Kumuls wary of bigger Fijians

SKIPPER Rhyse Martin says the Papua New Guinea Kumuls are wary of the bigger Fijians ahead of their Nov 9 clash in Christchurch, New Zealand.
With Melbourne Storm’s Suliasi Vunivalu (99kg) and Parramatta Eels’ Maika Sivo (105kg) expected to start on the wing, NRL talent are expected to dominate the Batis starting 13.
But Leeds Rhinos forward Martin remains upbeat about PNG’s chances against the Brandon Costin-coached side, who are ranked fifth in the world — five spots above the Kumuls.
The 26-year-old, who is standing in for incumbent David Mead, says PNG has what it takes to stop their fellow Melanesians.
“Their side are like us too,” the former Cantebury Bulldog said ahead of their clash at Orangetheory Stadium.
“They’re getting a lot of experienced players in their squad now and as we see now in the NRL, there’s a lot of Fijian players. Their team are only going to get stronger.
“It’s been a really good battle, a healthy rivalry between us and Fiji. I think we’re going to see a really good game of footy.

“At the moment, I think whoever turns up on the day and who’s going to play their best brand of footy will come out victorious.
“Fiji are known for having bigger forwards and outside backs so I think that’s what we’ve got to contain them.
“Both their wingers are two of the best wingers in the NRL so we’ve got to handle them.
“We just have to muscle up against them but I’m confident with the team we’ve got. We can get the win over them.”
The goal-kicking forward, whose father is from Hula, Central, said the focus for PNG now would be returning to the basics.
“The next two weeks of preparations going into the test is going to be vital for us,” Martin said.
“We need to work on good ball structure and our combinations, we haven’t changed the team that much.
“We just need to concentrate on what works for us, our defensive structures. We’re just going to get back to how we’ve been playing over the last couple of years.”
Meanwhile, according to Radio New Zealand, Fiji are aiming to beat Samoa and the Kumuls on over the next two weekends in order to play tier-one opposition next year.
“You want to be playing against tier-one nations because then your international ranking will go through the roof,”Costin said.
Former Canberra Raider Costin said he was determined to see an improved performance from his side after a disappointing showing at the Rugby League World Cup Nines in Sydney, Australia, two weeks ago.