SHP nines’ talents leave impression on Marum

PAPUA New Guinea Kumuls coach Michael Marum says he is pleased with the talents on show during the Southern Highlands Nines tournament at the Momei Oval in Mendi last week.
The former SP Hunters coach accompanied scouts of 2022 Digicel Cup bid side, Sepik Pride, to the annual rugby league tournament.
The Pride contingent was made up of bid manager Bradley Simon, franchise major sponsor and EMK director Emmanuel Kange, and other officials.
Marum told The National yesterday that he was only there to observe.
“There were a lot of upcoming talented players who displayed some good rugby league,” the legendary rake said.
“The tournament organisers had some issues in the finals, but they must have sorted them out.
“The Pride made it possible for us to attend.”
Marum said offseason tournaments like Southern Highlands Nines were a good platform for raw talents to showcase themselves.
“It was good to see a few Digicel Cup players in the tournament,” he said.
“However, I think such offseason tournaments are all about raw talents.”
Meanwhile, Southern Highlands Nines coordinator Terence Kapipi said the tournament created spin-off benefits for locals.
“Supporters from the Highlands and Mamose travelled to Mendi,” he said.
“Business houses, including guest houses, and markets here benefited as cash flowed into the local economy. The tournament ran for five days and the locals certainly benefited from it.
“We want to continue the tournament as an annual event in the province. We want to make it bigger and better each year.”