Vipers target Wigmen scalp

NCDC Port Moresby Vipers are in a similar position to the SP Hunters in that they are a mostly young squad finding their feet in a tough league.
Winless after the opening two rounds of the Digicel Cup season, coach Steven Gunua said it was not for a lack of trying and was confident heading into their Round 3 clash with the equally winless Kroton Hela Wigmen at the National Football Stadium on Saturday.
“The first two games we played we’ve been learning. That first game against the Gurias was a learning process for us because we have a lot of new boys in the squad,” Gunua said of his side’s 26-10 loss to the Gurias in Round 1.
The 33-year-old is a Digicel Cup rookie coach but by no means an inexperienced one having guided Royals to two championships as well as being a former Vipers player who last played in 2015.
“We’re still confident we can do well this year. I know we can go to the finals.
“We made the improvements on Sunday against the Waghi Tumbe and we actually played well but the refereeing in Minj was opensided because we had two tries disallowed and they (Tumbe) scored two tries themselves,” he said after his side lost 20-17 to the Tumbe.
Gunua said he was not putting any pressure on his side to get the winning formula but said set completions and handling errors were a problem his men needed to address as the season progressed. “We’ll fix those areas I think we have a good chance of winning on Saturday.”
In the other matches of the round, the Gulf Isou face the acid test against the Agmark Gurias also at the NFS.
The Isou are in third place and unbeaten for their best start to a season but face the competition leaders.
Fixtures: Rd 3 – Sat, April 20: Gulf Isou v Agmark Gurias, Port Moresby Vipers v Hela Wigmen; Sun, April 21: Lae Tigers v Mendi Muruks, Enga Mioks v Central Dabaris, Waghi Tumbe v Hagen Eagles, Goroka Lahanis v Kimbe Cutters.