City Ducks dropped from Super finals

FINALS bound Port Moresby Ducks have been dropped from the Southern Super League (SSL) playoffs this weekend after the team failed to pay their affiliation fee of K10,000.
The Ducks finished third in the competition after the regular season and were gearing up to take part in a finals fixture on Saturday when the pin was pulled on their participation.
SSL board chairman Bagelo Solien said the Ducks management had only paid their affiliation fee in one installment of K5,000.
“This is our final decision as we have given ample time for Ducks to pay yesterday but they failed so we have no choice but to remove them from the top six and replace them with Buria Redz who finished in the seventh place.
Solien said Ducks club officials were advised several times to settle the outstanding amount (K5,000) before the elimination finals kicked off on Jan 15 but failed to do so hence their removal.
He said the 12-team competition had passed a resolution to meet all the requirement which 11 had done except for the Ducks. The chairman said that Ducks had received new set of uniforms to valued at K5,000 and also were assisted with transportation costs to play in Sogeri and Rigo in Central.
He said SSL was doing its part to run the competition through the provision of logistics, game officials, venue hire, uniforms, and other expenses and the least teams could do was pay their affiliation fees.
“We do not want to set the wrong precedent here for the future as we want to maintain a standard.” Sloien said after round 11 the standings had the Vipers Academy in first place on 21 points followed by Moresby South Blacks (20 on points differential), Funeral Home Laumas (20), Port Moresby Suburban Ducks (13), CPG Central Dabaris Development (12) and Isou Development (11) making the finals while Buria Redz (9 on points differential), Koiari Nagavas (9) and Eda Bulldogs (9) made the teams out of the top six.
Solien said the confirmed draws after the exclusion of the Ducks in Saturday’s elimination finals: Dabaris v Redz; Laumas v Isou.
He said the winners of the games would advance to the preliminary final on Jan 22.
Minor premiers Vipers and Blacks have the break and await the winners of the elimination finals.
In the preliminary finals the winners of Laumas-Isou play Vipers while the Dabaris-Redz winner faces Blacks to decide the grand final slots for Jan 29.