Martin under fire

PNG Prime Minister’s XIII debutant second rower Tyson Martin will undergo his baptism of fire on Sunday, when he runs out in the PNG colors against the Australian PM’s XIII.
The 19-year-old product of North Queensland Cowboys’ Under-20 division had been under the watchful eyes of Kumuls coach Adrian Lam over the last couple of years.
Lam had decided that Martin was ready to be taken aboard for PNG representative duties as part of the nation’s development programme Down Under.
Gold Coast Titans winger David Mead is part of this progamme.
Lam told The National yesterday that Martin will learn a lot from his local colleagues back in PNG, which should boost his performance in Australia.
He said devastating forward George Moni will be leading his PNG colleagues Kevin Frank, Anton Kui and speedy winger Elizah Riyong in the match against the Aussies.
Meanwhile, rampaging Kumuls second rower Simon Young has declared war against the star-studded Kangaroos.
“Ol tu ol man tasol ol wankain olsem yumi na nogat wanpela samting bai stopim mipela long winim ol,” he said in Tok Pisin.
“They are mere human like us and we are capable of beating them,” he said.
He said the boys were all fired up and looking forward to Sunday’s clash.
He said the heat has always been on PNG’s side and the same could apply on Sunday.
PNG’s co-captains Rodney Griffin and Rodney Pora agreed that they were all set for the game and were proud to play for their country against the Australians.
PNG league commentators are of the opinion that the match would lack the intensity of a Test match and is in reality a promotional match celebrating PNG’s  34th Independence anniversary and anti HIV-AIDS campaign.