Martin praises Gebbie

Kumul says Rabbitohs recruit proving that local players can thrive overseas

By PARKER TAMBUA
PAPUA New Guinea captain Rhyse Martin says his Kumuls teammate Edene Gebbie is evidence that local rugby league players can thrive overseas if they are put in the right environment.
Speaking to PNG Rugby Football League chairman Sandis Tsaka on Fulltime Reserve last week, Martin said the country needed to invest more effort and resources into junior development to bear long-term fruit.
“Look at some of the players like Gebbie,” said the former Canterbury Bulldogs forward, who now plays for the Leeds Rhinos in the English Super League.
“He played for a year in the Digicel Cup, another year with SP Hunters before joining the Wynnum Manly Seagulls (in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup) and then the NRL — that’s unbelievable.
“I played since I was five years old, coming through the junior programmes. “But it took me a long time to get there but Gebbie did it in three years.
“The abundance of talents in PNG is there.
“They just need avenues to thrive. And to get junior development right would be massive.
“Maybe one thing to look at is the junior system leading into the Digicel Cup.
“It’ll be good to get the knowledge and understanding of the game at a young age and then just build them up.”
Martin said it was important to get players committed to rugby league while developing the right attitude at a young age.
The 27-year-old, who played 12 tests for Papua New Guinea, said he had seen the Kumuls make strides since he made his debut in 2014.