Kumuls end 29yr wait for win No.2 over Lions

By PARKER TAMBUA
THE Papua New Guinea Kumuls ended a 29-year drought and shocked the rugby league world when they beat the Great Britain Lions 28-10 at the Oil Search National Football Stadium in Port Moresby on Saturday.
The Lions got off to a quick start and seemed to be in control in the opening 25 minutes with tries to Blake Austin (14th) and Josh Hodgson (22nd) minute to take a 10-0 lead.
The visitors kept the Kumuls scoreless until just before halftime when Edwin Ipape made a 65m dummy-half burst to score a converted try near the uprights and get the home side within four points (6-10) of the Lions.
The second-half was all the Kumuls as Wayne Bennett’s Lions failed to deny a four-try onslaught by the home side, starting with 46th minute Watson Boas try from a kick-chase off Edene Gebbie’s boot.
Justin Olam celebrated with a dance when he scored in 52nd minute off Kyle Leybutt’s in-goal grubber to put his side in front 18-10.
Alex Johnston had a memorable first Kumuls test on home soil when he collected a Watson Boas kick that bounced off a couple of Lions defenders to score his first try on the left edge.
The Kumuls were not done yet as Lions fullback Johnny Lomax, who plays for St Helens in the English Super league, spilled a towering bomb from Kyle Leybutt 15m out which saw Nixon Putt gaining possession to score near the uprights and seal the win for Michael Marum’s men.
The Lions, bolstered by their world-class forwards pack in Tom Burgess, Elliot Whitehead and John Batemen, failed to win the battle in middle, given the resilience of the confident Kumuls outfit.
In unpleasant scenes, Lions captain James Graham was knocked out in the opening hit-up by Kumuls forwards Luke Page.
The Kumuls were bolster by Super League and National Rugby League players Rhyse Martin (Leeds Rhinos), David Mead (Catalans Dragons), Justin Olam (Melbourne Storm) and Alex Johnston (South Sydney Rabbitohs).
The home side also had the likes of Queensland-based Intrust Super Cup players Ipape, Putt and Gebbie.
The defeat capped off a winless Southern Hemisphere tour for the Lions with losses to New Zealand (two), Tonga and the Kumuls.