Mead to lead

By MELTON PAIS
KUMULS coach Michael Marum is confident his NGCB Papua New Guinea Prime Minister’s 13 side led by David Mead will hold their own against the Australian PM’s 13 on Saturday.
Marum said he had named a full-strength squad thinking that the match, which had been initially given test status, would see Australia put out their first choice side. But it had been downgraded to an international match with Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga bringing up what is basically a second string outfit.
Marum said despite the change in the status of the game his side would be treating as an important fixture.
“I didn’t know about it until Tuesday night when PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka and CEO Rea Tau came to the camp and informed me and the boys,” a disappointed Marum said.
“To clarify the air of our viewers and fans, this game is not a test match. It is just like one of our annual PM’s 13 match.
“We have picked a full-strength side for this game and I have confidence in the squad now that they will go out there and do their best to make our fans happy.”
PNGRFL selectors picked a full strength national side to take on the Aussies in the annual fixture with several players not considered because of form (Ase Boas and Garry Lo), injury (Jack de Belin), work commitments (Luke Page), retirement (Rod Griffin, Stargroth Amean and Paul Aiton) and unavailability (Kurt Baptiste).
The match will also see three players debut for PNG — Edene Gabbie, Daniel Russell and Kyle Laybutt. Russell and Gabbie are on the wings while Laybutt is set to come off the bench.
Vice-captain James Segeyaro, who led the Kumuls in the Pacific test in June in the absence of Mead, is first choice hooker and Tommy Butterfield from the East Tigers comes off the bench.
Marum also kept the Kumuls halves pairing of Lachlan Lam and Watson Boas that presided over PNG’s 26-14 win over the Fiji Bati in Sydney earlier in the year.
Laybutt, who can cover the halves as well as the back-row because of his size (189cm, 90kg), comes off the bench.
Prop Enoch Maki and utility Willie Minoga make up the rest of the bench.
England-based Wellington Albert has been named at lock but is expected to play close to the ruck while Rhyse Martin and Nixon Put make up a small but dynamic second-row.
Stanton Albert and Moses Meninga have been named in the front row and are as mobile as the rest of the pack to contain Australia’s big men in David Klemmer, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Matt Prior and Aaron Woods.
Marum said training had been good throughout the week and the players were focused on putting out a top performance on Saturday.
“All the players know their jobs and everyone’s settled well into the team and are ready to give their best against Australia,” he said.
“The good thing about this squad is that most of them have played together at club level or in past games for the Kumuls over the last few years so they are familiar with the game plan and the style of football we want.”
Mead said defence would be the key to being competitive against a big Australian PM’s 13 side.
“We have matured as players in this squad and I’m confident in this squad and that we will deliver,” Mead said.
Meanwhile Marum reiterated that the PMs 13 fixture would be used as a trial to pick a 20-man squad for the two international fixtures against England Knights at the end of the month.
He said the selectors would also look at players domestically and in Australia to bring in for the two-game series against the Knights.
The PNG side will be finalised tomorrow during captain’s run.
PNG PM’s 13: 1. David Mead (c), 2. Edene Gabbie, 3. Justin Olam, 4. Nene Macdonald, 5. Daniel Russell, 6. Lachlan Lam, 7. Watson Boas, 8. Moses Meninga, 9. James Segeyaro (vc), 10. Stanton Albert, 11. Rhyse Martin, 12. Nixon Put, 13. Wellington Albert; Interchange: 14. Tom Butterfield, 15. Enoch Maki, 16. Kyle Laybutt, 17. Willie Minoga, 18. Rhadley Brawa.