Emere ready for Tigers

By PARKER TAMBUA
FORMER LAE Tigers captain and premiership winner Tiger Emere says he is ready to face his old mates when he lines up for Waghi Tumbe in the Digicel Cup grand final at the Oil Search National Football Stadium on Sunday.
The man from Chimbu told The National after his side’s preliminary finals win over the Mendi Muruks last week that he wanted to help Tumbe win their maiden premiership after returning to the competition eight years ago.
“I’ve been with the Tigers for a very long time and to go up against them in grand final feels different,” Emere said.
“I played in the 2017, 2019 and 2020 grand finals for the Tigers and won two titles out of those.
“This will be my fourth appearance in a grand final and to face my former team I’m really looking forward to it.
“It will be a tough challenge but I am ready.”
Emere said he had a great experience in the 2021 season playing alongside young players in the Jiwaka provincial government-sponsored Tumbe side.
“The bulk of the players are new to this competition and me being one of the senior players apart from Joe Frank, Saki Peter and Supa Kokote, I’ve been trying to encourage them to be disciplined.
“And other senior players have been doing the same encouraging those boys.
“I think our discipline, hard work and commitment has paid off and we deserve to play in the grand final.
“Most of them may not have played in a grand final at this level but we’re really looking forward to the big one.”