Lomai not giving up on return to Hunters

Sports

By ISAAC LIRI
DESPITE being dropped from the Hunters squad this year, Timothy Lomai is keeping his hopes alive of making it back to the SP-sponsored side and hopefully doning the red black and gold at the World Cup.
The Southern highlander told The National yesterday he was taking his fitness training seriously however his focus at the moment was with Stanley Tepend’s Lae Tigers and their mission to bring back the Melanesian Cup when they face Fiji’s Nadi Aviators tomorrow at the Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka.
“I’m not in a rush to get back into the Hunters, I have a lot of work to do and I’m putting my head down and working hard,” Lomai said.
“Right now my focus is on the Melanesian Cup game in Fiji and when I come back I’ll continue training and playing with the Tigers and hopefully improve my fitness to get called back,” Lomai said.
Playing for the Kumuls in the 2017 Rugby League World Cup is  Lomai’s long term goal.
“In order for me to achieve that goal I need to get my priorities right,” said.
“I have set other short term goals and once I meet those I believe I’ll be in better position to achieve my aims and one of them is to make the Kumuls this year,” he said.
Departing for Fiji with the Tigers yesterday the 105kg prop/second-rower was singled out by Tepend as a player who would be expected to lead the side up front given his big game experience.
Tepend said hooker Warren Glare, another Hunters player, who was dropped from the Michael Marum squad had something to prove.
Tepend said Lomai had the physical attributes to be a long term Kumul and along with another Kumul David Loko would be crucial to their chances in tomorrow’s game.
“Obviously we’ll bank on the experience of Tim, David and Warren,” Tepend said.
Marum said the door for players who were dropped from the Hunters was always open and all they need was to prove their fitness at the Digicel Cup level.