Former Kumul prop takes charge

By JOHN PANGKATANA
NEW Gulf Isapeas coach Nigel Hukula aims to bring in a new competitive culture in their endeavour to do well in this year’s Digicel Cup semi-professional rugby league competition.
The former Papua New Guinea Kumuls prop and Goroka Lahanis hard-man only knows one-way.
You have to be mean, lean and have the right attitude.
Hukula, being a first-time coach at this level, has the ominous task of carrying the hopes of the Gulf province on his broad shoulders.
After a winless opening season and then winning three matches and coming close to causing five upsets last season, the sleeping crocodile is set to wake up from its slumber this season.
Bat an eye-lid is all what Hukula needs to inspire the Isapeas.
Hukula has just over a month before their campaign gets under way on April 7.
“The major priority of the coaching staff is to maintain and to give further confidence to our existing roster of players,” Hukula said.
“We can only get better with the experience and it is to our benefit that we build on what stock we have with a workable competitive culture,” he said.
“In that way we can develop the players into having the right attitude to actually be team and not a bunch of individuals,” Hukula said.
The Paga Panthers coach did indicate that the key positions of importance in the halves, dummy-half and full-back areas are vital, and further said that they would not close their doors to strengthening them from outside sources if the current players did not gel.
 Hukula said he was not ready to finalise his team but did say that the Gulf Isapeas would certainly be prepared to be on par with the top teams.
He thanked the management for giving him the opportunity and hoped to live up their expectations this season.