Lam: Move long overdue

By HENRY MORABANG
NATIONAL rugby league coach Adrian Lam is delighted at having fellow Maroon Mal Meninga to work with.
Lam, pictured, said he had always been passionate about implementing this type of programme for the Kumuls and congratulated the PNGRFL on the launch.
“It’s time for a change,” Lam said on Tuesday night after the announcement of Meninga as Kumuls coach director.
“In this day and age of professional sports we cannot expect to get our players together one week before we play international teams and be successful and then not see our players until 12 months later.
 “I feel by bringing Mal Meninga on board and implementing a full-time professional programme will take us to a level we have never reached before.

“Team Kumuls now allow us to implement full-time monitoring and training programmes to get our players to where they should be,” he said
Meninga said he was 100% committed to the programme and firmly believed PNG rugby league had the potential.
“I have been coming to PNG for close to 30 years, and I am excited about the new direction and strong leadership shown by the PNGRFL and the PNG Government,” he said.
“I have always maintained that if PNG Rugby League gets it right, they will be a force in international rugby league.
“This is a positive start and a new direction for rugby league in this country and my job is to maximise the potential that exists in PNG and to give the youth inspiration to achieve and excel.
“The programme is not only about the current players and given the training required to compete internationally but it is about developing the next crop of players to take this nation to the next level,” he said.