Lahanis skipper to retire

GOROKA Lahanis captain Gonzella Urakusie says he is aiming to win one more premiership before he hangs up his boots at the end of the upcoming Digicel Cup season.
The 30-year-old told The National yesterday that the physical demands of being a semi-professional rugby league player had finally caught up with him.
“Since debuting for the club in 2011 at the age of 23, I’ve played almost every game,” said Urakusie, who played a handful of games for the SP Hunters in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup in 2014.
“I’ve played at least 70 minutes in all those matches so I think now is the right time to take a step away from the game to give my body a rest and spend more time with my family.”
For those close to him, the decision to walk away from the game he has played for nearly a decade comes as little surprise.
“I’ve two sons, Mark and Rockzellazjki, and my wife Wendy in the picture now so it’s no longer about me and more about them,” the forward said. “Mark turns three next week and ‘Rock’ is now three months old.
“I believe I’ve done a lot for the game in the country and I’m proud of it.”
Urakusie, who won two premierships from three grand finals, said he would be taking up a fulltime job from next week as a business teacher at the Missionary Training College’s new campus in the Eastern Highlands capital.
“I worked for a while in 2014 before graduating from the University of Goroka the following year,” he said.
“Since then, I’ve only been playing rugby league.
“So I’m excited to take up this new role and see where it takes me and my family.”