Butterflies pip Royals in PRL tie

By JACK AMI
A NEW-look Butterflies shocked Royals 12-10 in Port Moresby Rugby League women’s competition season opener at the National Football Stadium last Saturday.
Butterflies came back with determination and confidence in the second half after trailing 4-0 at interval.
Royals were first on the board through a try by a rampaging Gill Yallon near the uprights but she missed the easy conversion.
Butterflies returned in the second half pumped after coach Della Audama implored them to play to their strengths and prop Julie Simon took the pep talk to heart bagging a double with lock and former national women’s cricketer Konio Oala, playing lock, easily converted to push her side out to a 12-4 lead.
Five-eighth Ayleen Soni’s efforts were rewarded with the player-of-the-match award.
Royals picked up their game and got into the Butterflies half for several sets pounding away at the line but the Butterflies defence held.
It took another special effort from the feisty Yallon, who used some fancy effort to cut through the Butterflies and score her side’s second four-pointer which got them to within two of the lead.
The Butterflies were without two of their best in national representatives Audama and Carol Humeu — both side lined with injuries —but stand-in skipper Carol Francis did a good job of rally her side with great support from dummy half Lisa Bina Wabo.
Royals had two big guns in Naomi Kaupa and Vero Waula who were a constant threat but could not find a way through a committed a Butterflies defence.
They missed game breaker Freda Waula, who had committed to PNG Palais for this month’s Hong Kong 7s.
In the other matches, the GoGo Cola Hawks thrashed Hohola Flies 28-6 while the Kone Tigers and Tarangau won forfeited their opponents Kone Storm and Souths.
The 2018 women’s season was officially kicked off by PRL women’s founding president Elice Siki, who was accompanied by PRL deputy chairman Wari Varage.