Southern Confederate boss goes on the defensive

 THE Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League Regional Confederate directors expressed their disappointment with the statement by the league’s chief executive officer Bob Cutmore calling on them to be more accountable to their affiliates.

Southern Confederate director Gwaibo Mairi and Northern’s Russ Kaupa claimed that it was misleading and uncalled for as they were mandated by the affiliates and not appointed by the PNGRFL.

Both have brushed aside Cutmore’s claims of administrative incompetency in their aoperations last year. 

“Bob’s comments are disrespectful and have put us in a poor light in fron tof the PNGRFL board,” Mairi said.

“We are at a loss to understand why he would target us like this.

Mairi said said all the Confederate’s financials were in order and would be tabled on February 27 during the PNGRFL’s annual general meeting.

“We want to make it clear that all our reports and financials are in order for the AGM this month. 

“We and our affiliates are decentralised from the PNGRFL.

“The confederate concept is the brain child of myself, Kaupa and the current PNGRFL chairman Sandis Tsaka to introduce these concept so the rural affiliates can source funding and programme support for their leagues,” Mairi said.

“We have done that as the directors of our confederate and Cutmore should not question us about that.”

Mairi, who fronted up at The National office was disappointed as Cutmore, who he said had onlty been in office for four months had could not have had ample time to assess their performance.

Mairi said last year was the first time that the four confederates – Southern, Northern, Highlands and New Guinea Islands – collected affiliation and players registration fees to manage their operations.

“We have put in a lot of effort into our confederates and to be told to account by the PNGRFL CEO, who is really an employee of the league is not right.

“Most of our money was used for our programmes and there are no irregularities.”

Mairi said any issue Cutmore had with the directors could have been handled in the board room.

Cutmore said any affiliate not happy with the performance of the directors could hold them accountable at the AGM.