THE Lae Tigers beat the Goroka Lahanis 28-12 in a classic second half performance at the National Sports Institute in Goroka yesterday, in the opening round of 2015 Digicel Cup competition.
Tigers hooker Noel Joel grabbed two tries, one in each half, to secure the Morobe side the win. Conroy Matmilo, Pasu Avani and Justin Olam were the other try-scorers. Lahanis, with the home crowd behind them, managed to score one try in the first half through debutant Philemon Kimisive. Seasoned campaigners Felix Tatsim and Francis Takai scored their side’s only points in the second 40. After a brutal opening set, Eastern Highlander Matmilo crossed for the Lae men following an attacking set. Five-eighth Charlie Simon missed the conversion for the Tigers to take a 4-0 lead. The Lahanis fought back through experienced trio Micah Soboni, Casey Frank and Supa Kokote, while Ismael Avute, Waisy Joe, Bernard Tatsim and Francis Takai tried hard. The Tigers’ absorbed the pressure and struck back with a try to Joel, who ran 40-metres untouched to score after he was set up by Bernard Lama. The Tigers went 10-0 up. The hosts worked hard to get play deep into Tigers’ territory and winger Kimisive crossed the line following good lead-up work by halfback Frank. Avute missed the conversion and the Lahanis trailed 4-10 at halftime. Two staunch Lahanis supporters Members of Parliament Wera Mori (Chuave) and Police Minister Robert Atiayafa (Henganofi) added flavor to Lahanis camp by donating K50,000 each to the team at half time but this match was not going to won with wads of cash but plenty of hard work. Five minutes into the second half, Joel crossed over for his second try giving his side a comfortable 12-point lead. The Tigers lifted their intensity and kept up the heat on the home side with Avani scoring the try that all but broke the Lahanis resolve. The Lahanis scored a consolation try before full time after Kimisive set up fullback Takai for an unconverted try. NEW rugby league franchise, the Central Roosters, are determined to be included in the 2015 Digicel Cup season.
Two other teams, the Central Chiefs, from Central, and the Waghi Tumbe from Jiwaka are in the running for a spot in the 10-team competition, while the Roosters’ hopes hinge on a PNGNRL board decision after receiving approval from the Papua New Guinea Rugby Football League (PNGRFL) according to Southern Confederation director Gwaibo Mairi. Mairi has thrown his support behind the Roosters cause, citing the abundance of rural talent available to the franchise as a major factor. “The Central Roosters have a defined pathway in which talent can be managed through local competitions adapted from the PNGRFL,” Mairi said. “This means that it will manage talents from the schoolboys up to the provincial and national level.” He said he was aware of the Chiefs attempts to register their team and said he was open for discussion but had not been approached by the Jack Kedea-led bid. The National Southern Confederation director Gwaibo Mairi says the bid by the Central Roosters to join the Digicel Cup will benefit the province’s rugby league talent.
“The creation of the franchise is not about regionalism nor are we are competing against anyone,” Mairi said. “It’s about providing an opportunity for the many rural talents that can go to waste if not utilised. The two Southern Region franchises in the Gulf Isapea and the Port Moresby Vipers cannot cater for the 700 or so players out there.” The Central Chiefs are understood to be tabling a bid to the PNGNRL for inclusion in this year’s competition however the initial response from the PNGNRL headed by Sudhir Guru is for both bids to unite. The Chiefs have the Central Premier League as their feeder competition and the Chiefs CEO Jack Kedea claims that the Central provincial government is supportive of their bid. Roosters board chairman, Varigini Badira affirmed Mairi’s statement, saying that the Roosters would be a separate entity with support from the Central provincial government and other influential members from the public and private sector who were board members. “The idea of a Central team in the competition has been around for the past decade but nothing concrete was done about it until now. “This time we have professional and experienced people on the board who will demand attention from the PNGNRL.” Badira said the Roosters had started a partnership with the National Rugby League club, the Sydney City Roosters by adopting their development plans. “We are confident of entering the competition this year and doing very well. We aim to win this competition with the first two or three years,” Badira said. The franchise will be launched today at Jack Pidik Park by Central Governor Kila Haoda. 2014 teams: Mendi Muruks, Hela Wigmen, Mt Hagen Eagles, Port Moresby Vipers, Lae Tigers, Gulf Isapea, Agmark Gurias, Enga Mioks, Simbu Lions, Goroka Lahanis. 2015 new bids: Central Roosters, Central Chiefs, Waghi Tumbe. THe National THE Hela Wigmen created history by winning the Digicel Cup in their third year
of the semi-professional rugby league competition beating five-time champions, the Agmark Gurias 34-8 in the grand final yesterday in Lae. The Kemele Construction-sponsored franchise dominated the Gurias in all areas, including physically and mentally to satisfy an army of supporters most of whom drove into the Morobe capital from Hela and Southern Highlands. The Wigmen showed their intent in opening minute with an aggressive gang hit on Gurias veteran prop Rodney Pora, causing former Kumul to lose the ball. Wigmen winger and man-of-the-match, Dickson Paul, kicked a penalty for the first points of the final, before the Gurias unleashed their potent backline, with winger William Akuila scoring the opening try, which fullback Jason Misian failed to convert for a 4-2 lead. The Gurias showed more of that backline potency when their other winger Chris Jerry scored an unconverted try for an 8-2 lead. Wigmen veteran and former Kumul prop George Moni barged over for a try Paul converted and the Helas drew level with the East New Britons. The Wigmen took the lead again when Paul pounced on a loose ball to sprint 50-metres to score his side’s second try. Leading at 12-8, Hela winger Jeremy Ludwick proved too strong for his opposite number Jerry to score extending his side’s lead to 16-8 at halftime. The second half belonged to the Wigmen. Ludwick grabbed his second try after taking as lob from five-eighth Samuel Kili, who temporarily took over the kicking with a successful goal for a 20-8 lead. Wigmen fullback Felix Tangue’s break to set up hooker Weza Tenza all but ended the Gurias hopes, with the New Guinea Islanders looking like they wanted to be somewhere else then in front of a partisan Hela crowd at the Lae Rugby League ground. Another penalty after the Tenza try saw the Wigmen move to 28-8. Wigmen prop Benjamin Hetra charged onto a William Mone pass to end the game at 34-8. DIGICEL Cup champions Port Moresby Vipers have hung up their boots for the
season after losing 18-16 to the Hela Wigmen, while the Enga Mioks-Goroka Lahanis match ended in a 22-22 stalemate after extra time. The Wigmen will proceed to meet minor premiers Lae Tigers next Sunday in Lae, while the Mioks-Lahanis rematch is expected to take place in the middle of the week, with details yet to be confirmed by officials. The Vipers, played the 2014 season without a home venue because their home ground, Lloyd Robson Oval, is being redeveloped by Oil Search to be a 20,000 capacity venue in 2016. The main match between the Lahanis and Mioks ended in controversy after Lae rugby league officials and team officials from both sides rejected an earlier call by Papua New Guinea Rugby League general manager Hubert Warupi after the extra time to continue on playing in another second extra time set. It took around 30 minutes before the match was officially called off despite the Mioks claiming to be the winner because they had been the first to score. That match started off strongly and the lead seesawed throughout, keeping the fans at the fully packed Lae rugby league ground on the edge of their seats. Winger Elvis Loko scored the first try within 10 minutes for the Mioks but that was not converted. Lahanis halfback Robin Saga replied with two points from a penalty. Wawe Paul was the next winger to score for the Mioks, and their lead extended through the conversion by halfback Willy Guambo, pictured right, who minutes later added another two points with another penalty to make it 12-2. Lahanis centre Kevin Ingafa then made a chip kick and re-gathered to score their first unconverted try to trail by 16-6. David Loko, pictured, who for the first time returned to the Mioks camp after months away with the PNG Hunters playing in the Queensland Cup, set up younger sibling Elvis, who dived over for his second try, right on halftime. Guambo converted the try to take the Mioks 18-6 ahead. A determined Lahanis returned with a bang through fullback Charlie Oliver, whose effort was not complimented by their kicker, to trail 18-10. Lahanis captain and prop John Gand charged through a gaping hole in the Mioks defence to close the gap with a try that Soga converted to close the gap to 18-16. Before the Mioks could recover from that, Ingafa ran in again for his second try to put the Lahanis on top 22-18 after the conversion by Soga. But before the Lahanis could relax, Mioks replied in similar fashion through Elvis who went in for his third try. That was not converted. The extra 10 minutes saw both teams failing to kick a field goal or score a try. The first match was a blast for Vipers fullback Josiah Abavu, pictured far right, who scored two tries in the first half however lock Stanley Torato failed to convert the second try before Wigmen centre David Laria scored an unconverted try to see the Wigmen trail 12-6 at halftime. The Wigmen forced a tie when halfback William Mone scored on a favourable bounce of the ball that winger Dickson Paul converted. Vipers took the lead through second-rower Elijah Riyong, who charged through for their final but un-converted try. The Wigmen capitalised through five-eighth Kewa Kili whose try was converted by winger Dickson Paul. The National |
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