Lahanis buoyed after recording Digicel Cup win No.1

THE Goroka Lahanis have been buoyed by their 34-32 win over the Dabaris — the side’s first victory of the season — as they look to make the Digicel Cup finals.
Lahanis coach Michael Moses told The National yesterday that their round-five win at the Lae Rugby League Ground proved that they had the ability to score points and grind out a win. “Forget what position we occupy on the Digicel Cup ladder,” he said of the 2018 champions, who are in 10th spot with just one win and four losses in the 12-team competition.
“We still have a chance to secure a spot in the top six.
“Our attack is good but not great.
“We can score points against any team but our defence keeps letting us down.
“Despite the win over the Central Dabaris, I’m still not satisfied with our defence.
“Playing the Rabaul Gurias this weekend will be our biggest test yet.”
Moses said they had penciled in as crucial fixtures the Gurias match and their round-eight clash with defending champions Lae Tigers.
“We can’t afford to be complacent,” he said.
“We have a great opportunity to keep the momentum going.
“But we have to fix our defence if we are to get something out of those two matches.
“If we beat the Gurias, it could be a turning point.
“Our focus this week will be on defence.
“If we can beat the Gurias and Tigers then we’ll put ourselves in a great position to make the finals.”
Moses said he was impressed with his younger players.
“But I still think our senior players are not doing enough so they really need to step up,” he said.