Mioks’ patience pays off

By PHILIP KEPSON
THE Enga Mioks have waited 18 years for this moment.
If they beat the Goroka Lahanis in the Digicel Cup grand final in Port Moresby on Sunday, it will be seen as a justice done for the franchise.
The last time the club won the semi-professional competition was in 2000.
Since then, it has been a dry era for them. That was despite ending several seasons in the top three.
For those who do not know much about the club, the organisation, which is known as the Enga Mioks RFLC, was established in 1997.
That was the same year Governor Sir Peter Ipatas was first elected as political head of the province.
Before the club was admitted to the competition known at that time as the SP Inter-City Cup, Enga was given the chance to compete in a tournament known as ‘The Highlands Spear Heros’.
The Enga government-sanctioned team hit the limelight when they went through undefeated.
Unfortunately, they lost the grand final 22-20 to Mendi.
That was enough to convince rugby league administrators, including PNGRFL, of the Mioks’ entry into the Inter-City Cup.
Enga took the country by surprise when they went undefeated and won the minor premiership in their first year. But they lost in the playoffs.
Three years after their establishment, the Mioks entered the grand final in 2000 against the Agmark Gurias and won the millennium cup 36-20.
The Mioks made the 2009 final but lost 24-14 to the Gurias.
The Mioks have been consistent throughout out the last decade, finishing in the top half of the competition and making the playoffs.
They finished third last year.
Mioks deputy chairman Nelson Leia said the club continued to make improvements to its roster and coaching staff to come up with what they believed was a winning combination and that had culminated in the side making its first final in 18 years.
He said the Mioks got their 2018 campaign off to the best of starts ironically with a 30-12 win over the Lahanis in the first round and beat the Eastern Highlanders 32-18 in the return fixture in round 10.
The Mioks won their first seven games and that streak was what gave them the confidence to run through the rest of the season maintaining their No.1 spot.
“We didn’t look back after a great start and it ended with that win (34-24) over Chimbu in Madang in the final round,” Nelson said.