Highlands affiliates back new board

EIGHT affiliated leagues in Western Highlands province are supporting the newly-elected Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League chairman Gary Juffa and deputy chairman Bryan Kramer and believe they will make a big difference to the game in PNG.
President of Mt Hagen Rugby Football League Samuel Buka, who claimed to speak on behalf of the 14 affiliated leagues in Western Highlands, Enga and Southern Highlands provinces, said last Friday they were happy with the change of management.
Buka said the affiliated leagues from the region would support and back the new board to develop the code of rugby league in the country.
He said since the PNGRFL came into existence it had never looked into the rural or outside competitions and they had no trust or confidence in the old board.
Buka said they were willing to work closely with a new board that would put more time and resources into rural leagues where many talented players were struggling to make their way up.
Buka said Western Highlands was the only province in the country to have eight member leagues affiliated with PNGRFL this year.He said the annual general meeting held in Lae, Morobe province, was legal and not otherwise as claimed by many.
Buka said many rugby league fans around the country loved the game and therefore, the old board must now yield to the newly elected board to move the code to the next level.