Coach Geno keen for Commonwealth 9s test

SOUTHERN region’s Colin Geno, pictured, has been appointed coach of the PNG Under-23 rugby league team to the Commonwealth Championship in Redcliffe, Queensland, next week.
Geno will be assisted by former PNG Kumul Glenn Nami.
The 47-year-old from Aroma Coast, Central, is a champion coach with a track record in the Southern Nines tournament, winning four premierships.
He also led the gold medal-winning PNG nines team at the 2015 Pacific Games.
Geno, a People’s Choice award winner at the 2016 SP Awards, has earned a reputation as an astute coach particularly in the shorter version of the game.
“This is my first time to coach a national junior team to an international event,” Geno said.
He said taking on the best sides, particularly Australia and New Zealand, would be a big challenge for his side, which assembles this week in Port Moresby before travelling to Brisbane on Thursday.
The Commonwealth 9s tournament will be at Dolphin Stadium from Friday to Saturday.
The championships will showcase 10 Commonwealth nations including Australia, England, New Zealand, PNG, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Geno said his side would head into the tournament carrying the mantle as the winners of the U20 tournament that was staged in Glasgow, Scotland, just before the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The PNG U20s coached by Dennis Miall and featuring Stanton Albert and Gahuna Silas upset Australia in the final.
“We won the inaugural tournament back in 2014 so we have that to motivate us but we’re going to the Commonwealth 9s are with an exciting side and we hope to do well.”
Geno, who coached the Gulf Isou U23s to the quarterfinals at the National Super 9s over the weekend, said he was humbled to have been named the national coach.
“I’m grateful to the PNGRFL for having the confidence in me and I can’t wait to take the team down to Brisbane,” Geno said.
Commonwealth Championships: Women – Pool A: Australia, Fiji and Samoa; Pool B: Canada, Cook Islands, Tonga; Men – Pool A: Australia, Fiji, Scotland, Wales; Pool B; England, PNG, Samoa, Tonga; Physical disabilities tournament – Australia, New Zealand, Commonwealth All Stars.