The EPG Mioks head coach, Andrew Andiki, has been sacked for "non-performance".
Enga Mioks chairman, Philip Kepson, confirmed this today, stating that the franchise board could not hold back Andiki after losing six games in a row in the 2021 Digicel Cup challenge.
“We were supposed to perform according to expectation,” Kepson told this newsroom. “But because of non-performance, we had to let him go.”
He further blamed Andiki for the loss of 23 key players.
“When we were asked to get the COVID-19 vaccine by the national pandemic controller through the PNG National Rugby League Competition, our officials were expected to disseminate the right information to the players.
“In our case, our head coach was among officials who did not care about the importance of getting vaccinated to be in the competition. As a result, we lost our core players, which has seriously affected performance,” Kepson stated.
“The entire team walked off!”
Andiki’s sacking follows the July 12th airing of his interview with this newsroom, where he voiced his concern at his lack of powers when it comes to selecting players.
“To not have a say in the selection process is not right, we already lost many of our key players and to see this (continue) is only affecting the team,” Andiki was reported to have said.
Chairman Kepson, however, said Andiki’s termination was not because of the interview.
“Power is irrelevant at this stage. We’re midway through the competition and we have to work with the players we have,” he replied.
Kepson said an acting coach will be appointed this week to take charge of the team.
(EPG Mioks head coach, Andrew Andiki, during his July 12th interview at the Jackson’s International Airport with this newsroom)