Tigers recruit young guns for Digicel Cup

Normal, Sports
Source:

The National,Monday16 January 2012

MOROBE franchise club Lae Snax Tigers have opted to recruit young guns from the Lae Schoolboys rugby league competition for their campaign in the Digicel Cup this season.
Tigers have called on the services of eight players from other centres in the 30-man squad.
Among those picked were half back Peter Piala, Mark Mexico, Philip Dama and Mose Lam.
Tigers head coach Steve Malum said recently that there were also 10 players from other centres likely to join to side this season.
Seven players will come from Wabag, two from Kainantu and one from Goroka, Eastern Highlands  while the rest from the Lae Schoolboys rugby league competition.
The squad will head into a training camp today.
They will be under study until Malum decides on his final 25 players to up the team to participate in the Digicel Cup challenge this season.
The challenge is expected to start in April.
However, Tigers are preparing ahead off the other franchise clubs, scouting players from the Lae 9s and the off-season rugby league competitions held over the festive season.
With training underway, Malum is confident the management will give the youngsters a chance to prove themselves playing in the semi-professional competition.
He is also expecting the management to groom the youngsters while learning the skills of the game. 
“Today (Monday) will be team’s official training.
“Our team is made up of players who are taking part in the Lae Schoolboys rugby league competition and have made their way up to the senior ranks.
“In fact, three of them are still attending secondary schools here in Lae,” Malum said.
He said the focus was on young players who needed to be trained and coached to explore life for themselves.
However, Malum had maintained a couple of experienced players who performed exceptionally well last season to lead the youngsters this season.