Brothers, Royals win to make preliminary finals

BROTHERS and Royals survived the Port Moresby Rugby League A-Grade semifinals with wins at the National Football Stadium on Sunday.
With Digicel players in Quinten Ragi, Ben Wemin, Benji Kot and Solomon Bire, Brothers beat Paga Panthers 18-14.
They were put to the test after Paga came back midway through the second half but held on through some stubborn defence. The loss saw Paga bow out of the premiership race.
Royals found the going tough against Hawks but eventually overcame their opponents 20-16, with the Gordon-based team boosted by the likes of Nelson Wak, Gillespie David, Robert Mase, Cliffy Dengie, John Simon and Karis Yoba Peter.
Leading the showdown 8-4 at interval, Royals maintained the momentum through to fulltime to end the Hawks’ 2019 campaign.
In the preliminary finals, Brothers take on Tarangau and Hohola Flies meet Royals with two grand-final spots on offer.
In the women’s competition, Magani beat Hohola Flies 12-10 and Paga defeated defending champions Hawks 14-4.
This weekend will see Magani do battle with Sisters and Royals face Paga in the preliminary finals.
In the Under-20s, Tarangau beat Brothers 4-0 and Paga edged Royals 7-6. Winners of the preliminary finals advance to the grand finals next Sunday.