Kumuls reshuffle

Sports

THE PNG LNG Kumuls side will be without half Lachlan Lam for the series against the England Knights with Ase Boas called in as back up.
Vice-captain James Segeyaro and Kyle Laybutt will be unavailable for the first game in Lae on Saturday but will join the squad next week for game two in Port Moresby on Nov 3.
Featherstone Rovers-bound Boas was brought in by coach Michael Marum as cover and an experienced hand to support the halves combination of Edwin Ipape and brother Watson Boas.
But Marum stressed that Boas was not fully fit and still carrying niggling injuries.
“Lachlan was not able to come up for the two games because Roosters coach Trent Robinson advised that the club wanted him to stay for the start of their pre-season training so we had to bring in someone to back up Edwin and Watson who will be our halves,” Marum said.
“Ase’s not fully fit but we’ll see how he does training this week before we make a decision. We might end up using him in the second game depending on how things go.”
The arrivals of Tom Butterfield, pictured, yesterday and Nene Macdonald tomorrow today will complete the squad for the first match in Lae on Saturday.
The team for game one will be announced in Lae on Thursday.
The squad has five debutants in Zev John, Dilbert Isac, Brandon Nima, Edwin Ipape and Woods Kawage.
Kawage, Nima and Ipape were part of the PNG Resident U23s with centre Nima replacing fellow U23s centre Stanford Talita who pulled out last week.
The team travels to Lae tomorrow to prepare for the first game against Knights at 3pm, Saturday, at the Lae Rugby League ground.
Kumuls 20-man squad: Ase Boas, Brandon Nima, David Mead, Dilbert Isaac, Edwin Ipape, Enoch Maki, James Segeyaro, Junior Rau, Justin Olam, Kyle Laybutt, Moses Meninga, Nene Macdonald, Nixon Put, Rhadley Brawa, Stanton Albert, Tommy Butterfield, Watson Boas, Wellington Albert, Woods Kawage, Zev John.