Restore Mendi Muruks glory

IT is like magic.
Teams tremble, game plans evaporate, warriors are reduced to nothing as the mighty men of Mendi Muruks’ chanting of Lipi sends chills up the spines of opponents.
It is an enthralling sight as warriors clad in black and white raise one hand, point into the heavens as they make hasty preparations to lay their bodies on the line for pride and glory.
The legend of the Lipi began in rainy Lae under the stewardship of Maybey and Johnson.
Tom Higgins, an Englishman, transformed the flightless bird into a mighty force on an unprecedented scale with his management skills.
Like a storm laying waste to everything on its path, the Muruks were.
Those were the bygone days when Southern Highlanders had something that made them proud.
It feels like a lifetime ago now after continuous failures.
Those days have long gone into memory like the legends of Joseph Omae, Steven Kua, Bon “the Shark” Wesis and Wesley Benny.
Lest we forget their services and the blood they spilled.
There is no secret to the reasons of the failures of our pride.
The Muruks suffered from political interference from men who knew nothing about the make-up of sporting teams.
Greed and ego have all but ruined this once mighty team.
The consequences of it has been massive, as the cream of the Muruks team missed out on national selection year-in, year-out.
Loyal fans suffered miserably, spilling tears of heartache as our flagship became a victim of lack of direction and insight.
Massive resources are squandered into thin air with nothing concrete to show for.
All is not lost though.
A new season approaches and with it, the perfect opportunity for the Lipi revival.
It is said that only a paltry 20 per cent of team sport happens on the playing field, the rest happens outside of it.
This statement finds relevance in our Muruks’ team’s predicaments of late.
Since the parting of Mendi Muruks and Tom Higgins’s skilled management, the results were obvious: the Muruks have become a free two points for other teams.
Replacing someone of Higgin’s calibre is a daunting task.
A talented coach with vision needs be appointed.
This coach must put up a clear plan, goals and directions for rugby league in the Southern Highlands.
Appoint a team manager who has proven himself in a sporting environment and knows the delicate mechanisms of sporting teams.
The sponsor in Petroleum Resources Kutubu will appoint their liaison officer who communicates with the coach, team manager and the team.
The heart and soul of Southern Highlands is the Mendi Muruks.
Our upcoming players must know their history: that not so long ago, Joseph Omae and his men were ready to sacrifice their bodies for our province without hesitation.
This revolution must be ignited outside of the rugby league field.
Let the most famous war cry of them all, fill the hearts of our enemies with terror again: Lipi! Lipi!

Wepio
Rugby League Romantics