By HENRY MORABANG
PAPUA New Guinea Schoolboys Rugby Football League (PNGSBRFL) will launch its talent identification programme (TIP) nationwide on Jan 14 to identify future representative footballers.
PNGSBRFL chairman Ifisoe Segeyaro said yesterday that the TIP is an enrollment programme for schoolboys throughout the country.
Segeyaro said he will be calling on senior SP Cup players to help identify the talents during rugby league carnivals nationwide over at least three days at major league centres including Port Moresby, Lae, Rabaul, Goroka, Mount Hagen, Madang, Wabag, Alotau, Kiunga and Tabubil.
Former Kumul Daroa Ben-Moide, now based in Alotau, Milne Bay province, has come forward to volunteer as a selector under the programme.
Segeyaro said other interested senior or former players who want to help should contact him on his mobile 6850424. The TIP is more like a crash course for SP Cup players - what they can expect to do to develop the code when they retire from play football.
He expressed gratitude to the major sponsor of PNG Schoolboys League, Nestle PNG through its Milo brand, for increasing financial support to start the 2008 season with the TIP. It is understood that Nestle PNG has increased its sponsorship from K100,000 to K140,000 this year.
The TIP will be followed by a roller-coaster sign-on programme, similar to last yearís which featured PNG Kumuls coach Adrian Lam encouraging schoolboys and girls to register their interest in playing rugby league. This programme will start next month.
In other rugby league related stories, Segeyaro will travel to Cairns next week to discuss a possible tri-series involving Torres Strait Islanders, Aboriginal and the PNG junior sides.
He will meet with several Far North Queensland league executives to get the series off the ground. The tri-series will include cultural exhibitions from the three areas.
Australia Rugby League operations manager Tas Baitieri has endorsed the plan and wants to see it get off the ground as soon as possible.
Baitieri told Segeyaro that if he and the Far North Queensland needed any assistance, the rugby league fraternity in North Queensland and Brisbane will lend their support.