Lakos take Central 9s

By TRAVERTZ MABONE
THE Central rugby league 9s tournament finished in style yesterday as the Lako’s beat Lagoons 14-12 in the cup final.
Lakos’ Rocksy Eovua stole the show with a double that that put  Lagoons out of the match.
Lagoons’ fullback Davis Mea hit back with a double of his own but it  was not enough as Lakos’ Ivan Vagi scored the clincher in the second half giving his side a well-deserved win.
On a wet and slippery deck at the Lloyd Robson Oval in Port Moresby, both teams dug deep but fortune favoured Lakos in the end.
In the plate final showdown, Moapa Kala defeated Norma’aninu 20-18 while in the bowl final Gabagaba beat Gaivakala 16-0.
Coordinator of the event and PNGRFL southern region’s development officer Ripa Kalamo said it was the first time the tournament was sanctioned under the PNGRFL which he said would help league grow in the southern region and especially in Central province.
He added that the event managed to run without a sponsor over the three days but was glad that things eventually worked out in the end.
“We need support from on all fronts to really see Central’s potential in rugby league develop and it will be good to see support from the government and business houses next year for a better event,” Kalamo said.
He said that this was a step forward for the province and he hoped for the best in terms of being represented fairly nationally.
Meanwhile, the Southern 9s played their cup final yesterday with Gaivakala beating Baruni 24-8.