Boas sidelined

Safety first for Vipers after playmaker strains hamstring

By PARKER TAMBUA
ASE Boas is set to miss at least one match after the 31-year-old playmaker appeared to have strained his hamstring in the Port Moresby Vipers’ 6-12 loss to the Mendi Muruks on Saturday.
It was a worrying scene for the Vipers as the SP Hunters skipper hobbled off the field in the 7th minute of their Digicel Cup round-three clash at Sir John Guise Stadium.
The Vipers now host cellar-dwellers Mt Hagen Eagles – who have the worst defence in the competition heading into round four – on Sunday as they look to bounce back from their first loss of the season.
Vipers coach Leonard Tarum said he would most likely rest 2017 Queensland Intrust Super Cup (ISC) premiership winner Boas to avoid long-term injury.
“He picked up a hamstring strain so we will need to rest him in our next match,” Tarum said of the 2017 ISC player of the year.
“It was unfortunate that he had to come off early in the game.
“We definitely missed his experience and leadership in attack against the Muruks.
“There was no coordination in attack after Boas left the field.
“Certainly, that was one factor which affected our game.
“Our combination between the hooker and halves didn’t click.
“We weren’t able to make our opportunities count.”
But Tarum said despite the loss, his men had made significant progress compared with their performances in the opening two rounds.
“I am pleased with how we played against the Muruks,” he said.
“Our only problem was that when Boas got injured, we lacked coordination in attack.
“But having said that, we picked out a lot of positives from the game.
“So we’ll go back to training and prepare for the Eagles.”
Meanwhile, the second-placed Muruks face last year’s losing grand finalists Hela Wigmen – who are third on the ladder – at the Lae Rugby League Ground in the Morobe capital on Sunday (3.30pm kick-off).