PRL premiers maintain form, upsets Panthers

PORT Moresby Rugby League competition leader Royals maintained their good form beating the Paga Panthers 15-14 in split round fixture on Monday at the National Football Stadium.
Out of the 15 total games played, the Black Swan-sponsored side has 10 wins, three draws and one loss which sees them on top of the table with 25 points while the Hohola Flies are second on 23 points.
Royals coach Steven Yoba Gunua has been a big part of the club’s success so far in 2017 and under his guidance the men in blue have been a top five side over the last three seasons.
For the Panthers, the loss however narrow sees them drop to 11th place.
The Panthers have fallen from grace after winning the Ipatas Cup in the first quarter of the year.
The Panthers suffered the loss of several key players to the Digicel Cup and Richard Wagambie’s side have struggled to find that winning egde. Consistency has been the biggest problem for the Panthers who have shown they can match it with the PRL’s best – they beat the Flies last week but loss to Royals.
Against Royals, Paga pushed the competition’s in-form side all the way but were pipped by a Karish Peter field goal at the death.