Support for Lahanis

CONGRATULATIONS to the coaching staff, players, management and sponsor of the Bintangor Goroka Lahanis for being in the final four for the 2019 Digicel Cup competition.
You have shown yet again that no matter how or where players are selected from, each group of players in any Lahanis team would step up to supporters’ expectations.
For the 2019 Lahanis team, who would have thought they would make it to the finals following the exodus of key players to other franchise teams at the beginning of the season?
By now, spectators and supporters of good rugby league played in PNG must know that for those in the Lahanis system, we are aware of a certain trend of former Lahanis players to eventually moving to other teams.
These players have, over the years influenced provincial teams representing East New Britain, Chimbu, Morobe, Gulf, Enga, Jiwaka, Southern Highlands and the nation’s capital.
Experience has taught us to not borrow players from other franchise teams but to always keep watching for up and coming village based players who must be observed and tracked over time for a possible call out one day to the Lahanis line up.
Such has happened again in the recruitment of several in the current lineup, who had virtually no idea of playing in the limelight of Port Moresby’s National Football Stadium and ‘the former grave yard’, the Kalabond field.
We were supposed to have been caged in at the beginning of the 2019 season with the keys thrown out.
Who let the bird out of its locked cage?
We are now marching to Port Moresby, you can set our brothers playing in other teams against us, you can hurl physically larger opponents at us, we may be small in built but our hearts are larger than what you think.
Without intimidation, verbal threats, mini missiles and only allowing fair play, we will show everyone how good rugby league is played by the Apos.
It is now time for Lahanis supporters from all corners of EHP to rise up as one and follow our boys “one game at a time” and accept whatever result our boys achieve in the name of good-clean-rugby league.
Go, Gonzella: show those who had jumped ship that we still have our boys from the outback who can do just as well or even better!

Gerard