Kiunga league boss responds to grand final criticism

By ERIC PIET
KIUNGA Rugby Football League president Roy Kakarere has responded to questions about the prize money for the winners and the runners-up of their grand final.
Kakarere said that the K20,000 given by Western Governor Taboi Yoto had been put to its intended use in facilitating a successful grand final and would be acquitted if need be.
“I am happy to provide acquittals to the provincial administration or the governor because we have rightly used that money for the game alone,” Kakarere said.
“What we gave to the grand finalists should be appreciated as I am the only KRFL president who has been giving prize money to grand final teams for the last three seasons, unlike my predecessors.
“If you again see the K20,000, it is not that big, where people should expect big amounts.
Kakarere said it was expensive buying trophies in Port Moresby and flying them to Kiunga, citing that and other areas where the money was spent.
“It’s not a cheap exercise to buy and fly in trophies from Port Moresby for players of both teams. Part of the money also got spent on organising the game, payment of police officers for security during game day and paying the referee and touch judges.
“People must understand that K20,000 is not much, unlike the other leagues like the Port Moresby Souths League with K100,000 sponsor by their MP, their grand final winners were given big prizes.
“We gave prizes according to t our capacity,” Kakarere said.
On the competence of the local referee and touch judges who controlled the game on last Sunday, Kakarere said they were as competent as anyone else.
“Our local referees and touch judges have been trained by PNGRFL. They are equally competent, talented and have been up-skilled to the PNGRFL level, and they did well in controlling the grand final,” Kakarere said.