Marum hunts for talent

By JACK AMI
THE Papua New Guinea Hunters coach Michael Marum is still on the hunt for prospective talents for next year’s Queensland Rugby League Intrust Super Cup.
Marum will accompany PNG Rugby Football League chairman Sandis Tsaka to witness the grand finals in Minj and Madang over the weekend.
Tsaka said they would witness the finals in Jiwaka tomorrow and at Madang on Sunday.
He said he had confidence in Marum as the driving force behind the Hunters’ rise and this drive to scout potential talents from across the country helped set a benchmark.
“This is an opportunity in the off-season as Marum has made a commitment to go hunting for another potential Hunter from the rural local leagues in PNG,” Tsaka said.
The Hunters mentor said he has been to local competitions in Port Moresby, Goroka and Hides (in Hela) to look out for potential players to include in his training camp for next year’s ISC season.
Early this month, Marum accompanied the PNGRFL chairman to witness the Enga School Boys Rugby League grand final and picked 17-year-old Thompson Yaksumbu for the Hunters training camp.
He also identified players in the PNG National Rugby League Digicel Cup, Port Moresby, Central, Motu-Koita and East New Britain.
Marum is looking for the height and weight in the players to undergo training under the Hunters programme, especially in fitness and skills.
“This grooms prospective talents and enables them to be ready to undergo the full Hunters programme should they pass the intitial period of testing,” Tsaka said.
“These selected players will train with the current Hunters squad under Marum and his coaching staff in December.”