League’s great year

By ISAAC LIRI
AFTER a watershed year in 2017, the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League is looking to continue the success with chairman Sandis Tsaka hailing the season and hoping to build on it in 2018.
The challenge for the PNG’s national sport is to maintain high standard and forge ahead.
“As far as I can remember, 2017 is probably the best ever year in rugby league we’ve seen, and I think that as a country that calls rugby league its national sport, we should all be proud of,” Tsaka said.
Kumuls and SP Hunters coach Michael Marum backed his chairman saying last season was the best he had experienced.
“Last year was our best one yet. We achieved a lot but that doesn’t mean we relax. We are aiming to go one better, to go back to back in the Q-Cup and being successful,” Marum said.
Marum anticipated a tougher year for his Hunters squad with the Q-Cup set to benefit from an influx of talent after the NRL scrapped its U-20s competition.
“We are focused on defending our premiership but it won’t be easy because this season we expect quite a few clubs to benefit from having talent from the NRL U20s comp.”
Tsaka said while the Hunters and Kumuls had stolen the show towards the end of the year, the domestic scene had seen progress made.
“At the domestic level we saw the Digicel Cup free from violence, new measures were introduced into the competition with video coverage and statistics keeping which helped the administration to grow the game and this year we want to continue to make progress,” Tsaka said.
“In the Queensland Cup, we created history with our very own PNG Hunters when they won the premiership.
“But again their greatest challenge this year and probably the big question is: Can they go back to back?
“Another memorable event in terms of showcasing our country to the world through rugby league was the hosting of the three PNG Kumuls World Cup matches here in Port Moresby.
“We displayed hospitality to the visiting countries, Wales, Ireland and USA and we gave them an experience they will never forget.
“On the gender equity front, our women’s rugby league team, the Orchids were launched and played their first international against the Australian Jillaroos in September.
“The Orchids then went on to play in the women’s World Cup which showed our country and the rest of the rugby league world that our women too can play so this year we can expect more women to take up the code.
“All these successes that happened last year came from good support from the PNGRFL administration, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and the national government, our key sponsors SP Brewery, National Gaming Control Board, PNG LNG, Boroko Motors, Digicel, Air Niugini and many others, and I am confident that the support will continue on this year.”