Host’s league nines team ready to take all-comers

 By ISAAC LIRI 

THE Papua New Guinea rugby league 9s team has arrived at the Pacific Game Village in Port Moresby and according to skipper Israel Eliab, pictured, the team is ready to play their first league 9s against the Pacific’s best. 

“We are proud to be part of the Pacific Games and we know it’s going to be exciting but we have to play our part as we know that it is going to be very challenging — especially against the Fijians and Samoans,” Eliab said. 

Eliab said that the Queensland Cup has shaped them well for the 9s event and even though it is a shorter format of what they are used to every weekend, the PNG Hunters skipper believes his side is made up of versatility, speed and strength, and that will give them the foundation of their game plans.  

“I think there is not much pressure on us, most of us have played together for a long time and we know each other’s game and when the time comes, we will just go out and do what we do best,” Eliab said. 

The two non-Hunters players Gahuna Silas from Gulf Isapea and Rex Yellon from Enga Mioks in the Digicel Cup competition have blended in well with the men after the Hunters returned from their round 17 draw with the Redcliffe Dolphins and over the few days, both players have been working with the selected Hunters players. 

The league 9s tournament will begin on Saturday and PNG will compete with five countries — Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and the  Solomon Islands. 

The 9s format was last contested at the 2007 Samoa edition of the Pacific Games, and its return to the Port Moresby 2015 with six nations battling it out for medals in a two-day round-robin tournament has excited the PNG 9s team. 

“The 9s format is growing in our country and having it back is good,” Eliab said. PNG 9’s team:  Stargroth Amean, Ase Boas, Nickson Borana, Israel Eliab, David Lapua, Willie Minoga, Kato Ottio, Wartovo Puara, Gahuna Silas, Thompson Teteh, Oti Bland Tony, Lawrence Tu’u, Adex Wera, Rex Yellon and Noel Zeming.