Orchids spots on the line

THE women’s national zone championships this weekend in Port Moresby will the selection platform for the PNG Orchids for their two international fixtures this year.
The championships at the Oil Search National Football Stadium will feature the best sides from the four confederations: Southern, Northern, Highlands, New Guinea Islands.
The sides for each of the confederations were selected after trials earlier this month where Southern was hosted in Port Moresby, Northern in Wewak, Highlands in Goroka and NGI in Kokopo.
A final Orchids 22-man squad will be announced after the national championships for the trial match against the Brisbane Broncos on Sept 2 and travel to Brisbane next Friday.
“As coach it’s a difficult task trying to pick the team but we’ll be taking 22 players to Brisbane for the trial against the Broncos,” newly-appointed Orchids coach David Westley said.
“To have a squad of 22 we can bring some of the young girls along for experience, But we want to put a good team against Australia.
“I’m going to talk to the teams during the trials and encourage everyone to go out there and give their best,” Westley said.
The former PNG Kumuls prop added that attitude, both on and off the field, would be a key criteria to consider when picking the side with the other PNGRFL selectors in conjunction with the Orchids five-year plan.
Westley said the five-year plan would not only work on building a strong team to play but also helping mould and empower women.
From experience as Orchids assistant coach last year in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup Westley said confidence was a factor in the team’s performance.
“If you take a player who is raw from PNG and throw them on the world stage, the experience is going to get to them,” Westley said
“I was there during the whole process so some of the girls took it well and some didn’t and it’s going to affect their performance.
“It’s a learning process, last year was the first time the girls went out of the country to play.
“We’ll try to get them ready as much as possible so this year we improve.
“We’ll be going into a crowd of 40,000 which will be televised and we only have a week to prepare them and we’ll do the best we can.
“We’re not there to lose either, the girls would want to win and the coaching staff would want to win and the country would want to see them winning but this is a start and we’re building towards the next world cup,” Westley said.
Women’s Confederation Championships Fixtures: Sat, Aug 25 – 0900 New Guinea Is v Highlands, 1010 Northern v Southern, 1145 New Guinea Is v Southern, 1255 Highlands v Northern, 1430 New Guinea Is v Northern, 1540 Highlands v Southern; Sun, Aug 26 – 1300 Final 1st v 2nd.
Admission fees: Adults – K5, Children – K2.