Isapea thump Vipers in weekend trial

 THE Gulf Isapea players from Kerema showcased their raw talents against the Port Moresby Vipers beating them  22-4 at the Kone Tigers Oval on Saturday.

In the opening match, Vipers (2) stopped Isapea 22-18 in an evenly contested affair played under the scorching heat.

Gerard Mauru used his speed to out flank the Vipers defence to pick up two tries while three would-be four pointers were denied by referee Felix Atusa.

Fullback Ilave Sapea and halfback Mark John played vital roles with the assistance of experienced Jackins Mark and Junior Arova including hooker Agiru John directing attack. 

Jason Koivi was also in good form in the backs.

Both sides toiled in humid conditions but the men from Kerema had enough resilience to keep their minds on the job and not the thermometer.

Isapea coach Norris Selu praised the three men for their performance saying that since joining the camp the trio had improved a lot.  

Selu said there was a lot of polishing up to do that should be sorted out during training and he looked forward to the next trial match against Vipers.

Gulf Governor and patron Havila Kavo commended the local lads, who just arrived in the nation’s capital to train with the team and were impressive which added another dimension to the side.

Isapea chairman Jacob Ivaroa said the Kerema players, like their teammates from the city, were all not guaranteed the 25 spots in the final squad.

Ivaroa warned that regular Isapea players, who had shown no interest in attending training would be released.

“I don’t like the big boy’s attitudes and these players know who they are and should get their acts together before they find themselves out of the team,” Ivaroa said.