Race on for pot of gold

By KEVIN TEME
VETERAN Kumuls prop Rodney Pora links up with the Jessie Joe Parker-led Paga Panthers aiming to win the Southern region leg of the Ipatas Cup playoffs today at the Lloyd Robson Oval.
The Kumul duo will lead a young pack of Panthers in Pool 3 that also includes Aroma Coast and Rigo Raiders.
In Pool 1, Morata Swans coached by former intercity player Andrew Andiki have a steep challenge from Port Moresby Butterflies and Kavo Gulf West.
Pool 2 features new teams up against each other in the likes of Tia Broncos, POM Diwai and GK Sikrap.
In Pool 4, it will be Hohola off-season hot favorites Lagaip Brothers, Gordon Kokofas and Hisiu Knights.
The pool winners advance to the cup semi-finals on Sunday.
Sikarp were a late inclusion to the 12-team competition after Hiri Gaigais pulled out at the last minute.
Butterflies look favourites with several inter-city players at their disposal.
Wests also have the luxury of calling on Digicel Cup players while the Panthers may have the  easiest run to Sunday’s finals.
Swans face Butterflies in the opening match which promises to be a cracker given Swans’ abrasive style meshing with Butterflies’ flair.
Pom Diwai, made of ex-Divine Word University students, lock horns with Hohola’s Tia Broncos in the first match of the day in what should give fans an entertaining opener to the day.
The winner of this tournament walks off with K10,000 in cash and the gold pass to the national  finals in Lae.
The lure of a substantial prize money in the Ipatas Cup has forced clubs to recruit seasoned inter-city level players sometimes at the expense of untapped talents from the local leagues.
While this is the biggest off-season rugby league competition in the country with over 10 years of existence it is fast becoming a lucrative money grab for clubs with the proliferation of elite players into sides aimed specifically at winning the K200,000 cup prize.
Initially started as a competition opened exclusively to Engan players and as a feeder competition to the Mioks, the Ipatas Cup has morphed into a different animal almost rivaling the PNGNRL’s Digicel Cup.