Isapeas willing to battle on

By KEITH PUARIA
A TOP four finish in the 2012 Digicel Rugby League Cup season may have slowly slipped away for the Gulf Isapeas but the challenge is far from over.
“There are four games to play before the end of the proper season,” chief selector Jacob Ivaroa said.
“I think other teams, especially the top teams, know that they are not going to get anything on a silver plate against us.
“They know they have to work hard if they want to win.”
Ivaroa and coach Chris Enara remained positive about the side’s form even after Sunday’s 38-16 loss to the Goroka Lahanis.
“Every game is still a win for us from here. We’ve come a long way in the year-and-a-half that Isapeas have been in this competition, and our goals haven’t changed,” Enara said.
“There is a lot of intercity rugby league experience in the rest of the Digicel Cup while we have given the majority of fresh and new players an opportunity to experience that.”
The Isapeas entered the competition only last year and while the points table may say otherwise, they have been a threatening outfit this season with wins over the Snax Tigers 13-10 in week two, TNA Lions 22-16, and coming close to pulling off major upsets against the competition front runners Agmark Gurias (week six) and Enga Mioks (week seven).
It’s a long way from home yet and it doesn’t get any easier away this week against the Mt Hagen Eagles in Hagen, the Gurias in Kokopo the week after, and then at home against the Enga Mioks.
“We’re not letting our supporters and sponsors down, and we will play to the end,” Ivaroa said.