Ipswich test for PNG

THE Telikom PNG Kumuls have been welcomed by the Ipswich community since arriving on Monday less than two weeks before they take on the Kangaroos at Parramatta Stadium in Sydney on Oct 24.
The Kumuls’ Ipswich experience has been an eye-opener for the 24-strong group of players who are using the city as a training base.
The team is staying at the Metro Hotel Ipswich International, eating lunch and dinner at the Ipswich Jets Leagues Club, and training out of the North Ipswich Reserve.
PNG coach and national icon Stanley Gene said Ipswich was not what he expected when he arrived in the town on Sunday.
“It was like a ghost town, there was no one anywhere which was strange,” he said.
“But I really like it. It’s a good set-up in the city with the hotel being so close to the training ground and the leagues club.”
The PNG training camp was organised by the Ipswich Jets and Sun Engineering, which sponsors the Jets and run several operations out of PNG.
The Kumuls will play a trial match against a selection of Ipswich Jets and IRL (Ipswich Rugby League) players at the reserve on Saturday night.
The Kumuls will get a chance to work on combinations and iron out any kinks heading into the Four Nations opener.
They will have to contend with local star and Ipswich Swifts player Stanley Fau, who tips the scales at a massive 160kg.
The Kumuls, some of whom have been described by local media as “miniature-Hulks” and are being forced to stand in the road of Fau, the surprisingly fleet-footed monster who dominated the IRL grand final.
That will provide good preparation for a team who are ranked outsiders to win the Four Nations.
Ipswich Jets chief executive officer Brad Wolens said having the Kumuls based in the city was a coup for rugby league in the region.
“It will be fantastic for the code as they will be actively involved in the community through school clinics during the week,” Wolens said.
“It will also give some of the region’s best players a great game of footy and something to remember.”
On the Kangaroos match, Gene said his side was too proud of its heritage to be thrashed.
“We’re always underdogs but we are not here to make up the numbers and we want to prove our critics wrong,” Gene said.
“We have a lot of local league players in the team, but our main focus is on the 2013 World Cup and we need to increase the ability of the local players.
“We’ll surprise people.”
In other Four Nations news, England will test their vaunted pack against a NZ Maori team  who include former Kangaroo Timana Tahu in Auckland on Saturday while New Zealand play a Samoan side packed with former Kiwis such as Tony Puletua, Ali Lautiiti, David Solomona and David Faiumu in their warm-up match also in New Zealand.