Muruks call for Mendi rugby league’s suspension

By HENRY MORABANG
THE Mendi Muruks have called on the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League and the Highlands Confederation to suspend Mendi Rugby League for mismanaging its competition.
Muruks chief executive officer James Hun criticised Mendi league president Barclay Tenza for claiming that the Digicel Cup franchise had not assisted the local league with funding as agreed.
Hun said Tenza’s allegations were baseless and misleading.
Tenza, a long-time rugby league administrator, said he was forced to cancel the Mendi league finals for the second time because neither the Muruks nor the Hela Wigmen, the other Digicel Cup franchise playing out of the Southern Highlands capital, had paid the agreed amount for the use of Mendi’s Joe Keviame Oval this season.
But Hun refuted the claim, saying he had personally delivered a cheque for K7000 to Tenza in front of the Mendi police station on April 14 this year.
He said if the Mendi league had failed to affiliate to the PNGRFL through the Highlands Confederation, that was not his problem.
Tenza, for his part, said he had paid the required affiliation fee but PNGRFL CEO Bob Cutmore confirmed last month that Mendi were one of the leagues that had not completed the affiliation requirements and therefore were marked as unregistered.
“Muruks did register 38 players and officials with the Mendi league with K3800 and another K4200 to the Highlands Confederation,” Hun said.
Hun said Highlands Confederation director Joe Tokam was aware of the funds the Muruks paid to the Mendi league and his confederation.
He said he was offended by the claim that the Muruks had not given the league any money.
Hun urged the PNGRFL and the Highlands Confederation to suspend the Mendi league and appoint a caretaker to administer its affairs. “The Mendi league has been poorly managed for years under Tenza,” Hun said.
He said the Muruks and Wigmen were keen on bringing their Digicel Cup matches to Mendi but Tenza’s comments were damaging the partnership.
Tenza confirmed the Muruks had paid an amount to help them affiliate but he was referring to the rest of the support promised to his league by the Petroleum Resources Kutubu-sponsored club.
“The Muruks gave us K4000 have yet to complete their funding (the balance of the promised K15,000),” Tenza said.
He said the Wigmen had not given them anything.“Wigmen failed to honour the memoradum of understanding signed.”