Marum welcomes decision on Segeyaro

By PARKER TAMBUA
KUMULS coach Michael Marum has welcomed the news that former Brisbane Bronco James Segeyaro has been cleared by National Rugby League (NRL) Anti-Doping Tribunal and he is eligible to resume his rugby league career. The 30-year old, who played five tests for Papua New Guinea, has been out of rugby league for 20 months following his suspension by the NRL in October 2018 after returning a positive sample for a banned substance (Di-Hydroxy LGD-4033 or Ligandrol) that is prohibited by World Anti-Doping Agency. Marum told The National yesterday that he was hoping Segeyaro received a call-up by an NRL club soon. He said the Goroka native would be considered once he joined a team and started to play. “Segeyaro is an experienced player so we’ll definitely need his services at the World Cup,” Marum said. “It’s good that he has been cleared to return. As far as the Kumuls is concerned, we are keeping him in our extended list of players.” Marum said he hoped Segeyaro was signed by an NRL club this late in the season and once he started playing he would be in contention for a spot in the Kumuls World Cup squad. Meanwhile, Marum was present at the Oil Search National Football Stadium last weekend for the opening round of the Digicel Cup competition to watch double headers on Saturday and Sunday. He said while the error rate across the games was high it was understandable because it was the start of the competition.“Errors were far too many but it’s understandable given the situation of the competition. “All these teams have been through a lot with vaccinations, movements of players and other factors, it’s been a challenging preparation for all the teams. “I had a meeting with PNGRFL CEO Stanley Hondina after the games and we’ve decided that I should visit all the clubs again and give some more coaching clinics to all the coaching staffs.