Warriors back

THE Simbu Warriors will pay off the K60,000 they owe to the PNG National Rugby League and a further K80,000 to compete the bemobile Cup this year.
This was the assurance given by the interim Warriors board to the chairman of bemobile Cup board, Don Fox, when he visited them in Kundiawa on Saturday.
The chairman of the interim Warriors board, Jerry Kapka, said they were ready to pay off the K60,000 debt owed to PNGRFL by previous Warrior sponsor Pagini Transport.
He said they would also pay the K80,000 needed to get the Warriors into the competition this year, with a total amount of K140,000 to be deposited into PNGNRL account.
Kapka told Fox during a briefing in Kundiawa that they were only waiting for K100,000 from Simbu Governor Fr John Garia to come in.
“After two years out of the competition, we felt this was putting the game in Simbu at a great disadvantage, and so we have the governor and MPs from the province involved,” he said.
He assured Fox the the province’s leaders were working hard with the interim board members.
“I am thankful that Mr Fox has decided to come to Kundiawa, we appreciate his support for coming to Simbu, we have support now so we will pay off the debt and get the  Warriors registered,” Kapka said.
He also appealed to businesses in Simbu  to support the move to get Warriors back into the cup race this year.
Fox said the PNGNRL board were looking at expanding the bemobile Cup competition and was pleased that a Simbu franchise would be re-entering this year.
“Our main aim is to give the youths on the street and in the villages a chance to prosper in life, however, I am only one so we will finalise the agreement at the PNG bemobile Cup board meeting,” Fox said.
Fox, however, stressed that the K60,000 debt had been the main concern, adding that if this was settled, “they (Warriors) should have no problem.
Fox, who was taken on a guided tour of Dickson Oval, which will soon undergo  a major facelift, said the Warriors home ground would need to be upgraded in order to meet bemobile Cup standards.
He said the Warriors’ board needed to ensure they had good quality field and surface, efficient management, adequate security and good administration to sustain the team.
“In the next bemobile Cup board meeting, Warriors fate will be decided, you still have a lot of work yet to do,” Fox said.
Fr John Garia was happy with Fox’s visit and committed K100,000 on an annual basis to support the franchise.
He also thanked the people and organisations who had contributed towards the push for the Warriors’ re-entry into the competition this season.
Those who helped were Joe Mek Teine (K50,000), Wera Mori (K10,000), Kongo Coffee (K30,000), Dr John Tonar (K1, 000), Sam Goiya (K5,000), Lucas Dawa (K10,000), Waiye League (K2, 000) and Mt Wihelm Hotel (K5,000).