Put in the right place

By MELTON PAIS
BEING named in the 20-man-squad for the Papua New Guinea Hunters for the trial match against the Northern Pride in Cairns on Saturday was like an early birthday present for Nixon Put.
Coach Michael Marum is a hard task master but he liked what he saw in the back-rower, who turns 21 next month,  and named him to start in the second-row alongside Ishmael Balkawa.
Put is one of five debutants in the Hunters side for the weekend including Hagen Eagles team-mate Moses Meninga, Radley Brawa, Karo Kauna Jr and vice-captain Wellington Albert.
For Put, getting to play alongside players he has looked up to like Henry Wan, Esau Siune, David Loko and Willie Minoga  is the real buzz.
Marum said Put had shown enough over the nine-week pre-season training programme to earn a starting berth in the trial.
“I think Nixon’s got something to offer this year and he’s proven it over the pre-season so he gets to start on Saturday,” Marum said.
Weighing 96kg, Put has the foundation to make a handy forward and Marum has shown his faith in the  youngster by handing him the No.12 jersey which belonged to former Hunters enforcer Adam Korave.
The Western Highlander, who hails from the Moge tribe of Hagen Central, made his Digicel Cup debut in 2014 as a teenager.
In 2015, he was switched to the wing and played the entire season there.
Last year, Eagles coach James Kops decided Put was of better use in the pack and that move proved a master stroke with the  180cm tall player forming an effective combination with lock and fellow Hunters squad member Moses Meninga, veteran Francis Ray and gun prop McKenzie Yei.
Put, along with his cohorts in the Egales pack, helped the team reach the preliminary final and despite losing that game to the Gurias, he had proven himself a player of the future.