Aiyok set to give senior players the toss

 By KEVIN TEME

MASTA Mak City Rangers are set to undergo a good old-fashioned clean out in its ranks.

The Port Moresby rugby league franchise owner Kelly Aiyok said this yesterday after seeing comments made in the editorial early this week regarding outstanding player and officials payments as well as recent reports on his team’s possible exit in the 2011 competition.

Aiyok said he was confident that Rangers would remain part in this year’s inter-city challenge but would unload some “baggage” with training scheduled to resume early next month.

“Rangers will certainly play this year and I’ll say it over and over for the fans. 

“I am attending the PNGNRL board meeting this weekend and I will put to rest doubts of us not taking part in 2011 because we owe this and that and so forth,” a confident but agitated Aiyok said.

He acknowleged critics who wrote to the paper in the public forum, saying they were not qualified pass judgement but it was obvious the team had underperformed since its inception. 

“People making negative comments are entitled to do so but all Rangers’senior players have never in my view performed or earned  match payments, it’s as simple as that,” Aiyok said.

“Why should I pay a useless bunch of undisciplined players?” Aiyok lamented.

“I withheld two match payments last year because they did not deliver in crucial games against the Muruks and Vipers. 

“They only won the easy games against Mt Hagen  Kuris and Lae Bombers so it was not fair for me to spend my money on them.

“Yes, they won those two games but when I told them to deliver for the really important games and that I would double their match payments they players never delivered.” 

Aiyok said he had no choice but to take drastic measures to ensure his franchise did not continue to be the laughing stock of the inter-city cup.

“These performances are just unacceptable for me and I will now sack most of my senior players for this year but only keep the few that are well disciplined.”

Aiyok warned that regardless of experience players were at his mercy and for this year, most of those so-called senior players would be asked to leave.

Aiyok has also sent  scouts around Port Moresby during the Christmas and NCD Governor’s Cup off-season competitions in a bid to recruit “young blood” for this year.

Meanwhile, several senior Rangers players contacted revealed that the team was let down because Aiyok had never fulfilled his promises of increased match payments and other benefits which resulted in the team’s poor performances for the past three seasons.