Zealand, England and defending Champions Australia play three triple header matches on 16 November, 19^th November and 22^nd November, with the finals on 26^th November.

“On second December all eyes will be on Brisbane when a capacity crowd of 52, 500 people and more than 20 million viewers World Wide will be watching the first ever double header World Cup Grand Final where two world champions will be crowned for the Men and Women,” Hill said

The Oil Search PNG Orchids will play their first game on the 16^th of November against England; on 19^th November they will play Canada and on 22 November play New Zealand.

PNG are in Pool B with New Zealand and Canada with Australia, England and Cook Islands in Pool B.

Lynda Babao-O’Neill wife of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill who revealed the Womans National team name and logo said the participation of the Orchids shows progress in Women’s Rugby League in Papua New Guinea.

“The involvement of the Women team presents the progress and potential of Women Rugby League in Papua New Guinea, the international games can only strengthen and develop the Sports.

“It’s a male dominant sport male with the male athlete getting most of the funding and I am ecstatic to see a renewed effort to bring women’s rugby league to the fore front,” she said

PNG Orchids! PNGRFL Names Womens National Rugby League team (Post Courier 16/0817)

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Oil Search PNG Orchid Freda Waula (left) Lynda Babao O`Neill and Orchid player Cathy Neap with the new logo for the PNG  National women’s Rugby League team and the two jerseys to be used in the match against the Jillaroos (right) and the World Cup. (Picture by Mark Talia Post Courier Photographer)

BY FIDELIS SUKINA

The PNG National Women’s team for the Women’s Rugby League World Cup has been named the Papua New Guinea Orchids after a nationwide survey was done says Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) Chairman Sandis Tsaka.

The Women’s World Cup will be played alongside the Men’s World Cup in October.

The logo and jerseys for the Prime Ministers IIIX curtain raiser against the Australian Jillaroos in September and the World Cup in October was launched at the Naked Fish in Port Moresby yesterday.

The orchids will play their first game as a team against the Australia’s Harvey Noram Jillaroos as part of a “triple-header” on September 23, alongside the Prime Minister’s XIII and Kumuls clash and a match between a NSW Young Achievers side and PNG.

Lynda Babao-Oineil wife of Prime Minster of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neil revealed the name and the logo for the Womens National Team.

Tsaka said the team has never had a formal name with the Orchids name symbolizing the woman folk of PNG.

“The PNG Rugby League Woman’s team has never had a formal name and as a matter of a fact has never played an international match before.
“The board after running a nationwide survey to find a name decided on a name the reflected a symbol that was indigenous to PNG and reflected the National Diversity and riches in our environment in this case of flora that will be culturally and nationally identifiable with the women folk in Papua New Guinea.

“After a process that raised many questions as much as answers the board settled on what we believed is a name that identifies with our PNG Identity and infect represent our woman and girls in PNG,” Tsaka said

The Orchids team was also announced after the Confederate National Championships in Lae on Tuesday 15th August, with a 30 women squad announced at the Launch, the team will assemble to take on the Jillaroos and onto the World Cup in October.

30 train on squad woman’s world cup

Barbar Selsel – Highlands

Carol Humeu – southern

Cathy Neap – southern

Elvina Aaron – Southern

Freda Waula – Southern

Grace Mark – Northern

Janet Michael – Southern

Joan Kuman – Southern

Maima Wae – Southern

Margaret Papo – Highlands

Martha Karl – Northern

Naomi Kaupa – Southern

Shirley Joe – Northern

Akosita Baru – Northern

Anna Oiufa – Highlands

Brenda Goro – Southern

Christy Roulage – Highlands

Della Audama – Southern

Elava Turpa – NGI

Gloria Kaupa – Highlands

Helen Abau – Southern

Jacobeth Ware – Northern

Shirley Jerry – Highlands

Vero Waula – Southern


Shadow players


Anas Lingiliket – NGI

Atua Arek – Northern

Barbra Andrew – Northern

Fay Sogavo – Highlands

Mala Mark – Highlands

Melisa James – Highlands


Coach: Dennis Miall