Mix Dogs advance to Ipatas Cup final

By MELTON PAIS
CENTRAL leg gold pass winners Toks Mix Dogs advanced to the Coca-Cola Ipatas Cup finals in Lae on Saturday after finishing in the top two of the Eastern End semifinals.
Dogs under coach Jimmy Towalaun won their first game against Enga’s Western Cowboys 24-10 last Saturday.
They left for Goroka last Friday and the following day played in the semifinals. They beat Bougainville’s Black Orchids 14-4 to book the final against Wakwak Bulldogs.
“We’ve lost our playmaker Martin Tokapae, who has a badly sprained left ankle from our first game against the Cowboys, but we managed to win thanks to our pack,” Towalaun said.
“We’ve got a few bruised and sore guys like Philemon Karl and Garry Ware after the Black Orchids game but we’re confident they will be alright for the finals.”
The side travel to Lae today.
Ipatas Cup chief executive officer Timothy Lepa also confirmed the Dogs and the Yakuman Brothers were the Eastern End sides who advanced to the finals.
They take on the Western End’s Wakwak Bulldogs and Okong Butterflies on Saturday with the winners advancing to the grand final on Sunday