Burgess excited to tour PNG

By ROBINSON LEKA
NATIONAL Rugby League premiership winner Tom Burgess, pictured, was excited to meet Papua New Guineans yesterday but all touristy things will be put aside come Saturday.
Winless on their Southern Hemisphere tour so far, being beaten by New Zealand twice and Tonga once, the British Lions are eager to return home with a victory at least.
Saturday’s match against the Kumuls at the Oil Search National Football Stadium is their only chance to salvage their tour.
“This test is important, it’s our last test (for 2019) so we need to make sure that we don’t leave with any regrets,” Lions and South Sydney Rabbitohs forward Tom Burgess said yesterday.
The Lions, accompanied by coach Wayne Bennett and NRL stars Burgess, James Graham (St George Illawarra Dragons) and Josh Hodgson (Canberra Raiders), were greeted by fans on arrival at the Jackson International Airport yesterday.
Burgess said he was excited to be in PNG and was determined to get a win.
“It’s great to see all the smiling faces,” the 27-year-old said at the Stanley Hotel and Suites, where the side are staying.
“Everyone is happy to see us and it’s great.
“I’m looking forward to getting out and about. We just want to go out there and give it our best.”
Lions assistant coach Ian Watson said despite a winless tour, they would use the experience in PNG to readjust and improve their game.
“The welcome for the players was brilliant at the airport. We had a traditional welcome and it was a really good introduction,” he said.
“It’s really exciting to come here where rugby league is the national sport. We’re looking forward to meeting the locals and putting a show on Saturday.
“It’s going to be an interesting game. PNG played really well against Fiji (last weekend).
“They played with a lot of passion and they worked really hard.”