Bottom four battle for cup play-offs

 THE Digicel Cup heads into its third week of the cross-over competition this week with the bottom four teams – Gulf Isapea, Port Moresby Vipers, Waghi Tumbe and Mt Hagen Eagles – entering the fray for the first time in four weeks.

Competition manager David Silovo said matches were postponed for the first week of the Pacific Games but the clubs got back into action last weekend with the top six continuing their matches.

The Simbu Lions beat the Agmark Gurias 12-10 in Kundiawa; the Lae Tigers thumped defending champions, the Hela Wigmen, 32-6 in Lae and the Mendi Muruks edged the Goroka Lahanis 22-12 in Mendi.

“After matches were put off for the Pacific Games opening weekend the teams got back into the thick of things last week. Everything went well. There were no problems. All our referees, who took part in the Pacific Games nines will be backing up this week,” Silovo said.

“We’ve got the bottom four sides playing this weekend so it will be good to have more teams playing over the weekend and trying to secure a spot in the final eight.”

Silovo said two teams would eventually be eliminated from the bottom four, leaving the remaining two to join the top six for the final eight format.

“The final eight will see the top four play each other and the bottom four face off with the winners of the bottom four advancing to meet the losers from the top four matches.”

Silovo said the PNG-NRL was hoping to secure the Sir John Guise Stadium for the grand final in September but that but would depend on its availability and negations between the competition’s board and the PNG Sports Foundation as well as the Sports Ministry.

Standings: Tigers 20, Lions 19, Gurias 16, Wigmen 16, Muruks 14, Lahanis 12, Vipers , Eagles 7, Tumbe 6, Isapea 6.