Gerehu touch braces for finals

ESTABLISHED in the early 1980s as one of the pioneer clubs of the Gerehu off-season touch, they were the Spiders, and then the Crusaders, and now Cowboys – Rotek Cowboys as they call themselves today.
It has been a long history of failures and successes, of trials and trying times, but going back in time, a small percentage of the country’s best sportsmen are rooted at this club, along with three premierships.
PNG Pukpuk greats Paul Joseph, Ernest Numa, John Susuve would have crossed your path somewhere along the line, and then rugby league’s Jimmy Lalatute and Kiva Fae.
And that’s not the end as a couple of players are the current mainstays in town competitions for their clubs, the new breed.
On Saturday, the Cowboys will run onto the Gerehu sports grounds in the competition’s season finale with their piece of history behind them and the backing of a small group of supporters.
Up against Dekenai Eagles, yet again another side backed by a well-established contractor Dekenai Construction, Gerehu is bracing itself for a showdown, come 2pm Saturday.
While the Eagles have their stock in the likes of leader, Iava Ume, Langer brothers – Wanpis, Yarl and Komna – to soar, a lot hangs on the smarter side on the day.
The Langer brothers, especially, have shone for the Eagles throughout the five-month long competition, bringing a little touch of family backyard football to the bigger ovals.
In the “easy” west, the Cowboys have struggled throughout, returning to form with all hands on deck now, in the form of Sarivita Kairi, Scott Susuve and captain John Song.
However, they have their own element of surprise in young promotions, Kairi Fae Jr, Tore Susuve and Tinam Foe.
Having gone through some rough patches during the season, Gerehu Touch is now set to host the big event.
With sponsorship still slow to come, organisers are going ahead with what they believe has been a motivating drive for the youths of Gerehu.