THEY may just be into the second season of the Digicel Cup but the Hela Wigmen are not premiership pretenders.
The Kemele Construction/HGDC-sponsored franchise have sounded an early warning that they are not in the country’s premier rugby league competition just to make up the numbers. With the Mendi-based team coming off the back of consecutive losses, stand-in coach Andrew Andiki yesterday said the Wigmen were keen to vent their frustration on the Agmark Gurias in Kokopo on Sunday. “They (Gurias) are a classy side, especially at home ground, but nothing is impossible and with the top eight set for next week we need to win to boost our confidence,” Andiki said. Andiki said they had been working hard on their discipline as they had been giving away too many penalties. He said mistakes were contributing to a poor completion rate. He confirmed that experienced hand in Joseph Omai would be rested but was confident that their engine room which includes former Kumul forwards George Moni and Samuel Sok would terrorise the Gurias front-line. Wigmen board chairman Andy Hetra said the Kokopo match would be a litmus test for his side to gauge just how finals-ready they were. “There is no test better than playing the Gurias at their Kalabond graveyard,” Hetra said. The Gurias are getting back to form at the right time and should give their supporters another treat with their flamboyant game led by skipper Travis Waninara and former Kumul prop Rodney Pora. In the other matches, Lae is set for another blockbuster with the SNS Port Moresby Vipers set to take on on minor premiers Lae Snax Tigers while in Mount Hagen, the PRK Mendi Muruks will look to playmakers Stanly Olo and Joshua Molsi to steer them against the Enga Mioks. Wigmen: Ramsy Paul, Jeremy Ludwig, David Lapua, Oliver Kerry (c), Johnson Awija, Charlie Wabo, William Mone, Samuel Sok, Weza Tenza, George Moni, Steven Mark, Andrew Ipi, Felix Tangue. Reserves: Mckenzie Buka, Raymond Tia, Mexie Kapia, Michael Mapu. The National THE Agmark Gurias beat the Mendi Muruks 24-16 in a competitive match at the
Kalabond Oval yesterday in the Digicel Cup rugby league competition. With the Muruks leading 16-10 at one stage the home fans did not want a repeat of their side’s 30-22 loss to the Vipers last month and sure enough the Gurias were good enough to get the win in front of their fans. The win was sealed in the 70th mionute through back-rower Daniel Pai after the scores had been locked 16-16. Muruks scored first in the opening exchanges through Nelson Ramu. Some enterprising play by the Gurias backline in the 10th minute saw fullback Jason Missian and Watson Boas link up before Nelson Daplen off loaded to Francis Paniu to score. The home side followed up with another try in the 25th minute through Missian. Muruks fullback Joe Joshua hit back to level the scores at 10-10 after the Gurias defence seemed to drop off slightly close to full time. A stripping penalty and one for dangerous contact saw the Muruks kick for goal through Joshua Molsi. Seconds before halftime, a Muruks try was recalled by match referee Levi Ainui for a forward pass. Muruks captain Molsi questioned Anui but to no avail. The Southern Highlanders however scored just after the half time break through Ape Nande to extend the lead to 16-10. Ase Boas stepped his way through the defence to score after a mistake by Muruks in their own 20-metre zone. Missian converted the try to even the score at 16-16. Muruks Matthew Barry spilled the ball over the try line which proved to be costly for the visitors. The Muruks followed that mistake up with a penalty for a high shot and Gurias opted to take the penalty kick to break the deadlock. Pai, who was on the end of a bell-ringer recovered enough to cross the chalk in the 76th minutes sealing the game 24-16. Gurias 24 (F Paniu, J Missian, A Boas, D Pai; J Missian 3 conv, pen) Muruks 16 (N Ramu, J Joshua, A Nande tries; J Molsi conv, pen). THe national ENGA Mioks halted Port Moresby Vipers winning streak with a 12-10 win in front
of a capacity crowd at Lae Rugby League ground. There was a minute’s silence before the kick off to acknowledge the tragic death of former Kumul and lae resident Peter Barnanga, who was found death in his car parked at a nigh club over the weekend. The first 20 minutes of the game were scoreless as both sides could not gain enough momentum to pressure their opposition try line. The Mioks, well-known for being relentless scored the first try of the game through centre and Jaka Investment man of the match recipient Charles Martin putting a grubber for winger Richard Reto to touch down for an unconverted try. Vipers returned the football down to Mioks territory when dynamic hooker Presley Soto made a clean break on the left edge side beating several Mioks players before placing a kick for fullback Josiah Abavu but the ball beat the Kumul and went dead. Mioks responded through their forwards with Steven Talin, Joe Kingal, Randy Joseph, Miniga Kit and Rex Yallon forging a path into Vipers territory. Referee Paul Wani penalised the Vipers for a dangerous tackle which saw captain Charlie Simson kick the penalty for a 6-0 lead. The resumption of play in the second half was a different tale as the city boys led by captain Richard Kambo, prop Enoch Maki, Stanley Torato and Elizah Riyong used their weight to gain yards and get them into good positions on the field. Israel Steven scored a converted try to level the scores. The mioks driven by their hordeof fans shifted to another gear in the crucial stages of the match – the final quarter – with Martin scoring in the corner. The try was converted which was converted but the lead was cut down to two in the dying stages when Bland Abavu scored an unconverted try to trail 10-12. Mioks 12 (R Reto, C Martin tries; C Simson con, pen) Vipers 10 (I Steven, B Abavu tries; S.Tarato con) HT: 6-0 (Mioks) at the Lae Rugby League Ground. THE Mt Hagen Eagles lost their chance of making the Digicel Cup top eight with a
10-8 loss to cellar dwellers the Gulf Isapea yesterday in the Western Highlands capital. With Isapea already out of contention, the Eagles had a slim chance provided they beat the Isapea and then the Goroka Lahanis next week. The Eagles and Isapea are the two sides that will miss the playoffs. The Gulf franchise played as if they wanted the win more and managed to secure only their second victory of the season. Both the Simbu Lions and the Lahanis will join the top six on July 27 in the next round. The Lions went down to the Lahanis 10-4 with some contentious calls by the referee not helping theSimbu cause. In the top rung, the Lae Tigers battled to a 24-18 win over the Hela Wigmen, the win all but guaranteeing the Morobe side the minor premiership, with two matches remaining. The Wigmen (20), who were the closest to the Tigers (23) in competition points (three points before the match) now cannot not make up the difference even if they win their last two games and the Tigers lose their two matches. The Agmark Gurias also found that winning feeling again despite having to come from behind to beat the Mendi Muruks leading 24-16. A individual effort from Kumul halfback Ase Boas leveled the match at 16-16 and then a Jason Mission penalty with three minutes remaining put them in the clear and then a late try rubbed more salt in the Southern Highlanders wounds. The Muruks were also left fuming over several calls by the referee. The Enga Mioks pulled reigning champions Port Moresby Vipers back down to earth with a close 12-10 win in Lae. Results: Agmark Gurias 24 Mendi Muruks 16, Hela Wigmen 18 Lae Tigers 24, Hagen Eagles 8 Gulf Isapea 10, Port Moresby Vipers 10 Enga Mioks 12, Goroka Lahanis 10 Simbu Lions 4. Standings: Tigers 25, Wigmen 20, Gurias 18, Mioks 18, Vipers 16, Muruks 14, Lions 14, Lahanis 13, Eagles 10, Isapea 8. GOROKA Lahanis fullback Charlie Oliver was named man of the match in a
nail-biting 16-14 win over an aggressive Simbu Lions in Goroka yesterday. Games running committee chairman Nathan Belbel Mote announced at the end of the game that Oliver was Lahanis’ K100 man of the match for his outstanding performance to save several tries. Oliver also scored a try towards the end of the first half to put Lahanis ahead 10-4 at the break. In the opening minutes of the game, centre Minaho Goso scored but Kevin Inagafa missed the conversion conversion for a 4-0 lead. The boys from Kundiawa town wasted no time in responding with a quick try to Enoch Sine to lock the scores at 4-4. Lahanis applied more pressure on Lions through their impressive pack led by Supa Kokote, Wesley Mohokule, Gonzella Urakusie and John Arme Gand. Their efforts paid off through a try to Oliver. The fullback stepped through past Lions defenders to score push his side out to a 10-4 lead. Lahanis Ken Kemutafe Junior was put through a hole by halfback Robin Soga to score the first points of the second stanza. Inagafa slotted the conversion for the Eatsern Highlanders to run out to a 16-4 lead. Lions French league export Kuni Minga crossed in the corner to get his side back in the game. Lions trailed 8-16. The Lions backs Saku More, Brian Gispe and Radley Brawa played strongly. But the visitors’ efforts were continuously thwarted by the Lahanis until the 76th minute when five-eighth Supa Takai burrowed his way over for a converted try to narrow the gap to 14-16. Lahanis stepped up their intensity through Oliver and Bernard Tatsim Jr and managed to keep the liuons at bay However, time became the Lion’s worst enemy as they failed to mount enough pressure on the Lahanis’ line. Lahanis coach Peter Warlock blamed poor refereeing for the narrow sore line. “Referees involved in this semi-professional game need to shape up and step up their performance,” Warlock said. “The referee in this game was inconsistent and was easily swayed by players and officials from both sides which just lowers the standard of the game.” Lions coach Hans Kaybing also expressed dissatisfaction over poor refereeing. “We trained hard all week to play this match, but this referee spoiled it for everyone,” Kaybing said. |
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