League parties seek compromise

By KEVIN TEME
PNG Kumuls representation at any international match including the 2013 World Cup in England, the annual Prime Minister’s XIII and others test matches will be jeopardised if both the former interim board led by John Numapo and the Highlands league do not come to terms.
While it is now not a matter for the PNGRFL interim board since their term elapsed last month as per the court order on April 8, it is a matter of great concern for the large following of rugby league fans in the country who have closely followed the in-fighting among executives.
The International Rugby League Federation has voiced their  concern on the ongoing court battles.
Now with the interim board’s term over it is believed a new court application will be filed to have an AGM before the end of this month.
After both parties were told by the court to come to a compromise it seems both have stood their ground on certain issues.
Former acting PNGRFL general manager Ivan Ravu yesterday said the other party did not agree on two points that Numapo’s faction brought up and this could prolong the dispute which was not good for the code.
Numapo is away in New Zealand for a Pacific Islands rugby league meeting.
Ravu said they had agreed to a compromise but the other faction disagreed on two issues Numapo had raised.
One was to have the PNG Sports Federation and Sports Commission act as an arbiter and to have an independent body run the AGM.
The side led by Gary Juffa rejected both moves.
Highlands league spokesman Sandis Tsaka, who has cautiously backed Juffa, argued it  did not make sense to have the country’s leading sporting bodies (PNGSFOC/PNGSF) to be brought as intermediaries.