Performance a disgrace

 THE Papua New Guinea Kumuls 38-4 loss to a virtually unknown Samoan team was a disgrace.

Former PNG Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) chairman John Numapo (pictured) described the loss as an embarrassment to the country.

Numapo said: “I call for an immediate sacking of Adrian Lam and the suspension of the entire so-called high performance training programme managed by Lam and Mal Meninga consultancy services under the auspices of the Team Kumul Pty Ltd.”

“It is no secret that millions of kina in taxpayers’ money and sponsorship monies were poured into this high performance training programmes. But it has not produced the results especially with two straight losses recently at the World Cup,” Numapo said.

“The last game against New Zealand will be a difficult one for the Kumuls and is almost a foregone conclusion,” he added.

“No amount of explanation or excuses given by either Lam or Meninga will justify the loss against Samoa. Both gentlemen have simply failed to deliver the goods,” Numapo added.

“With this type of below-par performance what is the guarantee that the Kumuls will win a match at the next World Cup under the same team?” 

“The Minister for Sports Justin Tkatchenko should also be put on notice for misleading the government into setting up the different entities, the PNGRFL Bid Pty Ltd and the PNGRFL Foundation Ltd and Team Kumul Pty Ltd to run the affairs of rugby league in PNG,” he said.

“This has caused a lot of confusion and misunderstanding and I call on the government to review the whole Team Kumuls concept,” he added.

“The loss to Samoa is unacceptable. We have defeated France, England and New Zealand in the past during the days where players selected into the Kumul team paid a levy fee to travel and paid for their own rugby boots to represent the country,” Numapo said.

“They played their hearts out for their country and won with pride. PNGRFL needs to take stock and review the whole management structure of the game in the country.”